GPS Based Friend Location and Identification System and Method

• US 20070117576A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spatial Reality LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Huston
• Inventors: Huston, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A system and method for observing a personal networking event which shares the position of a number of friendly participants with other participants within a group. In one form, the position of unknown participants meeting certain criteria is also displayed to a user or one or more friendly participants. The views are selectable by friendly participants on, for example, a GPS equipped cell phone, to include a view from the participant'"'"'s position, zoom, pan, and tilt views, or views from another friendly location or from another geographic location, giving increased situational awareness and identification of participants. Other information can be shared among friendly participants, including social information, status and directions.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a friendly participant at in personal networking situation comprising:

said friendly participants being among a group of other individuals, said friendly participant having a GPS receiver for determining said friendly participant'"'"'s position and a radio for transmitting said friendly participant position;

a server for receiving said friendly participant position and having a radio for transmitting said friendly participant position; and

a handheld devices accompanying respective a user, the handheld device including a radio for receiving friendly participant position and a graphics display selectable by the user to display one or more views of the personal networking event wherein at least one of the user views selectable on the display is the view from the user'"'"'s approximate position and identifies said friendly participant.

2. The system of claim 1, including a plurality of friendly participants where position and social information are selectively published and received.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said user and said friendly participant possess handheld devices comprising cell phones which include a GPS receiver for determining the cell phone position and publish said position and identity to the cellular network.

4. The system of claim 1, including a number of participants each having a handheld device wherein said number of handheld devices each include a processor for receiving said participant positions and for comparing said user position with said friendly participants'"'"' positions, and is coupled to said graphics display to identify said friendly participant positions from a user'"'"'s position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said user'"'"'s view from the user'"'"'s position is adjustable by the user to zoom in or out.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views is an overhead view of the personal networking area of interest.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views is an enlarged zoom view.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views is a horizontally shifted pan view.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein one of said user'"'"'s different views is a vertically shifted tilt view.

10. A method for observing a personal networking event comprising:

determining a position of one or more participants, including friendly and other participants, at an area of interest;

transmitting the determined position of said one or more participants;

equipping a user with a device having a graphics display;

communicating the participant positions to the user'"'"'s device; and

viewing on the graphics display of the user'"'"'s device a depiction of the one or more participant positions at said area of interest, whereby the user can selectively change the points of view.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said device includes a GPS receiver for determining a user'"'"'s location, one of the selectable points of view being from the user'"'"'s location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein one of said points of view being an overhead view of said area of interest.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said participant position determining step comprises equipping a plurality of friendly participants with a GPS equipped cell phone.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said participant positions are transmitted to a server, wherein said user'"'"'s device authenticates with said server, and wherein said server communicates said participant positions to the user'"'"'s authenticated device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said user'"'"'s authenticated devices is remote from said area of interest, and said participant positions are communicated over a network.

16. A method of viewing a personal networking event by a friendly participant comprising:

determining the position of a friendly participant using a GPS receiver;

wirelessly receiving the positions of a number of participants, including friendly, and unknown participants, at said personal networking event;

rendering a graphical depiction of a plurality of participant positions at said personal networking event with at least some of the participants identified;

viewing the graphical depiction from a friendly participant position; and

selectively changing the view point of said graphical depiction from said friendly participant position to another position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein changing the view point of said graphical depiction comprises enlarging the depiction to a zoom view.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein changing the view point of said graphical depiction comprises rotating the depiction in a vertical axis to a tilt view.

19. The method of claim 16, including depicting unknown participants meeting certain criteria.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein changing the view point of said graphical depiction comprises changing the view point to the location of another participant.