System and method of informing users of changes in geographically bound rules

• US 7,844,647 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsby, Travis M., Paolini, Michael A., Abernethy, Michael Negley Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US11/620,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 707/918, 707/919, 707/802
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/918 Location

Abstract

A system, method, and program product are provided that inform users of changes in geographically bound rules. This is performed by receiving, via a GPS device, a first geographic location. Identifying, based on the received first geographic location, a first geographic region, and retrieving a first set of geographically bound rules that correspond to the identified geographic region. After a period of time, a second geographic location is received and a second geographic region is identified based on the second geographic location. If the first geographic region is different than the second geographic region, then the system retrieves a second set of geographically bound rules corresponding to the identified geographic region. The first set of geographically bound rules is compared to the second set of geographically bound rules, resulting in one or more different geographically bound rules. The users are then informed of the different geographically bound rules.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of informing users of changes in geographically bound rules, said method comprising:

receiving, via a GPS device, a first geographic location corresponding to one or more users, wherein each of the users is retained by a common organization, wherein the organization imposes a plurality of travel restrictions on its retained users, and wherein the travel restrictions include a plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the received first geographic location, a first geographic region selected from a plurality of geographic regions;

retrieving a first plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the first geographic region, wherein the first plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a first set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the first geographic region;

receiving, via the GPS device, a second geographic location corresponding to the users;

identifying, based on the received second geographic location, a second geographic region selected from the plurality of geographic regions;

determining that the first geographic region is different than the second geographic region;

in response to the determination;

retrieving a second plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the second geographic region, wherein the second plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a second set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the second geographic region;

comparing the first plurality of geographically bound rules to the second plurality of geographically bound rules, the comparing resulting in one or more different geographically bound rules being imposed by the organization; and

informing one or more of the users of the one or more different geographically bound rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the informing further comprises:

displaying the second plurality of geographically bound rules on a display device; and

highlighting the one or more different geographically bound rules on the display device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying one or more removed geographically bound rules as one or more of the first plurality of geographically bound rules that are not included in the second plurality of geographically bound rules; and

displaying the one or more removed geographically bound rules on the display device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving one or more user travel attributes corresponding to the one or more users, wherein each of the users includes a user identifier, and wherein at least one of the users is retained by the organization in an employer-employee relationship;

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules that apply to a first set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying the identified geographically bound rules that apply to the first set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the first set of users.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to at least one of the one or more different geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the one or more different geographically bound rules that apply to a second set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying the identified different geographically bound rules that apply to the second set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the second set of users.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the informing further comprises:

wirelessly transmitting the different geographically bound rules from a server computer system to a client-based information handling system, wherein the client-based information handling system includes a display device and wherein the client-based information handling system is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, and a portable computer system; and

displaying the different geographically bound rules on the display device included with the client-based information handling system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographically bound rules are selected from the group consisting of one or more regional laws, one or more travel document restrictions, one or more approved lodgings, one or more travel expense categories, one or more discussion rules, and a per diem amount.

8. A information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;

a display device accessible by at least one of the processors;

a wireless network interface adapter connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory, wherein one or more of the processors executes the set of instructions in order to perform actions of;

receiving, via a GPS device, a first geographic location corresponding to the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is in proximity to one or more users who are retained by an organization, wherein the organization imposes a plurality of travel restrictions on its retained users, and wherein the travel restrictions include a plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the received first geographic location, a first geographic region selected from a plurality of geographic regions;

retrieving a first plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the first geographic region, wherein the first plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a first set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the first geographic region;

receiving, via the GPS device, a second geographic location corresponding to the information handling system;

identifying, based on the received second geographic location, a second geographic region selected from the plurality of geographic regions;

determining that the first geographic region is different than the second geographic region;

in response to the determination;

retrieving a second plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the second geographic region, wherein the second plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a second set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the second geographic region;

comparing the first plurality of geographically bound rules to the second plurality of geographically bound rules, the comparing resulting in one or more different geographically bound rules; and

displaying the one or more different geographically bound rules on the display device.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the wherein the set of instructions that perform the action of informing perform further actions comprising:

displaying the second plurality of geographically bound rules on the display device; and

highlighting the one or more different geographically bound rules on the display device.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the set of instructions perform further actions comprising:

identifying one or more removed geographically bound rules as one or more of the first plurality of geographically bound rules that are not included in the second plurality of geographically bound rules; and

displaying the one or more removed geographically bound rules on the display device.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions perform further actions comprising:

retrieving one or more user travel attributes corresponding to the one or more users, wherein each of the users includes a user identifier, and wherein at least one of the users is retained by the organization in an employer-employee relationship;

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules that apply to a first set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying, on the display device, the identified geographically bound rules that apply to the first set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the first set of users.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 wherein the set of instructions perform further actions comprising:

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to at least one of the one or more different geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the one or more different geographically bound rules that apply to a second set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying, on the display device, the identified different geographically bound rules that apply to the second set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the second set of users.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions that perform the action of informing perform further actions comprising:

receiving a wireless transmission at the wirelessly network adapter from a server computer system connected to the computer network, the wireless transmission including the different geographically bound rules, wherein the information handling system includes is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, and a portable computer system; and

displaying the different geographically bound rules on the display device.

14. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

receiving, via a GPS device, a first geographic location corresponding to one or more users, wherein each of the users is retained by a common organization, wherein the organization imposes a plurality of travel restrictions on its retained users, and wherein the travel restrictions include a plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the received first geographic location, a first geographic region selected from a plurality of geographic regions;

retrieving a first plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the first geographic region, wherein the first plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a first set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the first geographic region;

receiving, via the GPS device, a second geographic location corresponding to the users;

identifying, based on the received second geographic location, a second geographic region selected from the plurality of geographic regions;

determining that the first geographic region is different than the second geographic region;

in response to the determination;

retrieving a second plurality of geographically bound rules corresponding to the second geographic region, wherein the second plurality of geographically bound rules comprise a second set of one or more requirements imposed on the users by the organization while the users are within the second geographic region;

comparing the first plurality of geographically bound rules to the second plurality of geographically bound rules, the comparing resulting in one or more different geographically bound rules; and

informing one or more of the users of the one or more different geographically bound rules.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the informing further comprises additional functional descriptive material that causes the information handling system to perform additional actions comprising:

displaying the second plurality of geographically bound rules on a display device; and

highlighting the one or more different geographically bound rules on the display device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the functional descriptive material causes the information handling system to perform further actions comprising:

identifying one or more removed geographically bound rules as one or more of the first plurality of geographically bound rules that are not included in the second plurality of geographically bound rules; and

displaying the one or more removed geographically bound rules on the display device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the functional descriptive material causes the information handling system to perform further actions comprising:

retrieving one or more user travel attributes corresponding to the one or more users, wherein each of the users includes a user identifier, and wherein at least one of the users is retained by the organization in an employer-employee relationship;

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the second plurality of geographically bound rules that apply to a first set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying the identified geographically bound rules that apply to the first set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the first set of users.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the functional descriptive material causes the information handling system to perform further actions comprising:

comparing the retrieved user travel attributes to one or more rule attributes that correspond to at least one of the one or more different geographically bound rules;

identifying, based on the comparing, one or more of the one or more different geographically bound rules that apply to a second set of users that includes at least one of the users; and

displaying the identified different geographically bound rules that apply to the second set of users along with the user identifiers of the users included in the second set of users.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the informing further comprises additional functional descriptive material that causes the information handling system to perform additional actions comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the different geographically bound rules from a server computer system to a client-based information handling system, wherein the client-based information handling system includes a display device and wherein the client-based information handling system is selected from a group consisting of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, and a portable computer system; and

displaying the different geographically bound rules on the display device included with the client-based information handling system.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the geographically bound rules are selected from the group consisting of one or more regional laws, one or more travel document restrictions, one or more approved lodgings, one or more travel expense categories, one or more discussion rules, and a per diem amount.