Personal location information management

• US 8,229,454 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Yoakum, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/805,887
• Time in Patent Office: 3,046 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The present invention provides for delivering location information to any number of subscribers via their respective location applications, which may run on any type of communication device. The location is derived from state information received from one or more devices with which the user interacts or a system associated therewith. The state information is processed to create the location information, which is provided to the location applications of the subscribers. The system may allow the user to establish a profile, which defines to whom and how location information is disseminated. The profile may specify those who can receive location information, those who cannot receive location information, and those who should always get the location information even if others are restricted by time, date, location, or other criteria specified by the user. Further, certain subscribers may receive a preset location, regardless of the received state information.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information comprising:

a) receiving state information from disparate multiple devices at a same location where the multiple devices have different functions and provide different types of information based on the different functions and are located on disparate networks, the state information stemming from a user'"'"'s interactions with each of the multiple devices at the location, wherein the interactions are of a different type according to the different functions;

b) evaluating the state information received from the multiple devices with location rules to create location information of the user where the location information is based on the location of the user; and

c) sending the location information to location applications associated with a plurality of subscribers based on a profile established by the user, the profile defining levels of access to the location information for each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers, where a first subscriber of the plurality of subscribers has access to more location information than a second subscriber of the plurality of subscribers based on the profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines the location applications or subscribers to which the location information is sent.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines location applications or subscribers to which the location information should not be sent.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein different groups of subscribers have different profiles controlling the sending of the location information to the location applications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines when the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines a location of the user where the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers when the user is in the defined location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines a location of the user where the location information is not sent to the plurality of subscribers when the user is in the defined location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines dates or times controlling whether the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines at least one of the plurality of subscribers to which preset location information is sent.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile defines at least one of the plurality of subscribers to which the location information is always sent.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one of the plurality of subscribers is an emergency services group.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending updated location information when the location information changes based on a change in the state information.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the location rules based on the profile, wherein the location rules define how to evaluate the state information to create the location information.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) receiving a request from the location application to receive the location information for the user; and

b) authorizing delivery of the location information to the location application.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the location information sent to the location application is based at least in part on the request.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) determining initial location information based on initial state information for the multiple devices; and

b) delivering the initial location information for the user to the location application upon authorizing delivery of the location information.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the multiple devices to facilitate reception of the state information.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the state information includes the location.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is a telephone switch and the state information bears on a state of a telephone associated with the telephone switch.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a first of the multiple devices is a mobile telephone switch and corresponding state information bears on the state of a mobile telephone associated with the mobile telephone switch, and a second of the multiple devices is a landline telephone switch and corresponding state information bears on the state of a landline telephone associated with the landline telephone switch.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is associated with a cable or satellite television system and the state information bears on a state of the one device associated with the cable or satellite television system.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an internet appliance and the state information bears on a state of the internet appliance.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is associated with a wireless telemetry system and the state information bears on a state of the one device associated with the wireless telemetry system.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an entertainment device and the state information bears on a state of the entertainment device.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is a physical location system and the state information bears on a physical location of the user as provided by the physical location system.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an access point.

27. A system for providing location information comprising:

a) a communication interface; and

b) a control system operatively associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

i) receive state information from disparate multiple devices at a location where the multiple devices have different functions and provide different types of information based on the different functions and are located on disparate networks, the state information stemming from a user'"'"'s interactions with each of the multiple devices at the location, wherein the interactions are of a different type according to the different functions;

ii) evaluate the state information received from the multiple devices with location rules to create location information of the user where the location information is based on the location of the user; and

iii) send the location information to location applications associated with a plurality of subscribers based on a profile established by the user, the profile defining levels of access to the location information for each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers, where a first subscriber of the plurality of subscribers has access to more location information than a second subscriber of the plurality of subscribers based on the profile.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines the location applications or subscribers to which the location information is sent.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines location applications or subscribers to which the location information should not be sent.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein different groups of subscribers have different profiles controlling the sending of the location information to the location applications.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines when the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines a location of the user where the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers when the user is in the defined location.

33. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines a location of the user, where the location information is not sent to the plurality of subscribers when the user is in the defined location.

34. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines dates or times controlling whether the location information is sent to the plurality of subscribers.

35. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines at least one of the plurality of subscribers to which preset location information is sent.

36. The system of claim 27 wherein the profile defines at least one of the plurality of subscribers to which the location information is always sent.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the at least one of the plurality of subscribers is an emergency services group.

38. The system of claim 27 further comprising sending updated location information when the location information changes based on a change in the state information.

39. The system of claim 27 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

generate the location rules based on the profile, wherein the location rules define how to evaluate the state information to create the location information.

40. The system of claim 27 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) receive a request from the location application to receive the location information for the user; and

b) authorize delivery of the location information to the location application.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the location information sent to the location application is based at least in part on the request.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) determine initial location information based on initial state information for the multiple devices; and

b) deliver the initial location information for the user to the location application upon authorizing delivery of the location information.

43. The system of claim 27 wherein the control system is further adapted to register the multiple devices to facilitate reception of the state information.

44. The system of claim 27 wherein the state information includes the location.

45. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is a telephone switch and the state information bears on a state of a telephone associated with the telephone switch.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein a first of the multiple devices is a mobile telephone switch and corresponding state information bears on the state of a mobile telephone associated with the mobile telephone switch, and a second of the multiple devices is a landline telephone switch and corresponding state information bears on the state of a landline telephone associated with the landline telephone switch.

47. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is associated with a cable or satellite television system and the state information bears on a state of the one device associated with the cable or satellite television system.

48. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an internet appliance and the state information bears on a state of the internet appliance.

49. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is associated with a wireless telemetry system and the state information bears on a state of the device associated with the wireless telemetry system.

50. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an entertainment device and the state information bears on a state of the entertainment device.

51. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is a physical location system and the state information bears on a physical location of the user as determined by the physical location system.

52. The system of claim 27 wherein one device of the multiple devices is an access point.