Location based event reminder for mobile device

Abstract

Utilizing a spatial calendar device and service, the user can associate an event reminder to a location in space. The location can be fed into the device manually, from the map unit, GIS address book unit, or from the current reading of the GPS unit, as well as any other source of GPS location media. An event reminder can be text and/or audio to remind the user of a specific thing to do or pick once he or she approaches the location. Examples: once at the parking lot of an airport (inside the car or in the vicinity of the car), the user can associate a reminder (text, audio, or visual) to the location of his/her vehicle at the airport. In this case the system will automatically read the GPS location of the car and will prompt the user to enter an audio or text event reminder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for generating spatially-triggered reminders comprising:
 a database of events, each event including a space condition;   a position-determination system determining a current location; and   an event manager comparing the space conditions of the events to the current location and generating a notification based upon the comparison of the space conditions and the current location.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each event further includes a time condition, the event manager further comparing the time condition with a current time and generating the notification based upon the comparison of the time condition with the current time. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  further including a user interface providing the notification to a user, wherein the user interface is provided on a mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the mobile device includes a mobile phone. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the mobile device includes a data cache storing the events and wherein the events are also stored on a central server. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the mobile device and the central server communicate wirelessly. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the position-determination system is at least partially located on the mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the space condition includes a location and a radius. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the space condition includes another mobile device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the space condition includes a category of locations. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the event manager compares the current location with the space condition using hysteresis. 
     
     
         12 . A method of handling an event including the steps of:
 a) associating an event with a space condition;   b) determining a current location;   c) comparing the space condition with the current location; and   d) activating the event based upon the comparison in said step c).   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further including the steps of:
 e) associating a time condition with the message; 
 f) comparing a current time with the time condition; and 
 g) activating the event in said step d) based upon the comparison in said step f). 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the current location in said step b) is the current location of a mobile device, the method further including the step of sending a notification wirelessly to the mobile device based upon said steps c) and f). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further including the step of sharing the event among a plurality of users. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further including the step of changing a status of the event for the plurality of users based upon the current location of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  further including the steps of:
 e) determining a vehicle location while present at the vehicle location; and 
 f) storing the vehicle location as the space condition. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further including the step of generating directional instructions from the current location to the vehicle location.