System and method for performing non-commercial messaging

• US 9,380,419 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loeb Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: MobiSave LLC
• Inventors: Loeb, Michael R., McCabe, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US14/627,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for forwarding location dependent messages from a first user'"'"'s mobile device over a wireless communication network to a second user'"'"'s mobile device, via a central server.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding location dependent messages from a first user'"'"'s mobile device over a wireless communication network to a second user'"'"'s mobile device, via a central server, the method comprising:

storing, by the first user, a bookmark directory in the first user'"'"'s mobile device, the bookmark directory including a plurality of records, each record specifying a respective geographic location and a respective associated recipient user;

selecting, by the first user, one of said records in the stored bookmark directory;

transmitting a constructed location dependent message from the first user'"'"'s mobile device to the central server, the message including as a selected prescribed geographic region the respective geographic location specified by the selected one of said records in the stored bookmark directory, the message indicating the respective associated recipient user specified by the selected one of said records in the stored bookmark directory as said second user;

extracting the prescribed geographic region from the received location dependent message upon receipt at the central server,

periodically monitoring, at the central server, in response to receiving the location dependent message, a current geographic location of said second user as intended recipient of the location dependent message to determine if the second user is within a pre-defined geographic proximity of the prescribed geographic region included in the received location dependent message, and

forwarding the location dependent message from the central server to the second user upon determining that the second user has entered within the prescribed geographic region in accordance with the periodic monitoring step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a confirmation procedure by a plurality of users including at least the first and second users to allow the plurality of users to link their phone numbers with other users, thereby establishing a network of pre-approved linked users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating the location dependent message at the central server comprising validating the prescribed region defined by the first user as part of the location dependent message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of creating a location directory on at least one of said mobile devices, the location directory including a plurality of records in a table in a memory of the mobile device, each record defining an association pair including a geographic location and a corresponding radius of circumference.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a step of establishing a network of pre-approved participants with whom to send and receive the location dependent messages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network of pre-approved participants is established by linking telephone numbers of each user'"'"'s mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further including a step of the first user defining a location dependent message delivery start time and a corresponding location dependent message expiration time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location dependent message is selected from the group comprising a short text message, an IM message, an e-mail message, a voice message and a video clip.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating the location dependent message at the central server, said validating comprising:

validating the selected geographic location, and

validating delivery and confirmation approval to the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the mobile devices is selected from the group consisting of:

a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, and a walkie talkie.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of the second user responding to a received location dependent message by an action selected from the group consisting of:

(a) requesting, via a click selection, additional information responsive to said message; and

(b) requesting, via a click selection, connection to a third party affiliated content of the message.