Method and system for enhanced messaging

• US 8,447,822 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Lau, Chung, Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/459,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20120220266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207, 709217-218, 709225-229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

Techniques for acquiring, sending, receiving or using status information from a remote location over a network are disclosed. The status information is transmitted over the network between or among electronic devices. The status information can be provided by one or more sensors associated with the electronic device that is transmitting the status information. The status information can be transmitted with messages so as to enhance the messages. The electronic devices include at least computing devices, such as personal computers, personal digital assistants, pagers, and mobile telephones.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate communication among users of mobile electronic devices, said method comprising:

receiving message content for a text message via the first mobile electronic device;

acquiring status information of the first mobile electronic device, the status information including at least position information regarding position of the first mobile electronic device;

determining a plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof that are authorized to receive the status information;

determining whether at least one user selection has been received via the first mobile electronic device to indicate if the status information is to be provided with the text message, and

initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices via a wireless network, provided that the status information is to be provided with the text message and provided that the plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof are authorized to receive the status information.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one user selection comprises a user setting at the first mobile electronic device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one user selection is received at the first mobile electronic device via a graphical user interface.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a dialog box that is displayed at the first mobile electronic device.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to direct that at least a portion of the status information is to be provided with the text message.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to direct that at least a portion of the status information is not to be provided with the text message.

7. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to direct that at least a portion of status information is to be provided with all text messages to be sent by the user of the first mobile electronic device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the status information for inclusion with the text message can be set at different levels.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

modifying the status information acquired from the first mobile electronic device prior to the initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to the plurality of other mobile electronic devices.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the modifying the status information produces modified status information that includes at least one presentation instruction.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one presentation instruction is provided at least in part in a markup language.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a text message from another mobile electronic device via a wireless network;

determining whether the received text message includes at least status information;

extracting the status information from the received text message when it is determined that the text message includes at least the status information; and

displaying at least a portion of the received text message and at least one representation of the status information on a display when it is determined that the received text message includes at least the status information.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

augmenting the status information acquired from the first mobile electronic device prior to sending such to the plurality of other mobile electronic devices.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

modifying the position information acquired from the first mobile electronic device.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the modifying the position information produces modified position information based at least in part on a local network.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the local network comprises a Wi-Fi network.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acquiring the status information is configured to determine the position information based on location data supplied by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acquiring the status information is configured to determine the position information based on (i) location data supplied by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device, and (ii) other location data associated with a local network available for use by the first mobile electronic device.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acquiring the status information is configured to receive the position information from a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device.

20. A method as recited in claim 19,

wherein the method comprises modifying the position information acquired from the first mobile electronic device, and

wherein the modifying the position information is configured to modify the position information from the GPS receiver.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices does so in accordance with at least one direction being provided via the first mobile electronic device.

22. A method to facilitate communication among users of mobile electronic devices, said method comprising:

receiving message content for a text message via the first mobile electronic device;

acquiring status information of the first mobile electronic device, the status information including at least position information regarding position of the first mobile electronic device;

determining a plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof that are authorized to receive at least the status information;

determining whether at least one selection has been received from the first mobile electronic device to influence whether the status information is to be provided with the text message;

determining, based at least in part on the at least one selection, whether the status information is to be provided with the text message, provided that the at least one selection has been received; and

initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices via at least one wireless network, provided that the status information is to be provided with the text message and provided that the plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof are authorized to receive at least the status information.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the at least one selection is received at the first mobile electronic device via a graphical user interface.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to direct that at least a portion of the status information is not to be provided with the text message.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to generally direct that at least a portion of the status information is to be provided with all text messages to be sent by the user of the first mobile electronic device.

26. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the status information for inclusion with a text message can be set at different levels.

27. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the method comprises:

modifying the status information acquired from the first mobile electronic device prior to the initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to the plurality of other mobile electronic devices.

28. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a text message from another mobile electronic device via a wireless network;

determining whether the received text message includes at least status information;

extracting the status information from the received text message when it is determined that the received text message includes at least the status information; and

displaying at least a portion of the received text message and at least onE representation of the status information when it is determined that the received text message includes at least the status information.

29. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the acquiring the status information is configured to determine the position information based on (i) location data supplied by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device, and (ii) other location data associated with a local network available for use by the first mobile electronic device.

30. A method as recited in claim 22,

wherein the acquiring the status information comprises:

receiving the position information; and

modifying the position information received from the first mobile electronic device to provide modified position information, and

wherein the initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices comprises the initiating sending of the text message along with the modified position information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the receiving of the position information comprises receiving the position information from a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device.

32. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the initiating sending of the text message along with the status information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices does so in accordance with at least one direction received from the first mobile electronic device.

33. A method to facilitate communication among users of mobile electronic devices, said method comprising:

receiving message content for a text message via the first mobile electronic device;

acquiring position information of the first mobile electronic device;

determining a plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof that are authorized to receive the position information;

determining whether at least one indication has been received from the first mobile electronic device to indicate if the position information is to be provided with the text message, and

initiating sending of the text message along with the position information to each of the plurality of other mobile electronic devices via at least one wireless network, provided that the position information is to be provided with the text message and provided that the plurality of other mobile electronic devices or users thereof are authorized to receive the position information.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the method comprises:

modifying the position information acquired from the first mobile electronic device, and

wherein the position information used by the inviting sending is the modified position information.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the modifying the position information produces modified position information based at least in part on a local network.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein the local network comprises a Wi-Fi network.

37. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the acquiring the position information comprises:

receiving location data supplied by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device; and

determining the position information based on the location data supplied by the GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device.

38. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the acquiring the position information comprises:

receiving location data supplied by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device; and

determining the position information based on (i) the location data supplied by the GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device, and (ii) other location data associated with a local network available for use by the first mobile electronic device.

39. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the acquiring the status information is configured to receive the position information provided at least in part by a GPS receiver provided in the first mobile electronic device.

40. A method as recited in claim 39,

wherein the method comprises modifying the position information acquired from the first mobile electronic device, and

wherein the position information used by the inviting sending is the modified position information.