Automatic management of geographic information pertaining to social networks, groups of users, or assets

• US 7,801,542 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Latesco LP
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith T
• Application Number:
  US11/641,497
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/517, 455/500, 4554141-4144, 4554561-457, 455/560, 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 709/203, 709/204, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 370/343
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a location of a client communications device;

electing a label for the location, in response to each of a plurality of users assigning the label to the location;

generating location information based on the location and a plurality of location information sharing constraints, wherein the location information comprises the label for the location; and

transmitting the location information to at least one other client communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the location of the client communications device further comprises one or more of:

detecting the location using the client communications device;

detecting the location using information from a network communications service provider;

or

detecting the location using information from a server computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 determining the location of the client communications device further comprises:

using one or more of;

cell-ID information, cell site sector information, enhanced cell-ID information, enhanced observed time difference (E-OTD) information, timing advance information, round-trip-time information, global positioning system (GPS) information, assisted-GPS information, user specified information, time difference of arrival (TDOA) information, client communications device network access information, strength of received communications device signal, MAC information, and SSID information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining at least one other location label corresponding to the location.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one other location label is assigned to the location by one or more of a user of the client communications device and a server computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising:

defining the plurality of location information sharing constraints.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information sharing constraints further comprise one or more of:

specification of a user allowed to receive the location information;

specification of a group of users allowed to receive the location information;

specification of a time period during which the location information can be shared;

specification of a geographic restrictions on the sharing of the location information;

specification of a proximity restriction on the sharing of the location information;

or

specification of one or more location labels for use in the location information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving location information corresponding to a user of another client communications device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

displaying the location information corresponding to the user of another client communications device on the communications device using one or more of;

a graphical user interface, a text interface, a command line interface, and an indicator light.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising one or more of:

providing an audible indication of receipt of the location information corresponding to the user of another client communications device;

or

providing a vibrational indication of receipt of the location information corresponding to the user of another client communications device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the location information to at least one other client communications device further comprises:

transmitting additional information about a user of the client communications device to the at least one other client communications device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the client communications device and the at least one other client communications device are each operated by users who are members of a social network.

13. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions executable on a processor, the computer readable medium being at least one of an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, or an optical storage medium, wherein the program instructions are operable to:

determining determine a location of a client communications device;

elect a label for the location, in response to each of a plurality of users assigning the label to the location;

generate location information based on the location and a plurality of location information sharing constraints, wherein the location information comprises the label for the location; and

initiate transmitting of the location information to at least one other client communications device.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising program instructions operable to:

display received location information corresponding to a user of another client communications device on the communications device using one or more of;

a graphical user interface, a text interface, a command line interface, and an indicator light.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising program instructions operable to:

define the plurality of location information sharing constraints.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory;

a list management module stored in the memory and encoded as instructions executable on the processor, wherein the list management module comprises instructions operable to;

receive a location of a client communications device;

elect a label for the location, in response to each of a plurality of users assigning the label to the location;

determine the label corresponding to the location of the client communications device; and

transmit the label and additional information about a user of the client communications device to at least one other client communications device according to a plurality of location information sharing constraints.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the list management module further comprises instructions operable to:

receive information about a plurality of users; and

organize the information about a plurality of users according to relationships among the plurality of users.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising one or more of:

an instant messaging interface;

an email interface;

or

a short message service interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a detection module stored in the memory and encoded as instructions executable on the processor, wherein the detection module comprises instructions operable to;

receive location information from the client communications device;

or

receive location information from a network service provider.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the list management module further comprises instructions operable to:

define the plurality of location information sharing constraints.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a means for determining a location of a client communications device;

a means for electing a label for the location, in response to each of a plurality of users assigning the label to the location;

a means for generating location information based on the location and a plurality of location information sharing constraints, wherein the location information comprises the label for the location; and

a means for transmitting the location information to at least one other client communications device.