Use of triggers and a location hypercube to enable push-based location applications
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.