Method and apparatus for a mobile access system delivering location based information and services

• US 20020006788A1
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Axis AB (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Knutsson, Per, Agren, Mattias, Sagefalk, Willy, Pahmp, Mikael, Dellenvall, Jonas, Kjellerstedt, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing a range of location dependent information and services to users of wireless devices coupled to the multi-point wireless access network of the current invention.

In an embodiment of the invention a multi-point wireless access network for servicing wireless devices is provided. The multi-point wireless access network includes: wireless access devices, an inventory map and a server. The wireless access points are arrayed in a coordinate system with a known relative relationship to one another. Each of the wireless access points provides communication capabilities for corresponding proximate ones of the wireless devices. The inventory map correlates selected ones of the wireless access points with corresponding inventory located proximate to each of the selected ones of the wireless access points. The server couples to the wireless access points and to the inventory map, and the server correlates each access to the multi-point wireless access network from a corresponding wireless device with the corresponding inventory from the inventory map to provide at least one of location dependant information and location dependant services to the corresponding wireless device.

Claims

1. A multi-point wireless access network for servicing wireless devices, and the multi-point wireless access network comprising:

a plurality of wireless access points arrayed in a coordinate system with at least a known relative relationship to one another; and

each of the plurality of wireless access points for establishing communications with corresponding proximate ones of the wireless devices;

an inventory map correlating selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points with corresponding inventory located proximate to each of the selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points; and

at least one server coupled to the plurality of wireless access points and to the inventory map, and the server correlating each access to the multi-point wireless access network from a corresponding wireless device with the corresponding inventory from the inventory map to provide at least one of location dependant information and location dependant services to the corresponding wireless device.

2. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, with said plurality of wireless access points arrayed in a coordinate system with a known absolute relationship to one another.

3. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein said inventory map further comprises:

a database with individual records correlating the corresponding inventory with the selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points.

4. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the corresponding inventory includes:

architectural elements of an architectural plan view.

5. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the corresponding inventory includes corresponding commercial suppliers of at least one of goods and services.

6. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the corresponding inventory includes at least one of goods and services.

7. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the corresponding inventory includes network attached devices coupled to the corresponding one of the plurality of wireless access points.

8. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the location dependant information provided by said at least one server to the corresponding wireless access includes at least a relative position of the wireless access device with respect to said inventory map.

9. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the location dependant information provided by said at least one server to the corresponding wireless access includes at least one source vector corresponding with a path of the corresponding wireless access device relative to said inventory map.

10. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the location dependant information provided by said at least one server to the corresponding wireless access device includes at least one destination vector corresponding with a proposed path of the corresponding wireless access device to a selected one of the corresponding inventory.

11. The multi-point wireless access network of claim 1, wherein the location dependant information provided by said at least one server to the corresponding wireless access includes at least one advertisement or promotion for the corresponding inventory.

12. A method for providing multi-point wireless access to a plurality of wireless devices, comprising:

positioning a plurality of wireless access points in at least a known relative relationship to one another; and

each of the plurality of wireless access points for establishing communications with corresponding proximate ones of the wireless devices;

mapping selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points with corresponding inventory located proximate to each of the selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points;

correlating each access to the multi-point wireless access network from a corresponding wireless device with the corresponding inventory; and

providing at least one of location dependant information and location dependant services to the corresponding wireless device responsive to said correlating act.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said positioning act further comprises:

positioning the plurality of wireless access points with a known absolute relationship to one another.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said mapping act further comprises:

providing a database with individual records correlating the corresponding inventory with the selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing act further comprises:

delivering at least a relative position of the wireless access device with respect to the corresponding inventory.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing act further comprises:

delivering at least one source vector corresponding with a path of the corresponding wireless access device relative to the corresponding inventory.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing act further comprises:

providing at least one destination vector corresponding with a proposed path of the corresponding wireless access device to a selected one of the corresponding inventory.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing act further comprises:

providing at least one advertisement or promotion for the corresponding inventory.

19. A means for providing multi-point wireless access to a plurality of wireless devices, comprising:

means for positioning a plurality of wireless access points in at least a known relative relationship to one another; and

each of the plurality of wireless access points for establishing communications with corresponding proximate ones of the wireless devices;

means for mapping selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points with corresponding inventory located proximate to each of the selected ones of the plurality of wireless access points;

means for correlating each access to the multi-point wireless access network from a corresponding wireless device with the corresponding inventory; and

means for providing at least one of location dependant information and location dependant services to the corresponding wireless device responsive to said correlating act.

20. The means for providing a multi-point wireless network of claim 19, further comprising:

means for delivering at least a relative position of the wireless access device with respect to the corresponding inventory.