System and method for using sms and tagged message to send position and travel information to server and/or to peers

Abstract

The GPS position or other short information related to a wireless telephone is encapsulated in a tagged protocol such as XML and sent using short message service (SMS) to peers or Internet servers, which can parse the tagged messages and extract, e.g., position information for display on a map.

1 . A wireless telephone, comprising:
 at least one wireless telephony transceiver;   at least one position receiver configured for outputting geographic position information; and   at least one processor configured for executing logic to encapsulate the geographic position information and/or other information in a message having a tagged protocol, the message being sent using short message service (SMS) to a receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The telephone of  claim 1 , wherein the geographic position information is encapsulated in the message. 
     
     
         3 . The telephone of  claim 2 , wherein the position information is encapsulated in the message automatically without user action and sent to a server. 
     
     
         4 . The telephone of  claim 2 , wherein the processor presents a user interface to the user from which the user can select to send the position information to a user-selected recipient. 
     
     
         5 . The telephone of  claim 1 , wherein the protocol is extensible markup language (XML). 
     
     
         6 . The telephone of  claim 1 , wherein the recipient is a wireless telephone peer of an end user, and the message is sent directly to the peer without passing through an Internet server. 
     
     
         7 . The telephone of  claim 1 , wherein the recipient is an Internet server. 
     
     
         8 . A receiver of tagged messages transmitted from wireless telephones using SMS, comprising:
 means for parsing the tagged messages to extract information therefrom; and   application means for using the information.   
     
     
         9 . The receiver of  claim 8 , wherein the receiver is an Internet server. 
     
     
         10 . The receiver of  claim 8 , wherein the receiver is a peer wireless telephone comprising:
 at least one wireless telephony transceiver;   at least one position receiver configured for outputting geographic position information; and   at least one processor configured for executing logic to encapsulate the geographic position information and/or other information in a message having a tagged protocol, the message being sent using short message service (SMS) to a receiver for display of the geographic position information and/or other information.   
     
     
         11 . The receiver of  claim 10 , wherein the geographic position information is encapsulated in the message. 
     
     
         12 . The receiver of  claim 11 , wherein the position information is encapsulated in the message without the user having to key in position coordinates. 
     
     
         13 . The receiver of  claim 12 , wherein the processor presents a user interface to the user from which the user can select to send the position information to a user-selected recipient. 
     
     
         14 . The receiver of  claim 10 , wherein the protocol is extensible markup language (XML). 
     
     
         15 . The receiver of  claim 13 , wherein the recipient is a wireless telephone peer of an end user, and the message is sent directly to the peer without passing through an Internet server. 
     
     
         16 . The receiver of  claim 13 , wherein the recipient is an Internet server. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 encapsulating, at a mobile wireless communication device, position information in a message having a tagged format; and   sending the message using SMS.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the encapsulating and sending acts are executed automatically without any user action. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the recipient is another wireless telephone. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the recipient is an Internet server.