System and method for providing location-based information to mobile consumers
A location-based and preference-based system and method for matching the attributes and/or characteristics profiles of persons, places and/or things with the expressed preferences of mobile users to alert and direct such users to any places having attributes matching the user's express preferences. The system also provides access to additional information such as guidebook entries and reviews to the mobile users for any matches. In particular, the system comprises a mobile device such as a GPS-capable PDA that stores the user's preferences and communicates with a server that contains or accesses the profiles of the persons, places or things to compare the profiles and preferences. Comparison of the user's preferences with the various profiles allows the user only to be informed of those persons, places and/or things that it is likely to be interested in. The system and method thus provides for a mobile real-time point of interest exchange network.
1. A method of providing information to a user using a device where the information pertains to people, places and things having attributes that match explicit preferences of the user and are within a desired proximity to a location associated with the user, the method comprising the steps of:
creating a user preference profile, wherein the user preference profile is created by the user;
storing the user preference profile;
creating a profile of at least one of the people, places and things;
storing the at least one of the people, places and things profile;
determining the location of the user;
comparing the user preference profile and the at least one of the people, places and things profile to determine if the at least one of the people, places and things has attributes that match the preferences of the user, wherein the step of comparing the user preference profile with the at least one of the people, places and things profile comprises the step of determining whether the at least one of the people, places and things is within a distance that is specified by the user in the user preference profile;
notifying the user of all of the at least one of the people, places and things that match the user's explicit preferences and are within the desired proximity to the user's location;
providing access to resource information about the people, places and things that match the user's explicit preferences; and
displaying the resource information on the device upon a request by the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource information comprises driving instructions to the at least one of the people, places and things.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource information comprises narratives from one or more guidebooks.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource information is stored in a database.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource information is obtained from one or more websites.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource information is inputted by other users of the system.
7. The method of claim 6 which further comprises the step of receiving information from the user regarding one or more of the people, places and things that match the user's explicit preferences for personal use.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile of the at least one of the people, places and things includes keywords.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inputting the user preferences comprises selecting the preferences from a series of hierarchical menus.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the device is an integrated vehicular device.
11. The method of claim 1 , which further comprises the step of updating, if necessary, the user preference profile.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the location of the user comprises the step of using pre-loaded mapping software.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the location of the user comprises using a GPS location-based system.
14. The method of claim 1 , which further comprises the step of providing means for the user to communicate with the at least one of the people, places and things.
15. A location-based and preference-based matching system for notifying a user about people, places and things having attributes that match preferences of the user and are within a desired proximity to a location associated with the user, the system comprising:
a device comprising output means:
input means for the user to input the user preferences;
means for determining the location of the user;
input means for creating a profile for the people, place and things;
storage means for storing the user preferences;
storage means for storing the profiles of the people, places and things;
means for comparing the user preferences and the attribute profiles of the people, places and things to determine whether there are any matches that are within the desired proximity to the location of the user;
means for listing all of the matches, if any, on the output means; and
means for providing access to resource information for the matches.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the means to determine the location of the user comprises pre-loaded mapping software.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the means to determine the location of the user comprises a GPS location-based system.
18. The system of claim 15 , which further comprises means to provide directions from the location of the user to the people, places and things that match the user preference profile.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the device is an integrated vehicular device.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resource information comprises driving instructions to the at least one of the people, places and things.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resource information comprises narratives from one or more guidebooks.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resource information is stored in a database.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the additional information is obtained from one or more websites.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resource information is inputted by other users of the system.
25. A method for providing resource information from guidebooks to a user's mobile device based on the user's expressed interests comprising the steps of:
determining a location for the user;
notifying the user of persons, places and things that match the user's express interests and are within a set distance from the location;
providing access to the resource information for the persons, places and things that match the user's express interests;
displaying the resource information upon request by the user.
26. A method for transforming literal works into digital works for access by a mobile device comprising the steps of:
providing a literary work comprising material on a plurality of people, places and/or things, wherein each of the plurality of people, places and things has a location;
compiling the literary work;
embedding location information for the plurality of people, places and/or things into the literary work; and
producing the digital work for access by the mobile device.
27. The method of claim 26 where the mobile device comprises means to determine a location for a person using the mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
providing a distance between the person's location and the location of at least one of the plurality of people, places and things; and
dynamically updating the distance as the person's location changes.