Realtime, location-based cell phone enhancements, uses, and applications

• US 8,880,047 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resight Limited
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey C. Konicek, Steven G. Lisa
• Inventors: Konicek, Jeffrey C., Lisa, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US11/513,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,988 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/417, 4554141-4142, 455/445, 455/461
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• 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 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• 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 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission

Abstract

Enhancements of and to cell phone operations are based in whole or in part on determining the location of the cell phone. Systems and methods select and determine locations or areas of importance or relevance, and based on that information and other programmed factors affect or alter the operations of the cell phone. While the systems and methods are illustrated by use of cell phone embodiments and applications, they are equally applicable to virtually any portable or mobile communication device, including for example, wireless laptop computers and PDAs.

Claims

1. A system, comprising

(a) a home automation system wirelessly coupled to (i) a cellular phone having a geographic location sensor, and (ii) an appliance coupled to a wireless network interface, wherein the home automation system is configured to receive, from the cellular phone, stored information about the cellular phone via wireless short range communication technology operable when the cellular phone and home automation system are approximately collocated;

(b) the home automation system configured to receive command data from the cellular phone for remote control of the home automation system, wherein the command data is received from the cellular phone upon the cellular phone;

i. storing a geographic area as a geographic area associated with a user'"'"'s home location comprising either (i) a point and radius associated with a user'"'"'s home or (ii) a plurality of points indicating a geometric area in which the user'"'"'s home is located;

ii. determining its approximate current location using its geographic location sensor; and

iii. determining that its approximate current location is within the stored geographic area associated with the user'"'"'s home location; and

(c) the home automation system configured to send, in response to receiving the command data, control instructions to the wireless network interface coupled to the appliance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless short range communication technology comprises near field communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance is a light.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control instructions cause the light to turn on.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance is a lock.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control instructions cause the lock to open.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the appliance is a thermostat.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control instructions cause the thermostat to change a temperature setting.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the home automation system is configured to send control instructions to the wireless network interface via WIFI.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the geographic location sensor is a GPS sensor.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the geographic location sensor is a WIFI sensor.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the geographic location sensor makes use of cellular signals for position determination.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the command data is received from the cellular phone upon the cellular phone determining that its approximate current location is within the stored geographic area associated with the user'"'"'s home location by comparing its current location to the stored geographic area associated with the user'"'"'s home location.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the home automation system is wirelessly coupled to a security system, and wherein the home automation system is configured to receive command data from the cellular phone for remote control of the security system.

15. A home automation system comprising a home automation device controller and an installed software application on a cellular phone to control the cellular phone, comprising

(a) the home automation device controller wirelessly coupled to a plurality of other devices, the plurality of other devices including (i) the cellular phone including the installed software application to control the cellular phone and a geographic location sensor, and (ii) an appliance coupled to a wireless network interface, wherein the home automation device controller is configured to receive, from the cellular phone, stored information about the cellular phone via wireless short range communication technology operable when the cellular phone and home automation device controller are approximately collocated;

(b) the installed software application configured to store, in a memory of the cellular phone, a home geographic area comprising either (i) a geographic point and a radius associated with a user'"'"'s home or (ii) a plurality of points indicating a geometric area in which the user'"'"'s home is located;

(c) the installed software application configured to receive information comprising location estimates of the cellular phone as determined by the cellular phone using its geographic location sensor;

(d) the installed software application configured to recognize, based on the received information comprising location estimates of the cellular phone, that the cellular phone is within the home geographic area stored in memory;

(e) the installed software application, upon recognizing that the cellular phone is within the home geographic area stored in memory, configured to control the cellular phone by causing the cellular phone to send command data to the home automation device controller; and

(f) the home automation device controller configured to send, in response to receiving the command data, control instructions to the wireless network interface coupled to the appliance.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless short range communication technology comprises near field communication.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the appliance is a light.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control instructions cause the light to turn on.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the appliance is a lock.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control instructions cause the lock to open.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the home automation device controller is configured to send control instructions to the wireless network interface coupled to the appliance via WIFI.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the geographic location sensor is a GPS sensor.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the geographic location sensor is a WIFI sensor.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the geographic location sensor makes use of cellular signals for position determination.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the installed software application is configured to recognize that the cellular phone is within the home geographic area stored in memory by comparing the received information comprising location estimates of the cellular phone to the stored geographic area associated with the user'"'"'s home location.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein the home automation device controller is wirelessly coupled to a security system, and wherein the home automation device controller is configured to receive command data from the cellular phone for remote control of the security system.

27. A system, comprising

(a) a home automation system wirelessly coupled to (i) a cellular phone having a geographic location sensor, and (ii) an appliance coupled to a wireless network interface, wherein the home automation system is configured to provide stored tag information to the cellular phone via wireless short range communication technology operable when the cellular phone and home automation system are approximately collocated, and wherein the tag information indicates access address information that the cellular phone uses to access a network location;

(b) the home automation system configured to receive command data from the cellular phone for remote control of the home automation system, wherein the command data is received from the cellular phone upon the cellular phone;

i. storing a geographic area as a geographic area associated with a user'"'"'s home location comprising either (i) a point and radius associated with a user'"'"'s home or (ii) a plurality of points indicating a geometric area in which the user'"'"'s home is located;

ii. determining its approximate current location using its geographic location sensor; and

iii. determining that its approximate current location is within the stored geographic area associated with the user'"'"'s home location; and

(c) the home automation system configured to send, in response to receiving the command data, control instructions to the wireless network interface coupled to the appliance.