Cooperative location based tasks

• US 7,409,429 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Kaufman, James H., Ruvolo, Joann
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Application Number:
  US09/794,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,717 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/207, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/414.2, 701/207
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance. The method on a Client Wireless Component includes the steps of receiving location data from a plurality of Global Positioning System GPS satellites and transmitting the location data to an Active Calendar Component. The method further includes on an Active Calendar Component the steps of receiving Client Wireless Component location data and determining if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion.

Claims

1. A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a client wireless component, the method comprising:

receiving location data from a location tracking device;

transmitting the location data to a server associated with location dependent data structures;

receiving automatically server generated location dependent data transmitted from the server to a subset of a group associated with a first colleague item list in response to a user of a client wireless component being a member of the group associated with a first colleague item list and the client wireless component being within a threshold distance to at least one of an event location and an object specified in the first colleague item list, wherein each member of the group associated with the first colleague item list has at least one of added at least one item to the first colleague item list and has associated with at least one item in the first colleague item list that has been added by another member of the group associated with the first colleague item list; and

receiving, within the threshold distance to the at least one of an event location and an object specified in the first colleague item list, automatically server generated location dependent data transmitted from the server to a subset of a group associated with a second colleague item list in response to

the user of the client wireless component being a member of the group associated with the second colleague item list and the client wireless component being within a threshold distance to at least one of an event location and an object specified in the second colleague item list and wherein a list of members of the first colleague item list is different from a list of members of the second colleague item list, wherein each member of the group associated with the second colleague item list has at least one of added at least one item to the second colleague item list and has associated with at least one item in the second colleague item list that has been added by another member of the group associated with the second colleague item list, and

further in response to at least one other member of the subset of the group currently being located within a given distance from a location associated with the user of the client wireless component.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the client wireless component is selected from a group of client wireless components consisting of:

a client wireless component integrated into an automobile, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer and a generic wireless device with a processing unit.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving location dependent data includes receiving destination data selected from a group of destination data consisting of:

an office location, a home address, and a business address.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the location dependent data received from a server associated with location dependent data structures on a display of the client wireless component.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the display of the client wireless component further comprises a Touch Screen Input Output display.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

accepting input of an item acquired message indicating selection of an item by the user of the client wireless component.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the item acquired message to the server associated with location dependent data structures for storage therein.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the location dependent data includes at least one of an item on a shopping list, and a discussion list for a meeting.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the location tracking device comprises a location tracking device that receives data from at least one of nearest cell location tracking, a triangulation cell location tracking, a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, a Radio Frequency Badge Tracking, and a generic location tracking systems.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the location data comprises location data selected from a group of location data consisting of:

a physical location, an electronic location, a symbolic location, a URL, an identification (ID), an account, and a telephone number.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection, via a touch screen interface communicatively coupled to the client wireless component, from the user of at least one item in the second colleague item list based on the automatically generated location dependent data that has been received; and

transmitting a message to the server indicating that the user of the client wireless component has selected the at least one item for at least one of performing an action associated with the at least one item and obtaining the at least one item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each member in the group associated with the first colleague item list is associated with the first colleague item list for at least one of performing an action associated with at least one item in the first colleague item list and obtaining at least one item in the first colleague item list;

and

wherein each member in the group associated with the second colleague item list is associated with the second colleague item list for at least one of performing an action associated with at least one item in the second colleague item list and obtaining at least one item in the second colleague item list.

13. A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a server associated with location dependent data structures, the method comprising:

receiving client wireless component geographic location data;

determining if a first colleague item list exists for user completion and in response to the client wireless component being within a threshold distance of an item on the first colleague item list then;

determining if a user of the client wireless component is a member of a group associated with the first colleague item list, wherein each member of the group associated with the first colleague item list has at least one of added at least one item to the first colleague item list and has associated with at least one item in the first colleague item list that has been added by another member of the group associated with the first colleague item list, and in response to being a member in the group associated with the first colleague item list then;

transmitting an automatically generated location dependent task specified in the first colleague item list from the server to the client wireless component; and

determining if a second colleague item list exists for user completion, a list of members of the second colleague item list being different from a list of members of the first colleague item list and in response to the client wireless component being within a threshold distance then;

determining if the user of the client wireless component is a member of a group associated with the second colleague item list, wherein each member of the group associated with the second colleague item list has at least one of added at least one item to the second colleague item list and has associated with at least one item in the second colleague item list that has been added by another member of the group associated with the second colleague item list, and in response to being a member of the group associated with the second colleague item list then;

transmitting an automatically generated location dependent task specified in the second colleague item list from the server to the client wireless component while the client wireless component is within the threshold distance of the item on the first colleague, wherein the transmitting an automatically generated location dependent task specified in the second colleague item list further comprises;

determining that at least one other member of the group associated with the second colleague item list is currently located within a given distance from a location associated with the user of the client wireless component.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein a membership in the group includes destination data selected from a group of destination data consisting of:

an office location, a home address, and a business address.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the location dependent data includes at least one of a shopping list and a discussion list for a meeting.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising-receiving an item acquired message associated with location dependent data structures.