Text message location tracking using comet trail representing speed and direction

• US 9,369,833 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lynn, Ian, Burns, Eric, Hoyt, Kyle, Tharshanan, Mahendra, Mayblum, Amir, Kupsh, Jerry M., Gutierrez, Kim M., Desai, Ratna
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US13/887,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/518, 455/524, 455/411, 455/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A first mobile device may receive, via a text messaging application, first location information from a second mobile device. The first location information may indicate a first geographic location of the second mobile device. The first mobile device may receive, via the text messaging application, second location information from the second mobile device. The second location information may indicate a second geographic location of the second mobile device. The first mobile device may generate, based on the first location information and the second location information, a graphical representation. The graphical representation may represent a movement of the second mobile device from the first geographic location to the second geographic location. The first mobile device may provide the graphical representation for display via a display associated with the first mobile device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first mobile device, cause the processor to;

receive, via a text messaging application, a plurality of text messages from a second mobile device,

each text message, of the plurality of text messages, including different location information associated with the second mobile device,

the plurality of text messages including a first text message;

generate, based on the location information included in the plurality of text messages, a graphical representation,

the graphical representation representing a speed and a direction associated with a movement of the second mobile device;

provide the graphical representation for display via a display associated with the first mobile device;

provide a user interface associated with the text messaging application;

generate, based on information received from a first user and via the user interface, a second text message,

the received information indicating a second user for receiving the second text message,

the second user being associated with the second mobile device;

send the second text message to the second mobile device;

display, based on sending the second text message, the information received from the first user via the user interface,

the location information included in the first text message not being displayed via the user interface; and

send, to the second mobile device, a third text message including information identifying a geographic location of the first mobile device,

the third text message being sent based on the first mobile device being a particular geographic distance from a previous geographic location of the first mobile device,

information identifying the previous geographic location being included in a fourth text message sent to the second mobile device, and

the fourth text message being sent to the second mobile device prior to the third text message being sent to the second mobile device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where

the third text message being sent based on one or more of:

a predetermined time interval, or

the first mobile device being a particular geographic distance from a previous geographic location of the first mobile device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the one or more instructions to generate the graphical representation cause the processor to:

modify, based on the location information, the graphical representation to generate a comet trail,

the comet trail representing the direction associated with the movement of the second mobile device; and

where the one or more instructions to provide the graphical representation for display cause the processor to;

provide the comet trail for display via the display associated with the first mobile device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, where the comet trail comprises a first comet trail and the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine a first geographic location of the first mobile device, and

determine a second geographic location of the first mobile device,

where the one or more instructions to generate the graphical representation cause the processor to;

generate a second graphical representation representing the first geographic location of the first mobile device,

modify, based on the second geographic location of the first mobile device, the second graphical representation to generate a second comet trail,

the second comet trail representing a direction of a movement of the first mobile device from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, and

where the one or more instructions to provide the graphical representation for display cause the processor to;

provide the second comet trail for display via the display associated with the first mobile device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the one or more instructions to generate the graphical representation cause the processor to:

generate a comet trail representing the speed and the direction associated with the movement of the second mobile device,

the comet trail including;

a first marker corresponding to a first geographic location of the second mobile device, and

a second marker corresponding to a second geographic location of the second mobile device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, where the one or more instructions to generate the comet trail cause the processor to:

determine an image associated with the second user of the second mobile device, and

generate the comet trail to include the image associated with the second user of the second mobile device.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile device, a plurality of text messages from a second mobile device,

each text message, of the plurality of text messages, including different location information associated with the second mobile device,

the plurality of text messages including a first text message;

generating, by the first mobile device and based on the location information included in the plurality of text messages, a graphical representation,

the graphical representation representing a speed and a direction associated with a movement of the second mobile device;

displaying, by the first mobile device, the graphical representation via a display associated with the first mobile device;

providing, by the first mobile device, a user interface;

generating, by the first mobile device, based on information received from a first user, and via the user interface, a second text message,

the received information indicating a second user for receiving the second text message,

the second user being associated with the second mobile device;

sending, by the first mobile device, the second text message to the second mobile device;

displaying, by the first mobile device and based on sending the second text message, the information received from the first user via the user interface,

the location information included in the first text message not being displayed via the user interface;

initiating, by the first mobile device, a session for sharing the location information with the second mobile device;

determining, by the first mobile device and based on initiating the session, an initial geographic location of the first mobile device; and

sending a third text message to the second mobile device,

the third text message including information identifying the initial geographic location of the first mobile device,

the third text message being sent based on the first mobile device being a particular geographic distance from a previous geographic location of the first mobile device,

information identifying the previous geographic location being included in a fourth text message sent to the second mobile device, and

the fourth text message being sent to the second mobile device prior to the third text message being sent to the second mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, where receiving the plurality of text messages includes:

receiving the plurality of text messages via a text messaging application associated with the first mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, where generating the graphical representation includes:

modifying, based on the location information, the graphical representation to generate a comet trail,

the comet trail representing the direction associated with the movement of the second mobile device; and

where displaying the graphical representation includes;

displaying the comet trail via the display.

10. The method of claim 7, where generating the graphical representation includes:

generating a comet trail representing the movement of the second mobile device,

the comet trail including a group of markers representing the speed associated with the movement of the second mobile device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a movement of the first mobile device from a first geographic location to a second geographic location;

where generating the graphical representation includes;

generating a first comet trail representing the movement of the first mobile device; and

generating a second comet trail representing the movement of the second mobile device; and

where displaying the graphical representation includes;

displaying the first comet trail and the second comet trail via the display.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a second user interface for exchanging text messages with the second mobile device,

the second user interface including information identifying an application for sharing the location information with the second mobile device, receiving a selection of the information identifying the application;

initiating, based on the selection, a session for sharing the location information with the second mobile device;

determining, based on initiating the session, an initial geographic location of the first mobile device; and

sending a third text message to the second mobile device,

the third text message including information identifying the initial geographic location of the first mobile device; and

where the first text message is received from the second mobile device based on sending the information identifying the initial geographic location of the first mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, where initiating the session includes:

initiating the session for a particular amount of time; and

where the method further comprises;

determining an expiration of the particular amount of time; and

terminating the session based on the expiration of the particular amount of time.

14. A device comprising:

a processor to;

receive a selection of a text messaging application;

receive, via the text messaging application and from a mobile device, a plurality of text messages,

each text message, of the plurality of text messages, including different location information associated with the mobile device,

the plurality of text messages including a first text message;

generate, based on the location information included in the plurality of text messages, a graphical representation representing a speed and a direction associated with a movement of the mobile device;

display the graphical representation via a display of the device;

provide, based on the selection, a user interface associated with the text messaging application;

generate, based on information received from a first user and via the user interface, a second text message,

the received information indicating a second user for receiving the second text message,

the second user being associated with the mobile device;

send the second text message to the mobile device;

display, based on sending the second text message, the information received from the first user via the user interface,

the location information included in the plurality of text messages not being displayed via the user interface; and

send, to the mobile device, a third text message including information identifying a geographic location of the device,

the third text message being sent based on the device being a particular geographic distance from a previous geographic location of the device

information identifying the previous geographic location being included in a fourth text message sent to the mobile device, and

the fourth text message being sent to the mobile device prior to the third text message being sent to the mobile device.

15. The device of claim 14, where, when sending the second text message, the processor is to:

determine location information associated with the device, and

attach information identifying the location information associated with the device to the second text message.

16. The device of claim 14, where, when generating the graphical representation, the processor is to:

determine, based on the location information included in the plurality of text messages, a group of locations associated with the mobile device, and

generate a comet trail including a series of markers,

the series of markers corresponding to the group of locations associated with the movement of the mobile device; and

where, when displaying the graphical representation, the processor is to;

display the comet trail including the series of markers via the display.

17. The device of claim 16, where the group of locations includes a current location of the mobile device and one or more previous locations of the mobile device, and

where, when generating the comet trail, the processor is to:

generate the comet trail including a head portion and a body portion,

the head portion including a first marker, of the series of markers,

corresponding to the current location, and

the body portion including one or more second markers, of the series of markers, corresponding to the one or more previous locations.

18. The device of claim 16, where a spacing of the series of markers within the comet trail is proportional to the speed associated with the movement of the mobile device.

19. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to:

access preference information associated with the first user,

the preference information indicating a preference of the first user to share location information with the second user associated with the mobile device;

initiate a location sharing session based on the preference of the first user; and

where, when generating the graphical representation, the processor is to;

generate the graphical representation based on initiating the location sharing session.

20. The device of claim 14, where, when generating the graphical representation, the processor is to:

generate a comet trail representing the speed and the direction associated with the movement of the mobile device,

the comet trail including;

a first marker corresponding to a first geographic location of the mobile device, and

a second marker corresponding to a second geographic location of the mobile device.