Method and Apparatus for Sharing Information from a Communication Device

• US 20120003988A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Sherkin, Alexander, Fritsch, Laura Brindusa, Leica, Marcel F., Bondar, Yevgeny
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for sharing information from a communication device. The communication device is to send first information to a first apparatus and second information to a second apparatus. In accordance with an embodiment of the application, the communication device combines the first information and the second information in a single message and then sends the message to a network node. In accordance with another embodiment of the application, the network node separates the first information from the second information and sends the first information and the second information to the first apparatus and the second apparatus, respectively. Note that the communication device did not have to send separate messages to the apparatuses and therefore there is a reduction in number of messages sent by the communication device. This reduction has an effect of reducing network utilization by the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for execution in a communication device, the method comprising:

obtaining first information to be sent to a first apparatus;

obtaining second information to be sent to a second apparatus when required by the second apparatus;

combining the first information and any second information into a message; and

sending the message to a network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a mobile device, the method further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device;

wherein combining the first information and any second information comprises;

combining first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device with any second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first location based information is specific to the first apparatus; and

any second location based information is specific to the second apparatus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device on an ongoing basis; and

the first apparatus and the second apparatus are application servers to which information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent from time to time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

for each application server, maintaining reporting requirements defining how frequent information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent to the application server; and

determining based on the reporting requirements which application server requires information concerning the location of the mobile device at a highest frequency;

wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages sent from time to time to the network node according to the highest frequency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each message comprises:

information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server that requires the information at the highest frequency; and

if there are any other application servers requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device at a time of the message according to the reporting requirements, for each of those application servers, information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each message further comprises:

for each application server requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device, an application server identifier and a user identifier.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor of a communication device so as to implement the method of claim 1.

9. A communication device comprising:

a processor; and

an information updater configured for;

obtaining first information to be sent to a first apparatus;

obtaining second information to be sent to a second apparatus when required by the second apparatus;

combining the first information and any second information into a message; and

sending the message to a network node.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the communication device is a mobile device, the communication device further comprising:

a position determiner configured for determining a location of the mobile device;

wherein the information updater is configured for combining the first information and any second information by;

combining first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device with any second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein:

the first location based information is specific to the first apparatus; and

any second location based information is specific to the second apparatus.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the position determiner is configured for:

determining the location of the mobile device by determining the location of the mobile device on an ongoing basis;

wherein the first apparatus and the second apparatus are application servers to which information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent from time to time.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the information updater is further configured for:

for each application server, maintaining reporting requirements defining how frequent information concerning the location of the mobile device is to be sent to the application server; and

determining based on the reporting requirements which application server requires information concerning the location of the mobile device at a highest frequency;

wherein the message is one of a plurality of messages sent from time to time to the network node according to the highest frequency.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein each message comprises:

information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server that requires the information at the highest frequency; and

if there are any other application servers requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device at a time of the message according to the reporting requirements, for each of those application servers, information concerning the location of the mobile device in a manner that is specific to the application server.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein each message further comprises:

for each application server requiring information concerning the location of the mobile device, an application server identifier and a user identifier.

16. A method for execution in a network node, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a communication device, the message comprising first information for a first apparatus and second information when required by a second apparatus;

separating the first information from any second information;

sending the first information to the first apparatus; and

sending any second information to the second apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the communication device is a mobile device; and

separating the first information from any second information comprises;

separating first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device from any second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of:

sending the first information to the first apparatus comprises pushing a message comprising the first information to the first apparatus; and

sending any second information to the second apparatus comprises pushing a message comprising the second information to the second apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of:

sending the first information to the first apparatus comprises sending the first information to a database from which a message comprising the first information is sent to the first apparatus upon request from the first apparatus; and

sending any second information to the second apparatus comprises sending the second information to the database from which a message comprising the second information is sent to the second apparatus upon request from the second apparatus.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor of a network node so as to implement the method of claim 16.

21. A network node comprising:

a processor; and

a data distributor configured for;

receiving a message from a communication device, the message comprising first information for a first apparatus and second information when required by a second apparatus;

separating the first information from the second information;

sending the first information to the first apparatus; and

sending any second information to the second apparatus.

22. The network node of claim 21, wherein:

the communication device is a mobile device; and

separating the first information from any second information comprises;

separating first location based information concerning the location of the mobile device from any second location based information concerning the location of the mobile device.

23. The network node of claim 21, wherein at least one of:

the data distributor is configured for sending the first information to the first apparatus by pushing a message comprising the first information to the first apparatus; and

the data distributor is configured for sending any second information to the second apparatus by pushing a message comprising the second information to the second apparatus.

24. The network node of claim 21, wherein at least one of:

the data distributor is configured for sending the first information to the first apparatus by sending the first information to a database from which a message comprising the first information is sent to the first apparatus upon request from the first apparatus; and

the data distributor is configured for sending any second information to the second apparatus by sending the second information to the database from which a message comprising the second information is sent to the second apparatus upon request from the second apparatus.