Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems
First Claim
1. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more network servers, a plurality of broadcast domain entities that are respectively coupled via respective network connections to the packet switched data network, and a plurality of mobile units, wherein each broadcast domain entity provides low power bi-directional local area wireless network access connectivity in a restricted local coverage area to service local users who carry respective ones of the mobile units, wherein the mobile units are characterized in that at least some of the mobile units comprise a processor, a memory, a user interface, and an air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process wireless local area packet data transactions, wherein a particular user operates a particular mobile unit that is in communication with a particular broadcast domain entity when the particular mobile unit is located in local coverage area of the particular broadcast domain entity, a network server side method comprising:
- accessing a user interest indication associated with the particular user, wherein the user interest indication identifies one or more user specified information classes to indicate one or more user preferences for one or more types of content the user desires to receive via unsolicited pushed messages at the particular mobile unit;
receiving via the packet switched data network information associated with a wireless communication interaction between the particular mobile unit and the particular broadcast domain entity, and based upon the information, associating the location of the particular user with a geographical location associated with the particular local broadcast domain;
causing a search to be performed over a plurality of sets of content to identify, if present, a resulting set of content that is both categorized into at least one information class corresponding to the user interest indication and a point of presence located physically near the particular local broadcast domain; and
causing at least information relating to the resulting set of content to be coupled via the packet switched data network to the particular local broadcast domain entity so that the particular local broadcast domain entity can wirelessly transmit one or more unsolicited broadcast packets with packet headers addressed to the particular mobile unit to automatically notify the particular mobile unit about the resulting set of content without the need to maintain an active client-server session between the network server and the particular mobile unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A geographical web browser allows a user to navigate a network application such as the Word Wide Web by physically navigating in geographical coordinates. For example, a geographical web browser is implemented in a mobile unit such as a dashboard computer. The mobile unit includes one or more transducers such as antennas and is operative to receive locally broadcast signals or to operate a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. As the mobile unit navigates into different physical localities, different web pages are displayed by the geographical web browser. For example, a user desiring to buy a house can set the web browser to a real estate web page. Instead of clicking on a hyperlink to access web pages of properties in an area, the user drives into a first area and automatically receives web pages relating to homes in that area. When the mobile unit crosses town and enters a second area, a new set of web pages is downloaded relating to properties in the second area. The geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems disclosed herein enable improved road-navigation and traffic management, advertisement, and related services.
108 Citations
63 Claims
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1. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more network servers, a plurality of broadcast domain entities that are respectively coupled via respective network connections to the packet switched data network, and a plurality of mobile units, wherein each broadcast domain entity provides low power bi-directional local area wireless network access connectivity in a restricted local coverage area to service local users who carry respective ones of the mobile units, wherein the mobile units are characterized in that at least some of the mobile units comprise a processor, a memory, a user interface, and an air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process wireless local area packet data transactions, wherein a particular user operates a particular mobile unit that is in communication with a particular broadcast domain entity when the particular mobile unit is located in local coverage area of the particular broadcast domain entity, a network server side method comprising:
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accessing a user interest indication associated with the particular user, wherein the user interest indication identifies one or more user specified information classes to indicate one or more user preferences for one or more types of content the user desires to receive via unsolicited pushed messages at the particular mobile unit;
receiving via the packet switched data network information associated with a wireless communication interaction between the particular mobile unit and the particular broadcast domain entity, and based upon the information, associating the location of the particular user with a geographical location associated with the particular local broadcast domain;
causing a search to be performed over a plurality of sets of content to identify, if present, a resulting set of content that is both categorized into at least one information class corresponding to the user interest indication and a point of presence located physically near the particular local broadcast domain; and
causing at least information relating to the resulting set of content to be coupled via the packet switched data network to the particular local broadcast domain entity so that the particular local broadcast domain entity can wirelessly transmit one or more unsolicited broadcast packets with packet headers addressed to the particular mobile unit to automatically notify the particular mobile unit about the resulting set of content without the need to maintain an active client-server session between the network server and the particular mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more network servers, a plurality of broadcast domain entities that are respectively coupled via respective network connections to the packet switched data network, and a plurality of mobile units, wherein each broadcast domain entity provides low power bi-directional local area wireless network access connectivity in a restricted local coverage area to service local users who carry respective ones of the mobile units, wherein the mobile units are characterized in that at least some of the mobile units comprise a processor, a memory, a user interface, and an air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process wireless local area packet data transactions, wherein a particular user operates a particular mobile unit that is in communication with a particular broadcast domain entity when the particular mobile unit is located in local coverage area of the particular broadcast domain entity, a network server side method comprising:
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accessing a user interest indication associated with the particular user, wherein the user interest indication identifies one or more user specified information classes to indicate one or more user preferences for one or more types of content the user desires to receive via unsolicited pushed messages at the particular mobile unit;
receiving via the packet switched data network a location identification indication that was wirelessly coupled by the particular mobile unit to the particular local broadcast domain;
causing a search to be performed over a plurality of sets of content to identify, if present, a resulting set of content that is both categorized into at least one information class identified by the user interest indication and is associated with a local point of presence located physically near the location identified in the location identification indication; and
causing at least information relating to the resulting set of content to be coupled via the packet switched data network to the particular local broadcast domain entity so that the particular local broadcast domain entity can wirelessly transmit one or more unsolicited broadcast packets with packet headers addressed to the particular mobile unit to automatically notify the particular mobile unit about the resulting set of content without the need to maintain an active client-server session between the network server and the particular mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more network servers, a plurality of mobile units, and a cellular communication network coupled to the packet switched data network and comprising a plurality of cellular base stations, wherein each cellular base station provides cellular radio access services to service mobile unit users who carry respective ones of the mobile units, wherein the mobile units are characterized in that at least some of the mobile units comprise a processor, a memory, a user interface, and at least one cellular radio air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process wireless packet data transactions using a cellular communication network packet data service protocol, wherein a particular user operates a particular mobile unit that is in communication with at least a particular cellular base station when the particular mobile unit is located in coverage area of a set of one or more cellular base stations that includes the particular cellular base station, a network server side method comprising:
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accessing a user interest indication associated with the particular user, wherein the user interest indication identifies one or more user specified information classes to indicate one or more user preferences for one or more types of content the user desires to receive via unsolicited pushed messages at the particular mobile unit;
receiving via the packet switched data network a location identification indication that was coupled from the cellular communication network, wherein the location identification indication identifies at least an approximate geographical location of the particular mobile unit;
causing a search to be performed over a plurality of sets of content to identify, if present, a resulting set of content that is both categorized into at least one information class corresponding to the user interest indication and is associated with a point of presence located physically near the location identified in the location identification indication; and
causing at least information relating to the resulting set of content to be coupled via the packet switched data network to the cellular communication network so that the particular cellular base station can wirelessly transmit one or more unsolicited broadcast packets with packet headers addressed to the particular mobile unit to automatically notify the particular mobile unit about the resulting set of content without the need to maintain an active client-server session between the network server and the particular mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification