Automatic detection and notification of proximity of persons of interest

• US 8,243,897 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Groth, Brian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US11/275,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/207.12, 37926501-26514, 455/567, 455/456.1, 455/445, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A computing device is configured to monitor a local vicinity around a user and detect identification devices located in the vicinity. When an identification device is detected, data is read from the device and a person associated with the device is identified. One or more user applications are searched to determine if the identified person is listed in a user application. If so, a notification is provided to the user that the identified person is in the vicinity. In one implementation, a user calendar is searched to determine if the identified person is scheduled to attend an upcoming event with the user (e.g. a meeting). If so, the user is notified that the identified person is in the area and that the person is scheduled to attend an upcoming event—which is particularly identified—with the user.

Claims

1. A method for notifying of a person of interest, comprising:

detecting by a computing device an identification device located within an area;

receiving at the computing device from the identification device an identification of a person associated with the identification device;

sending the identification of the person associated with the identification device from the computing device to a server;

in response to the sending of the identification, receiving at the computing device from the server, information about the person associated with the identification device;

searching by the computing device information associated with an application stored on the computing device to determine based on the received information if the person associated with the identification device is listed in the searched information;

determining by the computing device that the person associated with the identification device is the person of interest when the searching results in the determining that the person associated with the identification device is listed in the searched information; and

presenting by the computing device a notification to a user, the notification notifying the user that the person of interest is located in the area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving at the computing device from the server information further comprises:

locating a record in the server that is associated with the identification device; and

reading identification data that identifies the person from the record in the server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining by the computing device that the person associated with the identification device is the person of interest comprises:

determining that the person identified in the received information is listed in the searched information as being scheduled to attend an upcoming event, the application comprising a user calendar application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the area further comprises a same building in which the user is located.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing a web site associated with the person if the person is a person of interest, the web site including one or more of the following:

personal information related to the person of interest;

information related to the work of the person of interest;

documents related to the person of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by the computing device input from the user via a prompt included in the notification; and

responsive to receiving input via the prompt, presenting by the computing device an information page including information received from the server related to the person of interest.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information page includes another prompt configured to receive input from the user to request information related to one or more other people of interest located within the area.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the notifying the user that the person of interest is located in the area further comprises an indication of a future event.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining by the computing device that the person associated with the identification device is the person of interest further comprises:

determining that a future event can take place at any time that the user and the person associated with the identification device happen to be near each other.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the user by the computing that the person associated with the identification device is scheduled to attend a future event with the user, the future event particularly identified as a scheduled meeting, the scheduled meeting including an indication that the meeting can take place at any time that the meeting participants happen to be near each other.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the meeting participants are in close proximity.

8. One or more computer storage media having executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed on one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to implement the following steps:

receiving a signal from a device associated with a person indicating that the device is located within a certain range of a user;

receiving an identification of the person with whom the device is associated;

sending the identification of the person with whom the device is associated to a remote directory;

in response to the sending, receiving information from the remote directory, the information comprising information about the person with whom the device is associated;

searching information associated with an application stored on the one or more processors to determine based on the received information if the person with whom the device is associated is listed in the searched information; and

determining that the person with whom the device is associated is a person of interest if the searching results in determining that the person with whom the device is associated is listed in the searched information.

9. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the certain range further comprises fifty (50) feet.

10. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the certain range further comprises a same room in which the user is situated.

11. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the certain range further comprises a same building in which the user is situated.

12. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the device further comprises one of the following devices:

a powered Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag;

a Bluetooth-compatible electronic device;

an electronic device configured to transmit infrared (IR) signals.

13. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein determining that the person with whom the device is associated is a person of interest comprises determining that the person identified in the received-information is listed in the stored information as being scheduled to attend a future event with the user, the application comprising a calendar application of the user.

14. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the identification of the person with whom the device is associated comprises a device identifier of the device, the remote directory is configured to store information that relates persons with devices, and the information comprises information about a person that is associated with the device having the device identifier.

15. The one or more computer storage media as recited in claim 8, further comprising providing a notification that the person of interest is located within the certain range of the user, wherein the notification comprises an approximate position of the person of interest relative to the user.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor when the system is operational, the memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least;

detect a remote identification device;

identify a person associated with the remote identification device;

receive from a directory, information in response to the identification of the person associated with the remote identification device, the information comprising information about the person associated with the remote identification device;

search information associated with an application stored on the system to determine based on the received information if the person associated with the remote identification device is listed in the searched information; and

determine that the person associated with the identification device is the person of interest when the search results in the determination that the person associated with the remote identification device is listed in the searched information.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein:

a person of interest further comprises a person scheduled to attend an upcoming event with a user of the system.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the identify a person further comprises identifying the person'"'"'s name stored on the remote identification device.

23. The system of claim 16 further comprising instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least:

notify a user when the person of interest is in proximity to the user;

receive a request from the user to obtain more information about the person of interest and, in response to receiving the request, present an information page containing information received from the directory server related to the person of interest.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the information page is configured to receive a request from the user to identify one or more other people of interest in proximity to the user.