Method and apparatus for providing a user of a mobile communication terminal or a group of users with an information message with an adaptive content

• US 20020050927A1
• Filed: 10/15/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Westerhuis, Frans, De Moerloose, Jan Gustaf Alfans, Godon, Marc Bruno Frieda, Overmeire, Luk
• Granted Patent: US 6,608,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus (5) for providing a user of a mobile communication terminal (4) or a group of users with a time-dependent information message. The location of the mobile communication terminal (4) is determined. A user profile (6) of the user or the group of users is determined. A content of the information message is generated according to the determined user profile (6) and according to the current time. The information message is provided to the user or the group of users. In order to provide a user or a group of users with highly relevant information, i.e. with up-to-date information concerning the user'"'"'s interests and depending on his location, it is suggested that

an electronic display (3) and/or (8) for providing the information message to the user or the group of users is selected according to the determined location of the user or the group of users and the location of the electronic display (3, 8); and

the information message is displayed automatically to the user or the group of users by means of the electronic display (3, 8) selected, whereas

the user profile (6) and/or the location of the mobile communication terminal (4) is determined by means of a terminal identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal (4).

Claims

1. Method for providing a user of a mobile communication terminal or a group of users with a time-dependent information message, comprising the steps of:

a) determining the location of the mobile communication terminal;

b) determining a user profile of the user or the group of users;

c) generating a content of the information message according to the determined user profile and according to the current time; and

d) providing the information message to the user or the group of users,

e) selecting an electronic display for providing the information message to the user or the group of users according to the determined location of the user or the group of users; and

f) automatically displaying the information message to the user or the group of users by means of the electronic display selected, whereas

g) the user profile and/or the location of the mobile communication terminal is determined by means of a terminal identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the information message is generated according to the location of the mobile communication terminal.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the information message is generated by selecting the information message from a multiplicity of information messages.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the user profile is selected from a multiplicity of user profiles each associated to a terminal identifier whereas the terminal identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal is compared with the terminal identifiers of the multiplicity of user profiles.

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the content of the information message is generated in order to increase its relevance to the user or the group of users.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the relevance of the content of the information message is determined by the number of correspondences between target categories associated to the content of the multiplicity of information messages and user categories associated to the user profile.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of the information message is adapted to the type of electronic display selected for displaying the information message.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the location of the mobile communication terminal is determined by means of a location identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal, which comprises a coordinate identifier of a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a cell identifier of a cellular mobile communication system, particularly a cell identifier of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

9. Method according claim 1, characterized in that the location of the mobile communication terminal is determined by means of a location identifier associated to a public electronic display, on which the information message generated is to be displayed to the user or the group of users, the location identifier being transmitted from a data interface of the public electronic display to a corresponding data interface of the mobile communication terminal.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized that the location signal is transmitted wirelessly by means of an infrared communication or a radio communication, particularly by means of a radio communication according to a Bluetooth standard.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the generated information message is displayed to the user or the group of users on a public electronic display or on a personal electronic display.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that a multiplicity of user profiles related to various terminal identifiers associated to various mobile communication terminals is stored in the apparatus and that the means for determining the user profile compare the received terminal identifier with the terminal identifiers of the user profiles stored and select a user profile from the user profiles stored, which has a terminal identifier corresponding to the received terminal identifier.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the user profiles contain preferred user categories comprising the user'"'"'s or the group of users'"'"' interests.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that a multiplicity of information messages is stored in the apparatus and that the means for generating the content of the information message select an information message from the information messages stored.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that preferred target categories are associated to the information messages stored, the target categories comprising preferred interests of users for which the information message is intended for, that user categories are associated to the user profiles stored, the user categories comprising the user'"'"'s or the group of users'"'"' preferred interests, and that the means for generating the content of the information message determine the number of correspondences between the target categories and the user categories.

17. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the location identifier comprises coordinate identifier of a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a cell identifier of a cellular mobile communication system, particularly of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

18. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the information message generated includes advertisement or an offer of a service or product provider providing his service or product within the determined location of the mobile communication terminal.

12. Apparatus for providing a user or a group of users of a mobile communication terminal with a time-dependent information message, comprising:

a) means for determining the location of the mobile communication terminal;

b) means for determining a user profile of the user or the group of users;

c) means for generating a content of the information message according to the determined user profile and according to the current time; and

d) means for providing the information message to the user or the group of users,

e) means for selecting an electronic display for providing the information message to the user or the group of users according to the determined location of the user or the group of users; and

f) means for automatically transmitting the information message to the electronic display selected, whereas

g) the means for determining the user profile receives a terminal identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal and/or the means for determining the location of the mobile communication terminal receives a location identifier associated to the mobile communication terminal.