System for Providing Location-Based Services in a Wireless Network, Such as Locating Sets of Desired Locations

• US 20090191899A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gosling, Marcus, Wilson, Brian, Bray, Duane, Simsarian, Kristian, Paharia, Rajat, Weiss, Laura, Suraci, Mike, Feinstein, Jacob, Givechi, Roshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A system and associated method receives a command from a user'"'"'s mobile device to locate points of interest near the mobile device'"'"'s location. The points of interest are associated with different, user-identified, point of interest categories. Based at least in part on the mobile device'"'"'s location, the system substantially simultaneously provides a list of points of interest for at least some of the point of interest categories.

Claims

1. In a system for providing telecommunication services between multiple mobile devices and multiple network access points, an apparatus comprising:

at least one location server coupled among at least some of the network access points;

at least one database coupled with the location server, wherein the database includes location information regarding points of interest, wherein at least some of the points of interest are associated with point of interest categories, and wherein the database further includes point of interest records associated with at least some of the multiple mobile devices,

wherein each of the point of interest records includes at least one user-defined set of two or more point of interest categories; and

wherein the location server is configured to;

receive a command via one of the network access points, wherein the command is based on a single command from a user'"'"'s mobile device to locate current points of interest closest to a current geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein each of the current points of interest are associated with one of the two or more point of interest categories in a point of interest record associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device;

obtain the current geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile device;

query the database for location information for points of interest that a) are closest to the current geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile device, and b) are associated with the point of interest categories in the user-defined set;

provide, to the user'"'"'s mobile device, a list of points of interest for each point of interest category in the user-defined set that are closest to the current geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile device; and

provide additional options to the user based on the list of points of interest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the point of interest categories include restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, bars, and coffee shops, wherein querying the database includes obtaining location information for points of interest that are within a user-defined radius from the current geographic location of the user'"'"'s mobile device, and wherein providing additional options to the user based on the list of points of interest includes providing a menu to the user that permits the user to, with a single selection, perform any of the following functions:

a) to call a phone number associated with a selected point of interest in the list, b) to receive directions to a selected point of interest in the list, or c) to obtain a next closest point of interest in the list.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the location server is configured to:

permit the user to rename the user-defined set;

permit the user to edit the user-defined set to add, delete or modify at least one of the point of interest categories; and

permit the user to add or delete any user-defined set.

4. In a system for providing wireless telecommunication services to mobile devices, the method comprising:

receiving a command from a user'"'"'s mobile device to locate points of interest near to a location of the user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein each of the points of interest are associated with one of two or more different and user-identified point of interest categories;

automatically determining the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device; and

based at least in part on the determined location, automatically providing to the user'"'"'s mobile device a list of points of interest, wherein the list substantially simultaneously presents at least one point of interest for at least some of the different and user-identified point of interest categories.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the list of points of interest represent points of interest that are geographically closest to the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving input from the user'"'"'s mobile device, and providing a next-closer list of points of interest, wherein the next-closer list substantially simultaneously presents at least one point of interest for at least some of the different and user-identified point of interest categories that are geographically next closest to the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device than points of interest in the list of points of interest.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing additional options to the user based on the list of points of interest, wherein the additional options include:

calling a selected point of interest in the list, receiving directions to a selected point of interest in the list, or obtaining a next closest point of interest in the list.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the point of interest categories include restaurants, coffee shops, bars/pubs or bookstores.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the point of interest categories include hospitals, pharmacies, fire departments or healthcare clinics.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the point of interest categories include sites, parks or geographic points of interest.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying the two or more different and user-identified point of interest categories;

receiving user input selecting one of the categories; and

based at least in part on the determined location, displaying a list of two or more nearby points of interest for the selected category.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a search radius parameter from the user'"'"'s mobile device; and

providing a list of points of interest, from at least one point of interest category, that are within the search radius parameter.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing, to the user'"'"'s mobile device, an audio, visual or multimedia message associated with at least one of the points of interest in the list.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving the command includes receiving the command from a substantially upper level menu provided to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

14. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one telecommunication server to perform a method to provide location-based services to at least one telecommunications mobile device, the method comprising:

at the telecommunications server, receiving from the telecommunications mobile device a request to locate a list of locations, wherein the request is associated with a current geographic location of the telecommunications mobile device, and wherein the list is associated with multiple and different location categories previously defined by a user of the telecommunications mobile device; and

at the telecommunications server, providing for display by the telecommunications mobile device a current list of locations, wherein each of the locations in the current list is associated with one of the multiple and different user-identified location categories, and wherein each of the locations in the current list is proximate to the current geographic location of the telecommunications mobile device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of the telecommunications server.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium is a logical node in a computer network receiving the contents.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium is a computer-readable disk.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium is a data transmission medium carrying a generated data signal containing the contents.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer-readable medium is a removable memory.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the user may define multiple lists of points of interest, each with different location categories.

21. A wireless telecommunications apparatus for providing to a user location-based services, the wireless telecommunications apparatus comprising:

wireless transceiver means;

input/output means; and

processor means coupled to the wireless transceiver means and to the input/output means, wherein the processor means includes;

means for providing to a telecommunications server a request for a list of locations, wherein the means for providing the request requires, from a main menu provided by the input/output means, at most two menu choices from the user of the wireless telecommunications apparatus; and

means for receiving a current list of locations, wherein each of the locations in the current list is associated with one of multiple and different user-identified location categories, and wherein each of the locations in the list is proximate to a location of the wireless telecommunications apparatus.

22. The wireless telecommunications apparatus of claim 21 wherein the location categories include meeting places, healthcare related places, and public points of interest.

23. The wireless telecommunications apparatus of claim 21 wherein the location categories include governmental services, healthcare-related services, travel services, financial services, and locations associated with at least some of the governmental, healthcare-related, travel, or financial services.

24. The wireless telecommunications apparatus of claim 21 wherein the input/output means includes button means having a primary configuration to request the list of locations when actuated by the user.

25. The wireless telecommunications apparatus of claim 21, further comprising memory means, coupled to the processor means, for storing two or more sets of location categories, wherein each set includes multiple user-identified location categories.

26. The wireless telecommunications apparatus of claim 21, further comprising location determining means, coupled to the processor means, for determining a geographical location of the wireless telecommunications apparatus.

27. A computer-readable medium whose contents store instructions for at least one telecommunications server to execute a method, wherein the telecommunications server provides, or is coupled to a system that provides, location-based services to at least one telecommunication mobile device associated with a subscriber, the method comprising:

at the telecommunications server, receiving from the telecommunications mobile device a request to substantially simultaneously locate at least one occurrence of two or more user-desired types of businesses;

at the telecommunications server, automatically determining a location of the telecommunications mobile device and providing a response to the requesting telecommunications mobile device, wherein the response includes an identification of at least one business for each of the user-desired types of businesses, and wherein each of the identified businesses is located near to the location of the telecommunications mobile device; and

receiving compensation from at least one of the identified businesses based on the provided response.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the compensation includes a fraction of any sale consummated by the subscriber at one of the identified businesses.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein one of the user-desired types of businesses is fast food restaurants, coffee shops or bars/pubs.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the least one of the identified businesses is listed first or is the only business listed for one of the user-desired types of businesses.

31. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a wireless system that provides communication between a wireless device and multiple network access points, the data structure comprising:

at least one location-based services data structure for a wireless device or a user of the wireless device, wherein the location-based services data structure comprises;

a first data structure representing two or more user-defined sets; and

for each of the user-defined sets, a second data structure representing two or more point of interest categories, wherein each of the point of interest categories is associated with a type of business or a geographic location.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the first and second data structures are stored as separate first and second location-based services data structures stored on the wireless system.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein a single location-based services data structure stores the first and second data structures on the wireless device.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the point of interest categories may include subcategories.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising a third data structure representing information regarding at least one business or geographic location identified based on a query involving one of the two or more point of interest categories.