Patent Application
20110143720
1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates alerts and to mobile communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Alerts can be helpful. For example, alerts can be helpful to remind someone of a task that needs to be performed. An alert may be scheduled for a particular time on a particular day. However, a person may not always be available to perform the task when the alert is issued. That person may also have been available earlier, but may not have performed the task earlier because the person did not remember that he needed to do so.
A person may also wish to receive an alert in connection with the activity of another person. For example, a parent may ask a teacher to advise her when her son leaves school. However, it may not always be possible to obtain assistance to provide a desired alert. The person whom is being relied upon to provide the alert may also fail to do so.
A communication system may be configured to receive requests to issue alerts. Each request may include information identifying a mobile communication device and a location at which an alert is to be issued when the mobile communication device is at the location.
The communication system may be configured to receive reports from mobile communication devices. Each report may include information identifying the mobile communication device and the current location of the mobile communication device.
The communication system may be configured to issue alerts.
A memory system may be configured to store the alert request information in a database.
A processing system may be configured to receive the current location information, query the database in the memory system to determine whether the current location of the mobile communication device matches a location for the mobile communication device in the database, and direct the communication system to issue an alert if the query results in a match.
The communication system may be configured to receive alert requests from mobile communication devices, through a web interface, and/or through the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”).
The alert information may be indicative of a street address, a latitude and longitude, and/or a name of the location.
The alert information may be indicative of a name which is associated with more than one location. The processing system may be configured to determine that there is a match in the database when the current location of a mobile communication device matches any of the locations associated with the name.
The processing system may be configured to determine that there is a match in the database when the current location of the mobile communication device is within a pre-determined distance of a location for the mobile communication device in the database.
The processing system may be configured to direct the communication system to issue an alert when a mobile communication device arrives at and/or leaves a location for the mobile communication device in the database.
The alert information may identify a set of mobile communication devices and a location at which an alert is to be issued when any of the mobile communication devices in the set are at the location.
The communication system may be configured to receive alert requests which include alert information specifying alert delivery information about each alert and issue alerts in accordance with the alert delivery information. The processing system may be configured to direct the communication system to issue each alert in accordance with the alert delivery information in the database for that alert.
The alert delivery information may specify delivering the alert to the mobile communication device which is the subject of the alert or to a device other than mobile communication device which is the subject of the alert.
The alert delivery information may specify delivering the alert audibly to a telephone number, as an e-mail, as a text message, and/or to multiple recipients.
The alert delivery information may specify delivering the alert in a manner which causes the alert to be posted to a communication system accessible to multiple persons.
The communication system may be configured to receive alert requests specifying multiple persons that are to be connected together when the alert is issued and to connect the multiple persons together.
The communication system may be configured to receive multiple alert requests for each mobile communication device. The memory system may be configured to store the alert request information associated with each in the database.
A mobile communication device may include a wireless communication system configured to wirelessly communicate with other communication systems, a location sensing system configured to sense the current location of the mobile communication device, and a processing system. The processing system may be configured to cause the wireless communication system to repeatedly deliver reports to an alert communication system for providing location-triggered alerts without user intervention between each location report. Each report may include information identifying the mobile communication device and the current location of the mobile communication device.
The processing system may be configured to cause the wireless communication system to deliver the location reports periodically and/or in response to changes in the current location.
The processing system may be configured to cause the wireless communication system to deliver alert requests to the alert communication system. Each alert request may include alert information identifying the mobile communication device and a location at which an alert is to be issued when the mobile communication device is at the location.
These, as well as other components, steps, features, objects, benefits, and advantages, will now become clear from a review of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
The drawings disclose illustrative embodiments. They do not set forth all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the details that are disclosed. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.
Illustrative embodiments are now discussed. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for a more effective presentation. Conversely, some embodiments may be practiced without all of the details that are disclosed.
An alert communication system 103 may be configured to communicate with one or more web browsers, mobile communication devices, and telephones, such as a web browser 105, a mobile communication device 107, and/or a telephone 109.
Communication with the alert communication system 103 may be through any means or combination of means. For example, the communication between the mobile communication device 107 and the alert communication system 103 may be through a wireless data and/or voice communication link and/or the internet. Communication between the telephone 109 and the alert communication system 103 may be through the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”) and the internet. Communication between the web browser 105 and the alert communication system 103 may be through the internet. One or more other types of communication channels may be used in addition or instead.
As illustrated in
The communication system 203 may be configured to receive requests to issue alerts. Each request may include alert information. The alert information may identify a mobile communication device and a location at which an alert is to be issued when the mobile communication device is at the location. The communication system may be configured to receive alert requests from one or more mobile communication devices, such as the mobile communication device 107, from web browsers, such as the web browser 105, from telephones, such as the telephone 109, and/or from any other source.
The communication system 203 may be configured to receive location reports from mobile communication devices, such as from the mobile communication device 107. Each location report may include current location information. The current location information may identify the mobile communication device and the current location of the mobile communication device.
The communication system 203 may be configured to issue alerts.
The communication system 203 may include hardware and software configured to perform the functions of the communication system 203 as described herein.
The memory system 207 may be configured to store the alert request information in a database. The memory system 207 may be of any type. For example, the memory system 207 may include one or more RAMs, ROMs, PROMs, ePROMs, flash memories, hard disks, DVDs, and/or CDs. The memory system 207 may be at the same location as the communication system 203 or at a different location. The memory system 207 may be at a single location or at multiple locations.
The database may be of any type. For example, the database may be a relational database which may be indexed to facilitate rapid searches.
The processing system 205 may be configured to receive current location information from mobile communication devices which is received by the communication system 203. The processing system 205 may be configured to query the database in the memory system 207 to determine whether the current location of a mobile communication device matches a location for the mobile communication device in the database. The processing system may be configured to direct the communication system 203 to issue an alert if the query results in a match.
The processing system may include hardware and software configured to perform the functions of the processing system described herein. The processing system may be at the same location as the communication system 203 and/or the memory system 207, or may be at a different location. The processing system 205 may be at a single location or at multiple locations.
The components of the alert communication system 201 may be at the same or different locations. The alert communication system 201 may be operated as one or more servers on the internet or in any other network configuration.
The mobile communication device 301 illustrate in
The mobile communication device 301 may be of any type. For example, it may be a cell phone, a computer, a notebook, a wearable device such as a watch, or a device embedded in something that is mobile, such as a car radio.
The mobile communication device 301 may include a wireless communication system 303, a processing system 305, and a location sensing system 307. The mobile communication system 301 may have additional or different components.
The wireless communication system 303 may be of any type. It may be configured to enable the mobile communication device 301 to communicate wirelessly with one or more other communication systems, such as the alert communication system 103. The wireless communication system 303 may include a transmitter and a receiver to enable the mobile communication device 301 to communicate with cell sites. It may be in addition or instead enable the mobile communication device 301 to communicate over the internet and/or a wireless local area network. The wireless communication system 303 may be configured to communicate voice, data, and/or any other type of information over one or more of theses communication links.
The processing system 305 may be configured to cause the wireless communication system 303 to repeatedly deliver location reports to an alert communication system for providing location-triggered alerts, such as to the alert communication system 103. The processing system 305 may be configured to cause the wireless communication system 303 to repeatedly deliver the location reports without user intervention between each location report. The processing system 305 may be configured to cause the wireless communication system 303 to deliver the location reports periodically and/or in response to changes in the current location of the mobile communication device 301.
Each location report may include current location information. The current location information may identify the mobile communication device 301 and the current location of the mobile communication device 301.
The processing system 305 may be configured to cause the wireless communication system 303 to deliver alert requests to the alert communication system for providing location-triggered alerts, such as to the alert communication system 103. Each alert request may include alert information. The alert information may identify a mobile communication device, such as the mobile communication device 301, and a location at which an alert is to be issued when the mobile communication device is at the location. The processing system 305 may include hardware and software configured to perform the functions of the processing system 305 described herein.
The location sensing system 307 may be configured to sense the current location of the mobile communication device 301 and to provide this information to the processing system 305. The location sensing system 307 may include any type of device or devices to accomplish this purpose. For example, the location sensing system 307 may include a GPS receiver, triangulation technology, and/or an accelerometer. The location sensing system 307 may be configured to sense the location of the mobile communication device 301 on earth or within a smaller geographic area. The location sensing system 307 may be configured to determine the longitude, latitude, and/or the altitude of the mobile communication device 301.
The Mobile Communication Device which is being monitored may be specified in any way. A cell phone, for example, may be specified by its phone number. Other types of Mobile Communications Devices, for example, may be specified by an IP address, URL, and/or by any other type of identifying information.
The Mobile Communication Device may be indicative of a set of mobile communication devices, rather than a single device, as illustrated by “Smith Family Phone” in
The alert information may identify the Location in any way. For example, the Location may be identified by a name, such as “Grant High School,” as illustrated in
A name of a Location may be associated with more than a single location, such as when the name is of an organization which has operations at different locations. “Kinko's” in
One or more other databases may be consulted by the processing system 205 for the purpose of determining the coordinates of a location which is specified in the table by means other than location coordinates. The location coordinates may in addition or instead be placed in the table. Location coordinates may be part of an alert request or looked up after receiving an alert request. Location coordinates which are part of a location report may instead or in addition be cross-referenced in one or more other databases to street and/or addresses.
Trigger information may be provided by specifying the relationship between the Location and the alert. For example, an alert request may specify that the alert is to be issued when the mobile communication device arrives at the location and/or leaves the location, the later being illustrated by the “Departure” Trigger in
As also illustrated in
The Delivery information may be of any type. For example, the Delivery information may specify that the alert is to be delivered to the mobile communication device which is the subject of the alert. Conversely, the Delivery information may specify that the alert is to be delivered to a device other than the mobile communication device. The Delivery information may specify that the alert is to be delivered over the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”) to a telephone, as an email, and/or as a text message. The Delivery information may specify that an alert is to be delivered to multiple recipients, as illustrated by the example “Call Parents” in
The Delivery information may be specified in any way. It may include one or more telephone numbers, IP addresses, and/or URLs. It may instead include names, as illustrated in
The Delivery information may in addition or instead specify that a task is be performed when the alert is triggered, such as to call and connect together the user of the mobile communication device which caused the Trigger and the user of another communication device. For example, the Delivery information may specify that the spouse of a user of the mobile communication device is to be called when the user arrives at a supermarket, so that the spouse may provide a current list of groceries which should be purchased. Another Delivery option may cause the mobile communication device 301 to phone a friend when arriving at and/or leaving the friend's location. A still further Delivery option may send a message to a social networking system, such as Twitter, announcing the user's arrival at and/or departure from a particular location. A still further Delivery option may make cause a change to be made a user's on-line account upon arrival at and/or departure from a location.
The communication system 203 may be configured to receive multiple alert requests for each mobile communication device. The memory system 207 may be configured to store the alert request information associated with each in the database within the memory system 207. The processing system 205 may be configured to check each entry in the database in the memory system 207 for a particular mobile communication device to see if it matches the current location.
When the communication system 203, the processing system 205, and/or the processing system 305 include software, that software may include one or more algorithms configured to cause its associated system to perform the functions of that system which are described herein. The software may be stored in the form of computer-readable instructions on computer-readable storage media, such as on one or more of RAMs, ROMs, PROMs, ePROMs, flash memories, hard disk, DVDs, and/or CDs.
The components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages that have been discussed are merely illustrative. None of them, nor the discussions relating to them, are intended to limit the scope of protection in any way. Numerous other embodiments are also contemplated. These include embodiments that have fewer, additional, and/or different components, steps, features, objects, benefits and advantages. These also include embodiments in which the components and/or steps are arranged and/or ordered differently.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
All articles, patents, patent applications, and other publications which have been cited in this disclosure are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The phrase “means for” when used in a claim is intended to and should be interpreted to embrace the corresponding structures and materials that have been described and their equivalents. Similarly, the phrase “step for” when used in a claim is intended to and should be interpreted to embrace the corresponding acts that have been described and their equivalents. The absence of these phrases in a claim mean that the claim is not intended to and should not be interpreted to be limited to any of the corresponding structures, materials, or acts or to their equivalents.
Nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is recited in the claims.
The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents.
