Location aware reminders

• US 8,416,073 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L., Nguyen, Luan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/282,706
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments employed to generate location and proximity based reminders. To this end, a device is configured to generate its geographical location using a positioning system. The device detects when it impinges upon at least one geographical trigger based upon its geographical location. A predefined reminder is generated in the device when the device impinges upon the geographical trigger.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining at least one geographical area in a device by generating a user interface rendered by the device, the user interface comprising a pathway traversed by the device during a predefined period of time, the user interface further facilitating definition of at least one geographical area associated with a merchant site;

determining a geographical location of the device using a positioning system associated with the device;

maintaining in the device a list of items;

determining whether at least one of the items is available at the merchant site;

detecting when the device impinges upon the at least one geographical area based upon the geographical location of the device by determining whether the device is located within the at least one geographical area; and

generating a predefined reminder in the device associated with at least one of the items when a position of the device impinges upon the at least one geographical area associated with the merchant site.

2. A method, comprising:

determining a geographical location of a mobile device with a positioning system associated with the mobile device;

generating a user interface rendered by the mobile device, the user interface comprising a pathway traversed by the mobile device during a predefined period of time, the user interface further facilitating definition of at least one geographical trigger associated with a merchant site;

maintaining a list accessible to the mobile device, the list comprising at least one item associated with at least one geographical trigger;

detecting when the device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger based at least in part upon the geographical location of the mobile device; and

generating a predefined reminder in the mobile device when the mobile device impinges upon the geographical trigger.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one geographical trigger further comprises a trip line, and the step of detecting when the mobile device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining whether the mobile device has passed through the trip line.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one geographical trigger further comprises a geographical area, and the step of detecting when the mobile device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining whether the mobile device is located within the geographical area.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a geographical location, and the step of detecting when the mobile device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining whether the mobile device is within a predefined distance of the geographical location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the geographical location further comprises a geographical area.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying the merchant site on a map rendered by the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of defining the at least one geographical trigger in the mobile device further comprises the steps of:

displaying a map on the mobile device; and

identifying the at least one geographical trigger on the map.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the positioning system is configured to determine the geographic location of the mobile device based at least in part upon at least one of:

global positioning system satellite signals or signals received from at least one cellular tower.

10. A system, comprising:

a portable device having a processor circuit and a display screen, the processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

a positioning system in the portable device configured to generate a geographical location of the portable device; and

a location aware reminder application executable by the processor circuit, the location aware reminder application comprising;

logic that maintains a list comprising at least one item;

logic that detects when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger based at least in part upon the geographical location of the portable device; and

logic that generates a reminder associated with the at least one item in the portable device, the reminder rendered on the display screen when the portable device impinges upon the geographical trigger by generating a reminder on the portable device to purchase at least one of the items when a position of the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger comprising a predefined site, wherein the predefined site is a merchant site.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a trip line, wherein the logic that detects when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises logic that determines whether the portable device has passed through the trip line.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a geographical area surrounding the merchant site, wherein the logic that detects when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises logic that determines whether the portable device enters the geographical area.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a geographical location of the merchant site, wherein the logic that detects when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises logic that determines whether the portable device is within a predefined distance of the geographical location.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the location aware reminder application further comprises logic that generates a reminder on the portable device to purchase the at least one item when a position of the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger indicating at least a proximity to the merchant site.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the location aware reminder further comprises logic that determines whether the at least one item is available for purchase from the merchant site.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the positioning system is configured to determine the geographic location of the mobile device based at least in part upon at least one of:

global positioning system satellite signals or signals received from at least one cellular tower.

17. A method, comprising:

determining in a first device a geographical location of the first device using a positioning system;

maintaining a position of a second device in the first device;

detecting when the first device is located in a predefined geographical relationship relative to the second device; and

rendering a reminder in the first device when the first device is located in the predefined geographical relationship relative to the second device, the reminder being associated with a user associated with the second device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of detecting when the first device is located in the predefined geographical relationship relative to the second device further comprises the step of determining whether the first device is within a predefined distance from the second device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of detecting when the first device is located in the predefined geographical relationship relative to the second device further comprises the step of determining whether the first device and the second device are located within a same establishment.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the reminder indicates a task to be performed with respect to a user of the second device.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of performing a task in the first device when the first device is located in the predefined geographical relationship relative to the second device.

22. A method, comprising:

determining a geographical location of a first mobile device with a positioning system associated with the first mobile device;

generating a user interface rendered by the first mobile device, the user interface comprising a pathway traversed by the first mobile device during a predefined period of time, the user interface further facilitating definition of at least one geographical trigger associated with a merchant site;

maintaining a list accessible to the first mobile device, the list comprising at least one item associated with at least one geographical trigger;

detecting when the device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger based at least in part upon the geographical location of the first mobile device;

detecting when the first mobile device is located in a predefined geographical relationship relative to a second mobile device; and

generating a predefined reminder in the first mobile device when the first mobile device impinges upon the geographical trigger, the geographical trigger comprising a predefined geographical relationship relative to the second mobile device.

23. A method, comprising the steps of:

maintaining, in a mobile device, a list comprising at least one item;

detecting, via the mobile device, when the mobile device impinges upon at least one geographical trigger based at least in part upon the geographical location of the mobile device; and

generating, via the mobile device, a reminder associated with the at least one item in the mobile device, the reminder rendered on the display screen when the mobile device impinges upon the geographical trigger by generating a reminder on the mobile device to purchase at least one of the items when a position of the mobile device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger comprising a predefined site, wherein the predefined site is a merchant site.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a trip line, wherein the step of detecting when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining, via the portable device, whether the portable device has passed through the trip line.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a geographical area surrounding the merchant site, wherein the step of detecting when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining, via the portable device, whether the portable device enters the geographical area.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the geographical trigger further comprises a geographical location of the merchant site, wherein the step of detecting when the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger further comprises the step of determining, via the portable device, whether the portable device is within a predefined distance of the geographical location.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of generating a reminder on the portable device to purchase the at least one item when a position of the portable device impinges upon the at least one geographical trigger indicating at least a proximity to the merchant site.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of determining whether the at least one item is available for purchase from the merchant site.