Systems and methods for determining texting locations and network coverage

• US 10,616,719 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Thomas
• Original Assignee: David Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan A
• Application Number:
  US14/968,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• 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 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A system utilizing an Adventure Rescue Locator app and a Buddy app allows an adventurer to communicate his or her location throughout an adventure. The ARL app can provide quick and simple check-in messages that transmit location and other information and build a database of known “good” locations from which an adventurer is able to communicate via text, as well as known “not good” locations. The apps can share such information with a wide user-base, thus making the location information available to others. The app can serve to display the adventurer'"'"'s check-in locations on a map; alert that the adventurer has an adventure in progress; keep track of the time the adventurer is planning on returning home and alert if the Adventurer fails to arrive; auto-confirm check-in texts with the ARL app; etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a first communication at a device;

attempting to transmit the first communication from the device;

in response to unsuccessfully transmitting the first communication from the device;

storing first unsuccessful location information on the device to indicate a location from which the first communication was unsuccessfully transmitted; and

in response to the unsuccessful transmission of the first communication resulting from moving out of cell coverage;

detecting entry into cell coverage;

forming a second communication at the device; and

attempting to transmit the second communication from the device; and

in response to successfully transmitting the first or second communication from the device, storing first successful location information on the device to indicate a location from which the first or second communication was successfully transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication comprises a text message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication includes location information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first successful location information using a positioning system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

in response to successfully transmitting a first set of communications of a plurality of communications from the device, storing successful location information on the device to indicate a location from which each respective communication of the first set of communications was successfully transmitted; and

in response to unsuccessfully transmitting a second set of communications of the plurality of communications from the device, storing unsuccessful location information on the device to indicate a location from which each respective communication of the second set of communications was unsuccessfully transmitted.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising one or more of:

providing the successful location information to a remote device separate from the device; and

providing the unsuccessful location information to the remote device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming the map at the device indicating the successful location information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

receiving successful location information at the device; and

receiving unsuccessful location information at the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first successful location information comprises a latitude and a longitude.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first successful location information comprises a cellular carrier.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to unsuccessfully transmitting the first communication from the device, repeating the following to result in successfully transmitting the first communication from the device:

determining that the device is enabled to retransmit the first communication; and

attempting to retransmit the first communication from the device.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the map a quality of a communication location.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the quality of the communication location is determined based on a success rate of prior communications attempted from the communication location.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the quality of the communication location is determined based on a false negative rate of prior communications attempted from the communication location.

11. A method comprising:

in response to unsuccessfully transmitting a first communication from a device;

storing first unsuccessful location information on the device to indicate a location from which the communication was unsuccessfully transmitted; and

in response to the unsuccessful transmission of the first communication resulting from moving out of cell coverage;

detecting entry into cell coverage;

forming a second communication at the device; and

attempting to transmit the second communication from the device; and

displaying a map at the device indicating the current location of the device, the first unsuccessful location information, and locations from which successful communications have previously been sent from the device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, from an external device, information indicating one or more of:

the locations from which successful communications have previously been sent; and

the locations from which prior communication attempts have been unsuccessful.

13. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

forming a first communication at a device;

attempting to transmit the first communication from the device;

in response to unsuccessfully transmitting the first communication from the device;

storing first unsuccessful location information on the device to indicate a location from which the first communication was unsuccessfully transmitted; and

in response to the unsuccessful transmission of the first communication resulting from moving out of cell coverage;

detecting entry into cell coverage;

forming a second communication at the device; and

attempting to transmit the second communication from the device; and

in response to successfully transmitting the first or second communication from the device, storing first successful location information on the device to indicate a location from which the first or second communication was successfully transmitted.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the first communication comprises a text message.

15. The program product of claim 13, wherein the first communication includes location information.

16. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform determining the first successful location information using a positioning system.

17. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform one or more of:

in response to successfully transmitting a first set of communications of a plurality of communications from the device, storing successful location information on the device to indicate a location from which each respective communication of the first set of communications was successfully transmitted; and

in response to unsuccessfully transmitting a second set of communications of the plurality of communications from the device, storing unsuccessful location information on the device to indicate a location from which each respective communication of the second set of communications was unsuccessfully transmitted.

18. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform one or more of:

providing the successful location information to a remote device separate from the device; and

providing the unsuccessful location information to the remote device.

19. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform forming the map at the device indicating the first unsuccessful location information and the first successful location information.

20. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform one or more of:

receiving successful location information at the device; and

receiving unsuccessful location information at the device.

21. The program product of claim 13, wherein the first successful location information comprises a latitude and a longitude.

22. The program product of claim 13, wherein the first successful location information comprises a cellular carrier.

23. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform determining statistical data corresponding to a success rate of transmitting communications at a specific communication location.

24. The program product of claim 23, wherein the statistical data corresponding to the success rate of transmitting communications at the specific communication location is gathered for a plurality of phones having a specific model, and the statistical data indicates which phones of the plurality of phones have the specific model.

25. The program product of claim 23, wherein the statistical data corresponding to the success rate of transmitting communications at the specific communication location is indicated on a map.

26. The program product of claim 23, where the statistical data includes a maximum speed at which the success rate of transmitting communications at the specification communication location is achieved.

27. The program product of claim 13, wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform determining a rate corresponding to false negatives occurring at a specific communication location.