Systems and methods for determination of mobile devices in or proximate to an alert area

• US 8,805,415 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US12/057,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,328 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554141-4143, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining whether a mobile device is within a specified area and for providing information related to the mobile device are disclosed. A request may be received which inquires as to whether any mobile devices are within an alert area. The request may include a description of the alert area and other preferences or indications. The relevant devices may be determined, as well as related information such as user information. The relevant information may be provided to the requester by any effective means and in any effective format.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server configured in a network, a request to determine a plurality of mobile devices proximate to an alert area;

determining, at the server, the alert area;

determining, at the server, a respective location history for each of the plurality of mobile devices most recently contacted within the alert area;

determining, at the server, a respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

determining, at the server, that the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices is within the alert area

determining, at the server, a respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

determining, at the server, a respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

providing, from the server, a response comprising a listing identifying each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices, and the respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises an identification of the alert area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the response comprises transmitting a response to a second mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a response format indication.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the response is provided in a format indicated by the response format indication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respective location history for each of the plurality of mobile devices is based on registration records queried on a network device.

8. A system comprising at least one subsystem that:

receives, at a server configured in a network, a request to determine a plurality of mobile devices proximate to an alert area;

determines, at the server, geographical boundaries of an alert area location comprising names of streets bounding the alert area;

acquires, at the server, a respective location history for each of the plurality of mobile devices most recently contacted from within the alert area;

determines, at the server, a respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

determines, at the server, that the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices is within the alert area;

determines, at the server, a respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

determines, at the server, a respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

provides, from the server, a response comprising a listing identifying each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices, and the respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the request comprises a response format indication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the response is provided in a format indicated by the response format indication.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the response comprises the names of the streets bounding the alert area.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the request comprises an alert area location.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one subsystem that determines the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices comprises at least one subsystem that determines a respective most recent global positioning system coordinates for each of the plurality of mobile devices.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the response comprises an indication that each of the plurality of mobile devices is proximate to the alert area.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon instructions for:

receiving a request at a server configured on a network to determine a plurality of mobile devices proximate to an alert area;

receiving an identification of the alert area at the server;

automatically determining at the server a respective location history for each of the plurality of mobile devices most recently contacted within the alert area location;

automatically determining at the server a respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

automatically determining at the server that the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices is within the alert area;

automatically determining at the server a respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices;

automatically determining at the server a respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

providing a response comprising a listing identifying each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective user identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices, the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices, and the respective most recent time of contact for each of the plurality of mobile devices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the respective location history for the plurality of mobile devices is based on registration records queried on a network device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for automatically determining the respective most recent location for each of the plurality of mobile devices comprises instructions for automatically determining respective global positioning system coordinates associated with each of the plurality of mobile devices.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the identification of the alert area comprises names of streets bounding the alert area.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for providing a response comprise instructions for providing output to a web-based application.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for receiving the identification of the alert area comprise instructions for receiving input at a web-based application.