User Location Independent Information Retrieval Patents (Class 455/414.2)
  • Patent number: 9002307
    Abstract: Apparatus comprises means for storing a table including plural program identification codes and, for each program identification code, a corresponding program name; means for extracting a program identification code from supplementary information received along with a radio broadcast; means for searching the table for the decoded program identification code; means for reading from the table a program name that corresponds to the program identification code; and means for causing the program name to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Harri Petteri Luhtala
  • Patent number: 9002955
    Abstract: A computing network, including: a plurality of peer computing devices including code, which when executed by a peer computing device causes the executing peer computing device to cooperate with at least one other of the peer computing devices; at least one server including code, which when executed by the at least one server locates at least one of the peer computing devices; and at least one mediator including code, which when executed by the at least on mediator collects charging information from at least some of the peer computing devices; wherein, the peer computing devices, at least one sever and at least one mediator are communicatively coupled via an at least carrier-grade telecommunications network being suitable for enhancing cooperation among the cooperating ones of the peer computing devices relative to best-efforts communications among the cooperating ones of the peer computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: ZTE Corporation, ZTE USA Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Shaoyan Ma, Weiyong Zhu, Li Mo
  • Patent number: 9002372
    Abstract: Mentally challenged persons such as autistic children and Alzheimer's patients can become lost and they are hard to find because they have difficulty communicating or they are confused and disoriented. The present invention provides an apparatus, system and methods for locating lost persons (or animals or packages) whether they are indoors or outdoors. The apparatus comprises a cellular telephone unit which can be activated by a RF signal and which a child or patient can wear. The wearable unit can be activated by a caregiver's smart phone having a locating application installed therein. The locating application enables the caregiver to locate the lost person using radio direction finder triangulation when the lost person is within a few hundred feet of the caregiver. When the lost person is further away, the locating application employs cell phone tower triangulation or the wearable unit GPS/Assisted GPS application to determine an approximate location of the lost person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Danielle's Buddy, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Jeffrey Shakespeare, Clarence William Crompton, Lawrence P. Levitt, Sharone Vaknin, Phillip William Wallace
  • Patent number: 9002371
    Abstract: A system and method retrieve location-centric information. The method includes providing geographic position information of a wireless device to an information system or database and receiving location identifiers based on the geographic position. Each location identifier has related location-centric information that can be viewed by the user of the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Smarter Agent, LLC
    Inventors: Brad W. Blumberg, Eric M. Blumberg
  • Patent number: 8995990
    Abstract: Selecting at least one recipient to receive a communication, identifying and presenting a list of additional recipients to the user, the additional recipient list including contacts who have received messages in combination with the at least one selected recipient in the past, and allowing the user to select one or more of the additional recipients to receive the communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Mikko A. Nurmi
  • Patent number: 8996639
    Abstract: A computing system includes at least one processor and at least one module, operable by the at least one processor to receive, from a computing device associated with a user, an indication of an incoming communication, the incoming communication including information and determine, based at least in part on the information included in the incoming communication, one or more candidate responses to the incoming communication, wherein each candidate response includes information to be sent by the computing device to at least one other computing device, and wherein at least one candidate response was previously selected at least at a threshold frequency by at least one of the user and one or more other users. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to send, to the computing device, a set of candidate responses from the one or more candidate responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Faaborg, Joshua Robin Kaplan
  • Patent number: 8995970
    Abstract: A multicast communication method in a CDMA mobile communication system is disclosed, which is capable of reducing a transmission power in a base station system and performing an efficient multicast operation for a large number of mobile subscribers is provided. Starting of information distribution by a multicast operation and identification of information indicating content are notified through a broadcast channel to a mobile subscriber. Through the broadcast channel, information necessary for actual reception of communication data is notified. In the mobile subscriber, a surround environment of the mobile subscriber is checked to determine the possibility of simultaneous receiving from a plurality of other base station systems. If possible, similar notified information is also received from other base station systems. Thus, all kinds of information regarding the spread code or the like to be used for receiving distributed information are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 8989701
    Abstract: Systems and methods for intercepting communications in a cellular communication network are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more individual usage patterns are detected for a target user based on usage data collected from a known wireless device of the target user. The one or more individual usage patterns for the target user are compared to usage data collected from other wireless devices to identify another wireless device that has usage data that matches the one or more individual usage patterns for the target user to at least a predefined threshold degree. In response, one or more predefined actions are taken with respect to the matching wireless device. In one embodiment, an authorized authority is notified of the matching wireless device and/or communications to and/or from the matching wireless device are automatically intercepted and delivered to the authorized authority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Claude Gauthier
  • Patent number: 8989694
    Abstract: A system for remotely monitoring and tracking a mobile hand-held device having conventional voice and data communication capabilities, the mobile device having software installed thereon that establishes a data communication link with the server, detects activation of an emergency button on the mobile device that places the device in an emergency operating condition, and, while operating in emergency condition, (i) blocks non-emergency input into the device, (ii) at predetermined time intervals, determines the current location of the mobile hand-held device based on GPS tracking information and mobile communication information, (iii) stores the time-based tracking data in memory, and (iv) using the data communication link, periodically transmits a telematics logic message to the server, wherein the telematics logic message include a unique device ID, an indicator of the emergency condition, and the time-based tracking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventors: Jonathan A. Ventulett, Henry H. Hicks, III, Thomas P. Ventulett, Mary Elizabeth Gorman, Jeoffrey K. Moore, Brian Troxell, David Petchey, Peter Kennard
  • Patent number: 8989714
    Abstract: Disclosed is an information processing apparatus including a reception unit that receives place specifying information for specifying a place transmitted from a mobile terminal in the place where provision of management target information stored in a memory is requested, a controller that performs a control so that the place specifying information received by the reception unit is stored in the memory to be matched with the management target information, and a provision unit that provides, in a case where place specifying information corresponding to the place specifying information received by the reception unit is stored in the memory, the management target information matched with the corresponding place specifying information to the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8989806
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for provisioning mobile devices in a network operator-neutral manner in communication networks. For example, a method comprises a mobile device that is operator neutral attaching to a first operator network, and the operator neutral mobile device establishing a provisioning bearer in the first operator network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventor: Alec Brusilovsky
  • Patent number: 8989717
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to improved communication quality in cellular communication networks and the like. A customer has the option to pay different amounts for different tiers of service relating to voice quality and bandwidth access. Higher service tiers may guarantee that a specific vocoder or bit rate is used. Different tiers may be associated with customers' records for billing purposes. The network may also afford high end cellular phones higher voice quality by comparing a given high end phone to a look up table which indicates what level of service is associated with the given phone. A calling mobile station or a receiving mobile station may case the other mobile station to change to a more robust vocoder or bit rate to ensure a higher quality phone call. Furthermore, the user may also opt to change the quality level before or during a call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Privilege Wireless LLC
    Inventor: Alexander Poltorak
  • Patent number: 8989775
    Abstract: In an implementation, techniques are provided for tracking the location of a device that transmits wireless signal. The wireless signal can be received at a set of receivers. Distances to the device are determined based on signal strength. From the distances, boundaries encompassing possible locations of the device are defined. Boundary intersections are analyzed in order to determine the location of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: RetailNext, Inc.
    Inventor: George Shaw
  • Patent number: 8988479
    Abstract: A video communication method, computer program product and video communication terminal implementing the same are disclosed, by which a terminal user is assisted by identifying what kind of conversation he had with a specific correspondent user by reading a phone call list on a terminal. The present invention includes a step of accessing the video communication, a step of storing a video of the video communication, and a step of displaying a communication list item of the video communication together with the stored video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Seong Kim, Yeon Woo Park
  • Publication number: 20150081347
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for personal media devices having the ability to communicate wirelessly, and in particular, communicate wirelessly using a short-range communications protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). Such communication provides users of personal media devices with access to several Wi-Fi oriented applications. For example, in one embodiment a personal media device may wirelessly download subscription assets (e.g., podcast) as they become available. In another embodiment, content specific or local to a merchant may be provided to personal media devices that are in wireless communication with a wireless router affiliated with the merchant. For example, if the merchant is a restaurant, the merchant may provide a menu to the personal media device and the user may place an order on his or her media device by selecting items on the menu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Michael Rosenblatt
  • Patent number: 8983458
    Abstract: A mobile communication device maintains a stored list of a plurality of carrier identifications, where each carrier identification is stored in association with one of a plurality of country codes. The mobile device is also associated with a home wireless carrier that is identifiable by a home carrier identification stored in its memory. The mobile device reads the home carrier identification from the memory, and selects one of the plurality of country codes that is stored in association with the home carrier identification. During operation, the mobile device reads a specified domain name in response to a user-initiated request made via a Web browser or search application. Then, the mobile device produces a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) corresponding to a specified domain name and a country code parameter which includes the selected country code. The HTTP request with the URL is submitted via the wireless communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Tomasz Buczek, Kalu Onuka Kalu, Sanjay Kalyanasundaram
  • Patent number: 8983501
    Abstract: This document describes proximity-based task notification. By notifying a user of an entity at which the user can perform a task when that entity is near to the user, the techniques enable the user to decide, at a time and location likely convenient to the user, whether or not to perform the task now at the entity or wait until a later occasion. If the user wishes to forgo performing the task, the techniques can notify the user again when the entity or some other entity is likely to be convenient to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Darin J. Dishneau
  • Patent number: 8984073
    Abstract: A geographically limited communications system comprises a server for receiving one or more posts or messages from one or more location-enabled portable devices. The server may store these posts and retrieve them based on location information stored along with the posts. This allows only posts left at a particular location to be viewed by users at that location. In addition, posts may only be left at a user's current location in one or more embodiments. The server may notify a user when another user leaves a post near or at one of the user's previous posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Inventor: Arthur P. Tan
  • Patent number: 8983048
    Abstract: The number of messages required in networks where both location and presence services are deployed may be reduced, by retrieving presence data from messages otherwise intended to provide only location information. Thus, information determined in a location service scheme is utilized to provide a presence service as well. A location server requests mobile subscriber (MS) information from a Core Network (CN) Node (i.e. HLR, MSC, etc.) that can be used in determining the Location of the MS. A single message aggregates retrieval of information for two services, specifically, for both location and presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Hines, Mario G. Tapia, Will Cousins, Patrick Carey
  • Patent number: 8983507
    Abstract: A private packet network backbone exchange (PPNBE) may include a capability for determining a variable call termination location corresponding to a called party. The PPNBE may directly query one or more data sources administered by a communications service provider other than the provider of the PPNBE to determine a current location to which an originating call is to be terminated, and the PPNBE may provide a “one-hop” call connection between the originating entity and the terminating entity of the call without traversing or communicating with any other exchanges. The PPNBE may re-direct established calls by directly querying the one or more data sources. Multiple data sources administered by one or more other communications service provider may be directly accessed by the PPNBE for call termination and/or re-direction purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Peerless Network, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott D. Kell, Anthony J. Hiller, James E. Brewer
  • Patent number: 8981916
    Abstract: A system includes a vehicle-based processor configured to receive a wireless vehicle-locate request from a remote device. The processor is also configured to receive an instruction from the remote device relating to selection of an outputtable tone and output, through use of one or more external vehicle sound systems, a selected tone in accordance with the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Bruce Kleve, John Robert Van Wiemeersch
  • Patent number: 8977247
    Abstract: Application developers can request to have their applications registered for use with a content delivery platform. The operator of the content delivery platform establishes perimeters defining geographic areas, and maintains records reserving particular areas for delivery of content associated with particular sponsors. Registered applications running on mobile devices can request content from the content delivery platform. Based at least in part on the request, the content delivery platform can identify a target location, which may be the location of the mobile device, or some other location indicated in the request. A mobile device can be provided content based on the relationship of the target location to the geographic areas, so that a registered application running on a mobile device with a target location contained within a geographic area assigned to a particular sponsor will receive content related to that sponsor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventors: Ryan Hardin, Andrew Hill
  • Patent number: 8977194
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for establishing media data exposure, where a media device, such as a computer, radio, television and the like, receive media data and produces research data from it. The research data may be based on computer-based or computer network-based characteristics, ancillary codes or audio signatures. As the research data is being produced, an inductive coupling is sought for nearby portable computer devices. Once a portable computing device inductively couples to the media device, information is transferred, allowing a system to determine and/or verify that specific users were exposed to particular media data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, Wendell Lynch
  • Patent number: 8977251
    Abstract: In general, apparatuses, methods and computer program products for transferring content to a mobile device are disclosed. Particularly, a system is disclosed that provides for pushing content from an external apparatus such as an automated teller machine (ATM), smart poster, contactless payment terminal, etc. to a mobile device or allowing the mobile device to pull such content from the external apparatus. The content may include one or more coupons, ads, or offers, images, financial receipts, account-related documentation, a reissued card, a new card, a prepaid card, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Grigg, Elizabeth S. Votaw, Alicia C. Jones, Patrick Brian Kelly, Marc B. Keller
  • Patent number: 8977245
    Abstract: An information-processing apparatus includes a communication unit that receives a telephone call from a telephone number of a calling party. The communication unit transmits a transmission of the telephone number to a search engine when the communication unit receives the telephone call. Further, the communication unit receives a result from the search engine after the transmission of the telephone number. The information-processing apparatus also includes a processing unit that determines whether a communication should be conducted with the calling party, by performing a textual search of the result for a plurality of predetermined words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Danil V. Prokhorov
  • Patent number: 8971862
    Abstract: A location based service configured to route local advertising for streamed media and media blocking based on a location of the recipient. The method include detecting a location of a mobile user and routing streaming media of a local affiliate to a mobile device of the mobile user based on the detected location of the mobile user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Dingler, Stephen E. Jaffe, Christopher E. Holladay, Sri Ramanathan, Matthew A. Terry, Matthew B. Trevathan
  • Patent number: 8971510
    Abstract: The present invention resides in one aspect in a system including a user operable portable radio communication device and a server. The invention includes the portable radio communication device comprising a sensor adapted to allow automatic input of data to the portable radio communication device, a controller for controlling the device, a browser adapted to download content from the server, the controller being arranged to be responsive to data input via said sensor so as control the browser to download content from a server associated with the input data, means for providing for information personal to a user, and contextualization means configured to contextualize the downloaded content with the personal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Brian James Davidson, Steven Andrew Mote, Robert Clifford Newstead, Ronald J. Lander, David Fisher
  • Patent number: 8971867
    Abstract: A remote control method is provided. The method is adapted to a first terminal apparatus, and the first terminal apparatus corresponds to a first phone number. The remote control method includes the following steps. A second terminal apparatus is connected to a telecommunication server, wherein the telecommunication server corresponds to a telecommunication service provider who provides the first phone number a telecommunication service. A call diversion service is activated on the telecommunication server through the second terminal apparatus in order to divert a telecommunication signal which is to be forwarded to the first phone number to a second phone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Chang Huang
  • Patent number: 8971863
    Abstract: A device may receive a request for a service call and location information associated with a user device, and may determine an address of a customer, associated with the user device, based on the location information. The device may determine customer information based on the address, and may filter a list of call centers, for the service call, based on the customer information and the address. The device may generate trouble ticket information for the service call, and may provide the customer information and the trouble ticket information to call centers provided in the filtered list of call centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Afshin Moshrefi, Azim Nasir, Nader Gharachorloo, Hong Xiao
  • Patent number: 8971924
    Abstract: A system and method of locating “friends” having mobile devices connected to a network and associated with a user account is disclosed. The method includes sending a request to a mobile device, the mobile device determining its present geographic location and responding to the requestor with this information. This information may be in the form of a coordinate location such as a GPS location or it may be in the form of a name that the mobile device owner assigned to a particular area (e.g., “home”). Having this location information, a user is able to view the location of the friend that is associated with the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Raghu Pai, Timothy S. Hurley, Patrice Olivier Gautier, Karthik Narayanan, Murthy Parthasarathi, Maxime Veron
  • Patent number: 8971805
    Abstract: Provided is a portable terminal providing environment adapted to a current situation and a method for operating the same. The method includes the steps of: collecting current situation information of the portable terminal; searching preset situation information classified as a same situation as the current situation information; extracting function information of the portable terminal corresponding to the searched preset situation information; and constituting a Graphic User Interface (GUI) according to the extracted function information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung Hwa Kim, Tae Won Um, Dong Jun Shin, Kyoung Taek Kim, Hyang Ah Kim
  • Publication number: 20150058128
    Abstract: An approach is provided for sending a neighborhood-based ringtone advertisement. The approach involves receiving a ringtone request from a mobile communication device, wherein contextual information of the mobile communication device is determined and processed. The approach also involves determining the neighboring mobile communication devices, and then determining and processing the contextual information associated with the neighboring mobile communication devices. The approach further involves determining a ringtone that has the best influence on the users of the request sending mobile communication device, and the users of the neighboring mobile communication devices. Then, a neighborhood-based ringtone advertisement is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Lik Hang Chow, Wenwei Xue
  • Patent number: 8965329
    Abstract: A wireless communication device comprises a processing system, a memory system, and a wireless communication transceiver. The processing system is configured to maintain device status information in the memory system of the wireless communication device, encode the device status information to generate an update status message in a bitstream protocol, and detect a condition of the wireless communication device which could impede a connection with a wireless access node. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to, in response to the processing system detecting the condition of the wireless communication device, transmit the update status message before the connection with the wireless access node is lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Bryce A. Jones, Benjamin Michael Wilson
  • Patent number: 8965349
    Abstract: Embodiments permit interactive sharing of applications. Multiple electronic devices may share applications, or application data, in such a fashion that users of the electronic devices may each see one another's application data or interact with one another through a shared application. In some embodiments, users may control what data is shared by designating certain data as public or private. In other embodiments, interactive sharing of applications may be combined with, or incorporated into, a communication between users, such as a video conference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Joseph Kieft, Catherine Rose Grevet
  • Patent number: 8965268
    Abstract: A device can receive an alert marker corresponding to an alert for broadcast programming content. The apparatus can further broadcast the programming content on one radio broadcast channel and broadcast the alert content of the alert on another broadcast channel. Based on the alert marker, the device can change the channel from the broadcast channel with the programming content to the broadcast channel with the alert content. The apparatus can also remove portions of broadcast programming content and replace it with the alert content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Abroadcasting Company
    Inventor: Art Pharn
  • Patent number: 8965695
    Abstract: A hierarchical floating car data network comprises a central server, an egress point network, and a participating vehicle network. The egress point network is in communication with the central server. The egress point network comprises a plurality of egress points. The participating vehicle network comprises a plurality of participating vehicles. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in direct communication with each other. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with at least some of the plurality of egress points. Furthermore, at least some of the plurality of participating vehicles may be in communication with the central server. A geographic database is formed from content communicated between the elements of the hierarchical floating car data network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventor: Assimakis Tzamaloukas
  • Patent number: 8965347
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting notifications to customers. One example method may include identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer record. The method may also include identifying a customer's mobile device via a voice channel preference indicating the mobile device in the customer preference record, and transmitting the notification event to the customer's mobile device based on the voice channel preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jennie Dawn Hanson, Jeffrey William Cordell, James K. Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8965406
    Abstract: A method of generating geofences includes a) storing a plurality of stored locations; b) obtaining a first current location of a mobile device; c) identifying a plurality of nearest locations to the first current location; d) identifying an outermost location and determining an outer bound location, the outer bound location being located farther from the first current location than any of the plurality of nearest locations other than the outermost location; e) generating, for each nearest location except the outermost location, a local geofence around the nearest location; f) generating a triggering geofence around the first current location, the triggering geofence perimeter including at least the plurality of nearest locations other than the outermost location but not including the outer bound location; g) upon detecting that the mobile device has exited the triggering geofence iterating steps b) to f) for a new current location of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Square, Inc.
    Inventor: William Henderson
  • Patent number: 8958775
    Abstract: In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes identifying, by a computer system, a plurality of voicemail messages that are associated with a particular user and that are from a plurality of voicemail sources; and generating, by the computer system, a plurality of graphical display elements that represent the identified plurality of voicemail messages and that include source identifiers that indicate a voicemail source from the plurality of voicemail sources for each of the plurality of voicemail messages. The method can further include providing the plurality of graphical display elements with the source identifiers for the plurality of voicemail messages in a user interface through which the plurality of voicemail messages from the plurality of voicemail sources are caused to be played based on received user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Flavio Lerda, Hugo Hudson, Debashish Chatterjee, Bryan Mawhinney, Marcus A. Foster
  • Patent number: 8958771
    Abstract: Providing automated customer care for a mobile phone is described herein. By way of example, a system can include component(s) that can automatically detect and transmit an error in interfacing a mobile phone with a communication network. The system also can include a customer care component(s) that can receive the error, initiate an error resolution process, and automatically provide a plurality of options with which to contact customer care and/or utilize customer care resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Judson J. Flynn, Thomas W. Bonner, Ted Charles Stine
  • Patent number: 8958822
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for tracking points of interest of a user of a mobile device are disclosed. One method includes determining points of interest of a user of a mobile device. The method includes obtaining user-related information, wherein the user-related information includes spatial information about the user, and determining at least one point of interest of the user based on the user-related information. Another embodiment includes an apparatus for determining points of interest of a user. For one embodiment, the apparatus is a mobile device. The mobile device is operative to obtain user-related information, wherein the user-related information comprising spatial information about the user, and the mobile device is operative to determine at least one point of interest of the user based on the user-related information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Alohar Mobile Inc.
    Inventors: Sam Song Liang, Jun Yang, Chenyu Wang, Zhigang Liu
  • Patent number: 8954043
    Abstract: There is provided a communication terminal comprising: a readout unit which reads out, from a plurality of storage media each storing an identifier concerning a communication carrier, the identifiers; a communication unit which determines the communication carriers based on the identifiers read out by the readout unit, and performs communication using the determined communication carriers; a generation unit which generates address book information in which identifying information for identifying an address of a communication partner is registered in association with carrier information concerning a communication carrier of the communication partner; and a control unit which controls the communication unit to perform communication with the communication partner based on the identifying information and the carrier information registered in the address book information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tachio Ono
  • Patent number: 8953567
    Abstract: A location provision facility communicates with a mobile telecommunications device over an IP-based telecommunications network to obtain information that enables the facility to determine a location of the telecommunications device. The facility and/or the telecommunications device store the determined location. In response to requests from location-based applications for the location of the telecommunications device, the facility can provide the location-based applications with the stored or calculated location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: T—Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Magesh Annamalai
  • Patent number: 8954042
    Abstract: Aspects include methods, systems, and apparatuses for increasing a likelihood of advertisement display. The method may include receiving advertisement information comprising a presentation schedule and indicia indicating the first advertisement; determining, based upon the advertisement information, whether the first advertisement is located on a mobile device; retrieving the first advertisement from a remote device and storing it on a storage module on the mobile device if the first advertisement is determined to not be located on the mobile device; and rendering the first advertisement on the mobile device. The method may also include receiving advertisement information comprising a retrieval schedule and retrieving the first advertisement from a remote device by reference to the retrieval schedule. Other methods and apparatuses include determining and broadcasting advertisement information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Per Nielsen, Amy Suzanne McGaraghan, Susan McGarry
  • Patent number: 8948789
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to infer a context associated with a mobile device based on aggregated data from a set of other mobile devices. The set of mobile devices can include mobile devices currently or previously near a location of the mobile device. Each mobile device in the set of other mobile devices can collect sensor data and infer a low-level context (e.g., “sitting” or “standing”). The low-level contexts can be aggregated. Based on the aggregated low-level contexts, a high-level context (e.g., “at a party” or “watching television”) associated with the mobile device can be inferred or a low-level context associated with the mobile device can be refined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Shankar Sadasivam, Leonard Henry Grokop, Vidya Narayanan
  • Patent number: 8948734
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for declining, attaching, and editing patient context to mobile voice communication are provided. Patient demographic or alert information is attached to items within call histories associated with voice communication which are stored in the EMR and utilized for later analysis (e.g., analytics, patient progress, billing, reimbursement, staff scheduling, patient acuity, and the like). In embodiments, the context is declined, attached, or edited to items from the call history. In embodiments, the context is attached to items in the call history when the voice communication is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Christopher Vaglio, Matt Ryan Anderson
  • Patent number: 8948719
    Abstract: A Commercial Mobile Alert Message System (CMAS) message comprises a message identifier indicative of the type of alert message in the CMAS message. The identifier is used by a mobile device configured to receive and process CMAS messages to determine if the message alert is to be rendered via the mobile device. The identifier also can be used to place the mobile device in a power conservation state. In an example configuration, the mobile device interprets the message identifier to determine if a subscriber wants the message rendered. If the subscriber wants the message rendered, the mobile device processes and renders the message appropriately. If the subscriber does not want the message rendered, the message is ignored and optionally, the mobile device is placed in a power conservation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Brian Kevin Daly, DeWayne Allan Sennett
  • Patent number: 8948727
    Abstract: A method and system for providing wireless mobile device information from a vehicle to a call center. The method includes the steps of (a) detecting the presence of a personal mobile device at the vehicle, (b) receiving at a vehicle interface module a mobile device identifier from the personal mobile device, and (c) sending the mobile device identifier from the vehicle interface module to a call center via the mobile device. The mobile device identifier received at the call center can be used for various purposes such as to provide a callback number in the event of a dropped call, or to validate that services are authorized for the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Jin Tang, Ki Hak Yi, Andrew J. MacDonald, Sethu K. Madhavan
  • Patent number: 8942678
    Abstract: In a MBMS system, a base station generates a data control task and a first header control task and second header control task corresponding to each terminal device for a MBMS function module. Each header control task synchronizes a compression state with an associated terminal device and transmits only header information to the terminal device, and the data control task distributes content information to the terminal device separately from header information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Daitarou Furuta
  • Patent number: 8942731
    Abstract: There is provided an information delivery apparatus including a receiving portion to receive location information of a mobile communication terminal at a given time and acquired date and time of the location information from the terminal, an event information storage portion to store event information including an event place, date and time, a delivery terminal selecting portion to select the mobile communication terminal to which the event information is to be delivered based on the location information and the acquired date and time of the location information and on the event place, date and time, and an event information delivery portion to deliver the event information to the selected mobile communication terminal. The delivery terminal selecting portion selects the mobile communication terminal whose location indicated by location information is within a predetermined range and whose acquired date and time of the location information are before the event date and time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Takehara, Yoichiro Sako, Masamichi Asukai, Taiji Ito, Akinobu Sugino, Akane Sano, Yoshiteru Kamatani, Kazunori Hayashi, Takayasu Kon, Yasunori Kamada