Matching a location of a contact with a task location

• US 8,626,133 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuhlke, Matthew, Prasad, Yashas, Saleme, Lance, Kumar, Mithilesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US12/544,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

An alert system is provided. The alert system includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory is computer-readable storage media configured to store instructions that are operable to be executed by the processor. The memory stores instructions that may be executed to determine a physical location of a contact in a contact list or a user managing the contact list; determine a physical location associated with a task in a task list; compare the physical location of the contact with the physical location associated with the task; determine when the physical location of the contact matches the physical location associated with the task; and transmit an alert message indicating the contact and the task.

Claims

1. An alert system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory being configured to store instructions, the memory storing instructions that are executed by the processor to;

determine a physical location of a first user device, wherein the first user device is associated with a contact in a contact list of a second user device;

determine a physical location associated with a task in a task list, wherein the task is initiated by the second user device;

compare the physical location of the first user device with the physical location associated with the task;

determine the physical location of the first user device matches the physical location associated with the task;

in response to determination of the match;

transmit an alert message indicating the task and an identity of the contact to a social network accessed by the second user device, the alert message being posted in the social network for display by the second user device,

wherein the alert message comprises contact information for contact of the first user device, the contact information being displayed by the second user device upon access of the social network.

2. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the first user mobile device is a global positioning system (GPS)-enabled cellular telephone.

3. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the memory further including stored instructions executed by the processor to look up the physical location associated with the task in a physical location database configured to store location coordinates.

4. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the first user device matches the physical location associated with the task when the physical location of the contact is at or near the physical location of the task.

5. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the first user device matches the physical location associated with the task when the physical location of the first user device is at a predefined target zone associated with the physical location associated with the task, the target zone being defined to indicate that the contact is near the physical location associated with the task.

6. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert message includes a link to provide payment for completion of the task.

7. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert message comprises a first alert message, and wherein the memory further includes stored instructions executed by the processor to:

transmit a second alert message indicating the task to the first user device.

8. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of a communication address or a communication number, and wherein the alert message provides access to the communication address or the communication number.

9. The alert system of claim 1, wherein the contact information is configured in the alert message as a hyper-link.

10. A method for sending an alert message, the method comprising:

determining, with a processor, a physical location of a contact in a contact list of a user, the contact included in the contact list based on information from a social network used by the user;

determining, with the processor, a date range of a task in a task list of the user;

comparing, with the processor, the physical location of the contact with a physical location associated with the task in the task list;

determining, with the processor, when, during the date range, the physical location of the contact from the social network substantially matches the physical location associated with the task; and

transmitting, with the processor, an alert message about the task to the social network when, during the date range, the physical location of the contact matches the physical location associated with the task,

wherein the alert message transmitted to the social network is configured to be posted in the social network for a view by the user, and wherein the alert message comprises contact information of the contact for the user to identify upon view of the alert message posted in the social network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the physical location of the contact is a set of longitude and latitude coordinates.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining when the physical location of the contact matches the physical location of the task includes determining when the physical location of the contact is at or near the physical location of the task location.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining when the physical location of the contact matches the physical location of the task includes determining when the physical location of the contact is at or near a target zone assigned to the physical location of the task location, the target zone indicating when the contact is near the physical location of the task location.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert message indicates that the user has a task to be completed at the physical location of the task.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert message includes a link to provide payment for completion of the task.

16. An alert system comprising:

a task manager configured to support a task list having one or more tasks and one or more task locations associated with the one or more tasks, the task list being registered to a user;

a contact manager configured to support a contact list having a list of one or more contacts of the user, the one or more contacts associated with one or more contact devices; and

an alert device configured to;

compare physical locations of the one or more contact devices with a task location of the one or more task locations;

transmit an alert message to a social network used by the user when the one or more contact devices are at or near the task location,

wherein the alert message transmitted to the social network is configured to be posted in the social network for a view by the user, and wherein the alert message comprises contact information of the one or more contact devices for the user to identify when the alert message is posted in the social network.

17. The alert system of claim 16, where the alert message is transmitted when an alert policy is satisfied, the alert policy indicating that the contact satisfies an alert message policy.

18. The alert system of claim 16, wherein the alert message comprises a first alert message, and wherein the alert device is further configured to:

transmit a second alert message to the contact, the alert message indicating that the contact is located at or near a task location of the one or more task locations and a task to be completed, the task being associated with the task location.

19. The alert system of claim 16, wherein the alert device includes a natural language processing engine that is operable to cross-reference a task to determine establishments where a task is completed and operable to compare the location of the contact to a physical location of the establishments where the task is completed.

20. The alert system of claim 16, wherein the alert message comprises a first alert message, and wherein the alert device is further configured to transmit a second alert message to the one or more contact devices when the one or more contact devices are at or near the first task location.