Location based reminders

• US 8,385,944 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelissen, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US13/459,580
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A computer-implemented user alert method includes identifying a task for a user, associating a location with the task, monitoring a location of a mobile device associated with the user, and notifying the user about the task when the mobile device comes within a defined proximity of the associated location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a first geographic location associated with a first task, and a different, second geographic region associated with a second task;

determining a first distance associated with the first task, and a different, second distance associated with the second task;

determining that a mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location; and

generating a notification in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location, wherein generating a notification includes generating a map for display on the mobile device, wherein the map includes (i) a representation of the physical location of the mobile device, and (ii) a zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the first geographic location associated with the first task, and a representation of a zone boundary extending from the center by an amount based on the first distance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the first task or the second task from task data stored on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first distance associated with the first task includes determining the first distance from among multiple distances associated with the first task.

4. The method claim 1, wherein the map includes an additional zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the second geographic location associated with the second task, and a representation of an additional zone boundary extending from the center of the additional zone by an amount based on the second distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the zone corresponding to the first task has a first geometric shape, and the additional zone corresponding to the second task has a different, second geometric shape.

6. A system, comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a mobile device, a request from a third-party entity other than a user of the mobile device to add a task to a task list associated with the user of the mobile device;

adding, by the mobile device, the task to the task list associated with the user of the mobile device based on the request;

identifying a geographic location associated with the task;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than a predetermined distance from the geographic location; and

generating a notification for the user of the mobile device regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the predetermined distance.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein generating a notification comprises operations of generating a map for display on the mobile device that includes a zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the geographic location associated with the task and a representation of a boundary extending from the center by an amount corresponding to the predetermined distance.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the entity other than the user of the mobile device comprises an agent of a business associated with the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the task comprises a reminder sent from an agent of the business to the mobile device based upon a previous transaction conducted between the business and the user of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising operations of:

designating the task as a repeating task and generating a reminder to the user of the mobile device of the task after expiration of a determined time since a prior completion of the task.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations comprise:

determining that the third-party entity is classified as a trusted entity, wherein adding the task comprises automatically adding the task without requiring confirmation by the user based on determining that the third-party entity is classified as a trusted entity.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations comprise:

determining that the third-party entity is classified as a non-trusted entity, wherein adding the task comprises determining that the user a confirmation has been received that the task is to be added to the task list, based on determining that the third-party entity is classified as a non-trusted entity.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a mobile device, multiple entities that are associated with a task and located within a particular geographic region;

determining a total number of the multiple entities;

determining a notification distance based on the total number of the multiple entities located within the particular geographic region;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of a geographic location associated with a particular entity from the multiple entities; and

generating a notification regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of the geographic location associated with the particular entity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating a notification includes generating a map for display on the mobile device, wherein the map includes a zone corresponding to the particular entity, the zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the geographic location associated with the particular entity, and a representation of a boundary extending from the center by an amount based on the notification distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a region encompassing the boundary is smaller than the particular region.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

identifying a first geographic location associated with a first task, and a different, second geographic region associated with a second task;

determining a first distance associated with the first task, and a different, second distance associated with the second task;

determining that a mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location; and

generating a notification in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location, wherein generating a notification includes generating a map for display on the mobile device, wherein the map includes (i) a representation of the physical location of the mobile device, and (ii) a zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the first geographic location associated with the first task, and a representation of a zone boundary extending from the center by an amount based on the first distance.

17. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

identifying a first geographic location associated with a first task, and a different, second geographic region associated with a second task;

determining a first distance associated with the first task, and a different, second distance associated with the second task;

determining that a mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location; and

generating a notification in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the first distance from the first geographic location, or in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the second distance from the second geographic location, wherein generating a notification includes generating a map for display on the mobile device, wherein the map includes (i) a representation of the physical location of the mobile device, and (ii) a zone having a center located substantially at a representation of the first geographic location associated with the first task, and a representation of a zone boundary extending from the center by an amount based on the first distance.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a request from a third-party entity other than a user of the mobile device to add a task to a task list associated with the user of the mobile device;

adding, by the mobile device, the task to the task list associated with the user of the mobile device based on the request;

identifying a geographic location associated with the task;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than a predetermined distance from the geographic location; and

generating a notification for the user of the mobile device regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the predetermined distance.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a request from a third-party entity other than a user of the mobile device to add a task to a task list associated with the user of the mobile device;

adding, by the mobile device, the task to the task list associated with the user of the mobile device based on the request;

identifying a geographic location associated with the task;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than a predetermined distance from the geographic location; and

generating a notification for the user of the mobile device regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the predetermined distance.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

identifying, by a mobile device, multiple entities that are associated with a task and located within a particular geographic region;

determining a total number of the multiple entities;

determining a notification distance based on the total number of the multiple entities located within the particular geographic region;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of a geographic location associated with a particular entity from the multiple entities; and

generating a notification regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of the geographic location associated with the particular entity.

21. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

identifying, by a mobile device, multiple entities that are associated with a task and located within a particular geographic region;

determining a total number of the multiple entities;

determining a notification distance based on the total number of the multiple entities located within the particular geographic region;

determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of a geographic location associated with a particular entity from the multiple entities; and

generating a notification regarding the task in response to determining that the mobile device is physically located less than the notification distance of the geographic location associated with the particular entity.