Real-time event notification

• US 7,898,423 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cavanaugh, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US11/831,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 34053911-53913, 379/37, 379/38, 379/51, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the real-time notification of user events. According to various embodiments described herein, a user initiates a notification process in which the geographic location of a device associated with the user, as well as any desired activity data, is generated into a real-time notification for another party. The location of the user device is determined upon the initiation of the notification process. Original or pre-programmed messages may be posted on a website or delivered along with the location of the user device to any number of communication devices. The various embodiments provide an efficient manner of updating selected individuals with the location of a user and of providing those individuals with desired information.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time event notification, comprising:

receiving, from a user device, real-time user event data, the real-time user event data comprising a user input and location data associated with the user device;

retrieving a message associated with the user input, the message corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of the user device;

determining a geographic location of the user device from the user event data;

generating a notification comprising the message and the geographic location of the user device; and

providing the notification according to a notification rule defined by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user event data comprises a device identifier associated with the user device and location data corresponding to the geographic location of the user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that provides the location data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the location data is determined via cellular signal triangulation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification further comprises activity data corresponding to user-defined information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activity data corresponds to the geographic location of the user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the event data comprises the activity data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the activity data is received from a user interface associated with the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to criteria defined by the user stored within a user profile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification via a website.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, from a user device real-time user event data, the real-time user event data comprising a user input and location data associated with the user device;

retrieve a message associated with the user input, the message corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of the user device;

determine a geographic location of the user device from the real-time user event data;

generate a notification defined by the user comprising the message and the geographic location of the user device; and

provide the notification according to a notification rule defined by the user.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user event data comprises a device identifier associated with the user device and location data corresponding to the geographic location of the user device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification further comprises activity data corresponding to user-defined information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to criteria defined by the user stored within a user profile.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification via a website.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to a purchased subscription.

17. A system for providing real-time event notification, comprising:

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for providing real-time event notification; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor operative to execute the computer-executable instructions which cause the processor to;

receive, from a user device, real-time user event data, the real-time user event data comprising a user input and location data associated with the user device;

retrieve a message associated with the user input, the message corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of the user device;

determine a geographic location of the user device from the real-time user event data,

generate a notification comprising the message and the geographic location of the user device, and

provide the notification according to a notification rule defined by the user.

18. The communication device system of claim 17, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to criteria defined by the user stored within a user profile.