Dynamic event notification system for mobile devices

• US 9,485,620 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian Jay Cobb, Brian Reid Henson, Denice M. Henson, Karl Richard Kohlbrand, Scott Robert Simons
• Original Assignee: Brian Jay Cobb, Brian Reid Henson, Denice M. Henson, Karl Richard Kohlbrand, Scott Robert Simons
• Inventors: Henson, Denice M., Kohlbrand, Karl Richard, Simons, Scott Robert, Cobb, Brian Jay, Henson, Brian Reid
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US14/627,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s Mobile Device. Map and Calendar applications are polled with correlations made between map locations and event information. Geo-Fence Boundaries are established for map locations which are inherited by their associated events. Penetration of a Geo-Fence Boundary by a Mobile Device running the Mobile Application triggers a search for events that are associated with the established Geo-Fence Boundary. Filtered Notifications of event options of interest to the user are transmitted to the Mobile Device based on pre-established and dynamic variables and whether the user can arrive at the event while it is underway. Upon selection of an event by the user, the Mobile Device provides route and navigation guidance to the selected location.

Claims

1. A method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location, comprising:

a server;

at least one application protocol interface (API), embodied on a first non-transitory computer readable medium, and associated circuitry, that links the server with a database, allowing the server to perform analysis of data elements contained in the database;

a software application, resident on a user'"'"'s mobile device and embodied on a second non-transitory computer readable medium, that enables the user'"'"'s mobile device to communicate with the server through the at least one API;

at least one calendar containing a plurality of unique calendar events, resident on the database, or accessible through the at least one API, wherein each calendar event is unfamiliar to the user'"'"'s mobile device and associated with a preference category, a map location, a time, and a unique dynamic geo-fence;

defining the unique dynamic geo-fence as a geographically limited area surrounding said map location to govern timing of notifications and govern which event information, from the plurality of unique calendar events, is polled when a user crosses that unique dynamic geo-fence;

filtering the event information to deliver timely event notifications, based on user-defined preference categories, user'"'"'s travel speed and trajectory, and the unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries;

transmitting and delivering notifications to a mobile display of the user'"'"'s mobile device, allowing the user to select a location from at least one of the filtered event information and map location;

providing route and navigation guidance to selected location; and

displaying, in the mobile display, of relevant information about a selected event from the filtered event information once the user reaches the selected location;

wherein if there is insufficient time for the user to travel and attend an event in the selected location, said event in the selected location would not be displayed even if said event in the selected location is within the geo-fence boundary.

2. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 1 wherein said database is updated bi-directionally by the server polling the mobile device for designated fields of interest;

the mobile device communicating said fields of interest to the server;

the server automatically assigning a unique identifier (ID) and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates to each location or event corresponding to user'"'"'s preferences for said designated fields of interest and for user interaction data.

3. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 2, wherein correlations are made between said map locations and said events using unique IDs using at least one of manually associating said map locations and events by map or calendar administrators;

automatically assigning the GPS coordinates of said map locations and said events using distance parameters;

automatically assigning the GPS coordinates of said maps locations and said events using, dynamically changing traveling speeds;

automatically assigning the GPS coordinates of said maps locations and said events using, dynamically changing unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries; and

anchoring IDs to one map but allowing association with another map.

4. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 3 wherein correlations are made between one said map location and at least one said events.

5. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 3 wherein said unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries are set for said map locations that govern what events are polled when the mobile device penetrates said unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries;

and said unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries are adjusted based on at least one of manual input from an event administrator, manual input of user preference, manual input from a map administrator, and automatically, based on speed and location of user.

6. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 5 wherein the server polls only events that are associated with a unique dynamic geo-fence boundary that has been penetrated by the mobile device.

7. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 2 wherein said filtering method is initiated on the polled events within the plurality of unique dynamic geo-fence boundaries using at least one of the user preferences, event location, date, event start and stop time, user'"'"'s location, and travel time.

8. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 7 wherein relevant filtered content is displayed on the user'"'"'s mobile display.

9. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 2 wherein by selecting an event, the application downloads the location of said event;

the application transmits the location to the server; and

the server activates the device'"'"'s navigation system, using said location as the destination, directing the user to the event.

10. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 9 wherein by arriving at a selected event the relevant information and promotional information is brought up on the display of the user'"'"'s device.

11. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 2 wherein the server manages notifications, mobile device application software updates, and user interaction data;

and automatically generates a map location for each of the plurality of events.

12. The method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, about which the user would otherwise be unfamiliar due to geographical location of claim 11 wherein the user receives notifications in an emergent fashion;

and the user controls the frequency of notifications and mobile device application software updates may be managed by user preferences.