Mobile device proximity notification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9998868-B2
Application number	US-201514731590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for mobile computing device proximity notification. The method includes one or more processors acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile computing devices. The method further includes one or more processors creating a first group of mobile computing devices based on location proximity in the acquired location information of the plurality of mobile computing devices, wherein the created first group includes a first mobile computing device and a second mobile computing device. The method further includes one or more processors determining whether the first mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance to the second mobile computing device, and the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are outside of an area associated with the first group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for mobile computing device proximity notification, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to acquire location information for a plurality of mobile computing devices;
program instructions to create a first group of mobile computing devices based on location proximity in the acquired location information of the plurality of mobile computing devices, wherein the created first group includes a first mobile computing device and a second mobile computing device;
program instructions to determine whether the first mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance to the second mobile computing device, and the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are outside of an area associated with the first group;
responsive to determining that the first mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance to the second mobile computing device, and that the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are outside of an area associated with the first group, generate a notification for the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device; and
deliver the generated notification to the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions to acquire location information for a plurality of mobile computing devices, comprises program instructions to;
periodically acquire location information for each mobile computing device within the plurality of mobile computing devices.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions to create a first group of mobile computing devices based on location proximity in the acquired location information of the plurality of mobile computing devices, further comprises program instructions to:
identify candidate mobile computing devices that are within a defined proximity to the first mobile computing device; and
create the first group of mobile computing devices, wherein the first group includes one or more of the identified candidate mobile computing devices.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein the program instructions to identify candidate mobile computing devices that are within a defined proximity to the first mobile computing device, further comprises program instructions to:
monitor a number of detections of mobile computing devices within the defined proximity to the first mobile computing device within a time period that the first mobile computing device is present within an area.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
count a number of detections of a third mobile computing device within the area associated with the first group; and
determine whether to add the third mobile computing device to the first group based on comparing the number of detections of the third mobile computing device to a predetermined threshold.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mobile computing devices are a plurality of smartphones.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the notification for the first mobile computing device includes a message comprising text indicating that the second computing device within the predetermined distance.

8. A computer system for mobile computing device proximity notification, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to acquire location information for a plurality of mobile computing devices;
program instructions to create a first group of mobile computing devices based on location proximity in the acquired location information of the plurality of mobile computing devices, wherein the created first group includes a first mobile computing device and a second mobile computing device;
program instructions to determine whether the first mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance to the second mobile computing device, and the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are outside of an area associated with the first group;
responsive to determining that the first mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance to the second mobile computing device, and that the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are outside of an area associated with the first group, generate a notification for the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device; and
deliver the generated notification to the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to acquire location information for a plurality of mobile computing devices, comprises program instructions to:
periodically acquire location information for each mobile computing device within the plurality of mobile computing devices.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to create a first group of mobile computing devices based on location proximity in the acquired location information of the plurality of mobile computing devices, further comprises program instructions to:
identify candidate mobile computing devices that are within a defined proximity to the first mobile computing device; and
create the first group of mobile computing devices, wherein the first group includes one or more of the identified candidate mobile computing devices.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions to identify candidate mobile computing devices that are within a defined proximity to the first mobile computing device, further comprises program instructions to:
monitor a number of detections of mobile computing devices within the defined proximity to the first mobile computing device within a time period that the first mobile computing device is present within an area.

12. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:
count a number of detections of a third mobile computing device within the area associated with the first group; and
determine whether to add the third mobile computing device to the first group based on comparing the number of detections of the third mobile computing device to a predetermined threshold.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the notification for the first mobile computing device includes a message comprising text indicating that the second computing device within the predetermined distance.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• MOCHIZUKI Tomoka
• Shioya Tomohiro
• Unno Asuka
• WEN Lianzi

Classifications

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• G01S5/0289

  of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title