Cooperative location based tasks

• US 20020120703A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Kaufman, James H., Ruvolo, Joann
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance. The method on a Client Wireless Component includes the steps of receiving location data from a plurality of Global Positioning System GPS satellites and transmitting the location data to an Active Calendar Component. The method further includes on an Active Calendar Component the steps of receiving Client Wireless Component location data and determining if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion.

Claims

1. A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a Client Wireless Component comprising the steps of:

receiving location data from a location tracking device; and

transmitting the location data to a server associated with location dependent data structures.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the Client Wireless Component comprises Client Wireless Components selected from a group of Client Wireless Components consisting of:

a Client Wireless Component integrated into an automobile, a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer and a generic wireless device with a processing unit.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving data from the server associated with location dependent data structures.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of:

displaying the data received from the server associated with location dependent data structures on a display of the Client Wireless Component.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the display of the Client Wireless Component further comprises a Touch Screen Input Output display.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising the step of:

accepting input of an item acquired message indicating selection of an item by a user.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the item acquired message to the server associated with location dependent data structures for storage in the server associated with location dependent data structures.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

triggering a proximity alert in an Event Alert System when the Wireless Client Component is within a threshold distance of an event location.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the location tracking device comprises a location tracking device selected from a group of location tracking devices consisting of:

nearest cell location tracking, triangulation cell location tracking, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, Radio Frequency Badge Tracking and generic location tracking systems.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the location data comprises location data selected from a group of location data consisting of:

a physical location, an electronic location, a symbolic location, a URL, an identification (ID), an account, a telephone number and equivalents.

11. A Client Wireless Component for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the Client Wireless Component comprising:

a location determining Antenna and Interface for receiving location data from a

location tracking device; and

a Wide Area Network Transceiver and Interface for transmitting the location data

to a server associated with location dependent data structures via a network connection.

12. The Client Wireless Component as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

a session manager for control of the components of the Client Wireless Component;

an input and output device for inputting user commands and displaying system status and user commands; and

a graphical user interface for interfacing with the input and output device.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the location tracking device comprises a location tracking device selected from a group of location tracking devices consisting of:

nearest cell location tracking, triangulation cell location tracking, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, Radio Frequency Badge Tracking and generic location tracking systems.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

determining if the item list is public to the Client Wireless Component.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising the step of:

determining if a colleague is at a specified location.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

forwarding to the Client Wireless Component the Colleague item list and displaying the Colleague item list on the Client Wireless Component for user review if and only if all of the determining steps prove true wherein the determining if a colleague is at the colleague'"'"'s home location step is optional so that the if and only if requirement only applies in the event that determining step is included in the method for providing location dependent information.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, further comprising the step of:

repetitively stepping through the determining steps as long as there are Colleague item lists to peruse.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising the step of:

receiving notification from the Client Wireless Component that an item has been selected by a user for acquisition or completion depending upon the nature of the item to be acquired or completed.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, further comprising the step of:

storing the notification of item acquisition or completion in a database and removing the item from a To Do List Database.

14. A computer readable medium comprising instructions controlling a Client Wireless Component for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the instructions on a computer readable medium comprising the instructions of:

receiving location data from a location tracking device; and

transmitting the location data to a server associated with location dependent data structures.

15. A method for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a server associated with location dependent data structures comprising the steps of:

receiving Client Wireless Component location data; and

determining if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion.

22. A server associated with location dependent data structures for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the server associated with location dependent data structures comprising:

a wide area network WAN interface for receiving Client Wireless Component location data; and

a session manager for determining with data structure information if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion.

23. The server as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

a Graphical User Interface GUI Device Interface for driving a display and accepting user inputs from a keyboard to implement a GUI;

a Client Interface for Session Manager communication with a Client Data structure containing information about clients on the system;

a ToDoList Interface for Session Manager communication with a ToDoList Data structure containing information about the clients To Do Lists;

an Access Rights Interface for Session Manager communication with an Access Rights Data structure containing information about the access rights on the system;

a Static Locations Interface for Session Manager communication with a Static Locations Data structure containing information about the location of important static locations such as stock rooms, stores, libraries, buildings, and other destinations where the client might seek to list items or information;

a Variable Locations Interface for Session Manager communication with a Variable Locations Data structure containing information about the current location of important clients and other mobile entities; and

a Status Interface for Session Manager communication with a Status Data structure containing information about the status of the system and availability of system resources.

24. A computer readable medium comprising instructions controlling a server associated with location dependent data structures and for providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the instructions on a computer readable medium comprising:

receiving Client Wireless Component location data; and

determining if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion.

25. A method for processing a business transaction using location dependent information provided to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a Client Wireless Component comprising the steps of:

receiving location data from a location tracking device;

transmitting the location data to a server associated with location dependent data structures;

receiving data from the server associated with location dependent data structures;

displaying the data received from the server associated with location dependent data structures on a display of the Client Wireless Component;

accepting input of an item acquired message indicating selection of an item for financial transaction processing by a user; and

transmitting the item acquired message to the server associated with location dependent data structures for storage in the server associated with location dependent data structures and for processing of the financial transaction.

26. A method for processing a business transaction by providing location dependent information to a user for selective colleague assistance, the method on a server associated with location dependent data structures comprising the steps of:

receiving Client Wireless Component location data;

determining if within a threshold distance a Colleague item list exists for user completion;

determining if the item list is public to the Client Wireless Component;

forwarding to the Client Wireless Component the Colleague item list and displaying the Colleague item list for user review at the Client Wireless Component if and only if all of the determining steps prove true;

repetitively stepping through the determining steps as long as there are Colleague item lists to peruse;

receiving notification from the Client Wireless Component that an item has been selected by a user for acquisition;

processing the financial transaction by purchasing the item selected by a user for acquisition; and

storing the notification of item acquisition in a data structure and removing the item from a To Do List data structure.