System and method for selective PA for cell phones, based on interested recipients' virtual locality (06-Oct-2009)

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based on cell-phone technology and are able to call all people that belong to a given group with the selective PA. However, this system also seems to lack a major attribute, the ability to address a "dynamic group". The need to address a "dynamic group" can be, for instance,

when the authorities need to give a warning of an

incoming storm to the hikers spread over a huge area in the woods. Today that

would mean sending a police-patrol

                       car and having the warning announced on its speakers. It would have been much better if the people in charge could call each one of the hikers on their phones and advise them "personally" of the approaching dangerous storm. One could create a list of all visitors upon their entering the park and use the above system to reach them. Such a system will have to register every single person.

Another case where a

                   "dynamic group" PA system can be useful is on the roads. Often drivers want to advise their fellow drivers of incidents they are aware of, so that the other become aware of them too and as such avoid them.

A system

that will be able to help drivers around her (but not bother the drivers who happen to be far away from the scene ..) can do wonders and enhance the driving experience for everyone.

A product like:

is an attempt

to help drivers communicate with one another through a central-base service which can connect them per their cars' license numbers. The major objection to this product was the new distraction it imposes on the drivers who need to read the license number of the cars' plates while driving and then dial the service provider and at the end to get engaged in a phone-discussion with strangers. We need a solution that helps one convey information without creating distraction either to the interested parties or the uninterested ones.

Other references:

Patent 6868333 "Group Interaction system for Interaction with other vehicles of a group", the invention relates to cellular phone communications between vehicles. However, this invention requires all vehicles to belong to a group.This system does not permit a none-group party to be involved and, as such it cannot be applied to the general public.

The problem with prior art solutions are: 1) drivers cannot point their device as they are driving. 2) the person with whom the driver wants to communicate may be out of sight before communication is initiated 3) it requires hardware not currently available in any device. see "Methods and apparatus for providing location dependent cellular telephone communications" - Patent # 6788766:
http://

www.patentmonkey.com/PM/patentid/6788766.aspx

The device transmits GPS coordinates to the server which maps the coordinates to a street. The server adds the driver to a virtual voice/video/text virtual conference room associated with the street and as the driver turns from one street to another the server pulls the driver out of one virtual conference room and adds h...