Relating to information delivery

• US 20030036391A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biomotix Limited
• Original Assignee: Xemplix, Ltd.
• Inventors: Jordan, Chris John
• Application Number:
  US10/172,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals

Abstract

A localized radio frequency information system utilizing a conventional wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone, adapted with a plug-in dedicated receiver and processor which receives the radio frequency from a low power transmitter which, for example, might be located at an object of art in a gallery, identifies one of several codes to a central control which identifies the location of the device and routes to the wireless communication device a voice or text message relevant to the particular location identified such as a descriptive message relating to the object of art at the identified location..

Claims

1. A local information delivery system comprising a wireless communications device (1) and a central control system (6), wherein the wireless communications device (1) is a standard wireless communications device (1) and wherein the system includes either a low-power transmitter (5) placed at each of a plurality of locations and a receiver (4) and processor (3) attached to the wireless communications device (1), or a low-power transmitter (8) attached to the standard wireless communications device (1) and a receiver (10) and processor (1) placed at each of a plurality of locations, the processor (3, 11) in either case being adapted to distinguish a unique code transmitted by the transmitter (5, 8) and thereby to send a message to the central control system (6) identifying and locating the wireless communications device (1) and thereby to deliver location-specific information to the wireless communications device (10).

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device (1) is a mobile telephone or mobile videophone.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device (1) is a pocket computer device such as a personal digital assistant provided with a wireless communications interface.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device (1) is a wireless headset.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-specific information is adapted to be output from the wireless communications device (1) as an audio signal.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-specific information is adapted to be output from the wireless communications device (1) as a visual signal, for example in the form of text, graphics or video.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, where the receiver (4, 10) is adapted to compare signal 6 strength or time-of-arrival of transmissions from several transmitters (5, 8) so as to enable the system to determine a location of the wireless communications device (1).

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, where the wireless communications device (1) is operable to issue control signals to the central control system (6).

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter (8) or receiver (4) attached to the wireless communications device (1) is releasably attached thereto.

10. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter (8) or receiver (4) attached to the wireless communications device (1) includes an antenna or other interface that is directional, thus enabling information regarding a spatial orientation of the wireless communications device (1) to be communicated to the central control system (6).

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter (8) or receiver (4) attached to the wireless communications device (1) is adapted to detect a spatial orientation of the wireless communications device (1) with respect to a terrestrial magnetic or gravitational field, thus enabling information regarding the spatial orientation of the wireless communications device (1) to be communicated to the central control system (6).

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein both a transmitter (8) and a receiver is attached to the wireless-communications device (1), thereby enabling two-way information transfer independently of any communications protocol associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter (5, 8) and the receiver (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol independent of any communications protocol associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter (5, 8) and the receiver (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol already associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

15. A method of delivering location-specific information to a wireless communications device (1) from a central control system (6), wherein:

i) a low-power transmitter (8) is attached to the wireless communications device (1);

ii) a plurality of receivers (10) each including a processor (11) is distributed over a plurality of locations;

iii) the low-power transmitter (8) transmits a code unique to that transmitter (8) to at least the nearest of said receivers (10);

iv) the processor (11) of said receiver (10) sends a signal to the central control system (6) including both the code and information regarding the location of the wireless communications device (1) with reference to the locations of said plurality or receivers (10);

v) the central control system (6) identifies and locates the wireless communications device (1) by way of the code and the location information provided by the processor (11) and delivers location-specific information to the wireless communications device (1).

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the location-specific information is output from the wireless communications device (1) as an audio signal.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the location-specific information is output from the wireless communications device (1) as a visual signal, for example in the form of text, graphics or video.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the transmitters (5, 8) and the receivers (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol independent of any communications protocol associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the transmitters (5, 8) and the receivers (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol already associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

16. A method of delivering location-specific information to a wireless communications device (1) from a central control system (6), wherein:

i) a plurality of low-power transmitters (5) is distributed over a plurality of locations;

ii) a receiver (4) including a processor (3) is attached to the wireless communications device (1);

iii) each of the plurality of low-power transmitters (5) transmits a code unique to that transmitter (5), the code being receivable by said receiver (4);

iv) the processor (3), upon reception of said code from said receiver (4), sends a signal to the central control system (6) including both the code and information regarding the location of the wireless communications device (1) with reference to the locations of said plurality of transmitters (5); and

v) the central control system (6) identifies and locates the wireless communications device (1) by way of the code and the location information provided by the processor (3) and delivers location-specific information to the wireless communications device (1).

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the location-specific information is output from the wireless communications device (1) as an audio signal.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the location-specific information is output from the wireless communications device (1) as a visual signal, for example in the form of text, graphics or video.

23. A method according to claim 16, wherein the transmitters (5, 8) and the receivers (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol independent of any communications protocol associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.

24. A method according to claim 16, wherein the transmitters (5, 8) and the receivers (4, 10) communicate information by way of a communications protocol already associated with the wireless communications device (1) itself.