Voice interaction for location-relevant mobile resource management

Abstract

A system and method for voice interaction for location-relevant mobile resource management are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network server transmits a voice message to a voice device at a mobile unit upon detection that the mobile unit is within a predetermined distance of a certain location. Pursuant to another embodiment, the network server receives a voice request for location-relevant information from a user at a mobile unit and transmits responsive location-relevant information to the user as a voice message. The network server may also conduct certain actions responsive to voice requests received from users at mobile units. Users may receive information from the server via voice devices even when not located at a mobile unit.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    receiving a voice query;    converting the voice query to a corresponding data message;    using the user location information to create a response to the data message at the network server;    transmitting the response as a voice message.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a user transmits the voice query via a telephone handset.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network server effects a business transaction in response to the voice message.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network server effects a business transaction in response to the voice message by transmitting a network server voice message to a third party.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response comprises routing information based on the user location information.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one other location device.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one business enterprise.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response comprises the identity of at least one mobile unit within a predetermined distance from the user location.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice query includes a specified distance and the response comprises the identity of at least one mobile unit within the specified distance from the user location.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice query includes identification information relating to a single mobile unit and the response comprises the location of the single mobile unit.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the response as a voice message comprises transmitting a voice message to a set of mobile units located within a predefined distance from the user.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice query includes a specified distance and the transmitting the response as a voice message comprises transmitting a voice message to a set of mobile units located within the specified distance from the user.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user transmits the user location information via a first device and the user transmits the voice query via a second device, the first and second devices being separately housed.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user transmits the user location information and the voice query via a single device housed in a single housing.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network server maintains a log of the user location information, the voice query, the time of the voice query, and the response.  
     
     
         16 . A method for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving user location information from a location device at a network server;    using the user location information to create a user message at the network server;    transmitting the user message to the user as a voice message.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the network server selectively transmits the user message based on the user location information.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user message comprises traffic information.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user message comprises at least a portion of the user location information.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user message comprises instructions.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the network server maintains a log of the user location information, the voice query, the time of the voice query, and the response.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the user message comprises business location information of at least one business.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 receiving user location information for multiple users at the network server;  
 selectively transmitting the user message to each of the multiple users as a voice message based on the user location information for each user.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 receiving user vehicle status information at a network server;  
 selectively transmitting a voice message to the user based on the vehicle status information.  
 
     
     
         25 . A method for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    receiving a user query;    using the user location information to create a response to the user query at the network server;    transmitting the response as a voice message.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the user query comprises a voice query.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the user query is transmitted via a keypad device.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the user query is comprises voice and a keypad-generated components.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the response comprises routing information based on the user location information.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one other location device.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one business enterprise.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the response comprises the identity of at least one mobile unit within a predetermined distance from the user location.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the query includes a specified distance and the response comprises the identity of at least one mobile unit within the specified distance from the user location.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the query includes identification information relating to a single mobile unit and the response comprises the location of the single mobile unit.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the transmitting the response as a voice message comprises transmitting a voice message to a set of mobile units located within a predefined distance from the user.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the query includes a specified distance and the transmitting the response as a voice message comprises transmitting a voice message to a set of mobile units located within the specified distance from the user.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the network server maintains a log of the user location information, the voice query, the time of the voice query, and the response.  
     
     
         38 . A method for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    receiving a voice query;    converting the voice query to a corresponding data message;    using the user location information to create a response to the data message at the network server;    transmitting the response.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the transmitting the response further comprises transmitting the response as a voice message.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein a user transmits the voice query via a telephone handset.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the network server effects a business transaction in response to the voice message.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the network server effects a business transaction in response to the voice message by transmitting a network server voice message to a third party.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the response comprises routing information based on the user location information.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one other location device.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the response comprises location information of at least one business enterprise.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the response comprises the identity of at least one mobile unit within a predetermined distance from the user location.  
     
     
         47 . A system for providing location-relevant information to a user, the system comprising: 
 means for receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    means for receiving a voice query;    means for converting the voice query to a corresponding data message;    means for using the user location information to create a response to the data message at the network server;    means for transmitting the response as a voice message.    
     
     
         48 . A system for providing location-relevant information to a user, the system comprising: 
 means for receiving user location information from a location device at a network server;    means for using the user location information to create a user message at the network server;    means for transmitting the user message to the user as a voice message.    
     
     
         49 . A system for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 means for receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    means for receiving a user query;    means for using the user location information to create a response to the user query at the network server;    means for transmitting the response as a voice message.    
     
     
         50 . A system for providing location-relevant information to a user, the method comprising: 
 means for receiving user location information at a network server from a location device;    means for receiving a voice query;    means for converting the voice query to a corresponding data message;    means for using the user location information to create a response to the data message at the network server;    means for transmitting the response.