Method and apparatus for providing location information-based scheduling service of portable terminal

• US 8,577,589 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Dong Jun, Kim, Kyoung Taek, Kim, Hyun Kyoung, Kim, Hyang Ah, Kim, Jin Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/480,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/204, 701/213, 701/422, 701/423, 705/4, 705/8, 705/9, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 379/380
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a location information-based scheduling service is disclosed. The method includes determining a meeting point or appointed place based on location information associated with a plurality of portable terminals. The method includes suggesting various routes and means to travel to the appointed place; and providing data content to a user of a first portable terminal until one or more users associated with the other portable terminals arrive at the appointed place. The appointed place can be determined based on a distance between all the portable terminals and/or their respective movement times. Users can share their expected arrival times and information regarding their current locations while traveling towards the appointed place. If a portable terminal user requests a content while waiting for other users to arrive, the surplus time can be calculated and available contents can be provided within the surplus time.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location information-based scheduling service, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first portable terminal, pieces of location information from at least one other portable terminal;

comparing the pieces of location information with location information associated with an appointed place;

calculating a surplus time of the first portable terminal; and

providing, by the first portable terminal, contents determined to be displayable,

wherein the contents are determined to be displayable based on the surplus time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surplus time is an estimated travel time of a user of the first portable terminal to travel from a current location to the appointed place, the current location being a different location than the appointed place.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the surplus time is a period of time corresponding to a difference between an arrival time of a user of the first portable terminal at the appointed place to an expected arrival time of a user of the at least one other portable terminal at the appointed place.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing contents determined to be displayable comprises:

outputting one of contents in a first list, the contents in the first list being related to information and weather related to the appointed place;

outputting one of contents in a second list, the contents in the second list being searched using a keyword that is input to an input unit of the first portable terminal that has arrived at the appointed place; and

outputting one of a history of contents stored in the first portable terminal that has arrived at the appointed place.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first portable terminal, an appointment time with the at least one other portable terminal;

selecting, by the first portable terminal, the appointed place based on the pieces of location information;

collecting, by the first portable terminal, traffic options of the at least one other portable terminal to move to the appointed place, the traffic options comprising traffic routes and modes of transportation;

determining a movement route to move to the appointed place based on the location information and the traffic options; and

registering a schedule comprising the location information, the appointment time, the traffic options, the appointed place, and the movement route.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the appointed place comprises:

selecting, by the first portable terminal, a place as the appointed place, based on the pieces of location information, and traffic options, the selection being made so that a user of the at least one other portable terminal takes an equal amount of time to reach the appointed place as the user of the first portable terminal takes to reach the appointed place;

or

selecting, by the first portable terminal, a place stored in the schedule as the appointed place.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

calculating an expected departure time based on the appointment time and an estimated travel time, the first portable terminal moving along the movement route provided by the traffic options;

adding the expected departure time to the schedule;

checking whether a current time of the first portable terminal is the expected departure time;

outputting an alarm if the current time is the expected departure time; and

displaying the movement route to the appointed place and the traffic options on a display unit of the at least one other portable terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message of an event while the first portable terminal is moving towards the appointed place;

comparing, if the event in the message is an event related to a traffic situation, by the first portable terminal, current location information of the first portable terminal with the traffic situation;

determining whether the traffic situation affects an estimated travel time of the first portable terminal while the first portable terminal moves towards the appointed place along the movement route; and

searching, if the traffic situation affects the estimated travel time, for a recommended route to change the movement route.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message of an event while the at least one other portable terminal is moving towards the appointed place;

comparing, if the event in the message is an event notifying that the first portable terminal has arrived at the appointed place, current location information of the at least one other portable terminal with location information regarding the appointed place;

calculating an estimated travel time from the current location of the at least one other portable terminal to the appointed place; and

transmitting a message comprising the current location information of the at least one other portable terminal and the estimated travel time to the first portable terminal.

10. An apparatus to provide a location information-based scheduling service, the apparatus comprising:

a location tracking unit to receive pieces of location information from at least one portable terminal; and

a controller to compare the pieces of location information with location information associated with an appointed place, the controller configured to calculate surplus time and provide available contents determined to be displayable,

wherein the contents are determined to be displayable based on of the surplus time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the surplus time is an estimated travel time of a user of the apparatus to travel from a current location to the appointed place, the current location being different than the appointed place.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the surplus time is a period of time corresponding to a difference between an arrival time of a user of the apparatus at the appointed place to an arrival time of a user of the at least one portable terminal at the appointed place.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a contents processing unit configured to output:

one of contents in a first list, the contents in the first list being related to information and weather related to the appointed place;

one of contents in a second list, the contents in the second list being searched by using a keyword that is input to an input unit of the apparatus, the apparatus having arrived at the appointed place;

or

one of contents in a third list, the contents in the third list being previous files extracted from a history of contents stored in the apparatus, the apparatus having arrived at the appointed place.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to collect information regarding an appointment time of the apparatus and information regarding traffic options to move towards the appointed place for the apparatus and the at least one portable terminal, the controller being configured to select the appointed place based on the appointment time, the location information and the traffic options, and to determine a movement route to move towards the appointed place, the traffic options comprising traffic routes and modes of transportation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller further comprises:

a memory to store a schedule comprising the location information, the appointment time, the traffic options, the appointed place, and the movement route; and

a display unit to display the movement route and the traffic options to move towards the appointed place.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises an appointed place calculating unit to select the appointed place, the appointed place being determined based on pieces of location information associated with the apparatus and the at least one portable terminal, and the traffic options, so that the at least one portable terminal travels for an equal amount of time to reach the appointed place as the apparatus travels to reach the appointed place, or the appointed place is extracted and selected from a schedule stored in the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller comprises an estimated travel time calculating unit to calculate an expected departure time based on the appointment time and an estimated travel time, the apparatus moving along the movement route provided by traffic options.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a movement route calculating unit to determine a movement route to move towards the appointed place, to receive a message of an event related to a traffic situation during movement towards the appointed place, to compare current location information of the apparatus with the traffic situation, to determine whether the traffic situation affects the movement route, and to search for a recommended route to change the movement route if the traffic situation affects the movement route.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, if the controller receives an event message indicating that the at least one portable terminal has arrived at the appointed place, the controller is configured to instruct an estimated travel time calculating unit to compare current location information of the apparatus with location information associated with the appointed place to calculate an estimated travel time from the current location of the apparatus to the appointed place, the controller configured to transmit a second message comprising the current location information of the apparatus and the estimated travel time to the at least one portable terminal.