Mapping the location of a mobile communications device systems and methods

• US 7,259,668 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/180,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.19, 340/955.19, 340/455, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods related to the provision of location based services via a mobile communications device. In different embodiments, a communication system is described, comprising a mobile communications device, a mobile communications base station, and a server computer system. The location of the device may be correlated with certain user preferences stored on the server computer system. In various embodiments, components of the larger system are described. In some cases, various location related mapping functions for a device are discussed. In other embodiments, systems and methods which provide for activities to be undertaken based on the location of a device are described. In still other embodiments, the disclosure addresses systems and methods of efficiently determining the location of a mobile device. In some embodiments, different notification schemes based on the location of a device and specified preferences are described. In various other embodiments, the disclosure addresses systems and methods for keyword monitoring based on the location of a device.

Claims

1. A system for mapping the location of a mobile communications device, which comprises:

the mobile communications device configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device;

transmit the set of data;

receive image data illustrating a map including the location of the device and locations of a selected subset of a plurality of other mobile communications devices; and

display the image data on a screen coupled to the device;

a mobile communications base station, in communication with the mobile communications device via a wireless connection; and

a server computer system in communication with the base station, the server computer system configured to;

maintain a user profile of a user of the device, the user profile including information about the device and preferences of the user specifying circumstances in which a location of each of the plurality of other mobile communications devices will be included in image data transmitted to the device, the user profile stored in a database of the server computer system;

receive the set of data;

associate the set of data with the user, and the user profile;

receive an additional set of data identifying locations of the plurality of other mobile communications devices;

create the image data including the location of the device and locations of the selected subset of the plurality of other mobile communications devices, wherein the selected subset is based at least in part on the preferences in the user profile, wherein the image data is formatted for display on the device and the format is determined from the information about the device; and

transmit the image data to the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the mobile communications device is further configured to transmit data which modifies the user profile;

and

the user profile may be modified by the user from the device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the user profile includes preferences of the user specifying the circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of businesses and other points of interest will be displayed in the image data;

and

the image data includes a graphical representation of a selection of the locations of the plurality of businesses and other points of interest, wherein the selection is based on preferences in the user profile.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the selection are graphically represented as different icons in the image data, and the icons comprise hyperliniks to information about each of the selections.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the server computer system is further configured to store the set of data;

and

the image data includes a graphical representation of the historical locations of the device within a time period.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the time period is specified in the user profile.

9. A method of transmitting an image to a mobile communications device from a server computer system, the method comprising:

maintaining a user profile of a user of the mobile communications device, the user profile containing information about the device and preferences of the user specifying circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of other mobile communications devices will be included in image data transmitted to the device, the information stored in a database of the server computer system;

receiving a set of data identifying the location of the device transmitted from the device;

associating the set of data with the user, and the user profile;

receiving an additional set of data identifying locations of the plurality of other mobile communications devices;

creating image data illustrating a map containing the location of the device and locations of a selected subset of the plurality of other mobile communications devices, wherein the selected subset is based at least in part on the preferences in the user profile, wherein the image data is formatted for display on the device and the format is determined from the information about the device; and

transmitting the image data to the device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein,

the user profile includes preferences of the user specifying the circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of businesses and other points of interest will be displayed in the image data;

and

the image data includes a graphical representation of a selection of the locations of the plurality of businesses and other points of interest, wherein the selection is based on preferences in the user profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the selection are graphically represented as different icons in the image data, and the icons comprise hyperliniks to information about each of the selections.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein,

the receiving step further comprises storing the data which specifies the location of the device in a database;

and

the image data includes a graphical representation of historical locations of the device within a time period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time period is specified in the user profile.

17. The method of claim 9, which further comprises receiving an additional set of data from the device identifying a second location, wherein the image data includes a graphical representation of the second location and a suggested route to the second location.

18. A computer program embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

create a user profile of a user of a mobile communications device, the user profile containing information about the device and preferences of the user specifying circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of other mobile communications devices will be included in image data transmitted to the device;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device transmitted from the device;

associate the set of data with the user, and the user profile;

receive an additional set of data identifying locations of the plurality of other mobile communications devices;

create image data illustrating a map containing the location of the device and locations of a selected subset of the plurality of other mobile communications devices, wherein the selected subset is based at least in part on the preferences in the user profile, wherein the image data is formatted for display on the device and the format is determined from the information about the device; and

transmit the image data to the device.

19. The computer program recited in claim 18, which further comprises instructions executable to store the set of data in a database, wherein the image data includes a graphical representation of historical locations of the device within a time period.

20. The computer program recited in claim 18, which further comprises instructions executable to receive an additional set of data from the device identifying a second location, wherein the image data includes graphical representations of the second location and a suggested route to the second location.

21. A method for transmitting image data to a mobile communications device from a server computer system, the method comprising:

maintaining a user profile of a user of a mobile communications device, the user profile including preferences identifying circumstances in which a location of each of the plurality of other mobile communications devices will be included in image data transmitted to the device;

receiving a set of data identifying the location of the device, the received set of data based at least in part on information transmitted from the device;

receiving an additional set of data identifying locations of the plurality of other mobile communications devices;

generating image data illustrating a map containing the identified location of the device and the identified locations of a selected subset of the plurality of other mobile communications devices, wherein the selected subset is based at least in part on the preferences in the user profile and wherein the image data is formatted for display on the device; and

transmitting the image data to the device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein,

the user profile further comprises preferences specifying the circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of businesses and other points of interest will be displayed in the image data;

and

the image data further comprises a graphical representation of a selection of the locations of the plurality of businesses and other points of interest, wherein the selection is based on the preferences in the user profile for the plurality of businesses and other points of interest.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an additional set of data identifying a second location, wherein the image data includes a graphical representation of the second location and a suggested route to the second location from the location of the device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the image data includes a graphical representation of historical locations of the device within a time period.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least some of the selected subset of locations are graphically represented as icons in the image data, and the icons comprise hyperlinks to information about a user of a respective other mobile communications device.