Mobile location sharing system

• US 8,160,606 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleNav Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TeleNav Incorporated
• Inventors: Shrivathsan, Musiri, Crane, Nicola A., Yang, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/966,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20090170538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561- 7, 455/458, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A mobile location sharing system comprising: enabling a sender wireless device to send a payload including a location descriptor and a list of target identifiers to a group of targets; identifying a preferred communication mode for each in the group of targets; selecting a transmission format for the preferred communication mode; and sending the location descriptor in the transmission format selected for each in the group of targets for audio-visual output.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile location sharing system comprising:

receiving a payload including a location descriptor and a list of target identifiers to a target of a group of targets for location sharing from a sender wireless device, the location descriptor includes at least two of a meeting place, an accident location, a point of interest, a name, an alias, or a unique ID name with a street address;

identifying a preferred communication mode for each in the group of targets, the preferred communication mode is an appropriate network for the target including at least two of a telephone network, a cellular phone network, a voice mail box, or an e-mail server;

selecting a transmission format for the preferred communication mode;

sending the location descriptor in the transmission format selected for each in the group of targets for audio-visual output, the audio-visual output includes the transmission format formatted to a synthesized voice message; and

identifying an unavailability of at least one target to the transmission format; and

resending the location descriptor in a different transmission format to the target with the unavailability.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein receiving the payload including the location descriptor and the list of target identifier associated with the group of targets.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein selecting the transmission format includes formatting the location descriptor for text format, audio format, visual format, or a combination thereof.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

creating a website having a website address with the website including the location descriptor; and

wherein sending the location descriptor includes sending the website address.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

receiving the payload includes receiving additional data; and

selecting the transmission format includes formatting a portion of the additional data.

6. A method of operating a mobile location sharing system comprising:

receiving a payload including a location descriptor for describing a geographic location to a target of a group of targets with each of the target having a target identifier, the location descriptor includes at least two of a meeting place, an accident location, a point of interest, a name, an alias, or a unique ID name with a street address;

sending to a submitter the payload including the location descriptor and the target identifier for the group of targets;

identifying a preferred communication mode for the target identifier, the preferred communication mode is an appropriate network for the target including at least two of a telephone network, a cellular phone network, a voice mail box, or an e-mail server;

translating the target identifier into a usable address;

formatting a transmission having the location descriptor for the target identifier based on a preferred communication mode including the transmission formatted to a synthesized voice message for audio-visual output;

sending the transmission to the usable address for the target identifier for mobile location sharing for display;

identifying an unavailability of the usable address to the transmission; and

resending the location descriptor in a different transmission format to the usable address with the unavailability.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

receiving the payload having the location descriptor includes receiving a textual identifier; and

further comprising;

resolving the location descriptor into the geographic location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein formatting the transmission includes formatting the geographic location.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

creating a website having a website address with the website including the geographic location; and

wherein formatting the transmission includes;

sending the transmission including the website address and the geographic location for display.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the target identifier includes a telephone number, an email address, an alias name, or any combination thereof.

11. A mobile location sharing system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a payload from a sender wireless device with the payload including at least a location descriptor and a list of one or more target identifiers, the location descriptor includes at least two of a meeting place, an accident location, a point of interest, a name, an alias, or a unique ID name with a street address;

a resolver coupled to the receiver for receiving the list of one or more target identifiers, for determining therefrom a preferred communication mode for each of the target identifier, and for identifying an unavailability of at least one target to the preferred communication mode, the preferred communication mode is an appropriate network for the target including at least two of a telephone network, a cellular phone network, a voice mail box, or an e-mail server;

a formatter coupled to the resolver for receiving the preferred communication mode and for formatting a transmission for each of the target identifier based on the preferred communication mode for each of the target identifier for audio-visual output, the audio-visual output includes the transmission formatted to a synthesized voice message; and

a submitter coupled to the formatter for sending the transmission having the location descriptor to each of the target identifier using the preferred communication mode for each of the target identifier for mobile location sharing and for resending the location descriptor in a different transmission format to the target with the unavailability.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the formatter formats the location descriptor for text format, audio format, visual format, or a combination thereof.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the receiver is for transmitting a website address of a configured website that displays a geographic location associated with the location descriptor.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the receiver is for receiving additional data from the sender wireless device; and

the formatter is coupled to the receiver for receiving and formatting a portion of the additional data.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the receiver includes a submitter for receiving the payload including the location descriptor and the target identifier for the group of targets.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the receiver identifies a geographic location associated with the location descriptor.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the resolver includes means for translating the target identifier into a usable address.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the receiver receives the location descriptor having a textual identifier and extracts the geographic location associated with the location descriptor.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the formatter formats the geographic location for transmission.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the target identifier includes a telephone number, an email address, an alias name, or any combination thereof.