(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0111172 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Aug. 15, 2002
`DeWolf et al.
`
`US 20020111172A1
`
`(54) LOCATION BASED PROFILING
`
`Publication Classi?cation
`
`(76) Inventors: Frederik M. DeWolf, Ithaca, NY (US);
`Douglas J. Ryder, DoylestoWn, PA
`(US); Charles A. Eldering,
`DoylestoWn, PA (US)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`TECHNOLOGY, PATENTS AND LICENSING,
`INC.
`340 NORTH BROAD STREET
`DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901 (US)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`09/782,962
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Feb. 14, 2001
`
`................................ .. H04Q 7/20
`(51) Int. Cl? .
`(52) U.S. c1. ....................... .. 455/456; 455/414; 455/435;
`342/357.01
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method and system for pro?ling a subscriber based on
`location. A subscriber’s daily activities and locations trav
`eled While partaking in the activities are observed and a
`psychodernographic pro?le is developed from the subscrib
`er’s pattern of activities. The pattern of activities is associ
`ated With a time and a frequency component that is then used
`to predict a subscriber’s activity.
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`Patent Application Publication Aug. 15, 2002 Sheet 1 0f 11
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`Patent Application Publication Aug. 15, 2002 Sheet 2 0f 11
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`Patent Application Publication Aug. 15, 2002 Sheet 8 0f 11
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`US 2002/0111172 A1
`
`Aug. 15, 2002
`
`LOCATION BASED PROFILING
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`[0001] The advent of Wireless communications provides
`the ability for users to communicate from a moving location.
`Wireless communications requires a Wireless device and a
`Wireless netWork. Analog Wireless devices provide the abil
`ity to transmit voice over the Wireless netWork. Digital
`Wireless devices provide the ability to transmit voice and
`data over the Wireless netWork. In fact, the neW digital
`Wireless devices provide access to the Internet.
`
`[0002] The use of Wireless communications enables indi
`viduals to make transactions (either verbal or electronic,
`such as via the Internet) from a mobile location. Many
`transactions performed from a mobile location are indepen
`dent of location. For example, you can talk to a friend or
`business associate, you can order a computer for your of?ce,
`or you can search the Internet for of?ce furniture. Any of
`these activities can be performed Whether you are in Phila
`delphia or Los Angeles or Whether you are at your desk, in
`a car or on a train. These types of transactions are often
`referred to as mobile commerce (M-commerce).
`[0003] HoWever, many mobile transactions require the
`location of the user be knoWn. For example, calling for a toW
`truck to assist your stranded vehicle requires that you knoW
`your location in order for the transaction to be consum
`mated. Furthermore, some transactions require the location
`be knoWn so that the transaction can be routed to the
`appropriate party. For example, services such as the Emer
`gency 911 System, require that the location be knoWn so that
`the Emergency call can be routed to the appropriate call
`center.
`
`[0004] Traditional ?xed position telephones are assigned
`to a speci?c emergency call center. Moreover, the location of
`the call can readily be identi?ed by the caller identi?cation
`(CID) that is mapped to a speci?c physical location in the
`call center’s database. Thus, an appropriate emergency ser
`vices response can be made Without further communication
`from the caller.
`
`[0005] Wireless phones have no ?xed position, therefore
`Without communication from the caller to identify their
`present location an appropriate dispatch (emergency
`response team to the correct location) cannot be made.
`Moreover, the Wireless phone is assigned to a home location
`so that a ‘911’ call is normally routed to the 911 emergency
`center associated With the home location, Which could be on
`the other side of the country. Due to the above noted
`concerns With Wireless phones adequately handling ‘911’
`calls, the government has implemented regulations on it’s
`1996 Telecommunications Act that require cellular service
`providers be able to determine the location of a ‘911’ call
`Within 1/10 mile or 121 meters by Oct. 1, 2001.
`
`[0006] The industry is Working on various alternatives to
`meet the government regulation requiring the service pro
`vider be able to determine a cellular phone’s location. One
`alternative entails determining the location of the Wireless
`device Within the cellular phone netWork by calculating the
`differences in arrival time of the device’s signal at one or
`more antennas in the system. US. Pat. No. 5,890,068
`assigned to Cell-loc discloses one method and US. Pat. No.
`5,999,124 assigned to Snap-Track discloses an alternative
`method.
`
`[0007] An alternative technology that is being developed
`places global positioning satellite (GPS) functionality on a
`chip that is placed in the Wireless device. The GPS chipset
`Would provide the location of the cellular phone in coordi
`nates that can be turned into a location. The GPS data could
`be combined With the caller ID data and forWarded to the
`call center as the emergency call Was placed. Motorola
`disclosed such a GPS chipset in their product literature,
`“Motorola Announces OncoreTM Remote GPS Precision
`Timing Receiver”, printed from the World Wide Web site
`http://WWW.motorola.com/ies/GPS/pressrls/050498.html on
`May 5, 2000.
`
`[0008] The use of GPS systems (GPSS) to determine an
`individual’s location is becoming Wide spread. For example,
`handheld devices have been developed that include a GPS
`receiver to determine an individual’s location and map data
`so that the position of the individual can be displayed on a
`map. US. Pat. No. 5,528,248 assigned to Trimble Naviga
`tion discloses a personal location assistant (PLA), comprised
`of technology suf?cient to determine present position as Well
`as a compass that provides for taking readings of present and
`prior headings. The FLA is capable of receiving a doWn
`loadable map and retaining the map in computer memory.
`The FLA is then capable of providing directional readings,
`determining the devices position in terms of longitude and
`latitude, and overlaying the co-ordinations on a displayed
`digital map. The current heading can also then be displayed
`as an overlay alloWing for highly accurate real time navi
`gation.
`
`[0009] The GPS functionality can be also be found in
`Handspring’s Visor personal digital assistant (PDA) When
`used in combination With a Geode add-on module manu
`factured by GeoDiscovery. The GeodeTM GPS Module is a
`global positioning system that slides into the Springboard
`slot of any Handspring Visor PDA. It Works With Geo
`VieWTM Mobile Palm-based softWare that provides for the
`ability to place any position or location on an interactive
`map. The GeodeTM includes a digital compass that senses the
`direction the unit is headed and orients the map accordingly.
`This is as disclosed on the GeoDiscovery Website, http://
`WWW.geodiscovery.com/geodepp.html, printed May 17,
`2000.
`
`[0010] Another example of the expanding use of this
`technology is the deployment of vehicle navigation systems
`developed for the consumer market. These systems are
`generally found to be of tWo types. The ?rst type is com
`prised of a GPS unit, a compass, a map database, and a user
`interface (visual and/or With a voice interface). The core
`functionality of the system (location determination, and
`relative position on a map) is enhanced by using input from
`the vehicle to provide other relevant data that can be used in
`aiding navigation. This input can be the speed of travel, and
`help in determining if turns (changes in direction) have been
`taken. This type of device is disclosed, US. Pat. No.
`5,862,511 assigned to Magellan.
`
`[0011] The second type of navigation system relies on the
`combination of a GPS unit, a cellular telephone and a call
`center. The position of the vehicle is determined by making
`use of the GPS unit. When a user initiates a session With the
`call center, the GPS unit relays the coordinates to the call
`center via a dedicated cellular telephone. The call center is
`staffed by an operator. The operator is able to vieW a map
`
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`
`With the position of the vehicle displayed on it. The occupant
`of the vehicle is then able to converse With the call center
`operator Who serves as the navigator, giving instructions and
`guidance to the occupant of the vehicle. The product litera
`ture from Onstar, “OnStar Services,” printed from the World
`Wide Web site http://WWW.onstar.com/service/services.htm
`on Jul. 7, 2000 discloses this type of service. This service is
`currently being offered as a dedicated service in vehicles that
`limits its portability and adaptability for use aWay from the
`vehicle.
`[0012] This technology’s primary bene?t has been in
`providing emergency responses to mayday calls from the
`vehicle. With the GPS unit providing the current location, no
`other information is needed to coordinate an emergency
`response. This has been referred to as Automatic Vehicle
`Location (AVL). See Trimble Navigation, Ltd., US. Pat. No.
`USRE035920. Manufacturers of the vehicles have the abil
`ity to enhance this functionality by connecting this commu
`nication channel to the crash protection systems, typically
`airbag circuits, so that in the case of accident, an automatic
`crash noti?cation (ACN) signal can be sent to the call center.
`
`[0013] It has been through a separate set of developments
`that an advertising supported business model can be noW
`applied to Wireless communications. An article from the
`Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, “Dial the Web:
`MobileID Invests in CellPhone Search Engine”, printed
`from the World Wide Web site http://interactive.Wsj.com/
`archive/retrieve.cgi?id=SB964645721139
`838971.djm&template-doclink.tmpl on Jul. 7, 2000, dis
`closes just such a business model. The annoyance of having
`communications interrupted or delayed by advertisements
`and promotions may limit the acceptance of these services.
`[0014] In other recent developments, the capabilities of
`PDA’s have been expanded to provide Wireless access to
`data, notably Palm Computings, Palm VII device and the
`Wireless data service provided by the same company. In
`product literature from Palm, Inc. “Palm’s Web Clipping
`Network”, obtained from the World Wide Web site http://
`WWW.palm.com/pr/palmvii/7Whitepaper.pdf published on
`Jan. 1, 1998 discloses a PDA With Wireless data access. This
`device makes use of a proprietary set of netWork servers to
`‘clip’ data from Web Sites and to prepare the information in
`an appropriate format for devices using the Palm Operating
`System, or the Palm OS. Currently, these netWorks do not
`make use of automatically determining the subscriber’s
`current location in order to deliver appropriate services.
`[0015] Computer protocols have been developed that
`alloW for the transfer of Internet content to cellular tele
`phones. The telephones have evolved to provide for a larger
`display of information. As a subset of WWW protocols,
`Wireless Application Protocol
`enables the conver
`sion of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) or Extensible
`Markup Language (XML) formatted information into a
`thinner more streamlined set of data. WWW Server sites are
`preparing their information to be more suitable for transfer
`to WAP devices. These services are available to the public at
`the present on a limited basis.
`
`[0016] Initial strides have been made in combining the
`delivery of marketing materials to these devices. The prod
`uct literature from GeePS, “GeePS”, printed from the World
`Wide Web site http://WWW.geeps.com/technol.htm on May
`27, 2000 discloses just the same service. Avariation on this
`
`service is disclosed in product literature from Vicinity, “The
`Vicinity Business Finder”, printed from the World Wide
`Web site http://WWW.vicinity.com/vicinity/datasheets/?nder
`.pdf on Jul. 24, 2000. These services are not ubiquitous and
`at the present have limited appeal either to consumers or
`retailers.
`
`[0017] Pure proximity based services are not necessarily
`of signi?cant value. It may be that While I am in close
`proximity to a McDonalds restaurant, and that McDonalds is
`currently running a marketing campaign that includes a
`coupon entitling me to a discount, and that I am equipped
`With a device capable of determining my location and that
`my service provider has agreed to deliver the marketing
`materials to its subscribers, I may never have eaten at a
`McDonalds nor might ever intend to. Sending me the
`advertisement Would be both a Waste of McDonalds time as
`Well as mine. The service provider might irritate me With
`irrelevant materials to the point Where I unsubscribe from
`their service.
`
`[0018] Thus, there is a need for a system and method of
`generating a pro?le of a subscriber based on location that
`could be used to target advertisements to the subscriber.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0019] The present invention discloses a method and sys
`tem for pro?ling a subscriber based on his activities and
`locations traveled. The subscriber activities and locations
`are observed and processed to develop a pro?le of the
`subscriber that may include demographics, psycho-graphic
`make-up and activity pattern of the subscriber.
`
`[0020] According to one embodiment, a method for gen
`erating a pro?le of a subscriber by monitoring locations
`traveled by the subscriber as the subscriber partakes in daily
`activities is presented. The method includes receiving data
`related to a location of the subscriber and retrieving data
`characteriZing the location. The pro?le is generated based
`upon the subscriber location data and the characteristics of
`the subscriber location data.
`
`[0021] According to one embodiment, a subscriber activ
`ity pro?le is developed based on the observed activities. The
`subscriber activity pro?le is associated With time parameters
`as Well as a frequency component and can be used to predict
`an activity prior to the subscriber partaking in it.
`
`[0022] These and other features and objects of the inven
`tion Will be more fully understood from the folloWing
`detailed description of the preferred embodiments that
`should be read in light of the accompanying draWings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0023] The accompanying draWings, Which are incorpo
`rated in and form a part of the speci?cation, illustrate the
`embodiments of the present invention and, together With the
`description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
`[0024]
`[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a generic Wireless/satellite net
`Work that can be used to locate a mobile device;
`
`In the draWings:
`
`[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary use case diagram,
`according to one embodiment of the present invention;
`
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`[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a communication platform for
`performing the pro?ling, according to one embodiment of
`the present invention;
`[0028] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an exemplary location
`pro?ling diagram and an exemplary location pro?le, respec
`tively;
`[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary subscriber pro?ling
`activity diagram, according to one embodiment of the
`present invention;
`[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary pseudo-code for pre
`dicting a subscriber activity and for updating the subscriber
`pro?le, according to one embodiment of the present inven
`tion;
`[0031] FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary subscriber activ
`ity pro?le, according to one embodiment of the present
`invention;
`[0032] FIG. 7B illustrates an exemplary frequency mea
`sure of the subscriber location pro?le, according to one
`embodiment of the present invention;
`[0033] FIG. 8A illustrates an exemplary probabilistic sub
`scriber demographic pro?le, according to one embodiment
`of the present invention; and
`
`[0034] FIG. 8B illustrates an exemplary data structure for
`storing the subscriber pro?le, according to one embodiment
`of the present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`[0035] In describing a preferred embodiment of the inven
`tion illustrated in the draWings, speci?c terminology Will be
`used for the sake of clarity. HoWever, the invention is not
`intended to be limited to the speci?c terms so selected, and
`it is to be understood that each speci?c term includes all
`technical equivalents Which operate in a similar manner to
`accomplish a similar purpose.
`[0036] With reference to the draWings, in general, and
`FIGS. 1 through 8 in particular, the present invention is
`disclosed.
`
`[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a simplistic Wireless netWork 100
`connecting a Wireless device 110 to a ?nal destination 120
`via a netWork 130. As illustrated the Wireless device 110 is
`a Wireless phone. HoWever, as Would be obvious to one of
`ordinary skill in the art, the Wireless device 110 could be a
`personal digital assistant (PDA), such as a PALM Pilot or
`Handspring Visor, an internet enabled vehicle, a portable
`computer having a Wireless Internet connection, a combi
`nation Wireless phone/PDA or any other device noW knoWn
`or later conceived that provides Wireless communications.
`As illustrated the ?nal destination 120 is a stationary phone,
`but could be a Wireless phone, a beeper, a service provider,
`the Internet, a private netWork, a computer, or numerous
`other devices Without departing from the scope of the
`current invention.
`
`[0038] As illustrated, the Wireless netWork 100 consists of
`three toWers 140. As one of ordinary skill in the art Would
`recogniZe, the Wireless netWork 100 Would consist of a
`plurality of toWers, With the number depending on the siZe
`of the netWork. As illustrated each of the toWers 140 include
`multiple receivers 150. In practice, different Wireless service
`
`providers operating out of that location probably have their
`oWn receiver 150 on the toWer 140. The service provider
`may only handle calls for its oWn customers or it may also
`contract With other Wireless providers to provide service for
`their customers. For example, if VeriZon did not provide
`Wireless service in California, they may contract With Paci?c
`Bell for Paci?c Bell to handle the Wireless communications
`for them in California.
`
`[0039] Wireless communications can be analog or digital.
`Moreover, there are numerous standards used for processing
`Wireless digital communications, including but not limited
`to, code division multiple access (CDMA), global standard
`for mobile (GSM), personal communications system (PCS),
`Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS),
`and other 3G Wireless systems. Wireless devices 110 and the
`Wireless netWorks are developed to Work With one of these
`standards. For example, Sprint phones and their Wireless
`netWork are both based on the PCS standard. The PCS
`netWork cannot process communications from non-PCS
`Wireless devices and the PCS Wireless devices cannot com
`municate over non-PCS Wireless netWorks. As one or ordi
`nary skill in the art Would recogniZe, most digital Wireless
`devices can communicate in analog if digital service is not
`available. Moreover, it is Within the scope of the current
`invention to have Wireless devices and/or Wireless netWorks
`that can communicate according to various standards.
`
`[0040] Each of the toWers 140 connects to the netWork
`130. The netWork 130 may be a telecommunications (tele
`com) netWork, such as a public sWitched telephone netWork
`(PSTN), a hybrid ?ber coaxial (HFC) netWork, a ?ber to the
`curb (FTTC) netWork, a ?ber to the home (FTTH) netWork,
`a digital subscriber line (DSL) netWork, other landline
`netWorks noW knoWn or later conceived, a satellite system,
`a Wireless system, other systems noW knoW or later discov
`ered or a hybrid of these systems, Without departing from the
`scope of the current invention. FIG. 1 also illustrates a GPS
`satellite 160 for providing latitude and longitude coordi
`nates. As Would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art,
`multiple GPS satellites Would be required, hoWever only one
`is illustrated for simplicity.
`
`[0041] When the Wireless device 110 initiates communi
`cations, a signal is sent from the Wireless device 110 and is
`received by the receivers 150. The appropriate receiver 150
`forWards the signal based on Who the service provider is,
`Whether they actually provide service in that location or are
`contracting With a local provider, and the destination of the
`communication. The location of the subscriber can be iden
`ti?ed by the Wireless system. For example, the location can
`be identi?ed by determining the difference in time that the
`signal is received at three toWers or the difference in the
`angle that the signal is received at tWo toWers. Alternatively,
`a GPS chipset that is located Within the device can determine
`the location of the subscriber.
`
`[0042] As previously discussed, the location of the sub
`scriber is important in order to route a ‘911’ call to the
`appropriate response center. In addition, the location of the
`subscriber can be utiliZed to assist in the delivery of infor
`mation and services. Moreover, information pertaining to
`the location of a subscriber can be used to develop a pro?le
`of the consumer that can increase the effectiveness of
`information and services that are provided and/or offered to
`the consumer. Applicant’s co-pending application having
`
`Apple 1008
`
`

`
`US 2002/0111172 A1
`
`Aug. 15, 2002
`
`docket number L101-10 entitled “Location Based Delivery”
`?led concurrently With the present application describes a
`method for matching data (advertising, information and
`services) to a mobile subscriber and delivering the data to
`the mobile subscriber. Application L101-10 is herein incor
`porated in its entirety by reference, but is not admitted to be
`prior art.
`
`[0043] FIG. 2 is a use case diagram that illustrates the
`different actors involved in carrying out the method of the
`present invention along With a set of use cases, Which
`represent the action performed, by those actors. As illus
`trated in the use case diagram 200, the set of actors involved
`in the present system includes a subscriber 210, a subscrip
`tion manager 215, a service provider 220, a location pro?ler
`225, and a subscriber pro?ler 230. The subscriber 210
`subscribes (or registers) for a service (250) With the sub
`scription manager 215 and receives the service (255) from
`the service provider 220. The subscription manager 215
`subscribes customers (250) and manages the subscriptions,
`i.e., tracks the subscribers 210 and their services (260). The
`service provider 220 provides service to the subscribers 210
`(255) based on the subscriptions managed by the subscrip
`tion manager 215.
`
`[0044] The subscriber 210 is receiving the service on a
`Wireless device 110 and can thus roam (i.e., be mobile) (265)
`and receive service from any location (255). The location
`pro?ler 225 generates a pro?le of the location based on
`attributes (i.e., housing prices, type of community) associ
`ated With the location, and establishments (i.e., businesses,
`retail establishments) located Within the location (270). The
`location pro?ler 225 may gather the data about attributes and
`establishments or this data may be provided to the location
`pro?ler 225 by a third party. Moreover, the location pro?ler
`225 may use a map database to aid in the generation of the
`location pro?le. The map database may be generated by the
`location pro?ler 225 or may be provided by a third party.
`
`[0045] The subscriber pro?ler 230 receives data about
`Where the subscriber is roaming (265) and retrieves location
`pro?le data from the location pro?ler 225 in order to
`generate a pro?le of the subscriber (275) and to predict
`routing patterns of the subscriber 210 (280). In order to
`determine the pro?le (275) or routing (280) of the sub
`scriber, attributes such as time of day, day of Week may be
`collected in order to determine the type of activity (i.e.,
`shopping, commuting). The location pro?ler 225 may also
`monitor the roaming of subscribers 210 (265) to determine
`the pro?le of the subscribers (275) passing through a par
`ticular location in order to update the location pro?le or
`create a neW location pro?le (270).
`
`[0046] As Would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
`art, the service provider 220 may be providing any type of
`Wireless service. For example, the Wireless service may be
`telephone service, Internet access, private netWork access,
`paging service, data service, or any other Wireless service
`noW knoWn or later conceived. The subscriber 210 may
`subscribe one or multiple devices, the devices including but
`not being limited to Wireless phones, PDAs, Wireless por
`table computers, and Internet enabled vehicles.
`
`[0047] The actors illustrated in FIG. 2 may each be a
`separate entity, a single entity may perform the tasks asso
`ciated With multiple actors, several entities may be required
`to perform the tasks associated With a single actor, or some
`
`combination thereof. For example, a Wireless phone pro
`vider may be the service provider 220 and the subscriber
`pro?ler 230. Alternatively, one entity may track the location
`of a subscriber 210 and a separate entity may manipulate the
`data in order to determine potential routes for the subscriber
`210 (the tWo in conjunction With each other forming the
`subscriber pro?ler 230). It should be noted that the use case
`diagram illustrated in FIG. 2 is simply an exemplary
`embodiment and that there are numerous variations to this
`embodiment or separate embodiments that are Well Within
`the scope of the current invention.
`
`[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a communication platform for
`supporting the method and system of the present invention.
`The subscriber 210 is connected to the Wireless netWork 100
`via the Wireless device 110. As the subscriber 210 roams,
`his/her location is determined either by the Wireless netWork
`100 or by using the GPS netWork 160. Data related to the
`subscriber’s location is forWarded to a subscriber location
`database 310. The subscriber location database 310 may be
`part of the Wireless netWork 100 or may be external to the
`Wireless netWork 100. The location data may be saved to the
`subscriber location database 310 directly from the Wireless
`netWork 100 or it may be sent from the Wireless netWork 100
`to a netWork 300 that in turn saves the data in the database
`310. The netWork 300 may be a telecom netWork, a private
`netWork, the Internet, or any other netWork capable of
`providing communications. The Wireless service provider
`may maintain the subscriber location database 310 or a third
`party may maintain it. The location data saved may be raW
`data or may be aggregated data.
`
`[0049] In one embodiment, the Wireless netWork 100
`determines the location of the Wireless device 110. For this
`embodiment, the Wireless device 110 needs to be poWered
`on and communicating With the Wireless netWork 100 (i.e.,
`establishing a communication channel With an appropriate
`service provider, making a phone call, broWsing the Web).
`When communications are initiated by the subscriber (i.e.,
`phone call), a signal is available for determining the location
`all of the time. The location data may be saved all of the
`time, at set intervals, or only at the initiation and conclusion
`of the communication. The preferred embodiment Would be
`to capture and save the data at set intervals, for example
`every ?ve 5 minutes.
`
`[0050] In another embodiment, the Wireless device 110
`may communicate With the Wireless netWork 100 even if the
`subscriber 210 did not initiate the communications. The
`subscriber’s location can be determined by the Wireless
`netWork 110 using this communication (non-subscriber ini
`tiated communication). For example, the Wireless device 110
`may send an “I’m alive” signal When it is ?rst poWered on,
`may respond to the status checks from the Wireless netWork
`100, or may respond to the broadcast signals from the
`Wireless netWork 100 (i.e., send an ACK). In a preferred
`embodiment, the Wireless device 110 Would communicate
`With the Wireless netWork 100 in some fashion at prede?ned
`intervals, such as every 5 minutes. Alternatively, the Wireless
`device 110 may transmit a signal to the Wireless netWork 100
`on its oWn (not in response to the status check or broadcast
`signal Once the location of the Wireless device 110 is
`determined, the data needs to be stored and processed.
`According to one embodiment, everytime the Wireless net
`Work 100 determines the location of the subscriber 210, the
`location data Will be forWarded to the subscriber location
`
`Apple 1008
`
`

`
`US 2002/0111172 A1
`
`Aug. 15, 2002
`
`database 310. According to another embodiment, only a
`portion of the location data generated Will be forwarded. For
`example, the location data may only be forWarded When a
`call is made even though the location is determined at ?xed
`intervals. The location data may be generated continuously
`during a communication (i.e., phone call) but the location is
`only transmitted to the subscriber location database 310
`during set up and completion of the communication.
`
`[0051] According to another embodiment of the invention,
`the Wireless netWork 100 determines the location and for
`Wards the location data to the Wireless device 110. For
`example, the Wireless netWork 100 may transmit the location
`data to the Wireless device 110 as part of the communica
`tions sequence, may transmit the location data in a separate
`signal (i.e., location signal), may transmit the