Use of triggers and a location hypercube to enable push-based location applications

Abstract

A method, system, and article of manufacture enable the use of location based applications (LBA). A location server (LS) on a wireless network receives trigger information from a LBA that is located outside of the wireless network. The trigger information defines a source locatable and spatial information (defining spatial criteria for a target locatable). Triggers are evaluated to determine if a trigger has been activated by the locatables interacting with each other pursuant to the spatial information / criteria. A location answer is pushed to a location based application outside of the network if a trigger has been activated (i.e., if the source and target locatables comply with the spatial criteria).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 120 of the following co-pending and commonly-assigned U.S. utility patent application(s), which is / are incorporated by reference herein: [0002] Utility application Ser. No. 10 / 772,998, filed on Feb. 5, 2004, by NEMMARA CHITHAMBARAM, entitled “USE OF TRIGGERS AND A LOCATION HYPERCUBE TO ENABLE PUSH-BASED LOCATION APPLICATIONS”, attorneys' docket number 30566.294-US-U1, which application claimed the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 445,061, filed Feb. 5, 2003, by Nemmara Chithambaram and Howard Marantz, entitled “USE OF LOCATION TRIGGER, LOCATION HYPERCUBE TO ENABLE PUSH-BASED APPLICATION FRIEND FINDER, CHILD MONITOR, OTHER APPLICATIONS,” attorneys' docket number 30566.294-US-P 1. [0003] This application is related to the following co-pending and commonly-assigned patent application, which application is incorporated by ref...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This solution minimizes the polling of mobile stations, reduces the load on wireless networks, enhances usability by eliminating the need for custom mechanisms, and improves application building ease, resulting in reduced hardware requirements and costs while providing efficient location-based services.

Problems solved by technology

The prior art methodology presents many problems and limitations.

For example, the prior art fails to provide the capability for a wireless network to automatically detect a proximity event (e.g., using a trigger) and alert / notify a LBA (e.g., notify the LBA if a child with a mobile station leaves the school premises during school hours on weekdays).

This increases the load on the mobile position server by several orders of magnitude, and severely impacts the throughput (and therefore hardware performance and cost).

However, such location trigger events are not available in prior art systems.

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