GPS management system

• US 8,428,875 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Macfarlane, Rodney, Ranford, Paul, Bhika, Mukesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Application Number:
  US12/684,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 701/522, 701/537, 701/533, 701/544, 701/468, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 701/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A method applied to a mobile device having a GPS receiver having access to a network interface is disclosed. When transmitting via the network interface a first command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a first geo-information from the GPS receiver to update location information displayed on a website, a destination list stored in the mobile device is updated with transmission destination network address and current GPS receiver location information. Stored location information is periodically compared to current GPS receiver locations and when determined that the GPS receiver has moved at least a predetermined distance from the location stored in the destination list, the method transmits via the network interface a second command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a second geo-information from the GPS receiver to the website to update or invalidate displayed location information.

Claims

1. A method applied to a mobile device comprising a GPS receiver having access to a network interface, the method comprising:

updating a destination list with transmission destination network address information when transmitting via the network interface a first command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a first geo-information from the GPS receiver;

transmitting via the network interface a second command to edit the user location information on the network interface based on a second geo-information from the GPS receiver to each network address in the destination list only when respective locations indicated in the first and second geo-information differ by a predetermined distance;

when determined that geo-information is being transmitted, storing in the destination list a current location based on the first geo-information from the GPS receiver, wherein the destination list is stored in a memory comprised by the mobile device;

determining whether a transmission destination network address is already present in the destination list;

adding the transmission destination network address to the destination list when not already present in the destination list;

periodically computing a difference between current location of the GPS receiver and location information stored in each entry of the destination list; and

when the difference between the current location of the GPS receiver and the location information stored in the entry of the destination list exceeds a predetermined distance, determining a website at the transmission destination network address indicated by the entry is storing invalid location information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising when determined that geo-information is being transmitted, prompting the user to input and store in the destination list website relevant information including information required for log-on to the website hosted at the transmission destination network address.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising when it is determined that the website at the transmission destination network address indicated by the entry is storing invalid location information, transmitting via the network interface the second command to edit the user location information on the network interface to update location information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising when it is determined that the website at the transmission destination network address indicated by the entry is storing invalid location information, transmitting via the network interface the second command to edit the user location information on the network interface to erase location information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising when it is determined that the website at the transmission destination network address indicated by the entry is storing invalid location information, updating the destination list to comprise current location data to be based on current location of the GPS receiver.

6. An application embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium executed by a processor of a mobile device having a GPS receiver or an A-GPS AP for performing the following steps:

setting up a destination list which records addresses of multiple websites and corresponding user names and passwords used to gain access to the multiple websites;

defining a current location of the mobile device according to information from the GPS receiver or A-GPS AP;

transmitting the current location of the mobile device to the multiple websites;

defining a new current location of the mobile device according to new information from the GPS receiver or A-GPS AP;

updating the current location previously transmitted to the multiple websites to be the new current location when a distance between the current location and the new current location is over a predefined value;

when determined that geo-information is being transmitted, storing in the destination list a current location based on the first geo-information from the GPS receiver, wherein the destination list is stored in a memory comprised by the mobile device;

determining whether a transmission destination network address is already present in the destination list;

adding the transmission destination network address to the destination list when not already present in the destination list;

periodically computing a difference between current location of the GPS receiver and location information stored in each entry of the destination list; and

when the difference between the current location of the GPS receiver and the location information stored in the entry of the destination list exceeds a predetermined distance, determining a website at the transmission destination network address indicated by the entry is storing invalid location information.

7. The application of claim 6 wherein the application further displays a list of contacts associated with each of the multiple websites and when accessing one of the multiple websites, the application accesses from said one of the multiple websites and displays location information for each contact in the associated list that the application is authorized to access.

8. The application of claim 7 wherein said one of the multiple websites is a messenger or messenger-like program.

9. The application of claim 7 further comprising generating a map on a display of the mobile device indicating location of the mobile device or location of a contact.

10. The application of claim 6 further comprising adjusting the predefined value by a user of the mobile device.