Location-based services

• US 8,326,315 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Phillips, Alan, Schroth, Frank, Palmer, Geoffrey M., Zielinski, Stefan G., Cunningham, Colin M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US11/690,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 455/550.1, D14/138, 348/552
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0236 Threshold setting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and systems relating to location-based services such as social networking, providing demographic information, tracking mobile devices, providing business information, providing an adaptable user interface, remotely effecting a change on a portable electronic device, providing a geofence, outputting location-based information on a mobile device, varying transmissions to and from a mobile device, providing location-based alerts, verifying transactions and tailoring information to the behavior of a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

taking a picture using a portable electronic device, the picture including image data captured from an imaging sensor;

passing the picture to a location services facility that is configured to analyze the image data, using one or more processors, and determine location information for the portable electronic device, at least in part, from characteristics extracted from the image data;

receiving, at the portable electronic device, from the location services facility, location information for the portable electronic device determined, at least in part, from the characteristics extracted from the image data;

generating, on the portable electronic device, a geofence associated with the location information; and

monitoring, on the portable electronic device, a location associated with the portable electronic device in reference to the geofence.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising storing the picture and the location information in a file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device includes a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device includes one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile phone, a code division multiple access (CDMA) enabled mobile phone, a general packet radio service (GPRS) enabled mobile phone, a mobile phone with browser capabilities, a GPS unit, a tracking unit, a portable electronic device with a compass, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, an MP3 player, a handheld device, a pager and a portable gaming device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating the location information with a point of interest.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein defining a geofence includes drawing the geofence on a screen of the portable electronic device using a pointing device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an alert when a portable electronic facility enters the geofence.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an alert when a portable electronic facility exits the geofence.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an alert when a portable electronic facility remains within the geofence for a predetermined period of time.

10. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device including,

a digital camera for taking a picture,

a data communication facility for transmitting the picture from the portable electronic device, the picture including image data captured from the imaging sensor,

a user interface adapted to define a geofence around a location extracted, at least in part, from the image data, and

a monitoring facility for monitoring location information received on the portable electronic device in reference to the geofence; and

a location services facility for,

receiving the picture from the portable electronic device,

determining location information for the portable electronic device, at least in part, from characteristics extracted from the image data included in the picture received from the portable electronic device, and

transmitting the location information for the portable electronic device to the portable electronic device.

11. A system of claim 10, further comprising a file storage facility for storing the picture and the location information in a file.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the portable electronic device includes a mobile phone.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the portable electronic device includes one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile phone, a code division multiple access (CDMA) enabled mobile phone, a general packet radio service (GPRS) enabled mobile phone, a mobile phone with browser capabilities, a GPS unit, a tracking unit, a portable electronic device with a compass, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, an MP3 player, a handheld device, a pager and a portable gaming device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the location determination facility further associates the location information with a point of interest.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising a point device adapted to draw the geofence on the user interface of the portable electronic device.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising an alert facility that sends an alert when a portable electronic facility enters the geofence.

17. The system of claim 10 further comprising an alert facility that sends an alert when a portable electronic facility exits the geofence.

18. The system of claim 10 further comprising an alert facility that sends an alert when a portable electronic facility remains within the geofence for a predetermined period of time.

19. A method comprising:

capturing a picture using a camera of a portable electronic device, the picture including image data captured from an imaging sensor within the camera;

transmitting the picture from the portable electronic device to a location services facility located remote from the portable electronic device and that is configured to analyze the image data, using one or more processors, and determine location information for the portable electronic device, at least in part, from the characteristics extracted from the image data, the location service facility including one or more servers located remote from the portable electronic device;

receiving at the portable electronic device a transmission from the location services facility, the transmission including the location information for the portable electronic device; and

generating, on the portable electronic device, a geofence associated with the location information; and

monitoring, on the portable electronic device, a location associated with the portable electronic device in reference to the geofence.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the location information for the portable electronic device is presented on the display as an indication on a map.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the location information for the portable electronic device is presented on the display as a textual description.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the location information for the portable electronic device includes one or more pieces of information selected from the group consisting of:

latitude, longitude, altitude and orientation.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the picture captured using the camera of the portable electronic device is an image of terrain surrounding the portable electronic device.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

storing the location information together with the picture captured using the camera of a portable electronic device for future retrieval.

25. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device including

a display,

a camera configured to capture a picture, the picture including image data captured on an image sensor within the camera, and

a data communication facility configured to transmit the picture from the portable electronic device; and

a location services facility including one or more servers located remote from the portable electronic device, and configured to receive the picture from the portable electronic device, determine location information for the portable electronic device, at least in part, from the characteristics extracted from the image data, and transmit to the portable electronic device the location information for the portable electronic device,

wherein the portable electronic device is configured to,

generate a geofence associated with the location information; and

monitor a location associated with the portable electronic device in reference to the geofence.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the portable electronic device is configured to present the location information, determined, at least in part, from the characteristics extracted from the image data, on the display as an indication on a map.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the portable electronic device is configured to present the location information, determined, at least in part, from the characteristics extracted from the image data, on the display as a textual description.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the location information for the portable electronic device includes one or more pieces of information selected from the group consisting of:

latitude, longitude, altitude and orientation.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the picture captured by the camera is an image of terrain surrounding the portable electronic device.