Systems, methods and computer program products for identifying items of interest that are geographically proximate to wireless communicator users
First Claim
1. A method of identifying items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the method comprising the following steps:
- detecting a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party;
comparing the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user;
automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator, and wherein the carrier sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party, and wherein the comparing and notifying steps are performed by the third party.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying items of interest within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of a user of a wireless communicator, or of geographic locations of interest to a user, are provided. A communications network carrier detects (or receives) a geographic location of (or from) a user. The distance between the detected (or received) geographic location and one or more items of interest to the user is determined. User interests are registered with the carrier (or with a third party). A determination is made whether the detected or received geographic location is within a predetermined proximity of an item associated with a registered interest to the user. If one or more items of interest to the user are within a predetermined proximity of the geographic location, the user is notified of the existence of the one or more items of interest. Additional information about each item of interest may also be provided.
96 Citations
71 Claims
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1. A method of identifying items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the method comprising the following steps:
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detecting a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party;
comparing the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user;
automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator, and wherein the carrier sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party, and wherein the comparing and notifying steps are performed by the third party. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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2. The method according to claim l, wherein the wireless communicator is a radiotelephone and wherein the communications network is a cellular radiotelephone network having a plurality of geographically-dispersed base stations, and wherein the detecting step comprises determining which base station the wireless communicator is in communications with.
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9. A method of identifying items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the method comprising the following steps:
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receiving information from the wireless communicator that indicates a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party;
comparing the geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user; and
automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the geographic location of the wireless communicator;
wherein the carrier sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party, and wherein the comparing and notifying steps are performed by the third party. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system that identifies items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, comprising:
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a communications network operated by a carrier;
means for detecting a geographic location of the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator communicates via the communications network;
means for obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party system;
means for sending the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party system, wherein the third party system comprises;
means for comparing the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user; and
means for automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system that identifies items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, comprising:
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a communications network operated by a carrier;
means for receiving information from the wireless communicator that indicates a geographic location of the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator communicates via the communications network;
means for obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party system;
means for sending the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party system, and wherein the third party system comprises means for comparing the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user, and means for automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A wireless communicator that communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, comprising:
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means for notifying the carrier of a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
means for authorizing the carrier to send the location information to a third party; and
means for automatically receiving information responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator about one or more items of interest to a user of the wireless communicator that are located within a predetermined proximity of the geographic location of the wireless communicator;
wherein the means for notifying the carrier about a geographic location of the wireless communicator further comprises means for sending the geographic location information from the carrier to the third party. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A communications device that communicates via communications network operated by a carrier, comprising:
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means for sending an identification of a geographic location to the carrier;
means for authorizing the carrier to send the location information to a third party;
means for automatically receiving information responsive to the geographic location about one or more items of interest to a user of the communications device that are located within a predetermined proximity of the identified geographic location. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A computer program product that identifies items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:
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computer readable program code that detects a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
computer readable program code that obtains user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party;
computer readable program code that sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party;
computer readable program code that compares the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user; and
computer readable program code that automatically notifies the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A computer program product that identifies items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:
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computer readable program code that receives information from the wireless communicator that indicates a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
computer readable program code that obtains user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party;
computer readable program code that sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party;
computer readable program code that compares the geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user; and
computer readable program code that automatically notifies the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the geographic location of the wireless communicator. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method of identifying items of interest to a user of a wireless communicator that are within a predetermined proximity of a geographic location of the user, wherein the wireless communicator communicates via a communications network operated by a carrier, the method comprising the following steps:
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detecting a geographic location of the wireless communicator;
comparing the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator with a geographic location of one or more items of interest to the user;
automatically notifying the user responsive to the geographic location of the wireless communicator when one or more items of interest to the user are located within a predetermined proximity of the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator, the predetermined proximity of a detected geographic location being configurable by a user via the wireless communicator, wherein the carrier sends the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to a third party, and wherein the comparing and notifying steps are performed by the third party; and
obtaining user authorization to send the detected geographic location of the wireless communicator to the third party. - View Dependent Claims (71)
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Specification