Conditional location-based reminders

• US 8,700,709 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Axelrod, Elinor, Fitoussi, Hen
• Primary Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/193,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Architecture that enables conditional location-based notifications. One or multiple factors (filter criteria) can be considered, and triggering of a notification can be based on some or all of the factors. Those factors can be static (e.g., time based) or dynamic (e.g., a previous user location) and extend the ability to filter unnecessary notifications, and thus, increase user satisfaction. The filter criteria can include checking user back balance, and calendar as prerequisites to sending a notification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a filter that processes at least one static filter criterion and at least one dynamic filter criterion, the filter criteria being unrelated to a present geographic location of a user;

a location-based notification infrastructure for identifying that the geographical location of the user has reached a trigger location based on a geo-fence that includes a notifier that generates a notification when the geographic location of the user satisfies a location-based condition and the filter component determines that the at least one static filter criterion and the at least one dynamic filter criterion is satisfied, and

automatically applies filter criteria to selectively prevent communication of the notification based on

personal information, which is financial account information or calendar-based information, and

an immediately preceding route traveled by the user to get to the location; and

a processor that executes computer-executable instructions associated with at least one of the notifier or the filter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter criteria includes at least one of a constraint, personal information of the user, or information obtained from a website.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter criteria includes a time constraint that when processed manages generation of the notification by the notifier based on temporal information.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a manager that enables manual and automatic configuration of the filter criteria for a given location.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising acts of:

identifying that a geographical location of a user has reached a trigger location based on a geo-fence;

applying notification filter criteria to a location-based notification system based on an identity of the user, the notification filter criteria usable to decide to selectively prevent communication of a notification;

processing communication of a generated notification to the user based on an application of route filter criteria that consider an immediately preceding route traveled by the user to get to the location and preventing communication of the notification based on a result of the application of the filter criteria; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of identifying, applying, or processing; and

automatically applying filter criteria to manage communication of the notification based on personal information, which is financial account information or a user calendar, or

an immediately preceding route traveled by the user to get to the location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising applying filter criteria that constrain a point in time or time range at which the notification can be communicated.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring the filter criteria to include personal information of the user, information from websites, and constraints.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising acts of:

identifying that a geographical location of a user has reached a trigger location based on a geo-fence;

processing filter criteria based on the trigger location;

checking personal information of the user as part of processing the filter criteria;

processing communication of a notification to the user based on status of the personal information;

selectively preventing communication of the processed notification based on a result of the application of filter criteria that considers an immediately preceding route traveled by the user to get to the trigger location;

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of identifying, processing, or checking; and

automatically applying filter criteria to manage communication of the notification based on the personal information, which is financial account information or

a user calendar.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising preventing the geo-fence from triggering at the trigger location based on the filter criteria.