Camp on location

• US 8,199,890 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pirzada, Shamim S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed, Assad
• Application Number:
  US11/671,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 37920901-21801, 379/93.02, 379/207.1
• US Class Current: 379/93.02
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a request for a notification regarding an event associated with a first party and a first location. The request is received or otherwise obtained from a second party. The method also includes determining whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification, determining whether the event has occurred, sending the notification if the event has occurred and the second party is permitted to receive the notification. Sending the notification regarding the event includes sending the notification to the second party.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a request for a notification regarding an event associated with a first party and a first location, the request being received from a second party, the request being arranged to expire;

determining whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event;

determining, using logic associated with a computing device, whether the event has occurred before the request has expired,

wherein determining whether the event has occurred includes determining if a sensing device associated with the location has identified a change in status associated with the first party relative to the location;

sending the notification regarding the event if the event has occurred before the request has expired and the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event, wherein sending the notification regarding the event includes sending the notification to the second party using the logic associated with the computing device;

determining if the request has expired; and

sending an indication to the second party if the request has expired, the indication being arranged to indicate that the request has expired.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is one selected from the group including a change in usage of a device located at the first location, a change in presence of a cellular phone of the first party with respect to the first location, and a change in presence of a computer apparatus of the first party with respect to the first location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event includes determining if the first party has granted the second party permission to monitor the first party.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing device is an RFID sensing device and the first party is associated with an RFID tag, and wherein it is determined that the sensing device associated with the location has identified a change in status associated with the first party relative to the location when the RFID sensing device detects a change with respect to the presence of the RFID tag.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing device is one selected from a group including a heat sensor and a light sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

deactivating the request after sending the notification regarding the event if the event has occurred and the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is an arrival of the first party at the first location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is a departure of the first party from the first location.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a request for a notification regarding an event associated with a first party and a first location, the request being received from a second party, wherein the request for the notification regarding the event includes a format for sending the notification regarding the event, the format for sending the notification regarding the event including one selected from the group including an e-mail message, a telephone message, and an instant message;

determining whether the second party has permission to receive the notification regarding the event, wherein the permission is specified by the first party;

determining, using logic associated with a computing device, whether the event has occurred includes determining if a sensing device associated with the location has identified a change in status associated with the first party relative to the location; and

sending the notification regarding the event if the event has occurred and the second party has permission to receive the notification regarding the event, wherein sending the notification regarding the event includes sending the notification to the second party using the logic associated with the computing device.

10. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

obtain a request for a notification regarding an event associated with a first party and a first location, the request being received from a second party, the request being arranged to expire;

determine whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event;

determine whether the event has occurred before the request has expired includes to determine if a sensing device associated with the location has identified a change in status associated with the first party relative to the location;

send the notification regarding the event if the event has occurred before the request has expired and the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event, wherein the logic operable to send the notification regarding the event includes logic operable to send the notification to the second party;

determine if the request has expired; and

send an indication to the second party if the request has expired, the indication being arranged to indicate that the request has expired.

11. The logic of claim 10 operable to determine if the sensing device associated with the location has identified the change in the status associated with the first party relative to the location includes logic operable to receive information from the location that identifies the change in the status.

12. The logic of claim 10 wherein the event is one selected from the group including an arrival at the location and a departure from the location.

13. The logic of claim 10 wherein the logic operable to determine whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event is operable to determine if the first party has granted the second party permission to monitor the first party.

14. The logic of claim 10 wherein the request for the notification regarding the event includes a format for sending the notification regarding the event, the format for sending the notification regarding the event including one selected from the group including an e-mail message, a telephone message, and an instant message.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver, the receiver being arranged to obtain a request for notification regarding an event associated with a first location, the receiver further being arranged to receive an indication from the first location, wherein the indication is arranged to indicate that the event has occurred;

locator logic, the locator logic being arranged to process the request, the locator logic further being arranged to process the indication, wherein the locator logic is arranged to determine whether the notification regarding the event is to be sent in response to the request; and

a transmitter, the transmitter being arranged to provide the notification regarding the event if it is determined that the notification regarding the event is to be sent in response to the request;

wherein the request is obtained from a first party and the event is associated with the first location and a second party, the receiver being arranged to receive the indication from a sensing arrangement associated with the first location when the event associated with the second party relative to the first location is detected by the sensing arrangement,

wherein the locator logic further being arranged to determine whether the notification regarding the event is to be sent in response to the request by determining if the first party has permission to receive the notification regarding the event, and the permission is specified by the second party.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the transmitter is arranged to provide the notification by one selected from the group including causing an e-mail to be sent to the first party, causing a call to be made to the first party, and causing an instant message to be transmitted to the first party.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the request specifies how the notification is to be provided.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the event is one selected from the group including an arrival of the second party at the first location and a departure of the second party from the location.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the locator logic is arranged to provide the first location with information that indicates that a sensing arrangement at the first location is to monitor the first location for an occurrence of the event.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the request for notification regarding the event associated with the first location is a request to camp on the first location for one selected from the group including an arrival at the first location and a departure from the first location.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a request for a notification regarding an event associated with a first party and a first location, the request being received from a second party, the request being arranged to expire;

means for determining whether the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event;

means for determining whether the event has occurred before the request has expired, wherein determining whether the event has occurred includes determining if a sensing device associated with the location has identified a change in status associated with the first party relative to the location;

means for sending the notification regarding the event if the event has occurred before the request has expired and the second party is permitted to receive the notification regarding the event, wherein the means for sending the notification regarding the event includes means for sending the notification to the second party;

means for determining if the request has expired; and

means for sending an indication to the second party if the request has expired, the indication being arranged to indicate that the request has expired.