Customized tours using handheld devices

• US 20030055901A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Smith, Newton James Jr., Rodriquez, Herman, Allran, Gary Gene
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Communication of location specific content to client devices including identifying a client device at a location of a location specific device, wherein the client device comprises client device attributes, the client device attributes comprising a client device identification code, and wherein the location specific device comprises a location identification code; recording user preferences for the client device; selecting, in dependence upon the user preferences for the client device and upon the location identification code, content for transmission to the client device; transmitting the selected content through the location specific device to the client device for presentation; and enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time.

Claims

1. A method for communication of location specific content to client devices, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a client device at a location of a location specific device, wherein the client device comprises client device attributes, the client device attributes comprising a client device identification code, and wherein the location specific device comprises a location identification code;

recording user preferences for the client device;

selecting, in dependence upon the user preferences for the client device and upon the location identification code, content for transmission to the client device;

transmitting the selected content through the location specific device to the client device for presentation; and

enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location identification code comprises a network address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device identification code comprises a network address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device comprises a personal digital assistant enabled for wireless data communications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device comprises a hand-held personal computer enabled for wireless data communications.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device comprises a special purpose device enabled for wireless data communications.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transcoding the content in dependence upon the client device attributes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device attributes include a client device type.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device attributes comprise presentation capabilities.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the presentation capabilities include display screen size.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the presentation capabilities include color availability.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the presentation capabilities include audio availability.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the presentation capabilities include a video frame rate.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein recording user preferences for a client device comprises accepting indications of user preference entered by a user through the client device.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein recording user preferences for a client device comprises accepting user instructions entered by a user through the client device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein user instructions include an instruction to pause presentation of content.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein user instructions include an instruction to resume presentation of content.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein user instructions include an instruction to rewind presentation of content.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein user instructions include an instruction to fast forward presentation of content.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein user instructions include an instruction to change the level of detail of presentation of content.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the content comprises programs and the user instructions include an instruction to change from one program to another.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises transmitting through the location specific device to the client device an expiration date and time for the selected content transmitted to the device for presentation.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises altering the expiration date and time.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises enabling retention of the content within the client device only while the client device is present at the location of the location specific device.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the content in a microcomputer physically located at the location of the location specific device.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the content in a content server located remotely from the location specific device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the content server is coupled for data communications through a multiplicity of location specific devices to a multiplicity of client devices.

28. A system for communication of location specific content to client devices, the system comprising:

means for identifying a client device at a location of a location specific device, wherein the client device comprises client device attributes, the client device attributes comprising a client device identification code, and wherein the location specific device comprises a location identification code;

means for recording user preferences for the client device;

means for selecting, in dependence upon the user preferences for the client device and upon the location identification code, content for transmission to the client device;

means for transmitting the selected content through the location specific device to the client device for presentation; and

means for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the location identification code comprises a network address.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device identification code comprises a network address.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device comprises a personal digital assistant enabled for wireless data communications.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device comprises a hand-held personal computer enabled for wireless data communications.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device comprises a special purpose device enabled for wireless data communications.

34. The system of claim 28 further comprising means for transcoding the content in dependence upon the client device attributes.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device attributes include a client device type.

36. The system of claim 28 wherein the client device attributes comprise presentation capabilities.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the presentation capabilities include display screen size.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the presentation capabilities include color availability.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein the presentation capabilities include audio availability.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the presentation capabilities include a video frame rate.

41. The system of claim 28 wherein means for recording user preferences for a client device comprises means for accepting indications of user preference entered by a user through the client device.

42. The system of claim 28 wherein means for recording user preferences for a client device comprises means for accepting user instructions entered by a user through the client device.

43. The system of claim 28 wherein user instructions include an instruction to pause presentation of content.

44. The system of claim 28 wherein user instructions include an instruction to resume presentation of content.

45. The system of claim 28 wherein user instructions include an instruction to rewind presentation of content.

46. The system of claim 28 wherein user instructions include an instruction to fast forward presentation of content.

47. The system of claim 28 wherein user instructions include an instruction to change the level of detail of presentation of content.

48. The system of claim 28 wherein the content comprises programs and the user instructions include an instruction to change from one program to another.

49. The system of claim 28 wherein means for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means for transmitting through the location specific device to the client device an expiration date and time for the selected content transmitted to the device for presentation.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein means for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means for altering the expiration date and time.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein means for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means for enabling retention of the content within the client device only while the client device is present at the location of the location specific device.

52. The system of claim 28 further comprising means for storing the content in a microcomputer physically located at the location of the location specific device.

53. The system of claim 28 further comprising means for storing the content in a content server located remotely from the location specific device.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the content server is coupled for data communications through a multiplicity of location specific devices to a multiplicity of client devices.

55. A computer program product for communication of location specific content to client devices, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a client device at a location of a location specific device, wherein the client device comprises client device attributes, the client device attributes comprising a client device identification code, and wherein the location specific device comprises a location identification code;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording user preferences for the client device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting, in dependence upon the user preferences for the client device and upon the location identification code, content for transmission to the client device;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the selected content through the location specific device to the client device for presentation; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time.

56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the location identification code comprises a network address.

57. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device identification code comprises a network address.

58. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device comprises a personal digital assistant enabled for wireless data communications.

59. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device comprises a hand-held personal computer enabled for wireless data communications.

60. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device comprises a special purpose device enabled for wireless data communications.

61. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for transcoding the content in dependence upon the client device attributes.

62. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device attributes include a client device type.

63. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the client device attributes comprise presentation capabilities.

64. The computer program product of claim 63 wherein the presentation capabilities include display screen size.

65. The computer program product of claim 63 wherein the presentation capabilities include color availability.

66. The computer program product of claim 63 wherein the presentation capabilities include audio availability.

67. The computer program product of claim 63 wherein the presentation capabilities include a video frame rate.

68. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording user preferences for a client device comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for accepting indications of user preference entered by a user through the client device.

69. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording user preferences for a client device comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for accepting user instructions entered by a user through the client device.

70. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein user instructions include an instruction to pause presentation of content.

71. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein user instructions include an instruction to resume presentation of content.

72. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein user instructions include an instruction to rewind presentation of content.

73. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein user instructions include an instruction to fast forward presentation of content.

74. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein user instructions include an instruction to change the level of detail of presentation of content.

75. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein the content comprises programs and the user instructions include an instruction to change from one program to another.

76. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting through the location specific device to the client device an expiration date and time for the selected content transmitted to the device for presentation.

77. The computer program product of claim 76 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for altering the expiration date and time.

78. The computer program product of claim 76 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling retention of the content within the client device for a period of time further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling retention of the content within the client device only while the client device is present at the location of the location specific device.

79. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the content in a microcomputer physically located at the location of the location specific device.

80. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing the content in a content server located remotely from the location specific device.

81. The computer program product of claim 80 wherein the content server is coupled for data communications through a multiplicity of location specific devices to a multiplicity of client devices.