Wireless coordination and management system

• US 7,227,498 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing; Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US11/453,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 342/357.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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

The disclosed system manages information that is received from one or more users over a communication network. A user provides information to the network using a network node, such as a data acquisition device that is a wireless, mobile communication device. The system monitors the user'"'"'s location within a communication environment and sends an alarm to a user when the user is near a location that satisfies user-specified criteria. The system stores the user-provided information at a central database that is linked to the communication network. When an authorized user revises the information, any other authorized user can access the revised information by accessing the central database through a node of the communication network.

Claims

1. A method of managing information received from at least one user over a communication network, comprising:

receiving information from a first authorized user, wherein the information indicates user-specified criteria related to a location at which the user-specified criteria can be met, wherein the information includes an items needed list of at least one item, and wherein at least one user-specified criterion is whether an item on the items needed list can be obtained at an establishment;

storing the information at a central database that is linked to the communication network;

receiving from at least one of the first authorized user and a second authorized user, modifications to the user-specified criteria;

monitoring the second authorized user'"'"'s location; and

sending a notification to at least one of the first authorized user and the second authorized user when the second authorized user is located near an establishment at which the second authorized user can obtain an item on the items needed list.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first authorized user sends the information via a wireless data acquisition device.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the data acquisition device is a mobile phone.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein an additional criterion describes a geographic location of an establishment, and additionally comprising:

sending a notification to at least one of the first authorized user and the second authorized user when the second authorized user is located near an establishment that is located at the geographic location described in the additional criterion.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein monitoring the second authorized user'"'"'s location comprises monitoring the location of a data acquisition device associated with the second authorized user.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second authorized user is near the establishment that meets at least one of the user-specified criteria when the location of the second authorized user is within a predetermined distance of the the establishment that meets at least one of the user-specified criteria.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending a notification to at least one of the first authorized user and the second authorized user comprises sending a notification over the communication network to a data acquisition device associated with at least one of the first authorized user and the second authorized user.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein information received from the first authorized user is received via an appliance.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance is a refrigerator.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance is a desktop computer.

21. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance is a office appliance.

22. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance is a household appliance.

23. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance includes a user data entry device.

24. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the appliance detects conditions and reports such conditions to a server.

8. A method of managing data that is received from at least one user over a communication network, comprising:

receiving data from a first node of the communication network, the data indicating at least one criterion related to whether an item on a list of at least one item can be obtained at an establishment;

obtaining a location of a remote device, wherein the remote device is a node of the communication network;

receiving additional data from a second node of the communication network, the additional data indicating a change or addition to at least one of the criterion provided by the data received from the first node;

identifying an establishment as a qualified establishment when an item on the list can be obtained at the establishment;

determining whether the location of the remote device relative to the location of the qualified establishment satisfies a condition; and

transmitting an alarm over the communication network to the remote device when the condition is satisfied.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein an additional criterion relates to a price of an item on the list such that an establishment can be a qualified establishment only when an item on the list can be obtained at the establishment for a price specified in the data.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein an additional criterion relates to an establishment name such that an establishment can be a qualified establishment only when the establishment has the establishment name.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein an additional criterion describes a location such that an establishment can be a qualified establishment only when the establishment has a location that matches the location described in the criterion.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein determining whether the location of the remote device relative to the location of the qualified establishment satisfies a condition comprises determining whether the location of the remote device is within a predetermined distance to the location of the qualified establishment.

13. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein transmitting an alarm over the communication network to the remote device comprises sending a notification to the remote device that an item from the list can be obtained at the qualified establishment.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein transmitting an alarm over the communication network to the remote device additionally comprises sending a notification to the remote device indicating that the qualified establishment is nearby.

15. A method as defined in claim 8, additionally comprising making the data available only to a node that is operated by an authorized user.

16. A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a method for managing information that is received from one or more users over a communication network in a communication environment, the program product comprising:

a recordable media;

a program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving information from a first node of the communication network, the information indicating user-specified criteria related to whether an item on a list of at least one item can be obtained at an establishment;

storing the information at a central database that is linked to the communication network;

receiving information from a second node of the communication network, the information indicating a change in the user-specified criteria;

monitoring the user'"'"'s location within the communication environment;

determining if the user is located near an establishment that satisfies one or more of the user-specified criteria; and

sending a notification to the user when the user is located near an establishment at which the user can obtain an item on the list.

17. A system that manages data that is received from at least one user over a communication network in a communication environment, the system comprising one or more processors that execute program instructions and receive a data set, wherein the program instructions are executed to cause the processor to:

receive data from a first node of the communication network, the data indicating at least one criterion related to whether an item on a list of at least one item can be obtained at an establishment located in the communication environment;

obtain a location of a remote device in the communication environment, wherein the remote device is a node of the communication network;

receive additional data from a second node of the communication network, the additional data indicating a change to at least one criterion that can be satisfied by an establishment located in the communication environment;

identify an establishment as a qualified establishment when an item on the list can be obtained at the establishment;

determine whether the location of the remote device relative to the location of the qualified establishment satisfies a condition; and

transmit an alarm over the communication network to the remote device when the condition is satisfied.

25. A method of managing information received from at least one user over a communication network, comprising:

receiving information from a first authorized user via a refrigerator appliance, the information indicating user-specified criteria related to a location at which the user-specified criteria can be met;

storing the information at a central database that is linked to the communication network;

receiving from at least one of the first authorized user and a second authorized user, modifications to the user-specified criteria;

monitoring the second authorized user'"'"'s location; and

sending a notification to at least one of the first authorized user and the second authorized user when the second authorized user is located near a location that meets at least one of the user-specified criteria.