WO2015157487A1 - System utilizing location-based data and methods of its use - Google Patents

Abstract

Location-based data recorded by global positioning system modules provided in electronic devices carried by person within a network is stored in an accessible data structure for use by the persons of the network. The data allows the system to identify real-time and historical population trends for specified locations. The data also provides the system with maps of specified locations, both indoor and outdoor.

Description

SYSTEM UTILIZING LOCATION-BASED DATA AND METHODS OF ITS USE

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,788, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,792, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,795, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,799, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,805, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,837, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,847, filed April 10, 2014, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/977,854, filed April 10, 2014. The disclosure of each of the above- recited patent applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the information industry and, more particularly, to methods of utilizing user location data to monitor and map physical locations.

Background of the Invention

[0003] The rapid development of mobile technology has made it possible for nearly every individual to own and operate a mobile device if they so desire.

Consequently, individual mobile device users become linked by common networks and services on which their devices operate and in which they either actively or passively participate. For the first time, it is possible to gather data about a subset of the population without physically interacting or polling those individuals. The mobile devices that each individual carries operate as both a data gathering device and communication portal for obtaining that data. By analyzing the operations of a user's mobile device, an overseer can gather behavioral data on that user, the implications and applications of which are highly advantageous and far-reaching.

[0004] For security and safety reasons, it can be advantageous to determine how many people are within a confined space during a specified period of time. By knowing how many people are present during various times, appropriate protocols for evacuations, security and safety can be created and implemented. This information can also be beneficial for consumers. For example, a person may want to visit a mall to shop at certain stores, but would rather visit malls or shops when there are fewer crowds.

[0005] Mapping facilities is important for security and safety reasons. By knowing the dimensions and features of the facility, appropriate protocols for evacuations and security and safety can be created and implemented. Most man-made structures, such as malls or parking lots, have relatively easily mappable dimensions. People can measure the outer dimensions of the mall and apply them to a map. Inside they can measure walkways, elevators, stairs, stores and other distinguishing features and apply that information to the map.

[0006] What is desired, therefore, is a system and method for utilizing the existing infrastructure of mobile devices to more efficiently and accurately provide location specific information to a user.

Summary of the Invention

[0007] In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a method to monitor a specified location, said electronic method characterized by the steps of: creating a network of persons capable of transmitting and sharing information, each person of said network having an electronic device that transmits a global location signal corresponding to a global location of said person of said network; defining said specified location to be monitored; continually monitoring said global location signals of said persons of said network; identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location;

electronically monitoring the physical location within said specified location of persons of said network who have entered said specified location, said electronically monitoring the physical location including one or more of monitoring the direction, elevation, footsteps, distance, time and speed that each person travels; and based on traffic patterns of persons of said network who have entered said specified location, electronically creating a map of said specified location. In some embodiments, the method to monitor a specified location is characterized in that the step of identifying said person of said network who enters said specified location includes at least one of the following steps: recording a weakening of said global location signal at said specified location; or confirming a match between said global location signal and said specified location. In some embodiments, the method to monitor a specified location is characterized in that the step of electronically monitoring the physical location within said specified location of persons of said network who have entered said specified location includes the steps of: providing a plurality of sensors within said specified location capable of identifying the distance between them and each electronic device based on an identified signal strength; identifying the signal strength of the electronic device at at least one of said plurality of sensors; and identifying a location of said person based on the identified signal strength. In some embodiments, the method to monitor a specified location is characterized in that the plurality of sensors are selected from the group consisting of: global positioning system sensors, Wi-Fi sensors,

Bluetooth® sensors, Cell ID sensors, near field communication sensors, magnetometers, cameras, microphones, and combinations thereof. [0008] In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a method to monitor a specified location, said method characterized by the steps of: creating a network of persons capable of transmitting and sharing of information, each person of said network having an electronic device that transmits a global location signal corresponding to a global location of said person of said network; defining said specified location to be monitored; continually monitoring geographic locations of said electronic devices of said persons of said network; identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location when said electronic device of said person enters said specified location;

identifying persons of said network who exit said specified location when said electronic device of said person exits said specified location; and maintaining in real-time an electronic log of persons in said specified location and of the number of persons in said specified location at a point in time. In some embodiments said electronic method is further characterized by the steps of: continually monitoring the physical locations of said electronic devices within said specified location of each person in said network; and creating an electronic archival record of the physical locations of each person in said network, including whether said person was moving or standing and for how each person was moving or standing. In some embodiments, the step of continually monitoring the physical location of said electronic devices includes the steps of: providing a plurality of sensors within said specified location capable of identifying the distance between them and each electronic device based on an identified signal strength; identifying the signal strength of the electronic device at at least one of said plurality of sensors; and identifying a location of said person based on the identified signal strength. In some embodiments, said archival record summarizes the activity of said network of persons at said specified location for a specified date and/or time and is downloadable by said persons of said network. In some embodiments, the steps of identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location when said electronic device of said person enters said specified location and identifying persons of said network who exit said specified location when said electronic device of said person exits said specified location include at least one of the following steps: recording a weakening and then subsequent strengthening of said global location signal at said specified location; or confirming a match between said global location signal and said specified location and identifying when said global location signal and said specified location no longer match. [0009] In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a system for obtaining and utilizing location-based data of a specified location characterized by: a network of persons having electronic devices; a global positioning module for determining the physical location of said electronic devices; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring physical locations of the person through the global positioning module; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring motion of the person within said specified location through the global positioning module; and at least one database in communication with said electronic devices, said database characterized by, for a defined period of time, an electronic log of said physical locations occupied by said person in the specified location. In some embodiments, said specified location comprises at least one sensor for identifying a distance between it and said electronic device. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of: global positioning system sensors, Wi-Fi sensors, Bluetooth® sensors, Cell ID sensors, near field communication sensors, magnetometers, cameras, microphones, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, said electronic log is further characterized by a number of persons within said specified location.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 portrays a system for gathering and utilizing location-based data of a user consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2 portrays a method of determining the population of a specified location using the system portrayed in FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 3 portrays a method of mapping a specified location using the system portrayed in FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 portrays the relative weakening or strengthening of a GPS, Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth® (Bluetooth Sig, Inc., irkland, WA), Cell ID, or near field communication (NFC) signal as an indicator that the person has entered or left the interior of a specified location consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 5 portrays a method of providing services to a person in response to a natural language statement consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1. [0016] FIG. 6 portrays a method for replying to instant messages through appending a previous message consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1. [0017] FIG. 7 portrays a method for engaging in an instant messaging conversation including filtering out participants of that conversation consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1

[0018] FIG. 8 portrays a method of obtaining information about a subject consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 9 portrays a method of maintaining security of an electronic device consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 10 portrays a method of temporarily changing the user of an electronic device consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1. [0021] FIG. 11 portrays a method of assessing accessibility of parking spaces at a specified location consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 12 portrays a method of assessing accessibility of parking spaces proximate to a specified location consistent with some embodiments of the system shown in FIG. 1. [0023] FIG. 13 portrays an embodiment of a communications network for use in the method shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] FIG. 14 portrays an embodiment of the system for gathering and utilizing location-based data of a user of FIG. 1.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0025] For purposes of the disclosure and claims, the term mobile device includes any portable device that may be used for electronic communication, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smart phones, hand held computers, laptop computers, palm top computers, personal digital assistant (PDA), electronic pads, and/or tablets. While the systems and method of the present disclosure are herein described with the use of mobile devices, the systems and method may also be implemented through the use with electronic devices other than mobile devices, such as any desktop computer or security system. As used herein, the terms "mobile device" and "electronic device" may be used

interchangeably. As used herein, the term "specified location" will be used to identify the geographical area in which location based data for a user of the system of the present disclosure is being gathered and to which that data is applicable.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the system of the present disclosure includes at least one mobile device 100 suitable for implementing the system herein. Mobile device 100 is set up to communicate with other mobile devices over a communications network, such as the Internet, using known protocols for such communication, whether wireless or wired.

[0027] In some embodiments, mobile device 100 includes a central processing unit

(CPU) 102, interfaces 104, and a communications channel 106. This CPU 102 may be responsible for implementing specific functions associated with the mobile device. The CPU may perform one or more of the functions and/or operations under the control of software modules/components, which for example, may include an operating system and any appropriate applications software, drivers, and the like. In some embodiments, mobile device 100 is in communication with a central server 108 for organizing and distributing data between users of the system.

[0028] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the system of the present disclosure includes a network of persons 1300 each having a mobile device, the mobile device having software 1302 for continually monitoring physical locations of the person through a global positioning module 1301. The mobile devices also have software 1303 for continually monitoring motion of the person within a specified location though global positioning module 1301. Global positioning module 1301 , and by extension the mobile devices, are in communication with at least one database 1304, which maintains an electronic log of location data gathered by the mobile devices and global positioning module 1301.

[0029] The CPU may include one or more processor(s) such as, for example, a processor from the Motorola® (Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL) or Intel® (Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA) family of microprocessors or the MIPS® (Imagination Technologies, LLC, Santa Clara, CA) family of microprocessors. In some embodiments, processor(s) may include specially designed hardware (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like) for controlling the operations of the mobile device. In addition, a memory (such as non-volatile random access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory (ROM)) also forms part of the CPU. As used herein, the term "processor" is not limited merely to those integrated circuits referred to in the art as a processor, but broadly refers to a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, an application-specific integrated circuit, and any other programmable circuit.

[0030] Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The CPU of a computer is what manipulates data by performing computations. In practice, almost all computers use a storage hierarchy, which puts fast but expensive and small storage options close to the CPU and slower but larger and cheaper options farther away. Often the fast, volatile technologies (which lose data when powered off) are referred to as "memory", while slower permanent technologies are referred to as "storage", but these terms can also be used interchangeably. As used herein, the term "universally accessible electronic location" is a storage medium accessible by a mobile device via a wireless or wired connection, such as a server, cloud storage, or website. In the Von Neumann architecture, the CPU consists of two main parts: control unit and arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The former controls the flow of data between the CPU and memory; the latter performs arithmetic and logical operations on data.

[0031] In some embodiments, interfaces between components of the present disclosure can be provided as interface cards. Generally, they control the sending and receiving of data packets over a computing network and sometimes support other peripherals used with the mobile device. Among the interfaces that may be provided are Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In addition, various types of interfaces may be provided such as, for example, universal serial bus (USB), Serial, Ethernet, Firewire® (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA), PCI, parallel, radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth®, near-field

communications (e.g., using near field magnetics), 802.1 1 (Wi-Fi), frame relay, TCP/IP, ISDN, fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interfaces, high-speed serial interface (HSSI) interfaces, Point of Sale (POS) interfaces, fiber data distributed interfaces (FDDis), and the like. Generally, such interfaces may include ports appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In some cases, they may also include an independent processor and, in some instances, volatile and/or non- volatile memory (e.g., RAM). The mobile device may include a display and a movable cursor or mouse. As will be hereinafter explained, this cursor may serve as another input member to provide selection inputs. The mobile device also includes a keyboard. In one example, the keyboard is located on the front face of the mobile device. In some embodiments, the keyboard is a physical or virtual standard QWERTY keyboard.

[0032] In some embodiments, the mobile device includes an appropriate instant messaging (IM) program and the user would be electronically linked to one of the IM service providers, like Facebook, Twitter, AOL and others. Any suitable IM protocol may be utilized. [0033] In some embodiments, the mobile device may utilize and/or generate various different types of data and/or other types of information when performing specific tasks and/or operations. This may include, for example, input data/information and/or output data/information. In some embodiments, the mobile device may be operable to access, process, and/or otherwise utilize information from one or more different types of sources, such as, for example, one or more local and/or remote memories, devices and/or systems. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, it may generate one or more different types of output data/ information, which, for example, may be stored in memory of one or more local and/or remote devices and/or systems.

[0034] In some embodiments, input data/information which may be accessed and/or utilized by the mobile device may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following (or combinations thereof): (1) voice input: from mobile devices such as mobile telephones and tablets, computers with microphones, Bluetooth® headsets, automobile voice control systems, over the telephone system, recordings on answering services, audio voicemail on integrated messaging services, consumer applications with voice input such as clock radios, telephone station, home entertainment control systems, and game consoles; (2) text input from physical or virtual keyboards on computers or mobile devices, keypads on remote controls or other consumer electronics devices, email messages, instant messages or similar short messages, text received from players in multiuser game environments, and text streamed in message feeds; (3) location information coming from sensors or location-based systems, such as, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Assisted GPS (A-GPS) on mobile phones; (4) clicking and menu selection and other events from a graphical user interface (GUI) on any device having a GUI or a touch screen; and/or (5) events from sensors and other data-driven triggers, such as alarm clocks, calendar alerts, price change triggers, location triggers, push notification onto a device from servers, and the like. [0035] In some embodiments, the system includes at least one database for organizing the location based data and user preferences vital to the functions of the system as described below. In some embodiments, the at least one database is in wired or wireless communication with the database to allow data transfer between them.

[0036] In some embodiments, the system also includes a natural language processing module, a user profile module, instant messaging modules, and suitable hardware combinations from the hardware described above and throughout the specification to support the function of these modules.

[0037] These and other objects of the present disclosure are provided to perform, in some embodiments, a method for determining the population of a specified location. As shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the method of determining the population of a specified location includes: creating 200 an electronic network of persons for the transmission and sharing of information; defining 201 the specified location to be monitored; continually monitoring 202 physical locations of the persons of the network; identifying 203 persons of the network who enter the specified location; identifying 204 persons of the network who exit the specified location; and maintaining 205 in real-time an electronic log of persons in the specified location and of the number of person in the specified location at that point in time.

[0038] Today there are a myriad of devices that permit a user to precisely determine the location of a person simply by interacting with a hardware module in that person's personal mobile device. Many people have a smart phone and many smart phones have GPS capability (or some similar technology) to identify the location of the device. Just by monitoring the GPS (or location hardware) chip in the smart phone, a person's whereabouts may be determined.

[0039] In some embodiments, the system monitors a user's specified location that is indoors, such as shopping centers, malls, government offices, entertainment centers, professional offices, sports centers, health clubs, recreational clubs, arenas, stadiums, and movie theaters. In some embodiments, the specified location is outdoors, including, but not limited to, natural reserves, parks, gardens, amusement parks, hiking and biking trails, and the like.

[0040] This system revolves around the ability to determine at any given point in time precisely where a person is located. A common feature on smart phones and tablets and other mobile devices are sensors to record motion. For example, there is a motion- processing M7 chip in the iPhone® 5S (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) smart phone. As discussed above, a person's location is known because the location of their mobile device (having GPS capability) in his pocket is necessarily known. Thus, when each person of the network has a mobile device with a GPS capability with them, continual monitoring of a physical location and those persons within it is possible through monitoring of the mobile devices themselves.

[0041] In some embodiments, monitoring a physical location of a person includes using a means to determine a physical location of a personal mobile device of that person. In some embodiments, the means to determine a physical location may also include any Global Positioning System which also includes any communication system that helps the device determine location. As used herein, the term Global Positioning System (or GPS) means any communication system that helps the device determine location, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, NFC, magnetometer, camera, and/or GPS. In some embodiments, at least one of the above-identified communication systems is incorporated into a global positioning module, along with any software and hardware required to send, receive, and analyze those communications.

[0042] In some embodiments, the present disclosure involves electronically monitoring the locations of multiple users (as by GPS in a smart phone), maintaining a real-time log of who is in a particular place at any point in time, and the number of people in a particular place at a given time. [0043] In one embodiment, electronically monitoring the physical location of a user includes monitoring mobile sensors of the persons of the network. These mobile sensors can perform at least one of the following: sense relative signal strength, count steps, determine average stride, monitor direction, detect vertical movement, monitor speed, monitor location, monitor speed and location relative to other persons, monitor whether a person is stationary and for how long, determine elevation and vertical movement, and the like.

[0044] In some embodiments, electronically monitoring the physical location includes monitoring relative strength of signals from global positioning system

transmitters, magnetic fields, sounds heard on microphones, and images from cameras, all located at known places within the specified location.

[0045] In some embodiments, electronically monitoring the physical locations includes determining the signal strength at mobile devices of the persons of the network who have entered the specified location of signals transmitted from known transmitters. Triangulation may be used when the location of transmitters is known. By knowing the relative signal strength of each transmitter, the spot where a user is standing can be ascertained. Any type of signal or transmitter may be used, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi, Cell ID, Bluetooth®, or NFC etc. In a similar manner, magnetic fields may be used to determine location. [0046] In some embodiments, microphones and cameras are set at known places at a specified location. If they pick up sounds or images of a person, then the systems know the person is at the location where that microphone and/or camera is located.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 14, in some embodiments, the system monitors a network of persons 1410 at a specified location 1400, in this case a retail location, using security cameras 1401 , microphone 1402, and magnetometer 1403. The combination of signals gathered by these sensors and relayed to and interpreted by the system allows persons 1410 to be located relative to those sensors, and because the geographic locations of the sensors are known to the system, the geographic locations of persons 1410 become known. By use of electronic monitoring it is possible to know if a person is in a specified location, as well as where each person is located with the specified location. [0048] In some embodiments, the system electronically monitors the physical locations and movement of mobile devices of the persons of the network who have entered the specified location. Smart phones, for example, have the ability to track a person's motion with respect to speed, direction and elevation. Speed of a user can be measured in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the system counts the steps taken by a user. Since the system is continually monitoring location, steps, and direction of a user, it necessarily knows the stride length of the user. In some embodiments, the system has analyzed a user's steps in a plurality of environments and may thus infer from a user's steps the environment in which the user is currently in and also determine a user's location.

[0049] Monitoring vertical movement is also important in order to define stairways, elevators, escalators, and the like. In some embodiments, electronically monitoring elevation includes counting and monitoring steps on a stair way and vertical motion in elevators or escalators. Hence a person's upward (or downward) movement from one floor to another may be recognized as a change in elevation.

[0050] In some embodiments, continually monitors physical locations of the persons of the network by accessing the GPS module (or similar technology) in the person's personal mobile device at certain time intervals the system determines the locations of the persons in the network. In some embodiments, this checking may be done at least every 30 seconds, at least every minute, at least every 10 minutes, at least every hour, or at any other desired interval. The checking is done at regular intervals that are short enough in time so that the system knows and can track where people are.

[0051] By knowing the place to be monitored and the location of all persons in the network, the system can then identify when persons of the network enter or leave the specified location. Once a person's location coincides with the specified location, the system can indicate that person is inside the specified location. Similarly, when a person's location no longer coincides with the specified location, the system can indicate that person has left the specified location. By knowing the relative number of persons who entered and exited the specified location, it is possible for the system to maintain in real- time an electronic log of persons in the specified location and of the number of persons in the specified location at that point in time. [0052] This electronic log may be used for many different purposes. In some embodiments, the location information will serve to facilitate affecting safety and security procedures. For example, government agencies may use it to determine population density and thereby develop evacuation plans. In some embodiments, users may use the location data to know how crowded a specified location is, so those users can better decide when to visit or use certain facilities at that specified location.

[0053] Another aspect of the present disclosure is electronically monitoring the physical locations within the specified location of the persons of the network that have entered the specified location. In other words, the system knows where in the mall each person is. Joe may be at a sporting goods store, Moshe may be at a book store, Sarah may be at Macy's, and John at the food court. In this way people can determine which stores or places are busy and which ones are not so busy. As described above, users can base their plans on which stores or places are busy and at which times.

[0054] In some embodiments, electronically monitoring the physical locations of persons within the specified location includes indicating whether a subject person is moving or standing and for how long. This helps to create a plan of the traffic flow and density within a specified location. For example, if people are moving quickly and steadily, it suggests there is a very little congestion. On the other hand, slow moving people may indicate congestion or window shopping. People standing still may indicate lines or queues. By knowing where people are within the location, as well as the movement of those people, a user can identify lines and other crowd conditions at that location.

[0055] In some embodiments, the system makes the electronic log of people in the specified location and the number of people in the specified location available

electronically to people in the network. This allows people in the network to utilize the information for their own purposes and advantages. In some embodiments, the electronic log for a location is available for view and download by a user. In some embodiments, the electronic log includes customizable data structures which enable the user to view population patterns and movements, as is discussed in greater detail in more specific embodiments throughout this specification. [0056] In some embodiments, the system maintains archival records for past days.

For example, the system maintains an electronic archival record of the real-time electronic log of persons in the specified location and of the number of persons in the specified location for a previously defined amount of time (1 month, 1 year, 1 decade) or for specific days (Black Friday, Christmas Eve, and the like). Further, the archival record is made available electronically to persons in the network. By this means, people can observe patterns. How busy is the mall on Tuesdays from 10-12 in the morning, for example? What time is good to go to the movies? The people in the network can utilize the archival information to see traffic patterns and to set their own schedules. [0057] In some embodiments, the electronic log of persons in the specified location includes the number of persons in the specified location, the identities of the persons in the specified location, the dates and times of day the persons were present at the specified location, entrance and exit times, an indication of whether a subject person is moving or standing, and for how long the person has been moving and standing. Any other desirable and useful location information may also be included in the log.

[0058] In some embodiments, the system uses the acquired location data to suggest advantageous behaviors to users. In particular, the system may identify an optimum time to visit a place or attend an event based on entries in the electronic log from previous weeks or years, and/or based on the information gathered from the past hour. For example, a person may want to shop at Macy's. The system can tell him the traffic and congestion patterns at Macy's on different days for various times and identify the optimum times to go.

[0059] In some embodiments, the system maintains an electronic calendar characterized in that dates and locations of events are recorded. As discussed above, the calendar may be used by a user to determine when to go to a place. In some embodiments, this electronic calendar may be a universal one for the network or it could be individual ones of the persons of the network. Further the calendar could be for a restaurant or hotel or other facility, characterized in that reservations, check-ins and check-outs are recorded. The calendar allows a user to visualize the optimum time and/or place and/or event based on entries in the electronic log and/or entries in the electronic calendar. [0060] In some embodiments, the system continually monitors substantially all aspects of a user's geographic location. Sensors for ambient conditions, like temperature, humidity, etc., are not uncommon features in mobile devices. Cameras are included which can record ambient conditions. There are also voice recorders so the user can verbally identify relevant ambient conditions. In some embodiments, ambient conditions to be monitored include road conditions, weather, precipitation, sunlight, temperature, wind conditions, speed and direction, barometric pressure, and/or visibility.

[0061] According to some embodiments, after monitoring and obtaining data, the system records data about the monitored geographic locations, motion and ambient conditions of the person and processes the data to provide further information regarding the specified location to other users and define a profile of the person and/or provide further information regarding the specified location to other users.

[0062] In one embodiment, an electronic system for maintaining motion data about a person, includes: a subject person having a device for determining physical location and sensing changes in physical location and ambient conditions; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring physical locations of the person; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring motion of the person; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring ambient conditions affecting the person; software executing on a computer readable medium for maintaining a database of the monitored geographic locations, motion and ambient conditions of the person; computer readable storage for recording data about the monitored geographic locations, motion, and ambient conditions of the person; and software executing on a computer readable medium for defining a profile of the person. In some embodiments, mobile phone includes applications for sensors to monitor ambient conditions such as carbon monoxide, air quality, other gas leaks, environmental temperature, body temperature, weather, barometric pressure, altitude, humidity, proximity to other structures or devices, blood pressure and other vital bodily readings, and the like.

[0063] In some embodiments, the system includes a user profile module which comprises all of the user specific data amassed by the system and used to facilitate the various aspects of the present disclosure. User specific data can be used to build a profile based on the behavior patterns of the user. The system can see when and where a user shops and for how long. The system has information about restaurants, entertainment centers, and the like most frequented by the user, and when. In some embodiments, the user's profile also includes biographic information, past and current location information, past and current ambient condition information, foot stride information (discussed below), personal information (such as personal preferences associated with various activities or applications, financial information), calendar information, and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, places, businesses, and other objects also have profiles, as is discussed below. [0064] As discussed above, a large and growing number of people have a mobile device with GPS capability (or similar technology). Therefore, continually monitoring physical location of a person may be as simple as monitoring the physical location of the person's mobile device.

[0065] In some embodiments, the profile is representative of a person's motion activity and is based on a person's movements at certain dates, times and ambient conditions. In some embodiments, the profile includes information about the person's stride behaviors (discussed below) as calculated by the system.

[0066] This profile can then be used for any number of purposes. For example, by knowing a person's activities and routines, governmental agencies can develop better services for people. Private companies can also establish services based on the aggregate motion activities derived from analysis of a large cross-section of profiles.

[0067] Another exemplary use is for increased bus service. If the profiles of people living in a certain area show that a large number of residents travel a certain route at a certain time of day, then increased bus service can be arranged during relevant hours. Conversely, if travel is light at certain hours, decreased bus services may be indicated.

[0068] In another example, these profiles may show that people like to eat at certain times, shop at other times and attend concerts and see movies at still other times. These establishments can therefore schedule various events around these peak crowds. It also enables government agencies to have appropriate support services at required times. For example, police, paramedics, and ambulances can be on hand for increased crowds for concerts.

[0069] In some embodiments, profiles are enhanced by recording data about a person's behavior at a specified location. Similarly, there also can be recording data about what kind of people are near the person at each location.

[0070] In some embodiments, mobile phone has added hardware features that enable the system to identify the context in which those mobile devices are used, like location, activity, and environment.

[0071] Any suitable recording module and memory storage array may be used to record and store the data.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the electronic method of mapping a specified location includes the steps of creating 300 an electronic network of persons for the transmission and sharing of information, each person of the network having means for determining global location; defining 310 a specified location to be mapped; continually monitoring 320 geographic locations of the persons of the network; identifying 330 persons of the network who enter the specified location; electronically monitoring 340 the physical location within the specified location of persons of the network who have entered the specified location, characterized in that electronically monitoring the physical location including monitoring the direction, elevation, footsteps, distance, time and speed that each person travels; and creating 350 a map of the specified location based on traffic patterns of persons of the network who have entered the specified location electronically.

[0073] In some embodiments, the present disclosure allows mapping of a defined space by electronically monitoring the motion of persons within the space. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the system includes a network of people, characterized in that each person has a personal mobile device. The particular place to be mapped is specified and then people who enter that place are identified. In some embodiments, the specified location to be mapped is indoors. In some embodiments, the specified location to be mapped is outdoors. [0074] There is any number of ways to determine when a person enters a place, and when the exterior of a location is defined, the mapping of an interior may begin. In some embodiments, the system recognizes that a person's coordinates coincide with the coordinates of a predefined entrance. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the system recognizes a relative weakening or strengthening of a GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cell ID, or NFC signal as an indicator that the person has entered or left the interior of a specified location. In some embodiments, the system recognizes a tendency of a signal to weaken at a certain location of a specified location and identifies that location as an entrance/exit on the map. [0075] There are a myriad of hardware modules that may be utilized in personal mobile devices to track motion. Once a person is within a specified location, his path is monitored electronically. Among other parameters, the electronic monitoring includes direction, elevation, distance and speed that each person travels. This data is compiled for all the people of the network who enter the specified location. In view of the fact that all people of the network are continually being monitored, a body of data is collected and continually supplemented and updated. Then, the data is analyzed and a map of the specified location's physical features is created by compiling data about where people moved, did not move, and the characteristics of that movement. For example, after analyzing hundreds and thousands of pathways taken by the persons of a network, the system may recognize that no person ever traveled more than 100 meters from a front entrance of a mall. The system could then define that boundary as the wall at the rear of the mall. Each store, walkway, and other floor level structural feature may be thus defined by analyzing what geographic locations have been occupied by a person and those geographic locations that have not been occupied. Multiple levels of a structure can be identified by tracking the altitude of the person while also tracking their geographic location. Features such as elevators, stairs, walkways, and ramps can be identified by monitoring the trends in altitude change for persons of a network at certain geographical locations. As the data is continually being updated and supplemented, the map evolves and becomes more detailed as more data is compiled and utilized. [0076] In some embodiments, footsteps of the persons of the network are counted and the system can determine a person's stride. Electronically determining the length of an average stride includes utilizing a global positioning system to determine the number of steps taken over a specified distance. In some embodiments, the mobile device includes a pedometer.

[0077] Once the system knows the stride length of a person of the network, in situations where it is necessary, the system can monitor location of a person simply based on counting steps.

[0078] In these embodiments, it is possible to monitor the movement of people based on steps, speed, and/or elevation recorded by their mobile devices. Generally speaking, a person's stride length is longer the faster he walks and shorter the slower he walks. As mentioned, the system is continually monitoring various parameters, thus the system can infer not only stride length and location based on measured step rate, but environmental conditions as well.

[0079] Stride length is defined as the average length covered by a step, that is, the distance between a user's right and left foot (and vice-a- versa) contacting the ground.

[0080] The average stride length for a person varies from about 2 feet to about 3 feet. It depends on many factors, such as height, age, sex, weight, speed, inclination or elevation, and weather. Hence, different sources identify the average length as 2.2 feet, 2.5 feet, and even 3 feet.

[0081] The traditional way of finding out a person's stride length is simply taking ten steps, measuring the length, and dividing that by 10. For greater accuracy, more steps could be taken, such as 20, 50, or 100 steps.

[0082] Many factors can affect the stride length. Is the person strolling or walking briskly? A man or a woman? Young or old? Short or tall? Long legs or short? All those things, and others, will affect an individual's stride and, therefore, the average stride length. Even for a single individual, the stride length is not very constant, since the type of shoe worn or the surface being walked on may affect each step.

[0083] In some embodiments a person's geographic location is continually electronically monitored and a person's stride length, based on distance, footsteps, and time is determined and updated. [0084] In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to an electronic system for determining the length of a person's foot stride including a subject person having a mobile device for determining global location; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring geographic location, footsteps, distance, and velocity of a person; software executing on a computer readable medium for recording data about the monitored geographic locations, footsteps, distance, and velocities of the person; software executing on a computer readable medium for determining a foot stride of the person, based on distance covered and number of footsteps; and software executing on a computer readable medium for determining a period of time for the foot stride, based on distance, number of footsteps, and velocities of the person.

[0085] The system continually monitors the subject's geographic location, and records relevant data, such as, footsteps, distance, and time. Based on this information, stride length is determined as by dividing the distance by the number of steps.

[0086] As discussed above, in some embodiments, the system continually determines a person's foot stride.

[0087] In view of the fact that the system is continually monitoring the physical location, the stride length can be continually updated in real-time. This affords the ability to know the expected stride length at any point in time.

[0088] The system determines a duration of time for the foot stride, based on distance, number of footsteps or a person's previous movements and the conditions during those movements.

[0089] Therefore, since at any point in time, the duration of the stride is known and the length of the foot stride is known, if a person knows the elapsed time and the number of footsteps, the distance traveled in that time can be calculated. [0090] Accordingly, the system can determine a traveled distance based on elapsed time, foot stride and number of footsteps.

[0091] A foot stride is affected by several different conditions. If a person is hurrying, he walks faster and his stride is long. Conversely, if he is window shopping or strolling, he tends to walk slower and his stride may be shorter. [0092] In some embodiments, weather plays a role in the length of a user's stride.

If it is raining a person may be walking faster to escape the rain or may be walking slower due to slippery conditions.

[0093] The inclination and elevation of the walkway also affect stride length. If a person is walking up a steep hill, his speed will be slower and his stride length shorter than if he is walking on a flat walkway.

[0094] That the system can determine a person's foot stride for different speeds and conditions and relay that inclination to a user is advantageous. For example, foot stride can be determined for when a person is rushing as compared to when he is walking more normally. A foot stride for rainy or slippery weather can be calculated.

[0095] In some embodiments, the system maintains a log of a person's foot stride for different conditions such as topographical, environmental, and the like.

[0096] Thus the system can take into account variable walking speeds and/or conditions to determine a traveled distance based on elapsed time, foot stride, and number of footsteps.

[0097] For example, the system may determine that a subject person's normal walking stride is 2.5 feet and the period of the stride is 1.5 seconds. Therefore, in 15 seconds, he takes 10 strides and went 25 feet.

[0098] Further, if it is raining, the subject slows down and has a stride of only 2 feet with a period of 2 seconds. Thus, in the same 15 seconds, he took only 7.5 steps and traveled only 15 feet.

[0099] Even if the duration of the stride is the same, the length of the stride could be different for different conditions. Though the duration of a stride may be the same, the length of the stride may be shorter going up a hill than on a level surface. [0100] Conversely, while the length of the stride may stay the same, the duration of the stride could be different for different conditions. It can take more effort and more time to take a stride uphill, even though the stride length is the same as on a level surface. [0101] The system can determine different stride lengths and durations for hills as distinct from flat walkways, as well as for any other ambient conditions, such as rain, snow, and uneven walk surfaces.

[0102] In some embodiments, the system monitors elevation and inclination of a walkway, and correlates a specific foot stride to a corresponding inclination of the walkway. In other words, it can distinguish stride and period for different hills.

[0103] By including inclination and elevation to the foot step measuring process, the system can determine the foot step size with greater accuracy.

[0104] In some embodiments, all systems and software identified in the present disclosure respond to natural language commands through the use of a natural language processing module. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a form of artificial intelligence. It involves the interactions between computers and human (natural) languages. The purpose of NLP is to enable computers to derive meaning from human or natural language input and to then act based on the natural language input. In some embodiments, the natural language processing module includes a user profile interface, such that natural language commands are first filtered through the user profile module so that the natural language may be correctly applied to a user's personal accounts and take into account a user's preferences.

[0105] Modern NLP algorithms are based on machine learning. The paradigm of machine learning is different from that of most prior attempts at language processing. Prior implementations of language-processing tasks typically involved the direct hand coding of large sets of rules. The machine-learning paradigm calls instead for using general learning algorithms to automatically learn such rules through the analysis of large corpora of typical real-world examples. A corpus (plural, "corpora") is a set of documents (or sometimes, individual sentences) that have been hand-annotated with the correct values to be learned. Generally NLP is at the point where a computer (software) can respond to a natural language (NL) command or instruction. The NL instruction may be "what is the weather today," and the NLP system can understand and process that instruction and provide information on the weather. [0106] In other words, the current utilizations of NLP operate in response to the specific NL statement/command.

[0107] The problem with these NLP systems is that they operate at only a first level of interpretation. A spoken or written word is processed and then entered into subsequent software to find information related to that word, such as through use of a search engine.

[0108] However, prior art systems cannot find a solution to a natural language input and then offer or activate a service relevant to it. For example, if a user inputs "my toilet is leaking," prior art NLP will direct a user to a definition of those terms or maybe it will give a user a list of plumbers. What it cannot do is actually contact the plumber since a user did not specifically say "get me a plumber." The NLP system of the present disclosure parses and interprets the natural language words to find and activate a solution based on these words.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a method of providing services to a person in response to a natural language statement including the steps of entering 500 a natural language statement into a mobile device; parsing 501 the natural language statement to determine a literal meaning of the natural language statement by means of a processer associated with the mobile device; secondary parsing 502 of the literal meaning of the natural language statement to determine a service required by the person by means of an interpreting device associated with the mobile device; and offering 503 the service to the person. In some embodiments, the service is actually provided.

[0110] In some embodiments, the mobile device utilizes and/or generates various different types of data and/or other types of information when performing specific tasks and/or operations. This may include, for example, input data/information and/or output data/information. For example, in at least one embodiment, it may be operable to access, process, and/or otherwise utilize information from one or more different types of sources, such as, for example, one or more local and/or remote memories, devices and/or systems. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, it may generate one or more different types of output data/ information, which, for example, may be stored in memory of one or more local and/or remote devices and/or systems. In some embodiments, the NLP module takes into account current location and ambient condition information when analyzing and responding to NLP. In some embodiments, the NLP module takes into account events identified in a user's calendar when analyzing and responding to NLP. For example, in response to an input of "I need to buy milk", the system determines whether a user is in a grocery store. If the user is not in a grocery store, the system will direct the user to the nearest grocery store. If the user is in a grocery store, the system will direct the user to the aisle where the milk is. Additionally, should a user input "I need a hotel tonight", the system will check a user's electronic calendar to determine whether the user has a trip planned to a location different from the user's current location. If so, the system proceeds as if the user desired a hotel room at that different location. If no trip is found, the system proceeds as if the user needs a hotel room in the area where the request was made.

[0111] To facilitate NLP, there is the parsing of text input into semantic structures representing the possible parses. After input is received, this input is matched against words and phrases using pattern recognizers, vocabulary databases, ontologies and other models, so as to identify associations between the user input and concepts and to determine the literal meaning of the input. This generates a set of candidate syntactic parses, which are matched for semantic relevance to produce candidate semantic parses. Candidate parses are then processed to remove ambiguous alternatives, filtered and sorted by relevance, and returned. Throughout natural language processing, contextual information can be applied to reduce the hypothesis space and constrain possible parses. Data from application preferences and usage history, dialog history and memory, and/or personal databases can also be used by language interpreter in generating candidate syntactic parses. Such data can be obtained, for example, from short- and/or long-term memory. In this manner, input that was provided previously in the same session, and/or known information about the user, can be used to improve performance, reduce ambiguity, and reinforce the conversational nature of the interaction. Data from active ontology, domain models, and task flow models can also be used, to implement evidential reasoning in determining valid candidate syntactic parses.

[0112] In semantic matching, the language interpreter considers combinations of possible parse results according to how well they fit semantic models such as domain models and databases. Semantic matching may use data from, for example, active ontology, short term personal memory, and long term personal memory. For example, semantic matching may use data from previous references to venues or local events in the dialog (from dialog history and assistant memory) or personal favorite venues (from application preferences and usage history). Semantic matching step also uses context to interpret phrases into domain intent structures. A set of candidate, or potential, semantic parse results is generated.

[0113] Disambiguation involves reducing the number of candidate semantic parse by eliminating unlikely or redundant alternatives. In a disambiguation step, a language interpreter weighs the evidential strength of candidate semantic parse results.

Disambiguation may use data from, for example, the structure of active ontology. In at least one embodiment, the connections between nodes in an active ontology provide evidential support for disambiguating among candidate semantic parse results. In one embodiment, context is used to assist in such disambiguation. Examples of such disambiguation include: determining one of several people having the same name;

determining a referent to a command such as "reply" (email or text message); pronoun dereferencing.

[0114] In some embodiments, once the system has the basic literal meaning of the natural language statement, the system goes one step further and interprets the statement and figures out what the user needs. By way of example, when the NLP statement is "my toilet is broken," the system understands that it needs to call a plumber for a user and then initiates a call to a plumber. In some embodiments, the service is automatically provided. In some embodiments, the system is granted access to the personal accounts and person information of the user's profile from which to provide responses to natural language commands. For example, a user may input "what is my account balance", in response to which the system accesses information associated with the user's bank account and reports it to the user. In some embodiments, the system is granted access to other user's accounts such that natural language inputs may interact with those accounts. For example, a user may input "tell Sara to pick up milk on Friday," and the system will update an electronic calendar curated by Sara to include a reminder on Friday to buy milk.

[0115] In some embodiments, the system offers a service authorization prompt to the user. In some embodiments, this is facilitated through a pop-up window on the mobile device. For example, the authorization prompt may ask the user "do a user want me to provide the service". The user can then select an e-button or icon and the system provides or does not provide the service depending on if the service is authorized. In some embodiments, a time delay is built into the authorization prompt. If the user does not override in a certain amount of time, the service is provided or the service is not provided depending on user defined preferences. Thus providing a service to a user can be done automatically without active participation by the person.

[0116] Second parsing step 502 is used to ascertain what the user needs. When a person says "my toilet" is overflowing, the system has to go beyond the literal meaning and understand a plumber has to be called. Similarly, when a person says I have a business meeting in London on Monday, the system has to process this information and understand what was unsaid, namely "get me a plane ticket and a hotel reservation."

[0117] In some embodiments, the system opens a calendar entry window within a calendar application in response to the NL statement. In some embodiments, the system automatically creates a Task or electronic calendar entry based on the NL statement. For example, based on the NL statement, the program will understand that the user has a certain project to do - like fix a plumbing problem. Therefore, a Task may be created to remind the user that this project has to be done. In another context, the program will understand from interpreting the NL statement that there is a meeting at a certain time and place. It can, therefore, make a suitable entry on the electronic calendar. Creating a Task or an e-calendar entry requires interpretation of the basic literal meaning of the NL statement. Obviously NLP can generate such entries if the NL statement is clear like "Create a Task entry" or "make an e-calendar entry." Standard NLP cannot do this if the NL statement is not explicit. It may require interpretation and additional processing of the literal meaning of the NL statement to make such entries. This is the improvement of the herein system over conventional NLP.

[0118] In some embodiments, the system opens an e-mail or IM application in response to NLP. The system infers from context who to open a message to. For example, in response to the input "what time is the movie tonight," the system opens the conversation with friends attending the movie with you. In response to the input "should we throw a party for Sara's husband," the system generates pop-up windows about either booking a party venue and issuing invitations to invitees, or sending a communication to Sara.

[0119] It may thus be appreciated that the system of the present disclosure can thus work with any device generating a natural language statement. Further, the natural language statement can be either text, audio or visual or a combination thereof.

[0120] In some embodiments, the system further includes an instant messaging module that allows users of the network to communicate with others within the network or outside of the network. IM is a type of online chat which offers real-time text

transmission over the Internet. Short messages are typically transmitted between parties, when a user chooses to complete a thought and selects "send." IM differs from other technologies, such as email, due to the perceived quasi-synchrony and threading of the communications. IM allows effective and efficient communication between people, by allowing an immediate receipt of an acknowledgment or a reply.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the system facilitates a method for replying to instant messages including the steps of: providing 600 an interface for exchanging instant messages for a communication thread characterized by an instant messaging conversation, the communication thread including a plurality of instant messages in chronological order; designating 601 relevant text in the communication thread; composing 602 a reply to an instant message in the communication thread;

attaching 603 the designated relevant text to the reply; and sending 604 the reply.

[0122] In some embodiments, the system provides an interface for exchanging instant messages on a user's mobile device. As currently utilized IM is a continuous series of messages in real-time. IM works by replying to the whole string of IM communications and selected text cannot be replied to. Therefore, the improvement to the normal system of replying is the ability to attach just the relevant IM text and not (as is now done) the entire IM thread in order.

[0123] Further, a user cannot filter out (or mute) certain of the participants. As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the method for engaging in an IM conversation includes the steps of: providing 700 an interface for exchanging instant messages for a communication thread characterized by an instant messaging conversation, the communication thread including a plurality of instant messages in chronological order; and filtering out 701 at least one participant in the instant message conversation during an instant message conversation.

[0124] Currently IM protocols allow a user to include as many participants as a user desires when in IM conversation is created. During the IM conversation, however, a user cannot mute the conversation with respect to one or more of the participants.

[0125] In some embodiments, certain designated participants cannot contribute to the IM conversation and cannot see the IM conversation between the other parties.

[0126] According to some embodiments, the filtering is for a designated time. A user may filter or mute for 30 seconds, a minute, a day, etc., or maybe just while one particular person is "speaking."

[0127] In another embodiment, after that period of time, the filtering is canceled and the instant message conversation with all participants resumes. This allows the filtering to be discontinued and for the participant to be able to fully participate again in the entire IM conversation.

[0128] In some embodiments, the system requires authorization from a second user to initiate communication with a first user. In some embodiments, authorization is given by the second user through a method characterized by the steps of seeing a person (or place or thing), taking a picture (or a scan of some identifying feature), sending the picture (or scan) to a central server which links the picture (or scan) to a profile of that person, and then sending an electronic communication to the person to see if they want to

communicate and/or share information with the person who saw them.

[0129] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the method of obtaining information about a subject, includes the steps of: creating 800 a file of information relating to a subject and storing it in a universally accessible electronic location; entering 801 an electronic identifier into the file of information; obtaining 802 an electronic identifier of an unknown subject; sending 803 the electronic identifier of the unknown subject to the universally accessible electronic location; locating 804 the file of information of the unknown subject; sending 805 an electronic message from the universally accessible electronic location to determine if the file of information should be made available to the interested person; and, preventing 806 access to the interested person of the file of information relating to the subject until a determination is made that the interested person can have access to the file of information. [0130] In some embodiments, electronic authentication capability is provided to the mobile devices of at least one user of the system. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, the present disclosure is directed to a method of maintaining security including the steps of: storing 900 an electronic identifier of a subject person in a universally accessible electronic location; obtaining 901 an electronic identifier of a user; comparing 902 the electronic identifier of the user to the electronic identifier of the subject person; permitting 903 access to a designated electronic medium if the electronic identifier of the user matches the electronic identifier of the subject person; continually obtaining 904 an electronic identifier of a user and continually comparing the electronic identifier of the user to the electronic identifier of the subject person; and disabling 905 the electronic medium if the electronic identifier of the user no longer matches the electronic identifier of the subject person.

[0131] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the present disclosure is directed to a method of temporarily changing the user of an mobile device including the steps of: applying 1000 an electronic identifier of a user to an mobile device; identifying 1001 all electronic communications to and/or from the mobile device as being related to the user while the electronic identifier of the user is in use by the mobile device;

discontinuing 1002 use of the electronic identifier of the user from the mobile device; and reverting 1003 the mobile device back to an initial communication status upon discontinuing the electronic identifier of the user from the mobile device. [0132] As discussed above, each person, place, business or thing has a profile comprised of data. Any type of data may be included in this profile, such as biographic data (phone, email, address, birthday, etc.), photographic data, audio and/or audio/video data, financial, credit, other personal data, and the like.

[0133] In some embodiments, the profile has an electronic identifier. In some embodiments, the electronic identifier is a PIN number, a photograph, a likeness of the subject person, place, business, or thing, a voice signature, a biometric reading, a scan of any recognizable visible characteristic of the subject, such as a finger print, palm print, iris/eye scan, facial recognition scans, or some other identifying feature defined by the owner of the profile. The electronic identifier can include means for identifying individuals based on personal characteristics. [0134] This embodiment may best be described through the following example. A user is walking down the street and sees an individual they would like to meet, but the user does not know who the person is. Using the user's mobile device, a picture of the subject person is taken. The picture (as the electronic identifier) is sent to a central server (or cloud storage or website) where the picture is matched with stored electronic identifiers until a personal profile matching that picture is identified.

[0135] The server then prompts the subject person to inquire whether they would be interested in making contact with the user. In some embodiments, communications are then established between the user and the individual. In some embodiments, access by the user to the person's profile is permitted. [0136] In some embodiments, electronic identifiers are obtained via cameras, fingerprint scanners, palm print scanners, iris/eye scanners, facial recognition scanners, voice scanners, bar/QR code scanners, biometric scanners, infra-red scanners, other types of advanced optical scans, and the like and combinations thereof.

[0137] This allows a user to start communications with an unknown individual. The individual is still protected from intrusion, however, and privacy is maintained, because the user does not have the individual's contact information. While the server is sending an electronic message to the individual, a copy is not sent to the user. Further, access to the individual's profile is blocked until the individual specifically authorizes it.

[0138] The individual then determines if the profile should be made available to the interested person. Upon receiving authorization, the profile of information of the subject person is made available to the interested person. In some embodiments, the subject person provides authorization to view a subset of the information stored in the user profile module. In some embodiments, the subject person provides authorization to view the entirety of the information stored in the user profile module. [0139] As discussed above with respect to FIG. 9, the system of the present disclosure may be used for security purposes. In some embodiments, the improvement over known systems is that the electronic identifier not only has to match in order to access an electrical medium, but the electronic identifier must continue to match in order to maintain access.

[0140] In some embodiments, the electronic medium is an electric appliance selected from the group consisting of: a computer, a smart phone, a motor vehicle, a printer, a facsimile machine, a photocopier, and the like. In some embodiments, the electronic medium is selected from the group consisting of: an electronic file, an electronic communication, a website, an Internet portal, a network, an email, an IM, and the like.

[0141] In order to operate the electronic medium, a user has to verify the electronic identifier and keep verifying it. If the user leaves the electronic medium after it was accessed, a next user cannot then go and use it unless that next user has the same electronic identifier.

[0142] In some embodiments, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 10, the method of temporarily changing a user allows anyone to use any device, but all incoming and outgoing communications identify the temporary user of the device as opposed to the normal user of the device. For example, Moshe can go to Yossi's computer and enter his electronic identifier. While this identifier is in use, the device will show Moshe as the sender of any emails instead of Yossi although it is Yossi's device. When Moshe's identifier is removed, the device reverts to its original state and shows Yossi as the user.

[0143] In some embodiments, while the electronic identifier of the user is in use by the electronic device, only the temporary user accesses electronic communications designated for the temporary user of the electronic device. This prevents the normal user from seeing the confidential communications of the temporary user.

[0144] Therefore, the method blocks all persons other than the user from accessing the electronic communications designated for the user. In some embodiments, the electronic identifier is stored in the universally accessible electronic location. In some embodiments, the electronic identifier is stored locally on the electronic device. [0145] In some embodiments, the electronic identifier of a user is applied to an electronic device for a predefined period of time. For example, access for a temporary user remains valid for a fixed time after first authorization, such as a minute, an hour, a day, etc. In some embodiments, the user may set any desired time frame. [0146] In some embodiments, the system continuously monitors that the electronic identifier is being applied to the electronic device. When the electronic identifier is no longer being applied to the electronic device, the electronic device reverts back to an initial communication status. In this manner, as soon as the identifier of the temporary user is no longer associated with the device, the device reverts back to its usual user. [0147] As shown in FIG. 11 , in some embodiments, the location based data collected by the system described herein is used in a method of assessing accessibility of parking spaces, including the steps of: creating 1100 an electronic network of persons for the transmission and sharing of information, each person of this network having means for determining global location; continually monitoring 1 101 physical locations of motor vehicles within which these persons of the network are traveling; recording 1 102 when these motor vehicles enter a parking area; recording 1103 when these motor vehicles park in the parking area; recording 1104 a distance within the parking area that each motor vehicle travels until it parks in the parking area; recording 1 105 direction of travel within the parking area of each motor vehicle until it parks in the parking area; and developing 1106 a profile of accessibility of this parking area based on the distance within the parking area and the direction of travel.

[0148] In some embodiments, a GPS enabled electronic device is with the driver and/or passenger of the motor vehicle. In some embodiments, the motor vehicle itself is GPS enabled. [0149] In some embodiments, the motor vehicle is any type of vehicle in which a user may be traveling, including, cars, trucks, motorcycles, campers, recreational vehicles, vans, buses, and the like.

[0150] In some embodiments, the distance within the parking area that each motor vehicle travels until it parks in the parking area is recorded. [0151] In some embodiments, the direction of travel within the parking area of each motor vehicle until it parks in the parking area is recorded.

[0152] Based on the distance within the parking area and the direction of travel, a profile of accessibility of this parking area can be developed. [0153] Therefore, the system is providing more relevant information than just the time it takes to park the car. It is telling a user that prior users had to travel up and down many parking rows to find a spot. Further, it tells a user that prior users traveled a 1/2 mile or just a tenth of a mile to find that spot. Often this information is more relevant that just knowing time. [0154] Prior art navigation services may tell a user that it took only 30 seconds to park, but that may be illusory because a user had to travel all across the entire mall in that time to find an open parking spot. Alternatively, a prior art system may say it took 10 minutes to find a spot, but a user traveled only 20 feet, because a user were able to wait and get a spot at the beginning of the parking area. The present system advantageously gives a user an idea of where other users have had to park and how far/long those other users needed to search for a parking space.

[0155] According to some embodiments, the system records the time it took for the motor vehicle to park in the parking area from the time it entered the parking area.

[0156] Further, in some embodiments, the system records when the motor vehicles leave parking spots in the parking area. This will help to determine turn over in the parking area.

[0157] In some embodiments, the system also includes how close (or how far) a user had to park form the location that is of interest. In some embodiments, a parking profile for a specified location is made accessible to a user. The parking profile includes the time to get a parking places, distances traveled before finding a parking space, proximity of the parking space to the specified location, turnover rate of vehicles at the specified location, estimated availability of the parking spaces, types of parking spaces available, total number of spaces, and combinations thereof and the like. [0158] In some embodiments, the system makes the profile of parking accessibility available to persons of the network. Therefore, they are available to obtain the data and know how easy (or hard) it will be to obtain parking in a particular parking area.

[0159] It is misleading to a user to only know that a prior user took 30 seconds to park if that user then had to walk 100 meters or more to get from his car to the specified location.

[0160] Therefore, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, the present disclosure is directed to a method of assessing accessibility of parking spaces including the steps of: creating 1200 an electronic network of persons for the transmission and sharing of information, each person of the network having means for determining global location; recording 1201 a geographic location of at least one person of the network when he parks a motor vehicle in a parking area; recording 1202 a geographic location of at least one person of the network when he enters a business establishment in proximity to the parking area; recording 1203 a distance that this person traveled between the geographic location when he parked his motor vehicle and the geographic location when he enters a business establishment in proximity to the parking area; and developing 1204 a profile of accessibility of the parking area based on the distance that this person traveled between the geographic location when he parked his car and the geographic location when he enters a business establishment in proximity to the parking area. [0161] Another important piece of information is how many times the car passed the destination before the person was able to park. The driver may want to know if it will be necessary to circle around the store 5 or 10 times before he finds a parking sport or whether he can find a sport within 1 or 2 passes around the store.

[0162] These parking profiles are kept in the system and the persons in the network may refer to them at any time. For example, a person may review the profile to see how the parking is at Macy's on Tuesday afternoons. He may find that on Wednesday afternoons, a user has to travel much less to find parking, so he changes his plans and goes on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. The profile may show mornings or evenings are better.

[0163] One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method to monitor a specified location, said electronic method characterized by the steps of: creating a network of persons capable of transmitting and sharing information, each person of said network having an electronic device that transmits a global location signal corresponding to a global location of said person of said network; defining said specified location to be monitored; continually monitoring said global location signals of said persons of said network; identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location; electronically monitoring the physical location within said specified location of persons of said network who have entered said specified location, said electronically monitoring the physical location including one or more of monitoring the direction, elevation, footsteps, distance, time and speed that each person travels; and based on traffic patterns of persons of said network who have entered said specified location, electronically creating a map of said specified location.

2. The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 1 , characterized in that the step of identifying said person of said network who enters said specified location includes at least one of the following steps: recording a weakening of said global location signal at said specified location; or confirming a match between said global location signal and said specified location.

The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 1 characterized in that the step of electronically monitoring the physical location within said specified location of persons of said network who have entered said specified location includes the steps of: providing a plurality of sensors within said specified location capable of identifying the distance between them and each electronic device based on an identified signal strength; identifying the signal strength of the electronic device at at least one of said plurality of sensors; and identifying a location of said person based on the identified signal strength.

The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 3, characterized in that the plurality of sensors are selected from the group consisting of: global positioning system sensors, Wi-Fi sensors, Bluetooth® sensors, Cell ID sensors, near field communication sensors, magnetometers, cameras, microphones, and combinations thereof.

A method to monitor a specified location, said method characterized by the steps of: creating a network of persons capable of transmitting and sharing of information, each person of said network having an electronic device that transmits a global location signal corresponding to a global location of said person of said network; defining said specified location to be monitored; continually monitoring geographic locations of said electronic devices of said persons of said network; identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location when said electronic device of said person enters said specified location; identifying persons of said network who exit said specified location when said electronic device of said person exits said specified location; and maintaining in real-time an electronic log of persons in said specified location and of the number of persons in said specified location at a point in time.

The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 5, said electronic method further characterized by the steps of: continually monitoring the physical locations of said electronic devices within said specified location of each person in said network; and creating an electronic archival record of the physical locations of each person in said network, including whether said person was moving or standing and for how each person was moving or standing.

The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 6, characterized in that the step of continually monitoring the physical location of said electronic devices includes the steps of: providing a plurality of sensors within said specified location capable of identifying the distance between them and each electronic device based on an identified signal strength; identifying the signal strength of the electronic device at at least one of said plurality of sensors; and identifying a location of said person based on the identified signal strength.

8. The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 7, characterized in that the plurality of sensors are selected from the group consisting of: global positioning system sensors, Wi-Fi sensors, Bluetooth® sensors, Cell ID sensors, near field communication sensors, magnetometers, cameras, microphones, and combinations thereof.

9. The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 6, characterized in that said archival record summarizes the activity of said network of persons at said specified location for a specified date and/or time and is downloadable by said persons of said network.

10. The method to monitor a specified location according to claim 5, characterized in that the steps of identifying persons of said network who enter said specified location when said electronic device of said person enters said specified location and identifying persons of said network who exit said specified location when said electronic device of said person exits said specified location include at least one of the following steps: recording a weakening and then subsequent strengthening of said global location signal at said specified location; or confirming a match between said global location signal and said specified location and identifying when said global location signal and said specified location no longer match.

11. A system for obtaining and utilizing location-based data of a specified location characterized by: a network of persons having electronic devices; a global positioning module for determining the physical location of said electronic devices; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring physical locations of the person through the global positioning module; software executing on a computer readable medium for continually monitoring motion of the person within said specified location through the global positioning module; and at least one database in communication with said electronic devices, said database characterized by, for a defined period of time, an electronic log of said physical locations occupied by said person in the specified location.

12. The system for obtaining and utilizing location-based data of a specified location according to claim 11 , characterized in that said specified location comprises at least one sensor for identifying a distance between it and said electronic device.

13. .The system for obtaining and utilizing location based data of a specified location according to claim 12, characterized in that the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of: global positioning system sensors, Wi-Fi sensors, Bluetooth® sensors, Cell ID sensors, near field communication sensors, magnetometers, cameras, microphones, and combinations thereof.

14. The system for obtaining and utilizing location based data of a specified location according to claim 11 , characterized in that said electronic log further

characterized by a number of persons within said specified location.