Broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information

• US 20060050672A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shim, Dong-Hee, Han, Kyu-Sung, Shon, Min-Jung, Son, Sung-Mu
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

In a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information, when a terminal sets contents desired to be received in a specific area, a broadcast/multicast server checks current location information of the terminal transmitted from a location server or from the corresponding terminal, selects contents provided in the corresponding area, and transmits it to the terminal. Thus, a waste of a communication channel can be prevented, and since a user can selectively receive contents or information according to his/her location, user'"'"'s satisfaction and convenience can be enhanced.

Claims

1. A broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information in a broadcast/multicast service system, comprising:

a step in which a terminal which has received a contents list from a broadcast/multicast server transmits information on certain contents desired to be received at a specific area to the broadcast/multicast server; and

a step in which if the terminal is located in a pre-set area, the broadcast/multicast server transmits the corresponding contents to the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server classifies the contents which has been received from contents provider according to each service-available area and stores it.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server stores the contents received from the contents provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents list and the contents include area information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the contents comprises:

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server checks current location information of the terminal; and

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server transmits contents corresponding to a current location among contents which has been set by the terminal to the terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of checking location information, the broadcast/multicast server receives location information of the corresponding terminal from a location server and checks the location information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, in the step of checking the location information, the broadcast/multicast server receives location information directly from the terminal and checks the location information.

8. A broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received certain contents from a contents provider, a contents list including service-available area information to one or more terminals;

receiving a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to one or more contents selected by a user of a specific terminal among the contents list;

checking, by the broadcast/multicast server, location information of the specific terminal through a location server; and

transmitting contents corresponding to a current location of the specific terminal to the specific terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step in which the broadcast/multicast server classifies the contents which has been received from the contents provider according to each service-available area and stores it.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user selects contents desired to be received at a specific location or at a current location.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of checking the location information of the terminal comprises:

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server transmits a location tracking request message to the location server; and

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server receives a response message with respect to the location tracking request including a location tracking value of the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location tracking request message and the corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

a step in which the location server which has received the location tracking request message checks whether location information of the corresponding terminal can be disclosed;

a step in which if a user'"'"'s permission is required for the location tracking, the location server transmission a notification message with respect to permission of the location tracking to a user and receives a corresponding response message; and

a step in which the location server calculates a location tracking value of the terminal.

14. A broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received certain contents from a contents provider, a contents list including service-available area information to one or more terminals;

receiving a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to one or more contents selected by a user of a specific terminal from the contents list;

receiving current location information of the specific terminal from the specific terminal; and

transmitting contents corresponding to a current location of the specific terminal to the specific terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

classifying, by the broadcast/multicast server, the contents which have been received from the contents provider according to each service-available area, and storing them.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user selects contents desired to be received at a specific location or at a current location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving location information from the terminal comprises:

transmitting a location tracking request message to the location server by the terminal;

receiving a response message with respect to the location tracking request including a location tracking value of the terminal from the location server; and

transmitting, by the terminal, current location information of the terminal to the broadcast/multicast server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the location tracking request message and the corresponding response message has an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

19. A method for providing a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information in which a broadcast/multicast service is provided to at least one or more terminals each having a client performing transmission/reception through the same network, comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received one or more contents, the contents information to the client;

receiving a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to contents selected by a user of a specific terminal among the contents information from the client;

transmitting by the broadcast/multicast server a location tracking request message with respect to the specific terminal to a location server;

receiving a response message with respect to the location tracking request from the location server; and

transmitting contents corresponding to the location information to the specific terminal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

checking by the broadcast/multicast server area information from the received contents; and

classifying and storing the contents according to each area or storing the received contents as it is.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the contents information includes area information with respect to an area where the contents can be provided for service.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the location tracking request message and the corresponding response message have the MLP format.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the client comprises:

a broadcast/multicast client which requests or receives a broadcast/multicast service; and

a location client which requests or receives user location information.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

checking, by the location server which has received the location tracking request message, whether location information of the specific terminal can be disclosed;

transmitting a notification message with respect to permission of the location tracking to the user if user'"'"'s permission is required for the location tracking, and then, receiving a corresponding response message; and

calculating a location tracking value of the specific terminal.

25. A method for providing a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information in which a broadcast/multicast service is provided to at least one or more terminals each having a client performing transmission/reception through the same network, comprising:

receiving, by the client, contents information with respect to one or more contents from a broadcast/multicast server;

transmitting a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to contents selected by a user of a specific terminal among the contents information to the broadcast/multicast server;

transmitting by the client a location tracking request message with respect to the specific terminal to a location server;

receiving a response message with respect to the location tracking request including a location tracking result from the location server;

transmitting, by the client, location information of the specific terminal to the broadcast/multicast server; and

receiving contents corresponding to a current location of the specific terminal, among the selected contents, from the broadcast/multicast server.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

classifying contents, which has been received from contents provider, according to its service available area by the broadcast/multicast server.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the broadcast/multicast server stores the contents received from the contents provider, and transmits the contents based on current location information of the corresponding terminal.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the client comprises:

a broadcast/multicast client which requests or receives a broadcast/multicast service; and

a location client which requests or receives user location information.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the contents information includes area information with respect to an area where the corresponding contents can be provided for service.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the location tracking request message and its corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

31. A method for providing a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information in which a broadcast/multicast service is provided to at least one or more terminals each having first and second clients each being connected to a different network, comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received one or more contents, the contents information to the first client;

receiving a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to contents selected by a user of a specific terminal among the contents information from the second client;

transmitting, by the broadcast/multicast server, a location tracking request message with respect to the specific terminal to a location server;

receiving a response message with respect to the location tracking request from the location server; and

transmitting contents corresponding to the location information among the contents, which have been selected by the user, to the first client.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first client is a reception-dedicated client for receiving contents or information from the broadcast/multicast server.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the second client is a transmission/reception client for transmitting a request message or information to the broadcast/multicast server.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

checking, by the broadcast/multicast server, area information from the received contents; and

classifying and storing the received contents according to each area or storing the received contents as it is.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the contents information includes area information with respect to an area where the corresponding contents can be provided for service.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the location tracking request message and its corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

checking, by the location server which has received the location tracking request message, whether location information of the specific terminal can be disclosed;

transmitting a notification message with respect to permission of the location tracking to the user if user'"'"'s permission is required for the location tracking, and then, receiving a corresponding response message; and

calculating a location tracking value of the specific terminal.

38. A method for providing a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information in which a broadcast/multicast service is provided to at least one or more terminals each having first and second clients each being connected to a different network, comprising:

receiving, by the first client, contents information with respect to one or more contents from a broadcast/multicast server;

transmitting, by the second client, a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to contents selected by a user of a specific terminal among the contents information to the broadcast/multicast server;

transmitting, by the second client, a location tracking request message with respect to the specific terminal to a location server;

receiving, by the second client, a response message with respect to the location tracking request including a location tracking result;

transmitting, by the second client, location information of the specific terminal to the broadcast/multicast server; and

receiving, by the first client, contents from the broadcast/multicast server.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first client is a reception-dedicated client for receiving contents or information from the broadcast/multicast server.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the second client is a transmission/reception client for transmitting a request message or location information to the broadcast/multicast server or receives location information from the location server.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the broadcast/multicast server compares area information of contents requested by the client with current location information of the corresponding terminal, and then transmits contents corresponding to the current location information.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the contents information includes area information on an area where the corresponding contents can be provided for service.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the location tracking request message and its corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.