Wireless communication system and method for sending a notification of proximity of a first wireless communications device to a second wireless communication device

• US 10,492,026 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: GMT Management Company
• Inventors: Coverstone, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): D Agosta, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US14/847,625
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 455405, 4554141, 455418, 4554561-457, 3703102, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless communication system that is used with a wireless communication device and a position location system, the wireless communication device being capable of communicating with the position location system. The wireless communication system includes a memory device for storing position locations of the wireless communication device and for storing transactions made relating to the wireless communication device, a processor for determining trends by recalling stored information from the memory device and processing the recalled information, and a transmitter for transmitting targeted broadcasts to the wireless communication device based on the current location of the communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory, a database of user selections and user demographics, wherein the user selections are used to set the stored user demographics, wherein the stored user demographics indicate that a second one of a plurality of wireless communication devices is to receive content if a first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to a particular location and if an interest associated with a first user of the first one is shared by a second user of the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the shared interest comprises an interest of the first user and the second user to meet if in proximity to each other, wherein the particular location is the location of the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the database stores the shared interest, a preselection enabling the first user to communicate with the second user, and a preselection enabling the second user to communicate with the first user;

receiving position location data from the position location system as the wireless communication devices move, the position location data indicating the respective positions of the wireless communication devices;

processing, by one or more processors, the position location data to determine when the position location data indicates that a first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to a particular location, the interest associated with the first user is shared by the second user, and the stored user demographics indicate that the second one of the wireless communication devices is to receive the content if the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location;

sending the content to the second one of the wireless communication devices in response to the processing of the position location data determining that the position location data indicates that the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location, the interest associated with the first user is shared by the second user, and the stored user demographics indicate that the second one of the wireless communication devices is to receive the content if the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location,

not providing free wireless service to a first group of users having selections indicating an interest in screening notifications; and

providing free wireless service to a second group of users having selections indicating an interest in not screening notifications,

wherein the wireless communication devices are mobile cellular devices, wherein the wireless communication devices are in communication with the position location system, wherein transactions made relating to the wireless communication devices are stored, and wherein position locations of the wireless communication devices are stored,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the stored transactions to determine first trends, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the stored position locations to determine second trends.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content includes a notification that the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

tracking usage, based upon the content, of the second one of the wireless communication devices; and

storing the usage.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

updating the stored user demographics and the stored database based on the usage.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position location system includes a global positioning system or other satellite-based positioning system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first one or the second one of the wireless communication devices is a cell phone.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particular location includes one or more of the following:

a store, a restaurant, a zip code, and a city.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store a database of user selections and user demographics, wherein the user selections are used to set the stored user demographics, wherein the stored user demographics indicate that a second one of a plurality of wireless communication devices is to receive content if a first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to a particular location and if an interest associated with a first user of the first one is shared by a second user of the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the shared interest comprises an interest of the first user and the second user to meet if in proximity to each other, wherein the particular location is the location of the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the database stores the shared interest, a preselection enabling the first user to communicate with the second user, and a preselection enabling the second user to communicate with the first user; and

one or more processors operatively coupled to the one or more storage devices, the one or more processors being configured to;

receive position location data from the position location system as the wireless communication devices move, the position location data indicating the respective positions of the wireless communication devices,

process the position location data to determine when the position location data indicates that the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location, the interest associated with the first user is shared by the second user, and the stored user demographics indicate that the second one of the wireless communication devices is to receive the content if the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location,

sending the content to the second one of the wireless communication devices in response to the processing of the position location data determining that the position location data indicates that the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location, the interest associated with the first user is shared by the second user, and the stored user demographics indicate that the second one of the wireless communication devices is to receive the content if the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location,

not provide free wireless service to a first group of users having selections indicating an interest in screening notifications, and

provide free wireless service to a second group of users having selections indicating an interest in not screening notifications,

wherein the wireless communication devices are mobile cellular devices, wherein the wireless communication devices are in communication with the position location system, wherein transactions made relating to the wireless communication devices are stored, and wherein position locations of the wireless communication devices are stored, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the stored transactions to determine first trends, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the stored position locations to determine second trends.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the content includes a notification that the first one of the wireless communication devices is in proximity to the particular location.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

track usage, based upon the content, of the second one of the wireless communication devices; and

store the usage.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to update the stored user demographics and the stored database based on the usage.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the position location system includes a global positioning system or other satellite-based positioning system.