System and method of sending notifications prior to service arrival

• US 8,682,363 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eporin, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eporin, LLC
• Inventors: Cardi, Roland P., Minasian, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/206,562
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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

A system and method for providing notification to a recipient of an arrival of a vehicle at an instant when the vehicle'"'"'s estimated time to a destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a location status module that determines the location of the vehicle. An appointment module determines the vehicle'"'"'s estimated time to a destination and then determines if the estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval. If the vehicle'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, the appointment module sends a notification to the recipient. According to embodiments, the appointment module determines if the vehicle'"'"'s estimated time to destination equals a pre-arrival notification interval. If the estimated time to destination equals the pre-arrival notification interval, a notification is sent to the recipient.

Claims

1. A system for providing a notification to a recipient associated with an impending arrival of a movable entity comprising:

a location status module that determines a movable entity'"'"'s location;

an appointment module that determines a movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to a destination,

determines if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval,

in response to determining that the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, causes an estimated arrival notification to be sent to the recipient;

wherein the appointment module is further configured to;

determine if the movable entity has arrived at the destination at an instant when the pre-arrival notification interval has lapsed since the pre-arrival notification was sent to the recipient;

in response to determining that the movable entity has not arrived at the destination, determine an updated estimated time to the destination based on a new current location of the movable entity; and

cause a subsequent pre-arrival notification to be sent to the recipient indicating the updated estimated time to destination in response to determining that the updated estimated time to destination exceeds a second pre-arrival notification interval.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the estimated arrival notification is a SMS message.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the estimated arrival notification is an email.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the estimated arrival notification is an instant message.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the estimated arrival notification is a phone call.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification indicates that the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the pre-arrival notification interval.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the appointment module receives recipient profile information including the predetermined pre-arrival notification interval.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the appointment module determines if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval comprises determining if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination is equal to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the appointment module is further configured to:

determine if a pre-arrival notification has previously been sent;

in response to determining that a pre-arrival notification has previously been sent, prevent a subsequent pre-arrival notification from being sent until a pre-arrival notification interval has lapsed from an instant when the pre-arrival notification was sent.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the movable entity is one of a vehicle or a person.

11. A system for providing a notification to a recipient associated with an impending arrival of a movable entity comprising:

a location status module that determines a movable entity'"'"'s location;

and an appointment module that determines a movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to a destination,

determines if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, and

in response to determining that the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, causes an estimated arrival notification to be sent to the recipient;

wherein the appointment module is configured to;

receive a plurality of appointments;

determine a vehicle route for the movable entity based on the appointments;

determine a movable entity'"'"'s initial estimated time of arrival at each of the destinations corresponding to the appointments;

determine an updated estimated time of arrival for the appointments based on a current location of the movable entity,

compare the initial estimated time of arrival at an upcoming destination with the updated estimated time of arrival at the upcoming destination;

determine that the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval; and

cause a late arrival notification to be sent in response to determining that the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the appointment module is configured to:

compare the initial estimated time of arrival at an upcoming destination with the updated estimated time of arrival at the upcoming destination.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the appointment module is configured to:

if the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval, cause a late arrival notification to be sent.

14. A method for providing a notification to a recipient associated with an impending arrival of a movable entity, comprising:

determining a location of the movable entity;

determining estimated time to a destination of the movable entity;

determining if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval;

in response to determining that the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, sending an estimated arrival notification to the recipient;

determining if the movable entity has arrived at the upcoming destination at an instant when a pre-arrival notification interval has lapsed since the pre-arrival notification was sent to the recipient;

in response to determining that the movable entity has not arrived at the upcoming destination, determining an updated estimated time to destination based on a new current location of the movable entity; and

sending a subsequent pre-arrival notification to the recipient indicating the updated estimated time to destination in response to determining that the updated estimated time to destination exceeds a second pre-arrival notification interval.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval comprises determining if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination is equal to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval.

16. A method for providing a notification to a recipient associated with an impending arrival of a movable entity, comprising:

determining a location of the movable entity;

determining estimated time to a destination of the movable entity;

determining if the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval;

in response to determining that the movable entity'"'"'s estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, sending an estimated arrival notification to the recipient;

receiving a plurality of appointments;

determining a vehicle route for the movable entity based on the appointments;

determining a movable entity'"'"'s initial estimated time of arrival at each of the destinations corresponding to the appointments;

determining an updated estimated time of arrival for the appointments based on a current location of the movable entity;

comparing the initial estimated time of arrival at an upcoming destination with the updated estimated time of arrival at the upcoming destination;

determining that the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval; and

sending a late arrival notification in response to determining that the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing the initial estimated time of arrival at an upcoming destination with the updated estimated time of arrival at the upcoming destination.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the updated estimated time of arrival exceeds the initial estimated time of arrival by a predetermined late notification interval, sending a late arrival notification.