Providing information to a mobile device based on an event at a geographical location

• US 8,219,110 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Martino, Monica Rose, Smith, M. Gregory, White, James N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US12/150,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/524, 455/466, 455/563, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 379/39, 370/338, 340/988
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium for providing information to a mobile device based on an event comprising detecting an occurrence of the event, determining if the event is a specific event and if the event occurred at or near a geographical location and sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device if the event is the specific event, if the event occurs at or near the geographical location, and if the at least one mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to at least one mobile device based on an event, comprising:

detecting an occurrence of the event;

capturing information about the event by the at least one mobile device, the information comprising location information and event type information;

sending the information from the at least one mobile device to at least one service provider site comprising a remote event alert server;

forwarding the information to a repository in communication with the remote event alert server;

identifying the event via the event alert server based on a combination of a type of event and a location occurrence of the event, the event being identified by associating the event type information with a specific event stored in the repository and associating the location information with a particular location associated with the specific event; and

receiving an alert of the event at the least one mobile device if the event is the specific event, if the event occurs at or near the geographical location, and if the at least one mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an occurrence of an event comprises:

sensing by a sensor an occurrence of an event above a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the event is a specific event and if the event occurred at or near a geographical location comprises:

processing information related to the event, wherein the processing comprises;

recognizing an image from the information about the event;

identifying the type of the event based on the image; and

identifying the location of the event based on the location of the at least one mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

performing a lookup of the at least one mobile device associated with at least one service provider, site; and

sending the alert to the at least one mobile device associated with at least one service provider site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

performing a lookup of the at least one mobile device associated with at least one service provider site;

identifying the location of the at least one mobile device; and

sending the alert to the at least one mobile device if the at least one mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the event based on the location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

sending the alert to at least one service provider site; and

forwarding the alert from the at least one service provider site to the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one service provider site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

identifying a location of at least one service provider site from a geographical information system;

sending the alert to the at least one service provider site within a predetermined distance of the event based on the location; and

forwarding the alert from the at least one service provider site to the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one service provider site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

sending a first alert to a first mobile device moving towards the event; and

sending a second alert to a second mobile device moving away from the event,

wherein at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device is the at least one mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending an alert of the event to at least one mobile device comprises:

sending the alert to the at least one mobile device based on a period of time the at least one mobile device is registered with a service provider site.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform:

monitoring a geographical area via at least one mobile device;

capturing information about an event by the at least one mobile device, the information comprising location information and event type information;

sending the information from the at least one mobile device to at least one service provider site comprising an event alert server;

forwarding the information to a repository in communication with the remote event alert server;

storing information related to the event in the repository;

identifying the event via the event alert server based on a combination of a type of the event and a location occurrence of the event, the event being identified by associating the event type information with a specific event stored in the repository and associating the location information with a particular location associated with the specific event; and

receiving an alert of the event at the least one mobile device if the event is the specific event, occurs at or near the geographical area, and if the mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

11. A communications network for providing information to at least one mobile device based on an event, comprising:

the at least one mobile device utilized by at least one mobile user, the at least one mobile device configured to

capture information about the event, the information comprising location information and event type information,

send the information to at least one service provider site comprising a remote event alert server,

forward the information to a repository in communication with the remote event alert server;

at least one service provider site associated with the at least one mobile device configured to communicate with the at least one mobile device; and

an event alert system comprising the event alert server configured to

detect an occurrence of the event,

process information related to the event, and

identify the event via the event alert server based on a combination of a type of event and a location occurrence of the event, the event being identified by associating the event type information with a specific event stored in the repository and associating the location information with a particular location associated with the specific event, and

send an alert of the event to the at least one mobile device if the event is the specific event, if the event occurs at or near a geographical location, and if the at least one mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

12. The communications network of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one event monitor, wherein the at least one event monitor is operable to sense an occurrence of the event, determine if the event is above a predetermined threshold, and wherein the event monitor is operable to notify the event alert system of the occurrence of the event if the event is above the predetermined threshold.

13. The communications network of claim 11, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform a lookup of at least one mobile device associated with at least one service provider site, and send the alert to the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one service provider site.

14. The communications network of claim 11, wherein the event alert system is further operable to send the alert to at least one service provider site, and to cause the at least one service provider site to forward the alert from the at least one service provider site to the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one service provider site.

15. The communications network of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one geographical information system, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform a lookup of at least one mobile device associated with at least one service provider site, identify a location of the at least one mobile device from the at least one geographical information system, and send the alert to the at least one mobile device within a predetermined distance of the event based on the location.

16. The communications network of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one geographical information system, wherein the event alert system is further operable to identify a location of at least one service provider site from the at least one geographical information system, send the alert to the at least one service provider site within a predetermined distance of the event based on the location, and forward the alert from the at least one service provider site to the at least one mobile device associated with the at least one service provider site.

17. The communications network of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one image recognition system; and

at least one geographical information system, wherein the at least one image recognition system is operable to recognize an image from the information about the event, the event alert system further operable to identify a type of the event based on the image, and identify a location of the event based on a location of the at least one mobile device from the at least one geographical information system.

18. The communications network of claim 11, wherein the event alert system is further operable to:

register at least one mobile user associated with the at least one mobile device;

monitor a specific event;

determine if the monitored event is the specific event based on a type of the event and a location of the event; and

send an alert of the event to the at least one mobile device if the event is the specific event.