Systems and methods for providing location-based arrival monitoring and notification

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying a user that a specified person is within a specified distance of a specified meeting location are disclosed. A method according to the invention includes receiving a location signal that represents a current location of a specified party, storing identity data that represents an identity of the specified party and location data that represents a specified location, and determining from the location signal and the location data whether the specified party has arrived at the specified location. Such a method can also include transmitting a notification message if the specified party has arrived at the specified location.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions to perform a method, comprising: 
 receiving, via a user interface, an identity of a party and location data corresponding to a geographic location; and    determining whether the party has arrived at the geographic location.    
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions for receiving a location signal that represents a current location of the party.  
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , further comprising executable instructions for determining from the location signal and the location data whether the party has arrived at the geographic location.  
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , further comprising executable instructions for: 
 storing distance data that represents a distance from the geographic location; and    determining from the location signal, the location data, and the distance data whether the party has arrived at the geographic location.    
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identity of a contact.  
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , further comprising executable instructions for notifying the contact that the party has arrived at the geographic location.  
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , further comprising executable instructions for: 
 receiving, via the user interface, data corresponding to a communications pathway associated with the contact; and    notifying the contact via the communications pathway that the party has arrived at the geographic location.    
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions for: 
 storing identity data that represents an identity of the party; and    storing location data that represents the geographic location.    
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions to perform a method, comprising: 
 determining whether one or more location devices are currently located at a respective user-specified location from a location signal that is associated with the respective location device, wherein the location signal represents a current location of the associated device; and    providing a notification that one or more user-specified parties associated with the respective location devices have arrived at the specified location.    
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , further comprising executable instructions for providing a notification to a user-specified contact that a party associated with a location device has arrived at a respective user-specified location.  
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions to perform a method, comprising: 
 providing an interface adapted to receive an identity of a third party and a geographic location associated with the third party; and    determining whether the third party has arrived at the geographic location.    
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising executable instructions for receiving a location signal that represents a current geographic location of the third party.  
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising: 
 a receiver for receiving a location signal that represents a current location of a user-specified party;    a transmitter for transmitting data representing the current location of the user-specified party to a notification server adapted to transmit a notification message if the user-specified party has arrived at a user-specified location.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising means for determining a current location of a user-specified party from the location signal.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the location signal includes global positioning signals.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the current location of the user-specified party is determined in terms of latitude and longitude.  
     
     
         17  A system for providing arrival notification, the system comprising: 
 an interface via which a user can access a notification service;  
 means for determining whether the user is a subscriber to the notification service and, if the user is not a subscriber, for allowing the user to subscribe;  
 means for receiving identity data that represents an identity of a user-specified contact and location data that represents a user-specified location;  
 a device for storing the identity and location data; and  
 a device for retrieving the identity and location data.  
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a user-specific name and password are used to determine if a user is a subscriber.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the interface is at least one of a telephone and computer.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 means for receiving distance data that represents a specified distance from the user-specified location, contact data that represents an identity of a user-specified contact, and pathway data that represents a user-specified communication pathway;    a device for storing the location data, identity data, distance data, and pathway data; and    a device for retrieving the location data, identity data, distance data, and pathway data.