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

• US 8,412,238 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• 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: White, James N., Martino, Monica Rose, Smith, M. Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/537,565
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/456.3, 455/466, 455/563, 455/63.1, 455/404.1, 455/423, 370/338, 370/331, 379/39, 340/988, 702/3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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, comprising:

sensing by a sensor an occurrence of an event;

capturing information about the event by 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 event alert server;

identifying the event via the event alert server based on the information, 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 at least one mobile device from the event alert server if the event is the specific event.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising sensing by the sensor the occurrence of the event above a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving an alert of the event at the at least one mobile device if at least one of a following occurs:

the event occurs at or near the geographical location; and

the at least one mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

determining if the event is a specific event; and

if the event occurred at or near a geographical location, comprises at least one of;

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising sending an alert of the event to the 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.

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

sensing by a sensor an occurrence of an event;

capturing information about the event by 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 event alert server;

identifying the event via the event alert server based on the information, 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 at least one mobile device from the event alert server if the event is the specific event.

12. A system, comprising:

an event alert system configured to;

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

forward the information to a repository; and

identify the event via an event alert server based on the information, 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, receive an alert of the event at the at least one mobile device from the event alert server if the event is the specific event.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one event monitor operable to perform at least one of a following:

sense an occurrence of the event;

determine if the event is above a predetermined threshold; and

notify the event alert system of the occurrence of the event if the event is above the predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform at least one of a following:

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.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform at least one of a following:

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

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.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein information about the event is received if at least one of the following occurs:

the event occurs at or near the geographical location; and

the at least one mobile device is located at or near the geographical location.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one geographical information system, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform at least one of a following:

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.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one geographical information system, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform at least one of a following:

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.

19. The system of claim 12, 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;

wherein the event alert system is operable to identify at least one of;

a type of the event based on the image; and

a location of the event based on a location of the at least one mobile device from the at least one geographical information system.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the event alert system is further operable to perform at least one of a following:

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.