Proximity-based notifications in a mobile device

• US 9,420,420 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• 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:
  US14/679,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/435.1, 455/414.1, 370/254, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

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; 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 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 3, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence occurs upon determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time.

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. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more processors 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;

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; and

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

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, or context information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, comprising 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 based on available routes connecting the first mobile device to the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence occurs upon determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the proximity is based on a direction of travel of the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, 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.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause the one or more processors 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;

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; and

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

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information associated with the contact comprises at least one of location information, device information, or context information.

15. The system of claim 13, comprising 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 based on available routes connecting the first mobile device to the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein detecting that the contact'"'"'s mobile device is within the geo-fence occurs upon determining that the amount of time is less than a threshold period of time.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the proximity is based on a direction of travel of the contact'"'"'s mobile device.

18. The system of claim 13, 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.