Location-triggered reminder for mobile user devices

• US 6,177,905 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Welch, Bryan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/207,882
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.13, 701/211, 701/208
• US Class Current: 342/357.75
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A mobile user device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA 100), a wireless telephone, a car phone, or any other programmable device that the user generally has with him or her, is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (101) and is programmable (102) by the user to alert the user to when he or she arrives with the device at a predetermined location (252), as well as to disclose (101) to the user whatever information (263) the user chose to associate with that location (e.g., a “to-do” list). The user can program in the geographical coordinates (253) of locations and location names (252), and thereafter refer to the locations by name. The user can also program in a range (254) around each location, so that his or her arrival within that range will trigger the alert for the location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile device for accompanying a user of the mobile device and including an information input facility and an information output facility;

a position receiver for indicating a geographical location of the mobile device;

a matcher cooperative with the information input facility and the receiver, responsive to information received from the user via the input facility specifying a geographical location and a geographical range around the geographical location in association with a name corresponding to the geographical location, and separately specifying the name in association with user information that the user wants to associate with the geographical location, for repeatedly determining whether a presently indicated said geographical location of the mobile device matches within a specified said geographical range a specified said geographic location that is associated with a specified said name that has specified said user information associated therewith; and

a notifier cooperative with the matcher and the information output facility, responsive only to a determination of said match, for generating an alert for alerting the user and disclosing said specified user information to the user via the output facility.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the mobile device is one of a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, and a wireless communications terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first information store cooperative with the information input facility, responsive to receipt of the name for storing the received name in association with one of (a) a presently-indicated said geographical location of the mobile device, and (b) a geographical location specified by the information received via the information input facility; and

a second information store cooperative with the information input facility, responsive to receipt of the name and the user information associated therewith, for storing the received name in association with the user information associated therewith; and

the matcher is cooperative with the first and the second information stores, for repeatedly determining whether the presently-indicated geographical location of the mobile device matches within the specified range any said location stored by the first information store in association with any said name that is also stored by the second information store in association with any said user information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the information received and stored by the first information store in association with the name further specifies the geographical range corresponding to the name;

the matcher is responsive to the range, for repeatedly determining whether the presently-indicated geographical location of the mobile device lies within the stored range of the location stored by the first information store in association with any said name that is also stored by the second information store in association with any said user information.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, in a mobile device for accompanying a user of the mobile device, information indicating a present geographical location of the mobile device;

receiving from the user, in the mobile device, information specifying a geographical location and a geographical range around the geographical location in association with a name corresponding to the geographical location;

receiving from the user, in the mobile device, information specifying the name in association with user information that the user wants to associate with the geographical location;

in response, repeatedly determining whether a presently-indicated said present geographical location of the mobile device matches within a specified said geographical range a specified said geographical location that is associated with a specified said name that has specified said user information associated therewith;

in response to a determination of a match, generating an alert for alerting the user; and

further in response to the determination of the match, disclosing said specified user information to the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

receiving information specifying a geographical location and information associated therewith comprises

firstly receiving the name from the user,

in response storing the firstly-received name in association with one of (a) a presently-indicated said present geographical location of the mobile device, and (b) a geographical location specified by the information received from the user,

secondly receiving the name and the user information associated therewith from the user,

in response, separately storing the secondly-received name in association with the user information associated therewith; and

repeatedly determining comprises

repeatedly determining whether the presently-indicated present geographical location of the mobile device matches within the specified-range any said location stored in association with any said name that is also separately stored in association with any said user information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

secondly receiving further includes

receiving information specifying the geographical range corresponding to the stored location, and

in response storing the received range in association with the firstly-received name; and

repeatedly determining whether the presently-indicated present geographical location of the mobile device matches within the specified-range any said location stored in association with any said name that is separately stored in association with any said information comprises

repeatedly determining whether the presently-indicated present geographical location of the mobile device lies within the stored range of the location stored in association with said any said name that is also separately stored in association with any said user information.

8. An apparatus that performs the method of claim 5 or 6 or 7.

9. A computer-readable medium containing software which, when executed in a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 5 or 6 or 7.