Notification Systems and Methods Enabling Selection of Arrival or Departure Times of Tracked Mobile Things in Relation to Locations

• US 20130124404A1
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Communication Technologies LLC (f/k/a Eclipse IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Communication Technologies LLC (f/k/a Eclipse IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Horstemeyer, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 : Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 : Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 : to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 : Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for automated notification systems. A representative method, among others, can be summarized as follows: engaging in a communication session with a personal communications device, based upon impending arrival or departure of one or more mobile things in relation to a location; during the communication session, providing a plurality of arrival or departure times in relation to a location and enabling selection of one of the times; and causing a mobile thing to arrive at or depart from the location at substantially the selected time. A representative system, among others, is a computer system that has been programmed to perform the foregoing steps.

Claims

1. A method for an automated notification system implemented by one or more computers, comprising:

engaging in a first communication session with a personal communications device (PCD) for scheduling an order relating to arrival or departure of a mobile thing (MT) at a stop location for pickup or delivery of a good or service;

during the first communication session, providing a plurality of arrival or departure times for the pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

during the first communication session, enabling selection of a time for pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

enabling the MT to arrive at or depart from the stop location at substantially the selected time for enabling the pickup or delivery of the good or service;

causing initiation of a second communication session with the PCD; and

during the second communication session, enabling a change to information associated with the order that was established during the first communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is an identification of the good or service and further comprising changing the identification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is a quantity of the good or service and further comprising changing the identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is the stop location and further comprising changing the stop location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is the selected time and further comprising changing the selected time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is contact information defining how to contact a party associated with the PCD and further comprising changing the contact information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing initiation of a third communication session to a different PCD based upon the changed contact information; and

during the third communication session, indicating impending arrival or departure of the MT for the pickup or delivery of the good or service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the selected time to a PCD associated with the MT.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising (a) directly monitoring travel of the MT or (b) monitoring travel information corresponding to the MT, in order to determine when to initiate the second communication session.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling the second communication session after the selection of the selected time; and

initiating the second communication session, when appropriate, pursuant to the scheduling.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring travel information associated with a plurality of MTs, one corresponding with each of a plurality of times; and

selecting one of the plurality of MTs to arrive at or depart from the stop location, based upon the selection of the time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon travel status of the MT.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon predefined user preferences.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predefined user preferences include a proximity of the MT to the stop location or a designated location or region, that when encountered by the MT, will result in the second communication session.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon an existing schedule of the MT.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during the first communication session, offering selection of a first time and a second time that is sooner than the first time.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing a charge of different fees for selection of the first and second times.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the time is a time period.

19. An automated notification system implemented by one or more computers, comprising:

one or more memories that store computer program code; and

one or more processors that executed the computer program code, the computer program code comprising;

instructions to engage in a first communication session with a personal communications device (PCD) for scheduling an order relating to arrival or departure of a mobile thing (MT) at a stop location for pickup or delivery of a good or service;

instructions to, during the first communication session, provide a plurality of arrival or departure times for the pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

instructions to, during the first communication session, enable selection of a time for pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

instructions to enable the MT to arrive at or depart from the stop location at substantially the selected time for enabling the pickup or delivery of the good or service;

causing initiation of a second communication session with the PCD; and

instructions to, during the second communication session, enable a change to information associated with the order that was established during the first communication session.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the information one or more of the following:

an identification of the good or service;

a quantity of the good or service;

the stop location;

the selected time, or contact information defining how to contact a party associated with the PCD.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions to cause initiation of a third communication session to a different PCD based upon the changed contact information; and

instructions to, during the third communication session, indicate impending arrival or departure of the MT for the pickup or delivery of the good or service.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising instructions to communicate the selected time to a PCD associated with the MT.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions to monitor travel information associated with a plurality of MTs, one corresponding with each of a plurality of times; and

instructions to select one of the plurality of MTs to arrive at or depart from the stop location, based upon the selection of the time.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising instructions to determine the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon travel status of the MT.

25. The system of claim 20, further comprising instructions to determine the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon predefined user preferences.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the predefined user preferences include a proximity of the MT to the stop location or a designated location or region, that when encountered by the MT, will result in the second communication session.

27. The system of claim 20, further comprising instructions to determine the arrival or departure times in relation to the stop location, at least in part based upon an existing schedule of the MT.

28. The system of claim 20, further comprising instructions to, during the first communication session, offer selection of a first time and a second time that is sooner than the first time.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising instructions to cause a charge of different fees for selection of the first and second times.

30. An automated notification system implemented by one or more computers, comprising:

means for engaging in a first communication session with a personal communications device (PCD) for scheduling an order relating to arrival or departure of a mobile thing (MT) at a stop location for pickup or delivery of a good or service;

means for, during the first communication session, providing a plurality of arrival or departure times for the pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

means for, during the first communication session, enabling selection of a time for pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location;

means for enabling the MT to arrive at or depart from the stop location at substantially the selected time for enabling the pickup or delivery of the good or service;

means for causing initiation of a second communication session with the PCD; and

means for, during the second communication session, enabling a change to information associated with the order that was established during the first communication session.