Location based services in a situational network
Patent No. US8045455 (titled "Location based services in a situational network") on Oct 26, 2007. The application was issued on Oct 25, 2011.
What is this patent about?
’455 is related to the field of situational networking and location-based services. It addresses the technical challenge of coordinating information flow during dynamic events—such as natural disasters, weather phenomena, or traffic incidents—where traditional social networks fail to provide immediate, geographically relevant data to affected parties. The background context involves the need for a system that can rapidly aggregate service availability and distribute it to individuals based on their real-time proximity to the event.
The underlying idea behind ’455 is the creation of a transient, event-driven network that links individuals not by prior social connection, but by their shared relationship to a specific occurrence. By integrating real-time geographic positioning with live data feeds from service providers, the system acts as a dynamic clearinghouse. The key insight is to automate the matching of resource availability with the individual locations of participants, ensuring that those in need are directed to the nearest viable provider before supplies are exhausted or conditions worsen.
The claims of ’455 focus on a method and system for establishing a situational network that links individuals in response to a specific event trigger. The independent claims specifically cover the process of receiving real-time availability data for products or services at multiple locations, determining the current coordinates of each individual in the network, and automatically transmitting proximity-based notifications. This ensures that each participant receives a customized list of the closest available service or product providers relative to their specific position within the affected area.
In practice, the invention utilizes a central server or event node that acts as a situation authority, aggregating data from various providers and individual devices. As the situation evolves—for example, a hurricane moving across a coastline—the network dynamically updates its membership and the information it broadcasts. This implementation allows for the management of scarce resources, such as gasoline or emergency shelter, by distributing different sets of providers to different users, thereby preventing a localized surge that could overwhelm a single provider.
This approach differs from prior solutions by moving away from static directories or pre-existing social graphs. Instead, it employs temporally limited links and situational affinity to prioritize urgent information. By utilizing a Personal Information Aggregator (PIA), the system can further refine its delivery based on specific user needs—such as medical requirements or pet-friendly accommodations—ensuring that the location-based service information is not just close, but also functionally relevant to the individual's unique circumstances during a crisis.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2000s when ’455 was filed, mobile data exchange was typically implemented using static client-server architectures where location-based services relied on centralized databases rather than dynamic peer-to-peer discovery. At a time when wireless networking commonly relied on fixed infrastructure for routing and session management, the integration of real-time situational data into ad-hoc network formations was often limited by high latency and the lack of standardized protocols for spontaneous node interaction. Hardware and software constraints of the era made the automated, context-aware aggregation of disparate personal data streams across transient network participants non-trivial, as most systems functioned as isolated silos with limited interoperability.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed technology addresses the technical problem of efficiently managing information flow and connectivity within transient, location-specific environments. By implementing a situational network architecture, the system enables the dynamic formation of communication links based on the immediate proximity and shared context of mobile nodes. This architectural shift allows for the automated aggregation and projection of personal information within a localized mesh, overcoming the constraints of traditional static networks. The resulting technical effect is a scalable framework for real-time data dissemination and searchable messaging that adapts to the fluid entry and exit of participants in a specific geographic or situational domain.
Claims
This patent contains a total of 25 claims, with claims 1, 11, 16, and 25 serving as the independent claims. The independent claims focus on methods and a system for establishing a situational network in response to a specific event to provide individuals with location-based information regarding the availability and proximity of services or products affected by that situation. The dependent claims serve to further refine these processes by specifying data sources such as situation authorities or network participants, detailing triggers for information updates like changes in user location or supply levels, and defining the types of situations and positional tracking methods utilized.
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US8045455
- Application Number
- US11924721A
- Filing Date
- Oct 26, 2007
- Publication Date
- Oct 25, 2011
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents