System for sharing information about groups of individuals, drivers, vehicles or objects

• US 9,119,033 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PerdiemCo LLC
• Original Assignee: PerdiemCo LLC
• Inventors: Diem, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): Joseph, Dennis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/629,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20150170481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 183 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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 4/022 : with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• 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 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An improved system and method for defining an event based upon an object location and a user-defined zone and managing the conveyance of object location event information among computing devices where object location events are defined in terms of a condition based upon a relationship between user-defined zone information and object location information. One or more location information sources are associated with an object to provide the object location information. One or more user-defined zones are defined on a map and one or more object location events are defined. The occurrence of an object location event produces object location event information that is conveyed to users based on user identification codes. Accessibility to object location information, zone information, and object location event information is based upon an object location information access code, a zone information access code, and an object location event information access code, respectively.

Claims

1. A system for sharing information about a group of drivers, the system comprising:

one or more servers capable of communicating with a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device is associated with at least one location information source that provides location information for the mobile device;

the one or more servers configured to;

store information for;

a first group of mobile devices associated with a first group of drivers;

a second group of mobile devices associated with a second group of drivers; and

a third group of mobile devices associated with a group of individuals interested in locating a driver;

wherein the information includes a phone number for each mobile device in each group;

provide one or more interfaces for a driver to select one of the groups of drivers;

receive a request from a driver to join one of the groups of drivers;

check the request before adding the driver to the requested group of drivers;

provide one or more interfaces for an individual to obtain information about a group of drivers, where the one or more interfaces;

allow the individual to select one of the first group of drivers or the second group of drivers;

provide a map showing streets of a city, location of the individual, and location of one or more drivers in the selected group of drivers; and

allow the individual to use the map to set a location;

receive location information for at least one driver in the selected group of drivers;

compare the location information for the at least one driver in the selected group of drivers with the location to determine whether to send an alert to the individual'"'"'s mobile device phone number; and

cause the alert to be sent to the individual'"'"'s mobile device phone number.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to associate each phone number with a password.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert is sent when the at least one driver in the selected group of drivers arrives at the location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said alert comprises a personalized offer or special.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert is sent based on the location of an individual relative to a plurality of locations of a plurality of drivers.

6. A system for sharing information about a group of mobile devices, the system comprising:

one or more servers capable of communicating with a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device is associated with at least one location information source that provides location information for the mobile device;

the one or more servers configured to;

store information for a first group of mobile devices, a second group of mobile devices, and a third group of mobile devices;

provide one or more interfaces for selecting one of the first group or the second group of mobile devices;

receive a request to add a mobile device to one of the first group or the second group of mobile devices;

check the request before adding the mobile device to the requested group of mobile devices;

provide one or more interfaces for a mobile device in the third group of mobile devices to obtain information about the first group or the second group of mobile devices, where the one or more interfaces;

allow the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices to select one of the first group or second group of mobile devices;

provide a map showing the streets of a city, the location of the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices, and the location of mobile devices in the selected group of mobile devices; and

allow the individual to use the map to set a location;

receive location information for at least one mobile device in the selected group of mobile devices;

compare the location information for the at least one mobile device in the selected group of mobile devices with the location of the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices to determine whether to send an alert to the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices; and

cause the alert to be sent to the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to associate each mobile device phone number with a password.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile devices in the first or second group of mobile devices are associated with vehicles.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices is associated with a person.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the location information of a plurality of mobile devices in the selected group of mobile devices is compared with the location of the mobile device in the third group of mobile devices to determine whether to send an alert to the mobile device in the third group of mobile device.

11. A system for sharing information about groups of objects, the system comprising:

one or more servers capable of communicating with a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device is associated with at least one location information source that provides location information for the mobile device;

the one or more servers configured to;

store information for a plurality of groups of mobile devices comprising;

a first group of mobile devices associated with a first group of objects;

a second group of mobile devices associated with a second group of objects; and

a third group of mobile devices associated with a group of individuals interested in locating an object, wherein the information includes a phone number for each mobile device in each group;

provide one or more interfaces for selecting one of the first group or second group of objects;

receive requests to add an object to a selected group of objects or to add a mobile device to a selected group of mobile devices;

check the requests before adding the object to the selected group of objects or before adding the mobile device to the selected group of mobile devices;

provide one or more interfaces for an individual to obtain information about location of an object in one of the first group or second group of objects on a mobile device in the third group of mobile devices, said mobile device having a mobile phone number, wherein the one or more interfaces;

provide a map showing the location of the object; and

allow the individual to set a location event;

receive object location information;

determine whether the location event occurred based on the object location information; and

cause a message to be sent to the mobile device phone number if the location event occurs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to associate each mobile device phone number with a password.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said object comprises a person or a vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location event is set using the map.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said message comprises a personalized offer or special.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said location event is determined based on the location of an individual relative to locations of a plurality of objects.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said location event is determined based on the location of one object relative to the location of another object.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said location event is determined based on the location of an individual relative to the location of an object.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said location event is determined based on the locations of a plurality of individuals relative to the locations of a plurality of objects.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said location event is determined based on the location of one individual relative to the location of another individual.