System for providing location-based services in a wireless network, such as locating sets of desired locations

• US 8,010,132 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Bray, Duane, Paharia, Rajat, Weiss, Laura, Suraci, Mike, Feinstein, Jacob, Givechi, Roshi, Gosling, Marcus, Simsarian, Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/835,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455418-420, 4554561-4566, 455457-459, 455/514, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 4555561-5562, 455557-558, 455560-561, 455/566, 455/422.1, 455/434, 455/460, 455/466, 455/515, 455563-564, 701200-211, 701213-217, 701/219, 701/224, 340988-991, 340/995, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A system and associated method receives a command from a user'"'"'s mobile device to locate points of interest near the mobile device'"'"'s location. The points of interest are associated with different, user-identified, point of interest categories. Based at least in part on the mobile device'"'"'s location, the system substantially simultaneously provides a list of points of interest for at least some of the point of interest categories.

Claims

1. A method for providing wireless telecommunication services, the method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a request to identify points of interest near a location of the mobile device and associated with a parameter, wherein the request comprises the parameter;

determining the location of the mobile device;

determining a point of interest associated with the parameter;

transmitting point of interest data associated with the point of interest to the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, a request to store the parameter;

storing the parameter;

associating an identifier with the parameter;

receiving, from the mobile device, a second request to identify points of interest near a second location of the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the identifier;

determining the second location of the mobile device;

determining a second point of interest associated with the parameter; and

transmitting second point of interest data associated with the second point of interest to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a user-defined point of interest category.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the point of interest associated with the parameter comprises:

determining that there are no points of interest associated with the parameter within a first geographical radius about the location of the mobile device;

transmitting a request for a second geographical radius about the location of the mobile device to the mobile device;

receiving the second geographical radius from the mobile device;

determining the point of interest associated with the parameter, wherein the point of interest is within the second geographical radius.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining that the first geographical radius is not equal to a maximum geographical radius.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the request for the second geographical radius comprises at least one user-selectable geographical radius.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second geographical radius is one of the at least one user-selectable geographical radius.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a place name.

8. A location system for providing wireless telecommunication services, the location system configured to:

receive, from a mobile device, a request to identify points of interest near a location of the mobile device and associated with a parameter, wherein the request comprises the parameter;

determine the location of the mobile device;

determine a point of interest associated with the parameter;

transmit point of interest data associated with the point of interest to the mobile device;

receive, from the mobile device, a request to store the parameter;

store the parameter;

associate an identifier with the parameter;

receive, from the mobile device, a second request to identify points of interest near a second location of the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the identifier;

determining the second location of the mobile device;

determining a second point of interest associated with the parameter; and

transmitting second point of interest data associated with the second point of interest to the mobile device.

9. The location system of claim 8, wherein the point of interest data comprises at least one of a phone number associated with the point of interest and an address associated with the point of interest.

10. The location system of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request to place a call to the phone number associated with the point of interest, wherein the request to place the call is generated in response to a user selecting the phone number associated with the point of interest on the mobile device.

11. The location system of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request to provide first directions to the address associated with the point of interest, wherein the request to provide the first directions is generated in response to a user selecting the address associated with the point of interest on the mobile device.

12. The location system of claim 11, further comprising determining second directions from the location of the mobile device to the address associated with the point of interest.

13. The location system of claim 12, further comprising transmitting, to the mobile device, the second directions, wherein the second directions comprise at least one of text and a map.

14. The location system of claim 8, wherein the parameter comprises a user-defined point of interest category.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for providing wireless telecommunication services, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving, from a mobile device, a request to identify points of interest near a location of the mobile device and associated with a parameter, wherein the request comprises the parameter;

determining the location of the mobile device;

determining a point of interest associated with the parameter;

transmitting point of interest data associated with the point of interest to the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, a request to store the parameter;

storing the parameter;

associating an identifier with the parameter;

receiving, from the mobile device, a second request to identify points of interest near a second location of the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the identifier;

determining the second location of the mobile device;

determining a second point of interest associated with the parameter; and

transmitting second point of interest data associated with the second point of interest to the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising transmitting, to the mobile device, instructions that cause the mobile device to present an interface comprising a list of point of interest categories, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of the point of interest categories.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting, to the mobile device, instructions that cause the mobile device to present an interface comprising an option to present a list of point of interest categories; and

receiving from the mobile device a request to present the list of point of interest categories.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining the point of interest categories; and

transmitting the point of interest categories to the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request to locate next closest points of interest near the location of the mobile device;

determining a third point of interest associated with the parameter, wherein the third point of interest is farther from the location of the mobile device than the point of interest; and

transmitting third point of interest data associated with the third point of interest to the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the point of interest data comprises at least one of a phone number associated with the point of interest and an address associated with the point of interest.