PROXIMITY-BASED NOTIFICATIONS IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150289095A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sabatelli, Alessandro F., Huang, Ronald K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for proximity-based notifications are described. A proximity-based notification system can receive a request to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to a user'"'"'s mobile device, obtain permission to receive information associated with the contact, receive the information associated with the contact, detect that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the information associated with the contact, and notify the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to a user'"'"'s mobile device;

obtaining permission to receive information associated with the contact;

receiving the information associated with the contact;

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the information associated with the contact; and

notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, network information, or context information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the user'"'"'s mobile device through Bluetooth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the same cellular network base station transceiver as the user'"'"'s mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the same wireless network access point as the user'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

defining a geo-fence based on at least one of a current location of the user, movements of the user, a distance between the user and the contact, or a travel route of the user; and

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein defining the geo-fence based on the current location of the user comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a population density associated with the user'"'"'s current location or property boundaries associated with the user'"'"'s current location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein defining the geo-fence based on movements of the user comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a speed of travel associated with the user or a direction of travel associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

presenting a map that displays an area defined by the geo-fence.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

presenting an indication of a travel route from a current location associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device to a current location associated with the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

11. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product operable to cause a data processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to a user'"'"'s mobile device;

obtaining permission to receive information associated with the contact;

receiving the information associated with the contact;

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the information associated with the contact; and

notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, network information, or context information.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the user'"'"'s mobile device through Bluetooth.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the same cellular network base station transceiver as the user'"'"'s mobile device.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is connected to the same wireless network access point as the user'"'"'s mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

defining a geo-fence based on at least one of a current location of the user, movements of the user, a distance between the user and the contact, or a travel route of the user; and

detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein defining the geo-fence based on the current location of the user comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a population density associated with the user'"'"'s current location or property boundaries associated with the user'"'"'s current location.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein defining the geo-fence based on movements of the user comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a speed of travel associated with the user or a direction of travel associated with the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

presenting a map that displays an area defined by the geo-fence.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein notifying the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device comprises:

presenting an indication of a travel route from a current location associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device to a current location associated with the contact'"'"'s mobile device.