Method and apparatus for sharing information from a communication device

• US 8,433,335 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Leica, Marcel F., Bondar, Yevgeny, Sherkin, Alexander, Fritsch, Laura Brindusa
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/827,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120003988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455423-425, 455/404.2, 455418-420, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/517, 455433-434, 455560-561, 701/447, 701/451, 701/482, 709/203, 709/226, 709228-229, 709218-219
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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

Provided is a method and apparatus for sharing information from a communication device. The communication device is to send first information to a first apparatus and second information to a second apparatus. In accordance with an embodiment of the application, the communication device combines the first information and the second information in a single message and then sends the message to a network node. In accordance with another embodiment of the application, the network node separates the first information from the second information and sends the first information and the second information to the first apparatus and the second apparatus, respectively. Note that the communication device did not have to send separate messages to the apparatuses and therefore there is a reduction in number of messages sent by the communication device. This reduction has an effect of reducing network utilization by the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for execution in a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device;

obtaining first location based information to be sent to a first apparatus, the first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

obtaining second location based information to be sent to a second apparatus when required by the second apparatus, the second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

combining the first location based information and the second location based information into a message; and

sending the message to a network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first location based information is specific to the first apparatus; and

the second location based information is specific to the second apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device on an ongoing basis; and

the first apparatus and the second apparatus are first and second application servers, respectively, to which information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent from time to time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

for each of the first and second application servers, maintaining reporting requirements defining how frequent information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent to that application server; and

determining based on the reporting requirements which application server requires information concerning the location of the mobile device at a highest frequency;

wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages sent from time to time to the network node according to the highest frequency.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of messages comprises:

information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server that requires the information at the highest frequency; and

if there are any other application servers requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device at a time of the message according to the reporting requirements, for each of those application servers, information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to that application server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of messages further comprises:

for each of the first, second and other application servers that require information concerning the location of the mobile device, an application server identifier and a user identifier.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor of a mobile device so as to implement the method of claim 1.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a position determiner configured for determining a location of the mobile device; and

an information updater configured for;

obtaining first location based information to be sent to a first apparatus, the first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

obtaining second location based information to be sent to a second apparatus when required by the second apparatus, the second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

combining the first location based information and the second location based information into a message; and

sending the message to a network node.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein:

the first location based information is specific to the first apparatus; and

the second location based information is specific to the second apparatus.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the position determiner is configured for:

determining the location of the mobile device by determining the location of the mobile device on an ongoing basis;

wherein the first apparatus and the second apparatus are first and second application servers, respectively, to which information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent from time to time.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the information updater is further configured for:

for each of the first and second application servers, maintaining reporting requirements defining how frequent information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent to that application server; and

determining based on the reporting requirements which application server requires information concerning the location of the mobile device at a highest frequency;

wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages sent from time to time to the network node according to the highest frequency.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of messages comprises:

information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server that requires the information at the highest frequency; and

if there are any other application servers requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device at a time of the message according to the reporting requirements, for each of those application servers, information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to that application server.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of messages further comprises:

for each of the first, second and other application servers that require information concerning the location of the mobile device, an application server identifier and a user identifier.

14. A method for execution in a network node, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a mobile device, the message comprising;

first location based information for a first apparatus, the first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device; and

second location based information when required by a second apparatus, the second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

separating the first location based information from the second location based information;

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of:

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus comprises pushing a message comprising the first location based information to the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus comprises pushing a message comprising the second location based information to the second apparatus.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of:

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus comprises sending the first location based information to a database from which a message comprising the first location based information is sent to the first apparatus upon request from the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus comprises sending the second location based information to the database from which a message comprising the second location based information is sent to the second apparatus upon request from the second apparatus.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor of a network node so as to implement the method of claim 14.

18. A network node comprising:

a processor; and

a data distributor configured for;

receiving a message from a mobile device, the message comprising;

first location based information for a first apparatus, the first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device; and

second location based information when required by a second apparatus, the second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device;

separating the first location based information from the second location based information;

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus.

19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the data distributor is configured for at least one of:

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus by pushing a message comprising the first location based information to the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus by pushing a message comprising the second location based information to the second apparatus.

20. The network node of claim 18, wherein, the data distributor is configured for at least one of:

sending the first location based information to the first apparatus by sending the first location based information to a database from which a message comprising the first location based information is sent to the first apparatus upon request from the first apparatus; and

sending the second location based information to the second apparatus by sending the second location based information to the database from which a message comprising the second location based information is sent to the second apparatus upon request from the second apparatus.