Location-based communication system

• US 7,672,678 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaw, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US11/534,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals based, at least in part, upon a separation between communication terminals is disclosed. A first communication channel is coupled with a first communication terminal, where the first communication terminal includes a transmitter. A second communication channel coupled with a second communication terminal, where the second communication terminal includes a receiver. A separation determining function finds a distance between the first and second communication terminals. A distance squelch analyzes the distance to prevent use of a message by the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for limiting communication between communication terminals based, at least in part, upon a distance between communication terminals, the method comprising steps of:

storing locations of each of two communications terminals;

receiving the distance between two communication terminals based on the stored locations, wherein one communication terminal comprises a transmitter and another communication terminal comprises a receiver;

receiving a communication limit from one of the two communication terminals, wherein the communication limit is at least partially based upon distances;

determining that the distance exceeds the communication limit;

determining that the another communication terminal is not a member of a group that is exempt from the communication limit;

preventing the receiver from using a communication of the transmitter; and

allowing use of the communication at a plurality of other receivers that comply with the communication limit.

2. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of determining the distance between the two communication terminals.

3. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of determining the first distance uses ranging signal from at least one of two communication terminals.

4. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of determining the first distance uses geo-positioning.

5. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication limit is at least partially based upon a number of receivers.

6. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of allowing a second receiver to use the communication even though outside the communication limit, wherein the second receiver is exempt from the communication limit.

7. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of increasing the communication limit if the receiver does not respond.

8. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the communication limit defines an area around a communication terminal, and

communication between the communication terminal and any other communication terminals in the cell is allowed where all communication terminals are in the area.

9. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the communication limit defines a number of communication terminals, and

communication between the communication terminal and any other communication terminals is allowed for the closest communication terminals up to the communication limit.

10. The method for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the communication limit defines a number of communication terminals, and

communication between the communication terminal and any other communication terminals is allowed up to the communication limit for communication terminals likely to arrive quickest given a street map.

11. A communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals based, at least in part, upon a separation between communication terminals, the communication system comprising:

a first communication channel coupled with a first communication terminal, wherein the first communication terminal comprises a transmitter;

a second communication channel coupled with a second communication terminal, wherein the second communication terminal comprises a receiver;

a terminal location database configured to store a location of the first and second communication terminals;

a squelch criteria database configured to store squelch criteria and at least one group of communication terminals to which the squelch criteria applies and a second group to which the squelch criteria does not apply;

a separation determining function that determines a distance between the first and second communication terminals;

a distance squelch that analyzes the distance and stored squelch criteria for the group including the first and second communication terminal to prevent use of a message by the receiver.

12. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second communication terminals communicate wirelessly.

13. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the first communication terminal is a cellular phone.

14. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the first communication terminal is a handheld radio.

15. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second communication terminals can operate in a walkie-talkie mode to broadcast to other communication terminals.

16. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein locations for the first and second communication terminals are known.

17. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the message includes video.

18. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the distance squelch prevents the message from being transmitted.

19. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the separation determining function determines the distance by knowing the location of the first and second communication terminals.

20. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 11, wherein the distance squelch is located away from either of the first and second communication terminals.

21. A communication device for limiting communication between communication terminals based, at least in part, upon a separation between communication terminals, the communication device comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a message from a transmitter,

retrieve a location of the transmitter on a terminal map, determine that the communication device is not a member of a group that is exempt from a communication limit, and

actively prevent use of the message based upon a position of the processor on the terminal map with respect to a predetermined region defined by squelch criteria wherein the predetermined region comprises the communication limit, and wherein the communication limit is based, at least in part, on at least one of;

a distance between the location of the transmitter and the position of the processor, a geographic boundary, and/or an area around the transmitter; and

a memory coupled with the processor.

22. The communication device for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 21, wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device.

23. The communication device for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 21, wherein the message is a multicast message intended for multiple receivers.

24. The communication device for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 21, wherein the processor is located remotely from the transmitter.

25. A communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals based, at least in part, upon a distance between communication terminals, the communication system comprising:

means for receiving a first distance between two communication terminals based on a location of each of the two communications terminals, wherein one communication terminal comprises a transmitter and another communication terminal comprises a receiver;

means for receiving a communication limit from one of the two communication terminals, wherein the communication limit includes a second distance;

means for determining that the first distance is greater than the second distance such that the communication limit is exceeded;

means for determining that the receiver is not in a group of communications terminals exempt from the communication limit; and

means for preventing the receiver from using a communication sent from the transmitter to the receiver.

26. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 25, further comprising means for determining the first distance between the two communication terminals.

27. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 26, wherein the means for determining uses geo-positioning to find the first distance.

28. The communication system for limiting communication between communication terminals as recited in claim 25, further comprising means for adjusting the second distance.