Proximity-based notifications in a mobile device

• US 9,002,380 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sabatelli, Alessandro F., Huang, Ronald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/492,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/435.1, 455/414.1, 370/254, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• 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

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for proximity-based notifications are described. A proximity-based notification system can receive a request to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to a user'"'"'s mobile device, obtain permission to receive information associated with the contact, receive the information associated with the contact, detect that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the information associated with the contact, and notify the user that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request from a first mobile device to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device;

obtaining permission to receive information associated with the contact;

receiving a first location corresponding to a current location of the first mobile device;

receiving a second location corresponding to a current location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device;

estimating, based on the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device;

determining that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device, including;

defining a gee-fence based on a current location of the first mobile device, a speed of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a direction of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a distance between the first mobile device and the contact'"'"'s mobile device, and a travel route of the first mobile device, and detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence when the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time; and

notifying the first mobile device that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, or context information.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device based on available routes connecting the first mobile device to the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device based on a distance between the first mobile device and the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity is based on a direction of travel of the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device, wherein, detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence comprises:

determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the geo-fence based on the current location of the first mobile device comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a population density associated with the current location of the first mobile device or property boundaries associated with the current location of the first mobile device current location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein defining the geo-fence based on

the speed of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device comprises determining that the speed is indicative of walking or of a moving car.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the first mobile device that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device comprises:

presenting a map that includes the first location and the second location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the first mobile device that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device comprises:

presenting an indication of a travel route from the first location associated with the first mobile device to the second location associated with the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a data processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to a first mobile device;

obtaining permission to receive information associated with the contact;

receiving a first location corresponding to a current location of the first mobile device;

receiving a second location corresponding to a current location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device;

estimating, based on the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device;

determining that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device including;

defining a geo-fence based on a current location of the first mobile device, a speed of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a direction of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a distance between the first mobile device and the contact'"'"'s mobile device, and a travel route of the first mobile device, and detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the gee-fence;

when the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time; and

providing a notification that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, or context information.

13. The medium of claim 11, the operations comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

14. The medium of claim 11, comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device based on available routes connecting the first mobile device and the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the proximity is based on a direction of travel of the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

16. The medium of claim 11, comprising estimating, based on a distance between the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device, wherein, detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence comprises:

determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time.

17. The medium of claim 11, wherein defining the geo-fence based on the current location of the first mobile device comprises:

defining the geo-fence based on at least one of a population density associated with the current location of the first mobile device or property boundaries associated with the current location of the first mobile device current location.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein defining the geo-fence based on

the speed of travel associated with the first mobile device comprises determining that the speed is indicative of walking or of a moving car.

19. The medium of claim 11, wherein providing the notification that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device comprises:

presenting a map that includes the first location and the second location.

20. The medium of claim 11, wherein providing the notification that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device comprises:

presenting an indication of a travel route from the first location associated with the first mobile device to the second location associated with the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

21. A system, comprising:

one or more computers; and

computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request from a first mobile device to be notified when a contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device;

obtaining permission to receive information associated with the contact;

receiving a first location corresponding to a current location of the first mobile device;

receiving a second location corresponding to a current location of the contact'"'"'s mobile device;

estimating, based on the first location and the second location, an amount of time needed for the first mobile device to travel to a location of the contact'"'"'˜

mobile device;

determining that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device, including;

defining a geo-fence based on a current location of the first mobile device, a speed of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a direction of travel associated with the current location of the first mobile device, a distance between the first mobile device and the contact'"'"'s mobile device, and a travel route of the first mobile device, and detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence;

when the amount time is than a threshold period of time; and

providing a notification that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is in proximity to the first mobile device.