System for providing alert-based services to mobile stations in a wireless communications network

• US 7,941,162 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Roumeliotis, Tasso, Hotes, Scott Allen, Susal, Joel A., Klein, Philip Nathan, Ioppe, Igor V.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/633,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554141-4143, 340/988
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

System for providing alert-based communication services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined. The system includes an alert engine capable of firing alerts associated with the alert-based communication services if location data regarding the mobile stations is indicative of the mobile stations meeting the alert conditions corresponding to the alert-based communication services. A requirements engine is provided for determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station and outputting a data element indicative of a requirement to obtain updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time. Also provided is a scheduler for receiving expiry times data indicative of a plurality of expiry times relating to respective location requests, processing the expiry times data for determining an order for servicing the location requests by positioning determining equipment (PDE) at least in part on a basis on the expiry times of the location requests and an output for interfacing with the PDE, allowing it to service the location requests according to the order determined.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium containing a program element for execution by a computing device to implement a method in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services defined for a plurality of mobile stations and a variety of alert conditions, the program element including:

program code means for receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

program code means for determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

program code means for outputting a data element indicative of a requirement to schedule a request to obtain updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

program code means for determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

program code means for generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

2. A method for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

outputting a data element indicative of a requirement to schedule a request to obtain updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

3. A system for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

means for receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

means for determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

means for outputting a data element indicative of a requirement to schedule a request to obtain updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

means for determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

means for generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

4. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computing device to implement a method, the computing device being capable of interfacing with a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, the method comprising:

receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

outputting a data element indicative of a requirement to schedule a request to obtain updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

5. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computing device to implement a method, the computing device being capable of interfacing with a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, the method comprising:

receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

6. A data processing device for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

an input capable of receiving updated location data about the mobile stations and capable of receiving an indication of at least one alert condition of an alert-based service for a particular mobile station; and

a processing unit connected to the input, said processing unit being capable of;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating and sending a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

7. A method for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

8. A system for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

means for receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

means for determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

means for scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

means for determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

means for generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

9. Computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computing device to implement a method in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, the method comprising:

receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, on the basis of the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services, if any, at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

generating a trigger to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the mobile station.

10. A system for providing alert-based communication services for which corresponding alert conditions to be met by mobile stations are defined, comprising:

an input capable of receiving updated location data about the mobile stations;

a determining engine capable of determining an expected earliest future time at which at least one alert condition is capable of being met by a particular mobile station;

a scheduling engine capable of scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time; and

an alert engine capable of firing alerts associated with the alert-based communication services if the location data regarding the mobile stations is indicative of the mobile stations meeting the alert conditions corresponding to the alert-based communication services.

11. A method for use in a communications network adapted to provide alert-based services defined for a plurality of mobile stations and a variety of alert conditions, comprising:

receiving from an alert-based application at least one alert condition of an alert-based service for a particular mobile station;

receiving location data about the particular mobile station;

determining based on the location data about the particular mobile station an expected earliest future time at which the at least one alert condition is capable of being met by the particular mobile station;

scheduling a request for updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

receiving the updated location data about the particular mobile station in advance of the expected earliest future time;

determining, based on the updated location data about the particular mobile station, for which alert-based services at least one corresponding alert condition is met by the particular mobile station; and

sending a trigger to the alert-based application to fire an alert associated with each alert-based service for which at least one corresponding alert condition has been met by the particular mobile station.