Location-based proximity notification

• US 8,849,253 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Nasir, Azim, Moshrefi, Afshin, Gharachorloo, Nader, Xiao, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US13/315,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/456.6, 455/456.3, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A user device may receive selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification, and may receive a device parameter, a message parameter, and a location parameter for the selected notification type. The user device may detect that the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter, and may provide a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a location-based proximity notification application;

presenting, by the mobile device and using the application, a first user interface to select a type of a location-based proximity notification from a group of types of location-based proximity notifications, wherein the group of types of location-based proximity notifications includes a message for display via a set-top box;

receiving, by the mobile device and from a user via the first user interface, selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification;

presenting, by the mobile device and based on receiving the selection of the type of the location-based proximity notification, a second user interface to solicit one or more parameters for the selected type of the location-based proximity notification, wherein the second user interface is selected from a group of different user interfaces for particular types of location-based proximity notifications, and wherein the group of different user interfaces includes a user interface for a message for display via the set-top box;

receiving, by the mobile device and from the user via the second user interface;

a medium parameter for a recipient medium associated with a recipient,

a message parameter including a message to be provided,

a time parameter including when the location-based proximity notification is to be generated, and

a location parameter for generating the location-based proximity notification,

wherein the location parameter indicates a particular amount of travel time to a location;

detecting, by the mobile device, that the mobile device is within the particular amount of travel time to the location as defined by the location parameter; and

sending, by the mobile device and using the application, the location-based proximity notification as defined by the message parameter, to the recipient medium as defined by the medium parameter, when the mobile device detects that a current time is within the time parameter and the mobile device is within the location parameter that indicates the particular amount of travel time to the location, wherein the location-based proximity notification indicates the particular amount of travel time to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, where the selected notification type includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

3. The method of claim 1, where the message parameter includes one or more of:

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the second user interface to solicit one or more parameters for the selected type of the location-based proximity notification further includes presenting options for the medium parameter that include a set-top box (STB) identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a local memory of the mobile device, the medium parameter, the message parameter, and the location parameter for the selected notification type; and

providing the medium parameter, the message parameter, and the location parameter to a server device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a particular amount of travel time, of the mobile device, to the location defined by the location parameter.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the first user interface comprises:

presenting a notification type selection interface to select one of multiple notification types;

receiving a selection of a particular notification type from the notification type selection interface; and

presenting, based on the receiving the selection, one of multiple parameters interfaces to solicit parameters applicable to the particular notification type.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory to store parameters for a notification message; and

a processor to;

present a first user interface to select a type of a location-based proximity notification from a group of types of location-based proximity notifications, wherein the group of types of location-based proximity notifications includes a message for display via a set-top box,

receive, via the first user interface, selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification,

present, based on receiving the selection of the type of the location-based proximity notification, a second user interface to solicit one or more parameters for the selected type of the location-based proximity notification, wherein the second user interface is selected from a group of different user interfaces for particular types of location-based proximity notifications, and wherein the group of different user interfaces includes a user interface for the message for display via the set-top box,

receive, via the second user interface, a medium parameter for a recipient medium associated with a recipient, a message parameter including a message to be provided, a time parameter for the selected notification type, and a location parameter for generating the location-based proximity notification, wherein the location parameter indicates a particular amount of travel time to a location,

determine global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the mobile device,

determine whether a current time is specified by the time parameter,

determine, based on the GPS coordinates, whether the mobile device is within the particular amount of travel time defined by the location parameter, and

send a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to the recipient medium as defined by the medium parameter, when the mobile device determines that the mobile device is within the location parameter that indicates the particular amount of travel time to the location and when mobile device determines that the current time is specified by the time parameter, wherein the proximity notification message indicates the particular amount of travel time to the location.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, where the selected notification type includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, where the message parameter includes one or more of:

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, where the medium parameter for the recipient medium includes a set-top box (STB) identifier.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, where the processor is further to:

store the medium parameter, the message parameter, a time parameter, and the location parameter in the memory, and

provide the medium parameter, the message parameter, the time parameter, and the location parameter to a server device.

13. The user device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further to:

determine a particular amount of travel time, of the mobile device, to the location defined by the location parameter.

14. The user device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further to:

present a notification type selection interface to select one of multiple notification types;

receive a selection of a particular notification type from the notification type selection interface; and

present, based on the receiving the selection, one of multiple parameters interfaces to solicit parameters applicable to the particular notification type.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a location-based proximity notification application;

presenting, by the mobile device and using the application, a first user interface to select a type of a location-based proximity notification from a group of types of location-based proximity notifications, wherein the group of types of location-based proximity notifications includes a message for display via a set-top box;

receiving, by the mobile device and via the first user interface, selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification;

presenting, by the mobile device and based on receiving the selection of the type of the location-based proximity notification, a second user interface to solicit one or more parameters for the selected type of the location-based proximity notification, wherein the second user interface is selected from a group of different user interfaces for particular types of location-based proximity notifications, and wherein the group of different user interfaces includes a user interface for a message for display via the set-top box;

receiving, by the mobile device and via the second user interface, a device parameter, a message parameter, a time parameter, and a location parameter for the selected notification type;

detecting, by the mobile device, that the first user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter;

determining that a current time is specified by the time parameter; and

sending, by the mobile device and using the application, a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to at least one of a recipient device or a server device providing a social network web site, as defined by the device parameter, in response to detecting that the mobile device is proximate to the location and determining that the current time is specified by the time parameter, wherein the proximity notification message indicates a particular amount of travel time to the location.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a particular amount of travel time, of the mobile device, to the location defined by the location parameter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the first user interface comprises:

presenting a notification type selection interface to select one of multiple notification types;

receiving a selection of a particular notification type from the notification type selection interface; and

presenting, based on the receiving the selection, one of multiple parameters interfaces to solicit parameters applicable to the particular notification type.