Wireless communication system and method to provide geo-spatial related event data

• US 7,259,694 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Myllymaki, Jussi Petri, Kraft, Reiner, Ford, Daniel Alexander, Cao, Kevin Trung
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu; Van T.
• Application Number:
  US09/791,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.02, 340/280.13, 340/539.13, 340/517, 340/690, 340/531, 340/993, 340/539.16, 340/540, 340/501, 340/573.6, 340/572, 340/991, 702/1, 702/2, 702/3, 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 342/357.13, 342/457, 342/463, 455/456
• US Class Current: 340/993
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A system and method for communication of information that has particular significance to a specific location only to those individuals that are at or near that geo-spatial location. In particular, providing safety factor data and alerts is a preferred use of the invention. The invention allows information to be tailored to the individual at that location by selectively filtering what is communicated and what is not. The system includes a transmitting proximity event server, a GPS client wireless component that can be a personal wireless communication device (such as Palm Pilot, cellular digital phones, etc.) or personal computer configured for use within a global position satellite network.

Claims

1. A method of activating geo-spatial dependent data using a wireless component having a global positioning satellite (GPS) interface, said method comprising:

identifying a current geo-spatial location of said wireless component;

evaluating whether to send dynamic event data from a server to said wireless component based on said geo-spatial location; and

controlling said dynamic event data delivered to said wireless component using a user-defined profile.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein said event data comprises safety-related events.

3. The meted in claim 2, wherein said evaluating includes calculating a weighted event score (WES) associated with said geo-spatial location defined as a product of ew*es, wherein ew is a weight associated with a safety-related event and es is a corresponding event score;

and outputting said WES for display on said wireless component.

4. The method in claim 1, further comprising maintaining and updating said event managed data and said event subscribed data including:

maintaining and updating a status record represented by a user identification, event identification, and send status;

said event data being represented by an object with attributes of said event identification, event type, event description, event location, event score, and a lifetime;

user location data being represented by said user identification, a location in latitude/longitude; and

profile record data being represented by said user identification, said event type, a distance threshold, a score weight and a score threshold.

5. The method in claim 4, wherein said notifying said wireless component of said event subscribed data comprises:

obtaining user data and said event data;

requesting status of said user identification and said event identification;

determining whether an event message was previously sent;

generating a message from said event data;

sending information to said server; and

recording status as to sending said information for said user identification and said event identification.

6. The method in claim 5, wherein said maintaining and said updating of said event managed data and said event subscribed data includes:

obtaining a new event object;

requesting said user identification from a profile database wherein said event type matches said new event;

determining whether there are any more said user identification;

requesting for each found said user identification, a user location;

computing a distance of said user location and said event location using geo-spatial distance computations;

comparing said distance with an event distance threshold;

computing an event score for said user; and

determining whether said event score exceeds said event score threshold,

wherein said notifying of said wireless component of said event subscribed data occurs when said event threshold distance and said score Threshold are within predetermined values and there are no more said users.

7. The method in claim 5, wherein said maintaining and said updating of said event managed data and said event subscribed data includes:

obtaining a new user identification;

requesting said event type for said user identification;

determining whether there &

e any additional event types;

requesting for each said event type, an event location;

computing a distance of said user location and said event location using geo-spatial distance computations;

comparing said distance with an event distance threshold;

computing an event score for said user; and

determining whether said event score exceeds said event score threshold,

wherein said notifying of said wireless component of said event subscribed data occurs when said event threshold distance and said score threshold are within predetermined values and there are no more said events.

8. The method in claim 1, wherein said evaluating further comprises determining if a measured distance between an event location and said current geo-spatial location is less than an event distance threshold value.

9. The method in claim 8, wherein said event distance threshold value comprises a user-established value.

10. The method in claim 1, wherein said evaluating further comprises determining if a weighted event score of an event exceeds an event score threshold value.

11. The method in claim 10, wherein said event score threshold value comprises a user-established value.

12. The method in claim 1, wherein said evaluating further comprises using user-specified profiles to determine whether to send said dynamic event data.

13. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said machine to perform a method for activating geo-spatial dependent data using a wireless component having a global positioning satellite (GPS) interface, said method comprising:

identifying a current geo-spatial location of said wireless component;

evaluating whether to send dynamic event data from a server to said wireless component based on said geo-spatial location; and

controlling said dynamic event data delivered to said wireless component using a user-defined profile.

14. The program storage device in claim 13, wherein said further comprises maintaining and updating said event managed data and said event subscribed data including:

maintaining and updating a status record represented by a user identification, event identification, and send status;

said event data being represented by an object with attributes of said event identification, event type, event description, event location, event score, and a lifetime;

user location data being represented by said user identification, a location in latitude/longitude; and

profile record data being represented by said user identification, said event type, a distance threshold, a scare weight, and a score threshold.

15. The program storage device in claim 14, wherein said notifying said wireless component of said event subscribed data comprises:

obtaining user data and said event data;

requesting status of said user identification and said event identification;

determining whether an event message was previously sent;

generating a message from said event data;

sending information to said server; and

recording status as to sending said information for said user identification and said event identification.

16. The program storage device in claim 15, wherein said maintaining and said updating of said event managed data and said event subscribed data includes:

obtaining a new event object;

requesting said user identification from a profile database wherein said event type matches said new event;

determining whether there are any more said user identification;

requesting for each found said user identification, a user location;

computing a distance of said user location and said event location using geo-spatial distance computations;

comparing said distance with an event distance threshold;

computing an event score for said user; and

determining whether said event score exceeds said event score threshold,

wherein said notifying of said wireless component of said event subscribed data occurs when said event threshold distance and said score threshold are within predetermined values and there are no more said users.

17. The program storage device in claim 15, wherein said maintaining and said updating of said event managed data and said event subscribed data includes:

obtaining a new user identification;

requesting said event type for said user identification;

determining whether there are any additional event types;

requesting for each said event type, an event location;

computing a distance of said user location and said event location using geo-spatial distance computations;

comparing said distance with an event distance threshold;

computing an event score for said user; and

determining whether said event score exceeds said event score threshold,

wherein said notifying of said wireless component of said event subscribed data occurs when said event threshold distance and said score threshold are within predetermined values and there are no more said events.

18. The program storage device in claim 13, wherein said event data comprises safety-related events.

19. The program storage device in claim 18, wherein said evaluating includes calculating a weighted event score (WES) associated with said geo-spatial location defined as a product of ew*es, wherein ew is a weight associated with a safety-related event and es is a corresponding event score;

and outputting said WES for display on said wireless component.

20. A system for activating geo-spatial dependent event data, the system comprising:

a wireless component configured for use with global positioning satellites; and

a server adapted to communicate with said wireless component, wherein said server includes an event database,

wherein said wireless component provides said server with a current geo-spatial location of said wireless component based on said global positioning satellites;

wherein said server evaluates whether to provide said geo-spatial dependent dynamic event data from said event database to said wireless component based on said current geo-spatial location; and

wherein said server controls said dynamic event data delivered to said wireless component using a user-defined profile.

21. The system in claim 20, wherein said server further comprises:

a server session manager operatively connected a location database and a matcher component;

a notification unit operatively connected to said matcher component operatively connected to an event manager that receives external event data;

a profile database operatively connected to said matcher component; and

a status database operatively connected to said notification unit.

22. The system in claim 21, wherein said system comprises a personal safety advisor system wherein said session manager comprises a profile manager, said event manager comprises a user session manager and a event manager, and said profile database comprises a safety profile database.

23. The system in claim 21, wherein said server and said wireless component each include a wide area network (WAN) interface, and wherein said WAN interface in said server is operatively connected to said server session manager and said notification unit.

24. The system in claim 20, wherein said wireless component includes a graphical user interface for output display of said geo-spatial dependent data.

25. The system in claim 23, wherein said wireless component includes a session manager operatively connected to said WAN interface and a GPS interface.

26. The system in claim 24, wherein said wireless component further includes a session manager that is operatively connected to graphical user interface.

27. A wireless component comprising:

an receiver for receiving signals from global positioning satellites; and

an interface adapted to communicate with a server, wherein said server includes an event database and a user profile,

wherein said wireless component provides said server with a current geo-spatial location of said wireless component based on said global positioning satellites;

wherein said server evaluates whether to provide geo-spatial dependent dynamic event data from said event database to said wireless component based on said current geo-spatial location; and

wherein said server controls said dynamic event data delivered to said wireless component using a user-defined profile.

28. The wireless component in claim 27, further comprising a personal safety advisor system.

29. The wireless component in claim 27, further comprising a graphical user interface for output display of said geo-spatial dependent data.

30. The wireless component in claim 27, further comprising a session manager operatively connected to said receiver, said interface, and a graphical user interface.