System, method, and computer program product for providing location based services and mobile e-commerce

• US 20030220835A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wounder GmbH LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Barnes, Melvin L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 : Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 : Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 : User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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

A system, method, apparatus and computer program product for providing location based functions and mobile e-commerce comprising a central processing unit including a processor, a storage device, and programming stored in the storage device, a display device, an audio input device, an audio output device, a communications module, a commerce module, an image module, and a location module. The programming controls the operation of the present invention to provide functions based on location data, to facilitate commercial exchanges by wirelessly exchanging payment and product information with venders, to identify services such as venders meeting selection criteria, to wirelessly exchange select information with other users and systems, to restrict and/or monitor the use of the device based on authorized user parameters, selecting one of a plurality networks through which to communicate, detecting a trigger for performing an action based on a change in location and sensed data, storing a voice annotation with a computer data file, determining service providers and associated communication parameters, contemporaneously maintaining a wireless voice and data link, providing a system for selecting and delivering mobile advertisements, and many other functions and services that are described herein.

Claims

1. A method of using a mobile device comprising the steps of:

determining location data of the device;

determining a target point of interest;

determining the available target points of interest;

determining which of the available target points satisfies a first selection criteria; and

presenting information to the user of at least some of the available target points of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first selection criteria is being the closest available target point of interest, and wherein the step of determining the which of the available target points of interest satisfy a first selection criteria includes the steps of:

determining the location of the available target points of interest; and

determining the distance between the device and the location of the available target points of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step presenting information to the user of at least some of the available target points of interest includes identifying the closest available target point of interest to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first selection criteria is a vender type, and the method further comprises the step of determining which of the available target points satisfies a second selection criteria.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said second selection criteria is offering a particular product for sale.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said second selection criteria is offering a particular product for sale at a price lower than other available target points of interest satisfying said first selection criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an input from the user relating to at least one of said available target points of interest; and

transmitting data to said at least one of said available target points of interest based on said input from the user.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

receiving a response from said at least one of said available target points of interest; and

presenting the user with information relating to said response.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

determining communication parameters for communicating with at least some of the available points of interest meeting said first selection criteria;

generating requests, based on said communication parameters, for transmission to said at least some of the available points of interest meeting said first selection criteria, said request including a request for information for determining whether said available target points of interest satisfy said second selection criteria; and

transmitting said requests according to said communication parameters to said at least some of the available points of interest meeting said first selection criteria.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining communication parameters comprises the steps of:

determining the communication address of a service registry;

transmitting a request for communication parameters of an available target point of interest to said service registry;

receiving communication parameters of said available target point of interest in response to said request; and

storing said communication parameters of said available target point of interest in memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said communication parameters include data of the format, protocol, and communication address for communicating with said at least some of the available points of interest.

12. A method of providing mobile commerce to a user comprising the steps of:

receiving identifying information relating to the user;

determining the location of the user;

selecting an advertisement based, at least in part, on the location of the user; and

transmitting said advertisement for presentation to the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

receiving communication criteria data of the user; and

wherein selection of said advertisement is also based, at least in part, on said received communication criteria data;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication criteria data includes user activity data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said communication criteria data includes user information.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

determining temporal data of the user; and

wherein selection of said advertisement is also based, at least in part, on said temporal data.

17. The method of step 12, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving vender stored user information of the user from memory;

selecting a second advertisement based on said retrieved vender stored user information;

transmitting said second advertisement for presentation to the user;

receiving information of a response to said transmitted second advertisement; and

performing an incentive transaction for the user in response to receiving said information of said response.

18. A mobile communication device comprising:

a housing;

a central processing unit in said housing and including a processor and memory;

a display coupled to said central processing unit;

a communication module disposed in said housing and configured to provide a contemporaneous voice and data communication link permitting a user to engage in a mobile telephone voice communication and to communicate computer data during overlapping time periods; and

a location module coupled to said central processing unit and configured to determine location data of the device.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 18, further comprising:

an image module coupled to said central processing unit and configured to receive image data; and

wherein said central processing unit is programmed to cause said communication module to transmit image data received by said image module to a remote computer system.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 18, further comprising:

a commerce module configured to select a payment account for paying for a product and to retrieve information of said selected payment account; and

wherein said central processing unit is programmed to cause said communication module to transmit said retrieved information of said selected payment account through a wireless local area network to a remote computer system for payment of a product.