Method, system, and computer program product for providing location based services

• US 8,190,174 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hao, Jianxiu, Ortiz, Guillermo, Yin, Fenglin, Jin, Zhiying
• Primary Examiner(s): SANTIAGO CORDERO, MARIVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US11/615,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• 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 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing location based services are provided. Embodiments may include storing locations for a plurality of users of a telecommunication environment and contact lists of associated users for the plurality of users. Embodiments may also include providing the locations of the associated users for a first user based on a request from the first user. The request may further include providing locations for associated users who are located within an area of interest. The area of interest may be defined by a particular distance from the first user or by a point of interest of the first user. The locations of the users may be determined based on the locations of communication devices of the users including an identified receiving communication device for each user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a server, access to information regarding a plurality of users within a telecommunication environment, including providing access to at least a first contact list for at least a first user, where the first contact list defines one or more users associated with the first user;

determining, by the server, a location for a particular user associated with the first user;

receiving, by the server, a request from the first user for the location of the particular user, where the particular user is associated with a fixed location communication device and a wireless communication device;

identifying, by the server and based on a location of the particular user, one of the fixed location communication device or the wireless communication device as a receiving communication device for the particular user; and

providing, by the server, the location of the particular user in response to the request from the first user, based on the identified receiving communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the first user for a location for a plurality of the associated users, where the request for a location for the plurality of the associated users further includes receiving a request for a location for associated users of the contact list that are within an area of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, where the area of interest is defined in relation to the location of the first user.

4. The method of claim 2, where the area of interest is defined in relation to a point of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing directions to the first user to a location of at least one of the associated users of the first contact list.

6. The method of claim 1, where providing access to information regarding the plurality of users further includes identifying a receiving communication device for each of the plurality of users and where determining a location for each of the plurality of users is at least partially based on a location of the receiving communication device.

7. A system comprising:

at least one storage element for maintaining information regarding a plurality of users within a telecommunication environment, including at least a first contact list for at least a first user, where the first contact list defines one or more users associated with the first user;

a receiving element to receive a request from a communication device of the first user for a location of at least one of the users associated with the first user, where the at least one of the associated users is associated with a fixed location communication device and a mobile device;

an identifying element for determining, based on the location of the at least one of the users associated with the first user, which of the fixed location communication device or the mobile device is identified as a receiving device;

a processing element for determining the location for the at least one of users associated with the first user when the location of the at least one of the users associated with the first user is the same as the location of the identified receiving device, and where the determination is based at least partially on the information maintained in the storage element; and

a transmitting element for sending the location for the at least one of the users associated with the first user according to the request.

8. The system of claim 7, where the receiving element is further to receive a request for a location for users associated with the first user within an area of interest.

9. The system of claim 8, where the area of interest is defined in relation to the location of the first user.

10. The system of claim 8, where the area of interest is defined in relation to a point of interest that is different from the first user.

11. The system of claim 7, where the at least one storage element is to maintain mapping information, the processing element is to determine navigation directions to at least one of the users from the location of the first user, and the transmitting element is to send the navigation directions to the communication device of the first user.

12. The system of claim 7, where the plurality of users are each associated with one or more communication devices, where the at least one storage element maintains instructions from the one or more users defining a receiving communication device out of the one or more communication devices associated with each of the plurality of users, and where the processing element is to determine the location for each of users at least partially based on a location of the receiving communication device associated with the user.

13. The system of claim 12, where at least one of the receiving communication devices associated with the plurality of users is another mobile device having a locating sensor and where the receiving element is to receive updates from the other mobile device regarding the location of the other mobile device.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising an authentication element for allowing at least partial access for the first user to information maintained in the at least one storage element.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for accessing information regarding a plurality of users within a telecommunication environment, including accessing at least a first contact list for at least a first user, where the first contact list defines one or more users associated with the first user;

a second executable portion for determining a location of at least one of the plurality of users;

a third executable portion for receiving a request from the first user for the location for the at least one of the users of the first contact list, where the at least one of the users is associated with a fixed location communication device and a wireless communication device;

a fourth executable portion for identifying, based on a location of the at least one of the users, one of the fixed location communication device or the wireless communication device as a receiving communication device for the at least one of the users; and

a fifth executable portion for providing the location for the at least one of the users of the first contact list according to the request from the first user, based on the identified receiving communication device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, where the third executable portion includes instructions for receiving a request for locations of users of the first contact list that are within an area of interest.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, where the area of interest is defined in relation to the location of the first user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, where the area of interest is defined in relation to a point of interest.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising a fifth executable portion for providing directions to the first user to a location of at least one of the associated users of the first contact list.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, where the first executable portion includes instructions for accessing information identifying a receiving communication device for each of the plurality of users and where the second executable portion includes instructions for determining a location for each user at least partially based on the receiving communication device for the user.