Mobile device and server for task assignments and pickup requests

• US 9,652,749 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bindu Rama Rao, Madhavi Jayanthi
• Original Assignee: Bindu Rama Rao, Madhavi Jayanthi
• Inventors: Jayanthi, Madhavi, Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US14/957,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 701206, 701213, 701408, 701409, 701411, 4554563, 4554561, 340988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Mobile device for communicating arrival information at a waypoint, communicating that information to a server, receiving a set of tasks (statically assigned or dynamically assigned) for the user (for example, from the server or from another user), displaying the set of tasks to the user, receiving a completion response (successful or unsuccessful) from the user, and proceeding to the next waypoint along a route/trip plan. A coordination server facilitates communication of a list of tasks assigned to a user to be performed at a specified location. The list of tasks is delivered to the user of the first mobile device by the coordination server (if such tasks exist) when the coordination server receives notification from the first mobile device indicating arrival at a specific location.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processing circuitry, memory and storage;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver circuitry;

a client software, that is executed by the processing circuitry, wherein the client software comprises a navigation component that interacts with the GPS receiver circuitry, the navigation component capable of navigating and providing directions to a destination to a user of the mobile device;

the client software displaying a plurality of requests to pick up items received from a plurality of businesses associated with, or located on, a current route being navigated by the navigation component;

the client software configured to selectively send a user provided update message regarding the corresponding ones of the plurality of requests to pick up items, to the corresponding plurality of businesses;

the client software accepting a task list comprising a plurality of tasks to be completed by the user of the mobile device, based on a current location of the mobile device, a street name associated with the current location, or based on current route being navigated;

wherein the client software prompts the user to mark each of the tasks in the task list as completed, skipped or deferred, and wherein the client software records and reports the corresponding task status, and

wherein the client software prompts the user to respond to each of the plurality of requests to pick up items received by providing completion status.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the requests to pick up items comprise requests to pick up one or more of medicines ordered, laundry dropped off, grocery ordered, magazines and books ordered, food ordered, mail stopped, children dropped off, packages awaiting pickup, rental equipment, electronic devices, and equipment dropped off for repairs.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the task list comprises a plurality of tasks that are specific to the user, to be completed by the user, after the user has reached the specific destination;

and

the client software managing and reporting the completion status of the plurality of tasks.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the client software accepts a task list comprising a plurality of tasks to be completed by the user of the mobile device, in response to a notification sent by the client software announcing proximity to, or arrival at the destination.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the client software is configured to convert the plurality of requests to pick up items from a plurality of businesses into a todo list to be presented to the user, wherein the user is also subsequently prompted for completion status update for the items on the todo list.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 wherein the todo list is assigned by the user of the mobile device to another mobile user for completion.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the client software is configured to convert a plurality of requests to pick up items from a plurality of businesses into a todo list to be presented to users in a group comprising a plurality of members, wherein the plurality of members are also subsequently prompted for completion status update for the items on the todo list.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising:

the client software extracting the plurality of requests to pick up items from a plurality of businesses from a task list, based on a current street address or a current location of the mobile device; and

the client software prompting the user of the mobile device to provide a completion status for the requests to pick up items.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising:

the client software converting the plurality of requests to pick up items from a plurality of businesses into a todo list to be presented to the user, wherein the user is also subsequently prompted for a completion status update for the items on the todo list.

10. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the client software displays availability status of items purchased online for in-store pickups at local businesses, based on a current street address or a current location of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the requests to pick up items received from a plurality of businesses is accompanied by advertisements on related products and services.

12. A server communicatively coupled to a first mobile device, the server comprising:

at least one processor for communicating with the first mobile device, the at least one processor operable to, at least;

receive a plurality of requests to pick up items, from a plurality of businesses, along with a corresponding user identification and addresses of those corresponding businesses or a reference to those corresponding businesses;

receive a current location or a current street name from a client software in the first mobile device and determine a user specific set of the plurality of requests to pick up items;

deliver to the client software in the first mobile device the user specific set of the plurality of requests to pick up items;

deliver an update message, if any are received from the first mobile device, to the corresponding plurality of businesses,

deliver to the client software of the first mobile device, based on a current location of the first mobile device, a street name associated with the current location, or based on current route being navigated, a task list comprising a plurality of tasks to be completed by the user of the first mobile device; and

receive and store a task completion status for each of the plurality of tasks as they are reported by the client software of the first mobile device.

13. The server of claim 12 wherein the task list is assembled from a plurality of tasks reported or forwarded by a plurality of authorized individuals associated with the user of the first mobile device.

14. The server of claim 12 wherein the task list is assembled from a plurality of tasks reported or forwarded by a plurality of mobile devices being used by authorized individuals associated with the user of the first mobile device.

15. The server of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor, upon determination of task completion for the task list, updates the status for the corresponding entries in a general pool of tasks and a user-specific pool of tasks.

16. The server of claim 12 wherein the server receives arrival information at corresponding waypoints along a route, from a plurality of mobile devices, and, in response, communicates a set of dynamically assigned tasks to the corresponding users of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the server subsequently receives a completion status response from the plurality of mobile devices.

17. The server of claim 16 wherein the server receives a completion status response from the first mobile device from each of the waypoints, wherein the completion status response is associated with the current set of tasks communicated by the server to the first mobile device.

18. The server of claim 12 wherein the server receives, from the first mobile device used by a first user, a notification indicating arrival at a destination, or proximity to the destination, and, in response, the server communicates to the first mobile device a set of tasks to be completed by the first user, wherein the set of tasks are those previously specified by a second user employing a second mobile device, wherein the set of tasks are stored at the server until delivery to the first mobile device.

19. The server of claim 12 wherein from the first mobile device is provided a route comprising a plurality of waypoints for navigation, wherein the server receives a notification from the first mobile device whenever the first mobile device determines that it has arrived at one of the waypoints, wherein, in response to the notification received, the server communicates to the first mobile device a dynamically assembled set of tasks to be completed while at that current waypoint among the plurality of waypoints.

20. A mobile system comprising:

a plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device and a second mobile device, each of the plurality of mobile devices configured to execute and operate employing a client software capable of sending and receiving GPS based location information, and configured to receive tasks lists for completion by a corresponding user;

a coordinating server communicatively coupled to a plurality of mobile devices;

the coordinating server configured to receive a plurality of item pickup requests from computers associated with a plurality of businesses for opportunistic distribution to associated ones of the plurality of mobile devices; and

the client software configured to display the plurality of item pickup requests received from the plurality of businesses associated with, or located on, a current route being navigated by a navigation component of the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices.

21. The mobile system of claim 20 further comprising:

the first mobile device specifying tasks for execution by a second user currently using the second mobile device when the second mobile device communicates a notification indicating arrival at a specific destination;

the coordinating server communicating the tasks for execution when the second user reaches the specific destination; and

the coordinating server receiving a completion status response from the second mobile device as and when the second user indicates completion of an associated one of the tasks.

22. The mobile system of claim 20 wherein the coordination server offers a service that, given an address of a user, retrieves GPS coordinates and communicates it, and wherein a user employing the first mobile device can retrieve a location information for a given phone number or email address.

23. The mobile system of claim 20 wherein the completion status response provided by the second user employing the second mobile device comprises, for each assigned task, one of the following status:

completed, skipped or deferred.

24. The mobile system of claim 20 wherein the client software in the first mobile device communicates a phone number of a business to the coordination server along with the first user'"'"'s address or phone number, in response to which the coordination server determines a detailed route for traveling from a starting point associated with the first user'"'"'s phone number or address to the destination associated with the business, and sends detailed instructions that can be used by the client software in guiding the first user to the destination.

25. The mobile system of claim 20 wherein client software in the first mobile device collects a plurality of addresses selected by the first user and then determines an optimal route through those addresses selected.

26. The mobile system of claim 25 wherein the client software in the first mobile device sends notification to other known and registered users along the optimal route to automatically inform those corresponding registered users of the approach of the first user towards their locations and the subsequent arrival of the first user at those locations.

27. The mobile system of claim 25 wherein a notification manager in the coordination server facilitates receiving notification from a plurality of mobile devices and forwards them to the first mobile device for display to the user, along with proximity information, approaching information, and arrival information for the plurality of mobile devices.

28. The mobile system of claim 20 wherein the coordinating server is configured to receive a plurality of reminders from computers associated with a plurality of businesses, which the coordinating server displays on corresponding ones of the plurality of mobile devices based on their current location, wherein the plurality of reminders are each one of a medical appointment reminder, a vehicle maintenance reminder, a beauty saloon service reminder, a spa service reminder and a fitness center reminder.