Wireless user based notification system

• US 9,137,635 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Drennan, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/337,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/432.3, 455/567
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A group of wireless device users are notified of an event. A location data determination algorithm is provided to a wireless device, where the algorithm determines a frequency at which the device interacts with network elements to determine its location. The location data is stored in a notification server and used to identify a user at a specific location. When a governmental or commercial entity wishes to issue a notification, a message is provided to those users whose location is identified as being in an area defined by the entity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by a wireless device, location updates indicative of locations of the wireless device to a server system via a wireless communications network in response to location updating being active on the wireless device and the wireless device being connected to the wireless communications network, the transmitting of the location updates being performed in accordance with an algorithm downloaded to the wireless device, the downloaded algorithm dynamically controlling when each of the location updates is transmitted by the wireless device;

receiving by the wireless device a notification message from the server system over the wireless communications network, the notification message being based at least in part on a most recent location update of the location updates;

providing a user notification to a user of the wireless device, the user notification being based at least in part on the notification message; and

providing a user control on the wireless device to control activation of a location privacy mode, wherein the location privacy mode, when activated, maintains privacy of locations of the wireless device with respect to the server system while the wireless device is connected to the wireless communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded algorithm specifies at least one location-determining method to determine a current location of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the downloaded algorithm specifies to use a global positioning system (GPS) as the location-determining method responsive to a requirement for high accuracy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded algorithm is configured to vary dynamically respective time intervals between respective location updates.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is further based at least in part on a user profile associated with the user of the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a further message from the server system, the further message being based at least in part on the user profile and on a geographic area different from a most recent location indicated by the most recent location update.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded algorithm varies respective time intervals between respective location updates based at least in part on at least two different scenarios.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloaded algorithm is capable of being updated via the wireless communications network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the downloaded algorithm is capable of being updated using an over-the-air provisioning protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the user notification to the user comprises displaying at least part of the notification message on a display of the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is further based at least in part on a proximity of a most recent location indicated by the most recent location update to a location of an event.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions executable by a processor of a wireless device to cause the wireless device to:

in response to location updating being active and the wireless device being connected to a wireless communications network, transmit location updates to a server system over the wireless communications network in accordance with an algorithm downloaded to the wireless device, the location updates indicative of locations of the wireless device, the algorithm being configured to dynamically control when each of the location updates is to be transmitted by the wireless device;

receive a notification message from the server system over the wireless communications network, the notification message being based at least in part on a most recent location update of the location updates;

provide a user notification to a user of the wireless device, the user notification being based at least in part on the notification message; and

provide a user control on the wireless device to control activation of a location privacy mode, wherein the location privacy mode, when activated, maintains privacy of locations of the wireless device with respect to the server system while the wireless device is connected to the wireless communications network.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions defining the algorithm specify at least one location-determining method to determine a current location of the wireless device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions defining the algorithm specify to use a global positioning system (GPS) as the location-determining method responsive to a requirement for high accuracy.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions defining the algorithm are configured to vary dynamically respective time intervals between respective location updates.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to provide the user notification to the user of the wireless device by displaying at least part of the notification message on a display of the wireless device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to receive a further message from the server system, the further message being based at least in part on a user profile and on a geographic area different from a most recent location indicated by the most recent location update.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions defining the algorithm vary respective time intervals between respective location updates based at least in part on at least two different scenarios.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to participate in registration with the server system.