WIRELESS USER BASED NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20070293240A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Drennan, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• 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 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A group of wireless device users are notified of an event. A location data determination algorithm is provided to a wireless device, where the algorithm determines a frequency at which the device interacts with network elements to determine its location. The location data is stored in a notification server and used to identify a user at a specific location. When a governmental or commercial entity wishes to issue a notification, a message is provided to those users whose location is identified as being in an area defined by the entity.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a group of wireless device users of an event, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of wireless devices,

accessing a set of instructions that act to control a location updating process for the wireless device;

obtaining location data for the wireless device in accordance with the set of instructions;

providing the location data to a notification server; and

storing the location data in a spatial database, wherein the spatial database associates the location data with a geographic region;

receiving a request and a description of a geographic area in which a notification message associated with the request is to be distributed, wherein the geographic area comprises at least a portion of at least one geographic region;

mapping the description of the geographic area to the plurality of wireless devices using the location data stored in the spatial database, wherein the mapping identifies the location of the wireless devices relative to the geographic area, at least one of the wireless devices being identified as being located within the geographic area; and

issuing the notification message to each wireless device identified as being located within the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each of the plurality of wireless devices;

periodically obtaining updated location data for the wireless device;

providing the updated location data to the notification server; and

storing the updated location data in the spatial database, wherein the updated location data replaces the previously stored location data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

tracking the location of the wireless device based on the updated location data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining the description of a geographic area in which the notification message is to be distributed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a subsequent request and a corresponding description of a geographic area; and

updating the set of instructions based on the subsequent request.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

issuing the notification message to each wireless device located proximate to but not within the geographic area.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

issuing a different notification message to each wireless device located proximate to but not within the geographic area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the notification message comprises sending an SMS message.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating the request.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the notification message to each wireless device comprises sending the notification message to the wireless devices identified as having priority over other wireless devices.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

issuing the notification message to a wireless device regardless of the location of the wireless, wherein the wireless device is identified to always receive the notification message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the notification message to each wireless device comprises issuing the notification messages based on the size of the geographic area and the number of wireless devices to receive the notification message.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to user activation, providing the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device as identified by the notification server to the mobile device.

14. A notification server configured to:

receive a request and a description of a geographic area in which a notification message associated with the request is to be distributed, wherein the geographic area comprises at least a portion of at least one geographic region;

compare the description of the geographic area to a plurality of mobile devices using location data associated with each mobile device, wherein the comparison identifies the location of the mobile devices relative to the geographic area, at least one mobile device being identified as being located within the geographic area; and

issue the notification message to each mobile device identified as being located within the geographic area.

15. The notification server of claim 14 further configured to:

provide an algorithm for controlling a location updating process to each mobile device; and

receive the location data from each mobile device, wherein the location data is obtained in accordance with the algorithm.

16. The notification server of claim 14 further configured to:

store the location data in a database, wherein the database associates the location data with a geographic region.

17. The notification server of claim 16 further configured to:

periodically receive updated location data for the mobile device; and

store the updated location data in the database, wherein the updated location data replaces the previously stored location data.

18. The notification server of claim 17 further configured to:

track the location of the mobile device based on the updated location data.

19. The notification server of claim 14 further configured to:

update the algorithm.

20. The notification server of claim 14 further configured to:

authenticate the request.

21. A system for notifying a group of wireless device users of an event, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request and a description of a geographic area in which a notification message associated with the request is to be distributed, wherein the geographic area comprises at least a portion of at least one geographic region;

means for mapping the description of the geographic area to a plurality of wireless devices using location data associated with each wireless device, wherein the mapping identifies the location of each wireless device relative to the geographic area, at least one of the wireless devices being identified as being located within the geographic area; and

means for issuing the notification message to each wireless device identified as being located within the geographic area.