Systems and method for triggering location based voice and/or data communications to or from mobile ratio terminals

• US 8,798,613 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: MacNaughtan, Malcolm David, Drane, Christopher Ridgway, Brown, Stephen Frank, Scott, Craig Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US12/733,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for monitoring the location of mobile radio terminal users for the purpose of detecting when they approach within range of one or more target locations in order to trigger voice and/or data communications to or from the network or other mobile radio terminals.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring zone statuses for a plurality of mobile radio terminals comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of zones to a plurality of mobile radio terminals, each zone having a zone profile;

storing each zone profile;

receiving a message comprising a zone status update from at least one of the plurality of mobile radio terminals, wherein a zone status is determined by measuring radio signal parameters and comparing the radio signal parameters with at least one zone profile; and

if the zone status has changed, transmitting content associated with the zone to a mobile radio terminal;

wherein providing the plurality of zones comprises;

associating a plurality of zones with at least one mobile radio terminal associated with a subscriber based on a subscriber profile;

provisioning the plurality of zones to the at least one mobile radio terminal; and

making available to the subscriber a subset of the plurality of zones responsive to a determination that there is insufficient space available for all of the plurality of zones on the at least one mobile radio terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is game content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is community based information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein associating at least one zone with at least one mobile radio terminal further comprises the steps of:

determining a subscriber profile; and

filtering a plurality of zones to determine zones corresponding to the subscriber profile.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the subscriber profile is stored in a subscriber profile database.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein providing a plurality of zones consists of transmitting zones to the plurality of mobile radio terminals via SMS.

8. A method of monitoring and managing zone profiles stored on a plurality of mobile radio terminals comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of zones, each zone having a zone profile;

associating at least one of the zones with a plurality of mobile radio terminals,

wherein associating at least one of the zones with a plurality of mobile radio terminals comprises the steps of;

determining whether a current location of the associated mobile radio terminal is sufficiently known;

tracking available space on the mobile radio terminal for a zone profile;

if the current location is not sufficiently known, transmitting a request to the associated mobile radio terminal for radio signal measurements;

calculating the current location for the associated mobile radio terminal based on received radio signal measurements;

evaluating zone priorities based on the current location and

determining whether any zone updates are required;

if zone updates are required, transmitting at least one zone to the associated mobile radio terminal, wherein the at least one zone comprises a subset of the plurality of zones selected based on the available space on the associated mobile radio terminal;

receiving a message containing a zone status update from the associated mobile radio terminal, wherein the zone status is determined by measuring radio signal parameters and comparing the radio signal parameters with the zone profile of the transmitted zone; and

if the zone status has changed, transmitting content associated with the transmitted zone to the associated mobile radio terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the subset of the plurality of zones comprises at least one zone determined to be geographically closest to the current location of the associated radio terminal.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one zone is a hierarchical set of zones.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one zone is at least one large scale zone and at least one small scale zone.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one zone is a plurality of advertising zones.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein determining whether a current location is sufficiently known is performed at an interval.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein transmitting a request to the associated mobile radio terminal for radio signal measurements is performed responsive to the associated mobile radio terminal not having remaining memory capacity.

15. A method of monitoring a zone status comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of zones, having a plurality of corresponding zone profiles;

storing the plurality of zones;

providing a plurality of zones to a mobile radio terminal associated with a subscriber;

receiving a zone status message from the mobile radio terminal, wherein the zone status is determined by measuring radio signal parameters and comparing the radio signal parameters with the zone profile; and

if the zone status has changed and a minimum dwell time of a mobile radio terminal has been reached, transmitting content associated with the zone to the mobile terminal

wherein providing the plurality of zones comprises;

associating the plurality of zones with the mobile radio terminal based on a subscriber profile;

making available to the subscriber a subset of the plurality of zones responsive to a determination that there is insufficient space available for all of the plurality of zones on the mobile radio terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the minimum dwell time is at least 5 minutes.