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).

1 . A computer implemented method for enabling in-network location based services, comprising: 
 (a) maintaining, in a location server on a network, trigger information, for one or more triggers wherein the trigger information defines: 
 (i) a source locatable that specifies an object of interest;  
 (ii) spatial information that defines spatial criteria, for a target locatable with respect to the source locatable, that will activate the trigger;  
   (b) evaluating the triggers by determining if the source locatable and target locatable comply with the spatial criteria;    (c) pushing a location answer to a location based application outside of the network if the source locatable and the target locatable comply with the spatial criteria.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger information further comprises a notification flag that describes a type of interaction between the source locatable and the spatial criteria with respect to the target locatable.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger information further comprises temporal information that defines a time period for which the trigger will be active.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source locatable represents a location of a mobile device  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable being within a specified distance of the source locatable.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the source locatable represents a fixed location.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable entering a defined area around the source locatable.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable exiting a defined area around the source locatable.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining if the trigger is active by: 
 obtaining a location area for the target locatable from a passive database;    comparing the location area to a location area index for the trigger; and    filtering out triggers if the location area is not within the location area index.    
     
     
         10 . A system for enabling in-network location based services in a computer system comprising: 
 (a) a persistent datastore communicatively coupled to a location server;    (b) trigger information stored in the persistent datastore, wherein the trigger information defines: 
 (i) a source locatable that specifies an object of interest;  
 (ii) spatial information that defines spatial criteria for a target locatable with respect to the source locatable that will activate the trigger;  
   (c) a location server on a wireless network, wherein the location server is configured to: 
 (i) maintain trigger information for one or more triggers;  
 (ii) evaluate the triggers by determining if the source locatable and target locatable comply with the spatial criteria; and  
 (v) push a location answer to a location based application outside of the network if the source locatable and the target locatable comply with the spatial criteria.  
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the trigger information further comprises a notification flag that describes a type of interaction between the source locatable and the spatial criteria with respect to the target locatable.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the trigger information further comprises temporal information that defines a time period for which the trigger will be active.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the source locatable represents a location of a mobile device  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable being within a specified distance of the source locatable.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the source locatable represents a fixed location.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable entering a defined area around the source locatable.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable exiting a defined area around the source locatable.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the location server is further configured to determine if the trigger is active by: 
 obtaining a location area for the target locatable from a passive database;    comparing the location area to a location area index for the trigger; and filtering out triggers if the location area is not within the location area index.