Method and apparatus for dynamic location-based message notification

• US 8,521,127 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Strahs, Leopold
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US11/958,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for dynamic location-based message notification. In one embodiment, a method for providing alerts to a computing device includes identifying, via a set of location-specific computing resources, a current location of the computing device and sending at least one alert to the computing device, based on the current location.

Claims

1. A method for providing an alert to a computing device, comprising:

identifying, via a location-specific computing resource, a current location of the computing device, wherein the location-specific computing resource is one of a plurality of location-specific computing resources, wherein the location-specific computing resource is dedicated to a specific location, wherein the location-specific computing resource is external to the computing device, wherein the identifying comprises;

deleting an existing record for a location of the computing device, once the existing record has reached a predefined age; and

updating the current location of the computing device by the location-specific computing resource; and

sending, by the location-specific computing resource, the alert to the computing device only when a current time falls within a period of time during which a user of the computing device has authorized notification of a class of alerts within which the alert falls, wherein the alert relates to a homeland security alert, wherein the user subscribes to a plurality of classes of alerts including the class of alerts within which the alert falls, and wherein a period of time for receiving a notification of a particular one of the class of alerts is separately configurable by the user from a period of time for receiving a notification of another one of the class of alerts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

measuring a timing of a signal emitted from the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying is performed using a global positioning system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

mapping an internet protocol address of the computing device to a service area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises:

checking a notification service to which the computing device is subscribed; and

determining whether the notification service has the alert available for the current location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert further relates to weather.

8. A tangible computer readable medium containing an executable program for providing an alert to a computing device, where the executable program, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

identifying, via a location-specific computing resource, a current location of the computing device, wherein the location-specific computing resource is one of a plurality of location-specific computing resources, wherein the location-specific computing resource is dedicated to a specific location, wherein the location-specific computing resource is external to the computing device, wherein the identifying comprises;

deleting an existing record for a location of the computing device, once the existing record has reached a predefined age; and

updating the current location of the computing device by the location-specific computing resource; and

sending, by the location-specific computing resource, the alert to the computing device only when a current time falls within a period of time during which a user of the computing device has authorized notification of a class of alerts within which the alert falls, wherein the alert relates to a homeland security alert, wherein the user subscribes to a plurality of classes of alerts including the class of alerts within which the alert falls, and wherein a period of time for receiving a notification of a particular one of the class of alerts is separately configurable by the user from a period of time for receiving a notification of another one of the class of alerts.

9. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises:

measuring a timing of a signal emitted from the computing device.

10. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying is performed using a global positioning system.

11. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying comprises:

mapping an internet protocol address of the computing device to a service area.

12. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the sending comprises:

checking a notification service to which the computing device is subscribed; and

determining whether the notification service has the alert available for the current location.

13. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computing device is a mobile telephone.

14. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the alert further relates to weather.

15. A system for providing an alert to a computing device, comprising:

a plurality of sets of computing resources, each of the plurality of sets of computing resources being dedicated to a specific location such that the system is distributed over a geographic area, each of the plurality of sets of computing resources comprising;

a tracking system for identifying a current location of the computing device, wherein the computing device is external to each of the plurality of sets of computing resources;

a notification system for sending the alert to the computing device, wherein the alert relates to a homeland security alert; and

a database for storing preferences of a user of the computing device, the preferences comprising times during which the user has authorized notification of alerts of a class into which the alert falls, wherein the user subscribes to a plurality of classes of alerts including the class of alerts within which the alert falls, and wherein a period of time for receiving a notification of a particular one of the class of alerts is separately configurable by the user from a period of time for receiving a notification of another one of the class of alerts, wherein the database is further for;

deleting an existing record for a location of the computing device, once the existing record has reached a predefined age; and

updating the current location of the computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the tracking system comprises:

a system for measuring a timing of a signal emitted from the computing device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the tracking system is a global positioning system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the tracking system comprises:

a system for mapping an internet protocol address of the computing device to a service area.