SCHEDULING OF RENDERING OF LOCATION-BASED CONTENT

• US 20060236258A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Core Mobility (Smith Micro Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Core Mobility (Smith Micro Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Othmer, Konstantin, Stocklein, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US11/426,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236258A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/774
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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

Tickers are populated with location-based information that is selected according to the geographic location of communication devices and is scheduled for display on the tickers according to specified criteria. Location-appropriate content is obtained either in real-time from the network or from a local data store at the communication device. Selected content is displayed according to the occurrence of a triggering event or based on a schedule that uses a score assigned to the content. In general location-based, context-aware content can be displayed on tickers associated with a variety of communication devices, including mobile communication devices and “immobile” or stationary personal computers.

Claims

1. In a communication network that includes a ticker server and communication devices having display devices on which tickers can be rendered, a method for determining how to display content on the tickers, comprising:

identifying at least two content items, including a first content item and a second content item, that are available to be displayed on a ticker of a communication device, wherein the first content item and the second content item are location-based content items selected to correspond to specified geographic locations of the communication device;

using a scheduling system of the communication device, assigning a first score to a first content item and a second score to the second content item, based on display rules associated with the first and second content items, wherein the scores represent a measure of the priority of the corresponding content items; and

displaying at least one of the first content item and the second content item in a manner specified by the first score and the second score.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manner specified by the first score and the second score comprises the order in which the first content item and the second content item are displayed.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manner specified by the first score and the second score comprises the timing by which the first content item and the second content item are displayed.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manner specified by the first score and the second score comprises the relative frequency by which the first content item and the second content item are displayed.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display rules include display rules contained in metadata associated with the first content item and the second content item.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein assigning the first score and the second score comprises evaluating at least one of:

the strength of user preferences;

time sensitivity of the content items;

degrees of relevance of the content items;

proximity of the communication device to the corresponding specified geographic locations;

how often the content items have previously been displayed on the ticker;

content provider business arrangements; and

marketing campaign rules.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising obtaining the location-based content by:

receiving the location-based content from a location-based ticker server; and

storing the location-based content in a local data store.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising filtering the location-based content as the location-based content is obtained.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein filtering the location-based content is performed in response to user input explicitly accepting or rejecting certain location-based content.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising obtaining the location-based content in response to the communication device being moved to a location that is within range of a wireless communication network.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a Bluetooth wireless access point.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the wireless network is a wireless access point of the 802.11 wireless network family.

13. In a communication device that includes a graphical display device, a method for populating a ticker on the display device with information selected in response to a triggering event, comprising:

determining that a triggering event has occurred;

obtaining location-based content that has been designated as being appropriate for display in response to the triggering event, wherein the location-based content is selected to correspond to a specified geographic location of the communication device; and

displaying the location-based content on the ticker.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of:

a specified time; and

the communication device being in a specified geographic location.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein obtaining location-based content comprises receiving the location-based content from a ticker server in response to the triggering event.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein obtaining location-based content comprises accessing the location-based content that has been stored locally after having been received from a ticker server prior to the triggering event.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an interactive presentation attribute of the ticker.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the interactive presentation attribute comprises modifying an element of the ticker in response to navigation commands generated as a user depresses keys of a keypad of the communication device.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the interactive presentation attribute comprises applying a transparency value to the displayed ticker.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the interactive presentation attribute comprises modifying the display of a particular portion of the location-based content based on at least one of the geographic location of the communication device and user preferences.