Method and apparatus for creating, directing, storing and automatically delivering a message to an intended recipient upon arrival of a specified mobile object at a designated location
First Claim
1. A method to electronically deliver a message from a sender to an intended recipient based on tracking movement of a mobile object, the method comprising:
- obtaining a message provided by the sender;
obtaining a location designated by the sender for delivery of said message;
tracking a specified mobile object having a position-determining device that determines its own current position, and which transmits its then current position at preset time intervals;
determining from the transmitted current position whether the specified mobile object has reached said designated location; and
initiating a procedure for automatic delivery of said message electronically to the intended recipient upon said specified mobile object being determined to have reached said designated location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique to electronically deliver a message from a sender to an intended recipient based on tracking movement of a mobile object, including obtaining a message provided by the sender, obtaining a location designated by the sender for delivery of the message, tracking a specified mobile object having a position-determining device that determines its own current position, and which transmits its then current position at preset time intervals, determining from the transmitted current position whether the specified mobile object has reached the designated location, and initiating a procedure for automatic delivery of the message electronically to the intended recipient upon the specified mobile object being determined to have reached the designated location.
170 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method to electronically deliver a message from a sender to an intended recipient based on tracking movement of a mobile object, the method comprising:
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obtaining a message provided by the sender;
obtaining a location designated by the sender for delivery of said message;
tracking a specified mobile object having a position-determining device that determines its own current position, and which transmits its then current position at preset time intervals;
determining from the transmitted current position whether the specified mobile object has reached said designated location; and
initiating a procedure for automatic delivery of said message electronically to the intended recipient upon said specified mobile object being determined to have reached said designated location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for delivering a message with an electronic communication system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, wherein the system includes a server, and wherein each of the clients includes a position-determining device, the method comprising:
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obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
obtaining, at the server, a designated location based on input from said first client;
obtaining, at the server, an identification of a second client as the intended recipient of said message, based on input from said first client;
obtaining, at the server, identification of a mobile client to be tracked for delivery of said message;
determining, from the position-determining device of said client to be tracked for delivery of said message, whether said client being tracked has arrived at said designated location; and
automatically triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient upon said tracked mobile client being determined to have arrived at said designated location. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for delivering a message with an electronic communication system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, wherein the system includes a server, and wherein each of the clients includes a position-determining device, the method comprising:
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obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
obtaining, at the server, a designated location based on input from said first client;
obtaining, at the server, a delivery rule based on input from said first client for delivering said message to an intended recipient, wherein said delivery rule includes arrival of a specified mobile client at said designated location;
determining, from the position-determining device of said mobile client, whether said specified mobile client has arrived at said designated location; and
upon said specified mobile client being determined to have arrived at said designated location, triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient, based upon said delivery rule. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method for automatically delivering a message electronically, comprising:
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obtaining an electronic message based on input from a sender;
obtaining an intended recipient, a designated location, and a selected mobile object having a position-determining device, based on input from the sender; and
using position-determining technology to automatically deliver said message electronically to the intended recipient upon the selected mobile object being determined to have arrived at the designated location.
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27. A method for automatically delivering a message electronically from a sender with a communication system servicing a plurality of potential recipients, and based upon position-determining technology, comprising:
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obtaining a message based on input from the sender;
obtaining a designated location based on input from the sender;
obtaining identification of at least one recipient, from among the plurality of potential recipients, specified based on input from the sender as an intended recipient of the message;
obtaining a selected mobile object specified based on input from the sender; and
automatically delivering said message electronically to said intended recipient based upon the position of said selected mobile object, as derived from the position-determining technology, relative to said designated location.
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28. A method for automatically delivering a message electronically from a sender with a communication system servicing a plurality of potential recipients, and based upon position-determining technology, comprising:
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obtaining a message based on input from the sender;
obtaining a designated location based on input from the sender;
obtaining identification of at least two recipients, from among the plurality of potential recipients, specified based on input from the sender as intended recipients of the message; and
automatically delivering said message electronically to one of said intended recipients based upon the position of said one of the intended recipients relative to another of said intended recipients, as derived from the position-determining technology. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method for delivering a message with an electronic communication system, wherein the system includes a server, and with the system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, at least some of the clients being mobile and having a position-determining device, the method comprising:
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obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
obtaining, at the server, an identification of a second, mobile client as the intended recipient of said message, based on input from said first client;
obtaining, at the server, an identification of a third client, based on input from said first client; and
automatically triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient upon said second, mobile client being determined to have arrived at a designated position relative to the position of said third client. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method for operating an electronic communications system servicing a plurality of users for enabling any sender who is a user to automatically deliver a message electronically to an intended recipient who is also a user, based on the tracked position of a specified mobile object, comprising:
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processing and storing message data provided by the sender;
tracking the position of the specified mobile object; and
automatically delivering a message electronically to the intended recipient upon arrival of the specified mobile object at a designated location. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Apparatus to electronically deliver a message from a sender to an intended recipient based on tracking movement of a mobile object, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a message provided by the sender;
means for obtaining a location designated by the sender for delivery of said message;
means for tracking a specified mobile object having a position-determining device that determines its own current position, and which transmits its then current position at preset time intervals;
means for determining from the transmitted current position whether the specified mobile object has reached said designated location; and
means for initiating a procedure for automatic delivery of said message electronically to the intended recipient upon said specified mobile object being determined to have reached said designated location.
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41. Apparatus for delivering a message with an electronic communication system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, wherein the system includes a server, and wherein each of the clients includes a position-determining device, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, a designated location based on input from said first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, an identification of a second client as the intended recipient of said message, based on input from said first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, identification of a mobile client to be tracked for delivery of said message;
means for determining, from the position-determining device of said client to be tracked for delivery of said message, whether said client being tracked has arrived at said designated location; and
means for automatically triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient upon said tracked mobile client being determined to have arrived at said designated location.
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42. Apparatus for delivering a message with an electronic communication system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, wherein the system includes a server, and wherein each of the clients includes a position-determining device, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, a designated location based on input from said first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, a delivery rule based on input from said first client for delivering said message to an intended recipient, wherein said delivery rule includes arrival of a specified mobile client at said designated location;
means for determining, from the position-determining device of said mobile client, whether said specified mobile client has arrived at said designated location; and
means for upon said specified mobile client being determined to have arrived at said designated location, triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient, based upon said delivery rule.
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43. Apparatus for automatically delivering a message electronically, comprising:
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means for obtaining an electronic message based on input from a sender;
means for obtaining an intended recipient, a designated location, and a selected mobile object having a position-determining device, based on input from the sender; and
means for using position-determining technology to automatically deliver said message electronically to the intended recipient upon the selected mobile object being determined to have arrived at the designated location.
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44. Apparatus for automatically delivering a message electronically from a sender with a communication system servicing a plurality of potential recipients, and based upon position-determining technology, comprising:
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means for obtaining a message based on input from the sender;
means for obtaining a designated location based on input from the sender;
means for obtaining identification of at least one recipient, from among the plurality of potential recipients, specified based on input from the sender as an intended recipient of the message;
means for obtaining a selected mobile object specified based on input from the sender; and
means for automatically delivering said message electronically to said intended recipient based upon the position of said selected mobile object, as derived from the position-determining technology, relative to said designated location.
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45. Apparatus for automatically delivering a message electronically from a sender with a communication system servicing a plurality of potential recipients, and based upon position-determining technology, comprising:
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means for obtaining a message based on input from the sender;
means for obtaining a designated location based on input from the sender;
means for obtaining identification of at least two recipients, from among the plurality of potential recipients, specified based on input from the sender as intended recipients of the message; and
means for automatically delivering said message electronically to one of said intended recipients based upon the position of said one of the intended recipients relative to another of said intended recipients, as derived from the position-determining technology.
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46. Apparatus for delivering a message with an electronic communication system, wherein the system includes a server, and with the system servicing a plurality of clients in a client-server relationship, at least some of the clients being mobile and having a position-determining device, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining, at the server, a message based on input from a first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, an identification of a second, mobile client as the intended recipient of said message, based on input from said first client;
means for obtaining, at the server, an identification of a third client, based on input from said first client; and
means for automatically triggering electronic delivery of said message to the intended recipient upon said second, mobile client being determined to have arrived at a designated position relative to the position of said third client.
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47. Apparatus for operating an electronic communications system servicing a plurality of users for enabling any sender who is a user to automatically deliver a message electronically to an intended recipient who is also a user, based on the tracked position of a specified mobile object, comprising:
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means for processing and storing message data provided by the sender;
means for tracking the position of the specified mobile object; and
means for automatically delivering a message electronically to the intended recipient upon arrival of the specified mobile object at a designated location.
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Specification