System and method for detecting proximity between mobile device users
First Claim
1. A method for detecting proximity between at least a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising:
- determining a position of the first and second mobile devices;
automatically notifying any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device in response to a relative position between the first and the second mobile devices;
defining the relative position by a space that is partitioned into a first region, a second region, and a third region;
defining the first region relative to the first mobile device;
defining the second region relative to the second mobile device;
wherein the third region forms a boundary region between the first region and the second region; and
wherein automatically notifying occurs if;
at least any of the first and second mobile devices enters the third region; and
the relative position is determined to be less than a predetermined value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided to alert two mobile communications users in the event they come in close proximity to one another. The present system uses a distributed algorithm denoted as the Strips algorithm, in which a pair of moving friends with mobile telecommunications devices makes an agreement about a static buffering region between them. After the agreement is made, the users do not need to follow each other'"'"'s location until one of them enters the buffering region for the first time. By doing so, they invalidate the agreement. Consequently, they replace a location update message between them, determine if they got within the vicinity of each other, and otherwise make a new agreement on a new buffering region. When one of them enters the buffering region for the first time, a message is sent to both friends alerting them of the proximity of the other.
121 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for detecting proximity between at least a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising:
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determining a position of the first and second mobile devices; automatically notifying any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device in response to a relative position between the first and the second mobile devices; defining the relative position by a space that is partitioned into a first region, a second region, and a third region; defining the first region relative to the first mobile device; defining the second region relative to the second mobile device; wherein the third region forms a boundary region between the first region and the second region; and wherein automatically notifying occurs if; at least any of the first and second mobile devices enters the third region; and the relative position is determined to be less than a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer program product having instruction codes for detecting proximity between at least a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising:
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a first set of instruction codes for determining a position of the first and second mobile devices; a second set of instruction codes for automatically notifying any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device in response to a relative position between the first and the second mobile devices; a third set of instruction codes for defining the relative position by a space that is partitioned into a first region, a second region, and a third region; wherein the third set of instruction codes further defines the first region relative to the first mobile device; wherein the third set of instruction codes further defines the second region relative to the second mobile device; wherein the third region further forms a boundary region between the first region and the second region; and wherein the second set of instruction codes automatically notifies any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, if; at least any of the first and second mobile devices enters the third region; and the relative position is determined to be less than a predetermined value.
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20. A system for detecting proximity between at least a first mobile device and
a second mobile device, comprising: -
means for determining a position of the first and second mobile devices; means for automatically notifying any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device in response to a relative position between the first and the second mobile devices; means for defining the relative position by a space that is partitioned into a first region, a second region, and a third region; wherein the means for defining the relative position defines the first region relative to the first mobile device, and further defines the second region relative to the second mobile device; wherein the third region forms a boundary region between the first region and the second region; and wherein the means for automaticaUy notifying, provides notification to any of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, if; at least any of the first and second mobile devices enters the third region; and the relative position is determined to be less than a predetermined value.
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Specification