User defined location based notification for a mobile communications device systems and methods

• US 8,725,173 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US12/966,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20110081921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/405, 455/414, 455/456.5, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/439, 455/456.6, 709/219, 709/217, 709/104.1, 709/203, 379/265.11, 705/26.64, 705/14.35, 705/35, 370/328, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and methods related to the provision of location based services via a mobile communications device. A particular system comprises a mobile communications device, a mobile communications base station, and a server computer system. The location of the device may be correlated with certain user preferences stored on the server computer system. Components of the larger system are also described. In some cases, various location related mapping functions for a device are discussed. Systems and methods can also provide for activities to be undertaken based on the location of a device are described. The disclosure also addresses systems and methods of efficiently determining the location of a mobile device. Different notification schemes might be based on the location of a device and specified preferences are described. There can also be keyword monitoring based on the location of a device.

Claims

1. A system for providing user defined notification information using the location of a mobile communications device, which comprises:

the mobile communications device configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device; and

transmit the set of data identifying the location of the device;

a mobile communications base station, in communication with the mobile communications device via a wireless connection; and

a server computer system in communication with the base station, the server computer system configured to;

populate a listing of tasks with data from an electronic personal calendar;

maintain a database containing;

a user profile for a user of the device, wherein the user profile includes a listing of contact preferences of the user of the device, the contact preferences including information about times of contact correlated with locations for contact and contact format; and

data related to a plurality of product and service providers, wherein each of the plurality of product and service providers are associated with directives for contacting the user of the device related to the location of the device and the contact preferences; and

a correlation of the listing of tasks and locations of one or more product or service providers associated with each task in the listing of tasks;

receive the set of data identifying the location of the device and store the set of data in the database;

associate the set of data with the user profile;

correlate the set of data, preferences of the user regarding sharing location data and other data in the user profile, and at least one of the plurality of product and service providers;

transmit location data and the other data in the user profile to at least on the plurality of product and service providers;

identify locations to be visited by the user in order to accomplish the tasks;

create data that describes a suggested route through the locations to be visited; and

transmit the data that describes a suggested route to the mobile communication device;

wherein;

the user profile further includes a plurality of preference levels;

each of the plurality of product and service providers are assigned a preference level based on inferences from connected information about usage patterns of the user;

the correlating step includes consideration of the preference level assigned; and

the mobile device displays the suggested route on a screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the mobile communications device is further configured to transmit data which modifies the user profile;

and

the user profile may be modified by the user from the device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device is further configured to receive data which provides information related to at least one of the plurality of product and service providers.

6. A method for providing user information from a mobile communications device, which comprises:

providing a server computer system;

populating a listing of tasks with data from an electronic personal calendar;

maintaining a database which contains;

a user profile for a user of the device, wherein the user profile includes preferences of the user regarding sharing location data and other data in the user profile, the preferences comprising contact preferences including information about times of contact correlated with locations for contact and contact format;

data related to a plurality of product and service providers; and

a correlation of the listing of tasks and locations of one or more product or service providers associated with each task in the listing of tasks;

receiving a set of data identifying the location of the device, the set of data transmitted from the device and stored in the database;

associating the set of data with the user of the device;

correlating the set of data, preferences of the user regarding sharing location data and other data in the user profile, and at least one of the plurality of product and service providers;

transmitting location data and the other data in the user profile to at least one of the plurality of product and service providers;

identifying, with the server computer system, locations to be visited by the user in order to accomplish the tasks;

create, with the server computer system, data that describes a suggested route through the locations to be visited;

transmit the data that describes a suggested route to the mobile communication device;

displaying, on a screen associated with the mobile communication device, the suggested route;

wherein;

the user profile further includes a plurality of preference levels;

each of the plurality of product and service providers are assigned a preference level based on inferences from connected information about usage patterns of the user; and

the correlating step includes consideration of the preference level assigned.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user profile further includes a plurality of access levels granting different access rights to data in the user profile, and the correlating step includes consideration of the plurality of access levels.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user specifies access levels for each of the plurality of product and service providers.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method of claim 6 for providing user information from a mobile communications device.

12. A method for providing user defined notification information using the location of a mobile communications device, which comprises:

providing a server computer system;

populating a listing of tasks with data from an electronic personal calendar;

maintaining a database which contains;

a user profile for a user of the device, wherein the user profile includes a listing of contact preferences of the user of the device, the contact preferences including information about times of contact correlated with locations for contact and contact format;

data related to a plurality of product and service providers, containing directives for contacting the user of the device; and

a correlation of the listing of tasks and locations of one or more product or service providers associated with each task in the listing of tasks;

receiving a set of data identifying the location of the device, the data transmitted from the device and stored in the database;

associating the set of data with the user of the device and the user profile;

correlating the set of data, the listing of contact preferences, and the data related to a plurality of product and service providers; and

transmitting a subset of the data related to a plurality of product and service providers to the user;

identifying, with the server computer system, locations to be visited by the user in order to accomplish the tasks;

create, with the server computer system, data that describes a suggested route through the locations to be visited;

transmit the data that describes a suggested route to the mobile communication device;

displaying, on a screen associated with the mobile communication device, the suggested route;

wherein;

the user profile further includes a plurality of preference levels;

each of the plurality of product and service providers are assigned a preference level based on inferences from connected information about usage patterns of the user; and

the correlating step includes consideration of the preference level assigned.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the subset comprises an alert based on changes in the set of data.

17. The method of claim 12, which further comprises receiving data which identifies another location, wherein the correlating step further comprises correlating the other location.