Method and apparatus for dynamic information transfer from a mobile target to a fixed target that tracks their relative movement and synchronizes data between them

• US 6,742,037 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Ta-Ming, Crabtree, Jr., Walden B., Hall, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLETT, STEPHAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/303,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 709/106, 709/202, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/245, 701/201, 701/300, 701/302
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A dynamic information transfer system in which there are at least two targets 110 120, one of which is a mobile target 110 and among which information can be transferred. The targets 110 120 possess systems to store, process, and use information and programs in the form of an intelligent software agent (ISA) system 130 associated with each target that is capable of initiating actions and negotiating with other agents or systems in the network. The ISA system 130 includes a personal assistant device (PAD), or the like, that interacts with the user, and performs operations on the user'"'"'s behalf. A Location Determination System (LDS) 140 is utilized to determine the user'"'"'s geographic position and the user'"'"'s direction and speed of travel, if mobile. Virtual zones 150 are used to trigger data transfers among the involved targets, events, or programs to be initiated or terminated at one of the involved targets. Virtual zones 150 are bounded areas encompassing targets that are calculated dynamically from the location, direction, speed, and current or pending user activities associated with all involved targets. A User Profile is created and maintained either manually by the user or automatically by the user'"'"'s PAD, and which specifies various user preferences related to such things as software programs, communications and messaging, entertainment, scheduling, and the degree of freedom and behavior of the PAD itself.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically transferring information among targets operated by a single user, at least one of said targets being mobile, said system comprising:

at least two targets;

a processing device associated with each target, each of said processing devices being communicable with a location determination system adapted to determine a location and relative movement of each target and each of said processing devices being capable of performing data transfers with the processing devices associated with the other targets,

wherein

each of said processing devices determines at least one virtual zone encompassing its respective target, wherein the at least one virtual zone is based at least in part on time required to complete data transfer as affected by said relative movement; and

each of said processing devices transfers data associated with events to be initiated or terminated, said data transfers triggered upon an entry of one target into a virtual zone of another target as determined by said location determination system, such that the user can transition information relating to an activity from one target to a second target such that a warm transfer of data is achieved when said mobile target arrives at said fixed target, said warm transfer of data comprising;

saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said data transfers are also triggered upon a departure of one target from a virtual zone of another target as determined by said location determination system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said location determination system is adapted to determine direction and speed of movement as part of determining relative movement.

4. A system for dynamically transferring information among targets operated by a single user, at least one of said targets being mobile, said system comprising:

at least two targets;

a processing device, associated with each target, each of said processing devices being communicable with a location determination system and capable of performing data transfers with the processing devices associated with the other targets,

wherein

each of said processing devices determines at least one virtual zone encompassing its respective target; and

each of said processing devices transfers data associated with events to be initiated or terminated, said data transfers triggered upon an entry of one target into a virtual zone of another target as determined by said location determination system, such that a warm transfer of data is achieved when said mobile target arrives at said fixed target, said warm transfer of data comprising;

saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target; and

in which a geometry of a virtual zone is determined based on a temporal duration of an event that is to be triggered upon the entry of one target into the virtual zone of another target.

5. A method of dynamically transferring data between a mobile target and a fixed target comprising:

determining a position of the mobile target associated with the user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system adapted to determine a location and relative movement between the fixed target and the mobile target;

determining at least one virtual zone encompassing said fixed target associated with the user, said virtual zone based at least in part on time required to complete or initiate data transfers as affected by said relative movement;

communicating a current position of said mobile target to said fixed target on a periodic basis;

automatically transferring data between said mobile target and said fixed target when said mobile target enters into a virtual zone of said fixed target; and

wherein said data transfer triggers the launching of at least one executable program at said fixed target using data from said mobile target, said data in use by an executable program on said mobile target prior to said transfer such that the user can use first the mobile target and then the fixed target to act on the data with the executable programs;

and further comprising a warm transfer of data when said mobile target arrives at said fixed target, said warm transfer of data comprising;

saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in se within said mobile target;

communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a position comprises determining a location, direction, and speed of movement using the location determination system.

7. A method of dynamically transferring data between a mobile target and a fixed target comprising:

determining a position of the mobile target associated with the user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system;

automatically transferring data between said mobile target and said fixed target when said mobile target enters into a virtual zone of said fixed target; and

wherein said data transfer triggers the launching of at least one executable program at said fixed target using data from said mobile target, said data in use by an executable program on said mobile target prior to said transfer such that the user can use first the mobile target and then the fixed target to act on the data with the executable programs and further comprising a warm transfer of data when said mobile target arrives at said fixed target, said warm transfer of data comprising;

saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

8. A system for dynamically transferring information between a mobile target and a fixed target comprising:

means for determining a position of said mobile target associated with a user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system adapted to determine a location and movement of the mobile target;

means for determining at least one virtual zone encompassing said fixed target associated with the user, said virtual zone based at least in part on time to initiate or complete data transfers as affected by said movement;

means for communicating a current position of said mobile target to said fixed target on a periodic basis;

means for automatically transferring data between said mobile target and said fed target when said mobile target enters into a virtual zone of said fixed target; and

wherein said data transfer triggers the launching of at least one executable program at said fixed target using data from said mobile target, said data in use by an executable program on said mobile target prior to said transfer such that the user can transition from said mobile target to said fixed target using the data in the executable programs; and

farther comprising means for accomplishing a warm transfer of data when said mobile target reaches said fixed target, said means for accomplishing a warm transfer of data comprising;

means for saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

means for saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

means for communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

means for launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for determining a position determines a location, speed, and direction of movement of the mobile target.

10. A system for dynamically transferring information between a mobile target and a fixed target comprising:

means for determining a position of said mobile target associated wit a user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system adapted to determine a location and movement of the mobile target;

means for automatically transferring data between said mobile target and said fixed target when said mobile target enters into a virtual zone of said fixed target; and

wherein said data transfer triggers the launching of at least one executable program at said fixed target using data from said mobile target, said data in use by an executable program on said mobile target prior to said transfer such that the user can transition from said mobile target to said fixed target using the data in the executable programs and further comprising

means for accomplishing a warm transfer of data when said mobile target reaches said fixed target, said means for accomplishing comprising;

means for saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

means for saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

means for communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

means for launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

11. A computer program product for dynamically transferring information between a mobile target and a fixed target, the computer program product baving a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for determining the position of said mobile target associated with a user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system adapted to determine location and movement of the mobile target;

computer program code for determining at least one virtual zone encompassing said fixed target associated with the user, said virtual zone based at least in part on time to initiate or complete data transfers as affected by said movement;

computer program code for communicating a current position of said mobile target to said fixed target on a periodic basis;

computer program code for automatically transferring data between said mobile target and said fixed target when said mobile target enters into a virtual zone of said fixed target; and

wherein said data transfer triggers the launching of at least one executable program at said fixed target using data from said mobile target, said data file in use by an executable program on said mobile target prior to said transfer such that the user can transition between the mobile target to the fixed target using the data in the executable programs, and further comprising;

computer program code for effectuating a warm transfer of data when said mobile target reaches said fixed target, comprising;

computer program code for saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

computer program code for saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use with said mobile target;

computer program code for communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

computer program code for launching, in said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said computer program code for determining the position of said mobile target determines location, speed, and direction of movement of the mobile target.

13. A computer program product for dynamically transferring information between a mobile target and a fixed target, the computer program product having a medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:

compute program code for determining the position of said mobile target associated with a user in relation to said fixed target using a location determination system adapted to determine location and movement of the mobile target;

computer program code for automatically initiating a warm transfer of data when said mobile target reaches said fixed target; and

said warm transfer of data comprising;

computer program code for saving data that is currently in use within said mobile target;

computer program code for saving data associated with a context of an activity that is currently in use within said mobile target;

computer program code for communicating said saved data to said fixed target; and

computer program code for launching, an said fixed target, applications necessary to load said saved data such that its use can be resumed upon entering said fixed target in the same context and at the same point it was last used in said mobile target.