System and method for facilitating proximity-based communication through dynamic communication device registration

• US 7,505,779 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scott L. David
• Original Assignee: Scott L. David
• Inventors: David, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US11/107,547
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating proximity-based communications through dynamic communication device registration is presented. Collections of offered descriptive parameters autonomously selectable by subscribers of uniquely identified communication devices are stored. A presence of a plurality of the communication devices within a localized physical coverage area is registered. Subscriber autonomous selections of the offered descriptive parameters from the communication devices are enrolled on a dynamic basis. A request to communicate with at least one other subscriber from a requesting subscriber having a communication device within the same localized physical coverage area is processed. One or more responding subscribers having communication devices within the localized physical coverage area are continuously identified. Selected sets of the offered descriptive parameters of the requesting subscriber and of the responding subscribers are autonomously compared. The requesting subscriber of at least one matching offered descriptive parameters set is notified.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating proximity-based communications through dynamic communication device registration, comprising:

a database configured to store;

identities of a multiplicity of communication devices and descriptive parameters that have been autonomously selected by a subscriber for each of the communication devices, wherein the descriptive parameters have been selected from the group comprising personal, cultural, social, religious, political, commercial physical, types of people, types of places, types of businesses, types of services, interests of the subscriber and needs of the subscriber; and

collections of subscriber groups comprising pluralities of communication devices sharing matching ones of the descriptive parameters;

a detection module configured to detect the communication devices with such descriptive parameters that are matching and to form subscriber groups comprising pluralities of the communications devices sharing matching ones of the descriptive parameters;

a tracking module configured to register a presence of a plurality of the communication devices within a localized physical coverage area; and

a facilitator module configured to subsequently facilitate dynamic communication between two or more subscribers comprising;

a request processor configured to process a request from a requesting subscriber to communicate with at least one other subscriber belonging to at least one such subscriber group in common and having a communication device within the same localized physical coverage area, comprising;

a comparison module configured to continuously identify one or more subscribers having communication devices within the localized physical coverage area and to continually compare the descriptive parameters selected by the one or more subscribers prior to and during the communication; and

a notification module configured to continually notify the requesting subscriber of at least one of the one or more subscribers with at least one matching descriptive parameter during the communication;

a response processor configured to process a response to the request to communicate from a responding subscriber of the at least one such subscriber group in common; and

a reply processor configured to process a reply to the responding subscriber from the requesting subscriber.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the notification module is further configured to provide contact information to enable communications between the communication device of the requesting subscriber and the communication devices of the responding subscribers.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the contact information is initially provided to the requesting subscriber.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a telephone number, identifying data, and rendezvous data.

5. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

localized coverage area privacy preferences defining a localized coverage area profile, wherein the notification module is further configured to apply the localized coverage area privacy preferences triggered in response to an attempt at establishing the communications.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the localized coverage area localized coverage area privacy preferences comprise at least one of filtering, screening, and hiding the information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of the requesting subscriber and the responding subscriber is passive.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the requesting subscriber and the responding subscriber comprise a plurality of participating subscribers having a shared set of descriptive parameters.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database is further configured to store at least one general category of descriptive parameters and one or more specific category of descriptive parameters hierarchically related to the at least one general category of descriptive parameters, further comprising:

a relationship module configured to provide selection of a descriptive parameter from one such specific category to include selection of a descriptive parameter from one such hierarchically-related general category.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a group module configured to allow a plurality of subscribers to form a group by creation of at least one private descriptive parameter, wherein selection and comparison of the at least one private descriptive parameter is limited to subscribers within the group.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication devices are selected from the group comprising mobile devices and non-mobile devices.

12. A method for facilitating proximity-based communications through dynamic communication device registration, comprising:

identifying a multiplicity of communication devices;

storing descriptive parameters that have been autonomously selected by a subscriber for each of the communication devices, wherein the descriptive parameters have been selected from the group comprising personal, cultural, social, religious, political, commercial physical, types of people, types of places, types of businesses, types of services, interests of the subscriber and needs of the subscriber;

detecting the communication devices with such descriptive parameters that are matching;

forming subscriber groups comprising pluralities of the communications devices sharing matching ones of the descriptive parameters;

registering a presence of a plurality of the communication devices within a localized physical coverage area;

subsequently facilitating dynamic communication between two or more subscribers comprising;

processing a request from a requesting subscriber to communicate with at least one other subscriber belonging to at least one such subscriber group in common and having a communication device within the same localized physical coverage area, comprising;

continuously identifying one or more subscribers having communication devices within the localized physical coverage area;

continually comparing the descriptive parameters selected by the one or more subscribers prior to and during the communication; and

continually notifying the requesting subscriber of at least one of the one or more subscribers with at least one matching descriptive parameter during the communication;

processing a response to the request to communicate from a responding subscriber of the at least one common subscriber group; and

processing a reply to the responding subscriber from the requesting subscriber.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing contact information to enable communications between the communication device of the requesting subscriber and the communication devices of the responding subscribers.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the contact information is initially provided to the requesting subscriber.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a telephone number, identifying data, and rendezvous data.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

storing localized coverage area privacy preferences defining a localized coverage area profile; and

applying the localized coverage area privacy preferences triggered in response to an attempt at establishing the communications.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the localized coverage area localized coverage area privacy preferences comprise at least one of filtering, screening, and hiding the information.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein one of the requesting subscriber and the responding subscriber is passive.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the requesting subscriber and the responding subscriber comprise a plurality of participating subscribers having a shared set of descriptive parameters.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

defining at least one general category of descriptive parameters and one or more specific category of descriptive parameters hierarchically related to the at least one general category of descriptive parameters; and

providing selection of a descriptive parameter from one such specific category to include selection of a descriptive parameter from one such hierarchically-related general category.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

identifying at least one such descriptive parameter, which comprises a private descriptive parameter;

identifying the subscribers who have autonomously selected the private descriptive parameter;

forming a private group comprising the identified subscribers;

continuously identifying only the subscribers who have selected the private descriptive parameter;

processing a request, by at least one of the identified subscribers, for a notification of the other identified subscribers.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the communication devices are selected from the group comprising mobile devices and non-mobile devices.

23. A computer-readable storage medium with encoded instructions therein, said instructions performing the method according to claim 12 when executed by a computer.

24. An apparatus for facilitating proximity-based communication through dynamic communication device registration, comprising:

means for facilitating proximity-based communications through dynamic communication device registration, comprising;

means for maintaining a database storing;

identities of a multiplicity of communication devices and descriptive parameters that have been autonomously selected by a subscriber for each of the communication devices, wherein the descriptive parameters have been selected from the group comprising personal, cultural, social, religious, political, commercial physical, types of people, types of places, types of businesses, types of services, interests of the subscriber and needs of the subscriber; and

collections of subscriber groups comprising pluralities of communication devices with matching ones of the descriptive parameters;

means for detecting the communication devices with such descriptive parameters that are matching;

means for forming subscriber groups comprising pluralities of the communications devices with matching ones of the descriptive parameters;

means for registering a presence of a plurality of the communication devices within a localized physical coverage area; and

means for subsequently facilitating dynamic communication between two or more subscribers comprising;

means for processing a request from a requesting subscriber to communicate with at least one other subscriber belonging to at least one such subscriber group in common and having a communication device within the same localized physical coverage area, comprising;

means for continuously identifying one or more subscribers having communication devices within the localized physical coverage area;

means for continually comparing the descriptive parameters of the requesting subscriber and the descriptive parameters of the one or more subscribers prior to and during the communication; and

means for continually notifying the requesting subscriber of at least one of the one or more subscribers with at least one matching descriptive parameter during the communication;

means for processing a response to the request to communicate from a responding subscriber of the at least one common subscriber group; and

means for processing a reply to the responding subscriber from the requesting subscriber.