System and method for location based exchanges of data facilitating distributed locational applications

• US 8,761,804 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BillJCo LLC
• Original Assignee: William J. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US14/033,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20140024396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/4.2, 455/456.34, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Provided is a distributed system and method for enabling new and useful location dependent features and functionality to mobile data processing systems. Mobile data processing systems interact with each other as peers in communications and interoperability. A mobile data processing system may dynamically take on roles, depending on the environment and capabilities available at a particular time. Reference whereabouts data is appropriately shared between mobile data processing systems to carry out automatic location techniques ensuring mobile data processing systems are kept up to date with their own whereabouts and whereabouts of others, regardless of the freely moving travels of any of the mobile data processing systems involved, and the location technologies that may or may not be available when needed. A confidence is associated to whereabouts data shared for facilitating selection of the best candidate data used in determining new whereabouts information.

Claims

1. A method by a sending data processing system, the method comprising:

accessing, by the sending data processing system, identity information for describing an originator identity associated with the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, application information for an application in use at the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, location information associated with the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system;

preparing, by the sending data processing system, a broadcast unidirectional wireless data record including;

the identity information for describing the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system,

the application information for the application in use at the sending data processing system,

the location information associated with the sending data processing system, and

the reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system;

maintaining, by the sending data processing system, a configuration for when to perform beaconing of the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record; and

transmitting, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record for receipt by a plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems in a wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record is beaconed by the sending data processing system in accordance with the configuration for when to perform beaconing, and wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes at least;

the identity information for describing the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system wherein the identity information is for an alert determined by each receiving mobile data processing system of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems that the each receiving mobile data processing system is in the wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system,

the application information for the application in use at the sending data processing system,

the location information associated with the sending data processing system to be used by the each receiving mobile data processing system for determining their own location relative to the location information, and

the reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system for describing to the each receiving mobile data processing system useful information associated with the sending data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes web site information associated with the sending data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes environmental condition information associated with the sending data processing system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for at least one service associated with the sending data processing system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for at least one transaction associated with the sending data processing system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for one or more data processing systems remote to the sending data processing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for distinguishing an elevation or altitude.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes confidence information for describing a reliability of data in the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that is presented to a user interface of the each receiving mobile data processing system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that is processed by the each receiving mobile data processing system for determining by the each receiving mobile data processing system what to present to a user interface.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes at least one of:

information for a location technology used to locate the sending data processing system,

information for a triangulation measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a time difference of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a time of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an angle of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a yaw measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a pitch measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a roll measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an accelerometer measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications signal strength of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum characteristic of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum class of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum frequency of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information associated with a wireless data record received by the sending data processing system from a particular data processing system,

information maintained by an application associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an application in use at the sending data processing system,

information for an application context of an application associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a navigation Application Programming Interface associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a situational location associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a speed associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a heading associated with the sending data processing system,

time information associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a service condition associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a physical address associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a logical address associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a user configuration associated with the sending data processing system,

information for monitoring movement of the sending data processing system,

information for an identifier associated with the sending data processing system, or

information in accordance with one or more permissions configured by a user associated with the sending data processing system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that can be processed according to a user configured permission maintained at the each receiving mobile data processing system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the user configured permission is configured by a user of the sending data processing system for providing permission to an identity of at least one of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the user configured permission is configured by a user of at least one of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems for providing permission to an identity associated with the sending data processing system.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the user configured permission enables providing an alert for who is nearby.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the identity information is a dependable and recognizable derivative of the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information associated with the sending data processing system is determined by the sending data processing system with a direct location method, or an indirect location method, or with information communicated to the sending data processing system by a remote data processing system.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record for receipt by the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems in the wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system includes transmitting the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record by a plurality of distinctly different radio communication interfaces of the sending data processing system.

19. The method of claim 1 including:

searching, by the sending data processing system, a plurality of data records in a historical collection; and

retrieving, by the sending data processing system, one of the plurality of data records for the preparing, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.

20. The method of claim 1 including presenting information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record to a user interface for a user to manage the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record by at least one of:

view the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, delete the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, modify the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, or add to the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.

21. A sending data processing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the at least one memory includes executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, results in the system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, identity information for describing an originator identity associated with the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, application information for an application in use at the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, location information associated with the sending data processing system;

accessing, by the sending data processing system, reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system;

preparing, by the sending data processing system, a broadcast unidirectional wireless data record including;

the identity information for describing the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system,

the application information for the application in use at the sending data processing system,

the location information associated with the sending data processing system, and

the reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system;

maintaining, by the sending data processing system, a configuration for when to perform beaconing of the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record; and

transmitting, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record for receipt by a plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems in a wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record is beaconed by the sending data processing system in accordance with the configuration for when to perform beaconing, and wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes at least;

the identity information for describing the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system wherein the identity information is for an alert determined by each receiving mobile data processing system of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems that the each receiving mobile data processing system is in the wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system,

the application information for the application in use at the sending data processing system,

the location information associated with the sending data processing system to be used by the each receiving mobile data processing system for determining their own location relative to the location information, and

the reference information for further describing the location information associated with the sending data processing system for describing to the each receiving mobile data processing system useful information associated with the sending data processing system.

22. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes web site information associated with the sending data processing system.

23. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes environmental condition information associated with the sending data processing system.

24. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for at least one service associated with the sending data processing system.

25. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for at least one transaction associated with the sending data processing system.

26. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for one or more data processing systems remote to the sending data processing system.

27. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information for distinguishing an elevation or altitude.

28. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes confidence information for describing a reliability of data in the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.

29. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that is presented to a user interface of the each receiving mobile data processing system.

30. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that is processed by the each receiving mobile data processing system for determining by the each receiving mobile data processing system what to present to a user interface.

31. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes at least one of:

information for a location technology used to locate the sending data processing system,

information for a triangulation measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a time difference of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a time of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an angle of arrival measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a yaw measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a pitch measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a roll measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an accelerometer measurement associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications signal strength of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum characteristic of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum class of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a communications wave spectrum frequency of a transmission associated with the sending data processing system,

information associated with a wireless data record received by the sending data processing system from a particular data processing system,

information maintained by an application associated with the sending data processing system,

information for an application in use at the sending data processing system,

information for an application context of an application associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a navigation Application Programming Interface associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a situational location associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a speed associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a heading associated with the sending data processing system,

time information associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a service condition associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a physical address associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a logical address associated with the sending data processing system,

information for a user configuration associated with the sending data processing system,

information for monitoring movement of the sending data processing system,

information for an identifier associated with the sending data processing system, or

information in accordance with one or more permissions configured by a user associated with the sending data processing system.

32. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record includes information that can be processed according to a user configured permission maintained at the each receiving mobile data processing system.

33. The sending data processing system of claim 32 wherein the user configured permission is configured by a user of the sending data processing system for providing permission to an identity of at least one of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems.

34. The sending data processing system of claim 32 wherein the user configured permission is configured by a user of at least one of the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems for providing permission to an identity associated with the sending data processing system.

35. The sending data processing system of claim 32 wherein the user configured permission enables providing an alert for who is nearby.

36. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the identity information is a dependable and recognizable derivative of the originator identity associated with the sending data processing system.

37. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the location information associated with the sending data processing system is determined by the sending data processing system with a direct location method, or an indirect location method, or with information communicated to the sending data processing system by a remote data processing system.

38. The sending data processing system of claim 21 wherein the transmitting, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record for receipt by the plurality of receiving mobile data processing systems in the wireless vicinity of the sending data processing system includes transmitting the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record by a plurality of distinctly different radio communication interfaces of the sending data processing system.

39. The sending data processing system of claim 21 including:

searching, by the sending data processing system, a plurality of data records in a historical collection; and

retrieving, by the sending data processing system, one of the plurality of data records for the preparing, by the sending data processing system, the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.

40. The sending data processing system of claim 21 including presenting information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record to a user interface for a user to manage the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record by at least one of:

view the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, delete the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, modify the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record, or add to the information for the broadcast unidirectional wireless data record.