System and method for alerting a first mobile data processing system nearby a second mobile data processing system

• US 20090031006A1
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/011 Identifying the radio environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services. Integrated with the web service are enhanced location based services providing map solutions, alerts, sharing of novel services between users, and complete user control for managing heterogeneous device interoperability through the web service.

Claims

1. A data processing method for communicating whereabouts of a first mobile data processing system in relation to a second mobile data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a first situational location with a first automatically detected location of said first mobile data processing system;

determining a second situational location with a second automatically detected location of said second mobile data processing system;

determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system; and

alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using global positioning system data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using a radio wave triangulated location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using a network cell identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using proximity to a location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using a phone number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first automatically detected location is automatically detected using a network address.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using global positioning system data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using a radio wave triangulated location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using a network cell identifier.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using proximity to a location.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using a phone number.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said second automatically detected location is automatically detected using a network address.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said first mobile data processing system is a handheld mobile data processing system.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said first mobile data processing system is a data processing system mounted to a mobile machine.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said second mobile data processing system is a handheld mobile data processing system.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said second mobile data processing system is a data processing system mounted to a mobile machine.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes presenting an alert to a user of a data processing system.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting an executable process.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes presenting an alert to a first user of said first mobile data processing system.

21. The method of claim 18 further including the step of using a privilege granted by a second user of said second mobile data processing system to determine whether to allow presentation of said alert to said user of a data processing system.

22. The method of claim 20 further including the step of using a privilege granted by a second user of said second mobile data processing system to determine whether to allow presentation of said alert to said first user.

23. The method of claim 18 further including the step of using a privilege granted by a third user with an affinity privilege to act on behalf of a second user of said second mobile data processing system to determine whether to allow presentation of said alert to said user of a data processing system.

24. The method of claim 20 further including the step of using a privilege granted by a third user with an affinity privilege to act on behalf of a second user of said second mobile data processing system to determine whether to allow presentation of said alert to said first user.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting with presentable content.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting that said second mobile data processing system is departing from nearby whereabouts of said first mobile data processing system.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting that said second mobile data processing system is arriving to nearby whereabouts of said first mobile data processing system.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system includes determining said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system using a radius.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said radius is user configurable.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein said second data processing system has a user configured relationship to a third mobile data processing system and wherein said third mobile data processing system has a user configured relationship to said first mobile data processing system.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system includes determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system upon a user query.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system includes determining that said second mobile data processing system is within a nearby distance to said first mobile data processing system upon automatic data processing system execution.

33. The method of claim 1 further including the step of maintaining information to a database for statistical reporting.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting with audible sound unique to the reason for alert.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting with a voice message delivered for subsequent access.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of alerting that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system includes alerting with a customized indicator.

37. A data processing method for informing a first mobile data processing system user of nearby whereabouts of a second mobile data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a first situational location with a first automatically detected location of said first mobile data processing system user;

determining a second situational location with a second automatically detected location of said second mobile data processing system;

determining that said first mobile data processing system user is within a nearby distance to said second mobile data processing system; and

alerting said first mobile data processing system user that said second mobile data processing system is nearby said first mobile data processing system user.

38. A data processing method for informing a first mobile data processing system user of nearby whereabouts of a second mobile data processing system user, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a first situational location with a first automatically detected location of said first mobile data processing system user;

determining a second situational location with a second automatically detected location of said second mobile data processing system user;

determining that said first mobile data processing system user is within a nearby distance to said second mobile data processing system user; and

alerting said first mobile data processing system user that said second mobile data processing system user is nearby said first mobile data processing system user.