System and method of wireless proximity awareness

• US 7,266,395 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Schnurr, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/371,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/403, 4554041- 2, 455/414.1, 4554561- 6
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising a client application on an electronic communication device communicating across a wireless network, and an awareness server that includes a plurality of server objects that monitor multiple devices on a wireless communication network. In addition, the client application on the electronic communication device comprises a plurality of software objects. The client application periodically broadcasts the current wireless tower that the device is communicating on to the awareness server. The awareness server tracks the location of other Tower IDs of other users in the individual'"'"'s contact list. If there is a match in Tower IDs, an alert is sent to both users that they are in proximity to each other.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver object that receives network location information from a wireless network and receives proximity alert information from an awareness server via the wireless network;

an alerter object that generates an alert output in response to the proximity alert information; and

an updater object that generates a status update message for the awareness server that includes the network location information and also includes a unique identifier for the wireless communication device;

wherein the awareness server compares the network location information from the wireless communication device with network location data for other wireless communication devices to identify one or more of the other wireless communication devices that are located within a predetermined proximity from the wireless communication device and transmits the proximity alert information to the wireless communication device in response to identifying the one or more other wireless communication devices;

wherein the network location information identifies a wireless base station to which the wireless communication device was last reported to be in communication with.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a client listener object that processes the network location information and proximity alert information to trigger the alerter object and the updater object.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the network location information further identifies one or more wireless base stations that are adjacent to the wireless base station.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the receiver object, alterter object and updater object are software instructions stored in one or more memory devices and executed by one or more processing devices on the wireless communication device.

5. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver object that receives network location information from a wireless network and receives proximity alert information from an awareness server via the wireless network;

an alerter object that generates an alert output in response to the proximity alert information;

an updater object that generates a status update message for the awareness server that includes the network location information and also includes a unique identifier for the wireless communication device; and

a transmitter object that transmits the status update message over the wireless network to the awareness server;

wherein the awareness server compares the network location information from the wireless communication device with network location data for other wireless communication devices to identify one or more of the other wireless communication devices that are located within a predetermined proximity from the wireless communication device and transmits the proximity alert information to the wireless communication device in response to identifying the one or more other wireless communication devices;

wherein the updater object generates one or more data packets that include the network location information and the unique identifier and submits the one or more data packets to the transmitter object for transmission over the wireless network.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter object controls RF transmitter hardware in the wireless communication device.

7. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver object that receives network location information from a wireless network and receives proximity alert information from an awareness server via the wireless network;

an alerter object that generates an alert output in response to the proximity alert information; and

an updater object that generates a status update message for the awareness server that includes the network location information and also includes a unique identifier for the wireless communication device;

a timer object that generates periodic requests that trigger the updater object to generate the status update message;

wherein the awareness server compares the network location information from the wireless communication device with network location data for other wireless communication devices to identify one or more of the other wireless communication devices that are located within a predetermined proximity from the wireless communication device and transmits the proximity alert information to the wireless communication device in response to identifying the one or more other wireless communication devices.

8. A method for generating proximity alerts on a wireless communication device that indicate that one or more designated other wireless communication devices are within a predetermined proximity, comprising:

receiving network location information from a wireless network that identifies a location of the wireless communication device within a wireless network;

transmitting location status information to a central server, the location status information including the network location information an information identifying the wireless communication device;

receiving proximity alert information from the central server, the proximity alert information identifying the one or more designated other wireless communication devices within the predetermined proximity, the proximity alert information being generated based on the location status information; and

generating a proximity alert in response to receiving the proximity alert information, the proximity alert being perceivable by a device user;

wherein the network location information identifies a wireless base station to which the wireless communication device was last reported to be in communication with.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network location information further identifies one or more wireless base stations that are adjacent to the wireless base station.

10. A method for generating proximity alerts on a wireless communication device that indicate that one or more designated other wireless communication devices are within a predetermined proximity, comprising:

receiving network location information from a wireless network that identifies a location of the wireless communication device within a wireless network;

transmitting location status information to a central server, the location status information including the network location information an information identifying the wireless communication device;

receiving proximity alert information from the central server, the proximity alert information identifying the one or more designated other wireless communication devices within the predetermined proximity, the proximity alert information being generated based on the location status information; and

generating a proximity alert in response to receiving the proximity alert information, the proximity alert being perceivable by a device user;

wherein the location status information is transmitted to the central server at designated time intervals.

11. A wireless communication device, comprising:

means for receiving network location information from a wireless network that identifies a location of the wireless communication device within a wireless network;

means for transmitting location status information to a central server, the location status information including the network location information an information identifying the wireless communication device;

means for receiving proximity alert information from the central server, the proximity alert information identifying the one or more designated other wireless communication devices within the predetermined proximity, the proximity alert information being generated based on the location status information; and

means for generating a proximity alert in response to receiving the proximity alert information, the proximity alert being perceivable by a device user;

wherein the network location information identifies a wireless base station to which the wireless communication device was last reported to be in communication with.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the network location information further identifies one or more wireless base stations that are adjacent to the wireless base station.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the location status information is transmitted to the central server at designated time intervals.