Mobile device alert generation system and method

• US 9,196,149 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Grossman, Joel, Bernstein, Jacqueline Allison, Ozer, Mitchell Scott, Hodges, Daniel, Roumeliotis, Tasos
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/275,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• 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 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing an alert regarding mobile device location is provided. The method includes obtaining location data corresponding to locations of a mobile device over a period of time. A location pattern is determined based on the location data. The current location of the mobile device is detected at a time based on the determined pattern, and an alert is provided regarding the current location of the mobile device. A system for providing alerts regarding mobile device location is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an alert regarding mobile device location, the method comprising:

detecting requests for location data corresponding to the location of at least one mobile device over a period of time;

determining a request pattern based on the requests for location data;

detecting a current location of the at least one mobile device at a time based on the determined request pattern; and

providing an alert rendering accessible the current location at the time based on the determined request pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the request pattern comprises detecting a request during a particular time period of a day for a predetermined number of days.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the alert during the particular time period of the day.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile device corresponds to a first user and the detected requests originate from a second user, wherein providing the alert comprises rendering the current location accessible to the second user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the request pattern comprises detecting a request originating from the second user at a particular location a predetermined number of times, and providing the alert to the second user in response to detecting the second user at the particular location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the alert to at least one of a local and a remote application.

7. A computer-implemented method for providing an alert regarding mobile device location, the method comprising:

detecting requests from a plurality of users for location data corresponding to the location of a plurality of mobile devices;

determining a request pattern of the plurality of users based on the requests for location data;

detecting a current location of a particular mobile device at a time based on the determined request pattern; and

providing an alert rendering accessible the current location of the particular mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

obtaining identifying information corresponding to the plurality users and a particular user;

comparing the identifying information of the plurality of users with the identifying information of the particular user;

determining the request pattern of the plurality of users in response to the identifying information of the plurality of users corresponding to the identifying information of the particular user; and

providing to the particular user the alert rendering accessible the current location of the particular mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular mobile device corresponds to a first user and the particular user corresponds to a second user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting requests from each of the plurality of users for location data corresponding to the location of at least one of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the plurality of mobile devices correspond to other users.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

suggesting the particular user receive the alert;

obtaining an acceptance of the suggestion from the particular user; and

detecting the current location and providing the alert in response to obtaining the acceptance of the suggestion.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the alert to at least one of a local and a remote application.