Implementing location based actions

• US 9,514,644 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pinpark IP Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pinpark IP Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fourie, Charl
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US14/192,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/539.1, 340/928, 705/13, 705/14.1, 705/14.36, 705/14.53, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

A system (8) for implementing at least one action based on a location of a mobile communication device (10). The system (8) comprises a controller (16), storage (18) storing electronic program instructions for controlling the controller (16), and input means (24). The controller (16) is operable, under control of the electronic program instructions, to receive input via the input means (24), the input comprising an indication of a location of the mobile communication device (10), process the indication to determine whether the location of the mobile communication device (10) corresponds to a location of a predefined area, and implement the at least one action based on the determination.

Claims

1. A system for implementing at least one action based on a location of a personal mobile communication device, the system comprising:

a personal mobile communication device, the device comprising;

a controller;

storage storing electronic program instructions for controlling the controller; and

input means;

wherein the controller is operable, under control of the electronic program instructions, to;

receive input via the input means, the input comprising an indication of a location of the personal mobile communication device;

process the indication to determine whether the location of the personal mobile communication device corresponds to a location of a predefined area specified on a virtual map, wherein the virtual map comprises a set of geographical and/or geological survey coordinates and wherein the set of coordinates comprise a set of ground coordinates (x and y dimensions) and a set of spatial (height) coordinates (z dimension), together defining a virtual location box; and

implement the at least one action based on the determination;

a remote computing system comprising;

a server operable to perform a plurality of functions including;

registration and sharing of location based data of a plurality of registered users (RU data) of the system;

calculating data including the RU data and mapping data extracting, converting and combining the RU data and mapping data with location based data received from the personal mobile communication device; and

, recording real time data communicated from the personal mobile communication device;

one or more databases for storing information associated with a plurality of registered users of the system and mapping data relating to the virtual map, the mapping data including other information and/or data relevant to or associated with each virtual location box on the virtual map, including a status of the virtual location box, specifying whether the virtual location box is presently one or more of vacant, occupied, or reserved; and

,

one or more communications links between the remote computer system and the personal mobile communication device wherein the mapping data stored in the one or more databases is accessible by the personal mobile communications device to facilitate interaction by a registered user with the one or more databases, and whereby, in use, the system records, monitors and distributes information on real time activity in each virtual location box.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the location comprises a parking facility, the predefined area comprises a parking bay of a plurality of parking bays of the parking facility, and the at least one action is selectable from the group comprising parking navigating, registering, booking/reserving, and ticket purchasing and renewing.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input means comprises at least one sensor, which may be part of a sensor system or a set of sensors.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the sensor system comprises a primary position sensor operable to generate a signal providing a primary indication of the location of the mobile device.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the primary position sensor comprises radio-location (such as Locata®

) based/enabled, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), and/or a Real Time Kinetic (RTK), Wifi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), radio, and inertial sensor systems driven technology.

6. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the sensor system comprises a secondary position sensor operable to increase the accuracy of the primary indication of the location of the mobile device provided by the primary position sensor signal.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the secondary position sensor preferably comprises one or a combination of Locata®

, a Real Time Kinetic (RTK), Wifi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), radio, and inertial sensor systems.

8. The system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor is of the mobile communication device.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile communication device is determined accurately.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the location of the mobile communication device is determined exactly or practically near exactly with at least a location fixing with a discrepancy of less than or equal to 300 mm.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying a user interface.

12. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electronic program instructions comprise software, and the personal mobile communication device comprises a smartphone, personal/notebook/tablet computer, portable media device, or portable navigation device, having the software installed thereon.

13. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein operations performed by the system occur automatically, without requiring human intervention.

14. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input comprises an indication of an extent of historical activity associated with the predefined area and the controller is further operable, under control of the electronic program instructions, to assign a value to the predefined area on the basis of the indication of extent of historical activity.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the assigned value comprises a price set automatically by use of a demand/supply algorithm or calculation.

16. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system is operable to display the virtual map of the location of the mobile communication device on a display of the mobile communication device, and allowing a user of the mobile communication device to view and confirm that the indicated location of the mobile communication device corresponds to the location of the predefined area specified on the virtual map.

17. A method for implementing at least one action based on a location of a personal mobile communication device, the method comprising:

on a personal mobile communication device;

storing electronic program instructions for controlling a controller; and

controlling the controller via the electronic program instructions, to;

receive an input via an input means, the input comprising an indication of a location of a personal mobile communication device;

process the indication to determine whether the location of the personal mobile communication device corresponds to a location of a predefined area specified on a virtual map, wherein the virtual map comprises a set of geographical and/or geological survey coordinates and wherein the set of coordinates comprise a set of ground coordinates (x and y dimensions) and a set of spatial (height) coordinates (z dimension), together defining a virtual location box; and

implement the at least one action based on the determination; and

,

in a remote computing system;

performing a plurality of functions on a server including;

registration and sharing of location based data of a plurality of registered users (RU data) of the system;

calculating data including the RU data and mapping data;

extracting, converting and combining the RU data and mapping data with location based data received from the personal mobile communication device; and

, recording real time data communicated from the personal mobile communication device;

storing information associated with a plurality of registered users of the system and mapping data relating to the virtual map in one or more data bases, the mapping data including other information and/or data relevant to or associated with each virtual location box on the virtual map, including status of the virtual location box, specifying whether the virtual location box is presently on or more of vacant, occupied, or reserved; and

,

accessing the mapping data stored in the one or more databases by the personal mobile communications device, via one or more communications links between the remote computer system and the personal mobile communication device, to facilitate interaction by a registered user with the one or more databases, and whereby, in use, the system records, monitors and distributes information on real time activity in each virtual location box.

18. A computing means programmed to carry out the method in accordance with claim 17.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored instructions that, when executed by a computing means, causes the computing means to perform the method in accordance with claim 17.

20. A data signal including at least one instruction which upon being received and interpreted by a computing system implements the method in accordance with claim 17.