Location History Based Communication Group Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication group formation mechanisms require mobile devices to be currently located within a specific area to access group information, limiting dynamic formation of groups based on location history, which restricts communication beyond the current event or location.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow forming communication groups based on the location history of mobile stations by receiving a group formation request specifying a location and time window, identifying relevant mobile stations, and creating a communication group including those stations, enabling communication with participants who were within a defined threshold area during the specified time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If communication groups are formed based on current location only, then group formation is simple and fast, but communication is limited to current event or location participants
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing location history data of mobile stations before group formation is needed. Location information is continuously tracked and archived in a database, so when a group formation request occurs, the system can immediately query historical location data without requiring real-time location tracking of all participants. This preliminary data collection enables versatile communication based on past locations while maintaining simple real-time group formation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A location information database serves as an intermediary between mobile stations and the group formation mechanism. Instead of directly querying current locations of all potential participants or requiring complex real-time coordination, the system uses this intermediary database to store and retrieve location history. The database mediates between the request for group formation and the underlying location tracking infrastructure, enabling flexible communication capabilities while keeping the group formation process simple and efficient.
2Adaptability or versatility
If location history is tracked and stored for all mobile stations, then dynamic group formation based on past locations is enabled, but system complexity and data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by selectively storing and processing location history data based on specific criteria rather than uniformly tracking all mobile stations indefinitely. Location data is stored with associated time stamps and can be queried within specified time windows. The system only retrieves and processes location history for mobile stations that meet the group formation criteria during the relevant time period, rather than maintaining and processing all possible location data. This selective approach enables flexible group formation while minimizing unnecessary data storage and processing.
3Productivity
If group formation requires current location verification, then group creation is fast, but participants who were at the location during the event cannot be included
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection by continuously tracking and storing location history of mobile stations before the group formation request is made. This preliminary action ensures that location information from the relevant time window is already available in the database when the group formation occurs. Consequently, the system can efficiently query and identify all mobile stations that were at the specified location during the event time window without requiring slow real-time location verification, thus maintaining high communication efficiency while preventing loss of participant information.
Data Source
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AI summary
Communication groups are formed based on mobile station location history. The process includes receiving, at a controller device, a group formation request from a requesting device, the request specifying a location and a time window, identifying one or more mobile stations determined to be within a threshold area relative to the location during the time window, and causing a communication group to be created including the identified one or more mobile stations. A further process includes a requesting device configured to identify a location and time window associated with an event, transmit a group formation request specifying the location and the time window and requesting formation of a communication group comprising mobile stations located within a threshold area relative to the location during the time window, and transmit using a communication group identifier provided to the requesting device.