Method and system for notifying proximity of mobile communication terminals users

• US 8,831,640 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Trinchero, Umberto, Montalbano, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US13/499,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 4/023 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A method for notifying proximity of users of mobile communication terminals, comprising: a) having a mobile communication terminal obtaining from a remote server data suitable to be used by the mobile communication terminal for deriving a distance between a position of another mobile communication terminal and the mobile communication terminal; b) having the mobile terminal determining, based on said obtained data, whether the position of the other mobile communication terminal falls within a predetermined distance range; and c) in case the position of the other mobile communication terminal falls within said predetermined distance range, having the mobile communication terminal generating a notification for the user of the mobile communication terminal. A corresponding system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for notifying proximity of users of mobile communication terminals, comprising:

a) obtaining by a mobile communication terminal a distance, derived by a remote server, between a position of another mobile communication terminal and a position of the mobile communication terminal;

b) determining by the mobile communication terminal whether the distance falls within a predetermined distance range associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said predetermined distance range being different from a predetermined distance range associated with a third mobile communication terminal;

c) in case the distance falls within the predetermined distance range, generating by the mobile communication terminal a notification for a user of the mobile communication terminal;

d) updating, by the mobile communication terminal, data defining a time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said updating depending on a predetermined threshold distance and on the obtained distance, said time interval proportional to a difference between the predetermined threshold distance and the obtained distance, and said data being different from data defining a time interval associated with the third mobile communication terminal; and

repeating steps a), b) and c) after the time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance obtained by the mobile communication terminal is based on geographic coordinates of the position of at least the other mobile communication terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining by the mobile communication terminal comprises comparing the obtained distance to a predetermined threshold distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining by the mobile communication terminal comprises causing the remote server to condition provision of the distance to an assessment of whether the mobile communication terminal is authorized to gain the distance.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

e) obtaining by the mobile communication terminal another distance, derived by a remote server, between a position of the third mobile communication terminal and the position of the mobile communication terminal;

f) determining by the mobile communication terminal whether the other distance falls within the predetermined distance range associated with the third mobile communication terminal; and

g) in case the distance falls within the predetermined distance range associated with the third mobile communication terminal, generating by the mobile communication terminal a notification for a user of the mobile communication terminal; and

h) updating, by the mobile communication terminal, data defining the time interval associated with the third mobile communication terminal.

5. A computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a data processing apparatus perform a method comprising:

a) obtaining by a mobile communication terminal a distance, derived by a remote server, between a position of another mobile communication terminal and a position of the mobile communication terminal;

b) determining by the mobile communication terminal whether the distance falls within a predetermined distance range associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said predetermined distance range being different from a predetermined distance range associated with a third mobile communication terminal;

c) in case the distance falls within the predetermined distance range, generating by the mobile communication terminal a notification for a user of the mobile communication terminal;

d) updating, by the mobile communication terminal, data defining a time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said updating depending on a predetermined threshold distance and on the obtained distance, said time interval proportional to a difference between the predetermined threshold distance and the obtained distance, and said data being different from data defining a time interval associated with the third mobile communication terminal; and

repeating steps a), b) and c) after the time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal.

6. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a data processing apparatus, perform a method comprising;

a) obtaining by a mobile communication terminal a distance, derived by a remote server, between a position of another mobile communication terminal and a position of the mobile communication terminal;

b) determining by the mobile communication terminal whether the distance falls within a predetermined distance range associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said predetermined distance range being difference from a predetermined distance range associated with a third mobile communication terminal;

c) in case the distance falls within the predetermined distance range, generating by the mobile communication terminal a notification for a user of the mobile communication terminal;

d) updating, by the mobile communication terminal, data defining a time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said updating depending on a predetermined threshold distance and on the obtained distance, said time interval proportional to a difference between the predetermined threshold distance and the obtained distance, and said data being different from data defining a time interval associated with the third mobile communication terminal; and

repeating steps a), b) and c) after the time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal.

7. A communication system comprising:

a server;

a mobile communication terminal in a communication relationship with the server, the mobile communication terminal including

a data processing apparatus; and

a computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a data processing apparatus, perform a method comprising;

a) obtaining by a mobile communication terminal a distance, derived by a remote server, between a position of another mobile communication terminal and a position of the mobile communication terminal;

b) determining by the mobile communication terminal whether the distance falls within a predetermined distance range associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said predetermined distance range being different from a predetermined distance range associated with a third mobile communication terminal;

c) in case the distance falls within the predetermined distance range, generating by the mobile communication terminal a notification for a user of the mobile communication terminal; and

d) updating, by the mobile communication terminal, data defining a time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal, said updating depending on a predetermined threshold distance and on the obtained distance, said time interval proportional to a difference between the predetermined threshold distance and the obtained distance, and said data being different from data defining a time interval associated with the third mobile communication terminal; and

repeating steps a), b) and c) after the time interval associated with the other mobile communication terminal.