System and method for providing locally applicable internet content with secure action requests and item condition alerts

• US 20070047568A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovation Sciences, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sellerbid Incorporated (Innovation Sciences, LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Ximing, Wang, Ning, Wang, Tiejun, Wang, Tiehong, Zeng, Guang
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Optimized delivery of locally applicable Internet content to users. A cache of locally applicable Internet content is maintained in a local content server, based upon a monitoring of locations of users requesting Internet content. Requests for Internet content are received from user equipment through a wireless network base station, and served from the local content server, which is logically proximate to the wireless network base station. The caching of locally applicable Internet content may be maintained on a layered basis. Secure action request receipt and corresponding performance, and item condition alerts are also described.

Claims

1. For use in a system including a wireless network, a public network that provides Internet content, a method for optimizing the delivery of content to users, the method comprising:

determining locations for users respectively requesting Internet content based upon an identification of wireless network base stations through which the requests for the Internet content are made;

monitoring the Internet content requested by users from a particular location corresponding to a given wireless network base station;

caching particular Internet content that is determined to be locally applicable based upon the monitoring of the Internet content accessed by users from the particular location, wherein the particular Internet content is cached at a local content server that is logically proximate to the given wireless network base station for the particular location; and

sending content from the cached particular Internet content to a user equipment of a requesting user through the given wireless network base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet content is determined to be locally applicable by iteratively determining local applicability on a layered basis, such that a first layer of local applicability corresponds to Internet content requested by users in a first geographical area in which the particular location resides, and at least one succeeding layer of local applicability corresponds to Internet content requested by users in at least one succeeding geographical area that encompasses and is larger than the first geographical area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

notifying a commercial entity based upon a relationship of the commercial entity to the locally applicable Internet content, indicating a relevance of the locally applicable Internet content to the commercial entity for users in at least the first geographical area.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accommodating provision of a commercial incentive from the commercial entity to the requesting user according to the relevance of the locally applicable Internet content, wherein the commercial incentive includes at least one of a coupon or an advertisement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the provision of the commercial incentive is made in conjunction with the provision of an indication of a corresponding need to the requesting user, wherein the determination of the corresponding need is performed separately and without requiring input from the commercial entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet content is determined to be locally applicable by determining frequency of access by users at the particular location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet content is determined to be locally applicable by comparing a location identified with the requested content to the particular location.

8. A computer system for optimizing the delivery of content to users, the system comprising:

means for determining locations for users respectively requesting Internet content based upon an identification of wireless network base stations through which the requests for the Internet content are made;

means for monitoring the Internet content requested by users from a particular location corresponding to a given wireless network base station;

means for caching particular Internet content that is determined to be locally applicable based upon the monitoring of the Internet content accessed by users from the particular location, wherein the particular Internet content is cached at a local content server that is logically proximate to the given wireless network base station for the particular location; and

means for sending content from the cached particular Internet content to a user equipment of a requesting user through the given wireless network base station.

9. A method for facilitating secure receipt and performance of an action, the method comprising:

receiving a unique identifier corresponding to a user equipment through a short range wireless connection;

recognizing the unique identifier and establishing a secure communication channel with the user equipment based upon the recognition of the unique identifier, wherein the secure communication channel is separate from the short range wireless connection used to receive the unique identifier;

receiving an action request from the user equipment through the secure communication channel;

communicating information related to the action request to an external server through a network connection to accommodate a completion of the action request; and

communicating a confirmation of the completion of the action request to the user equipment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the short range wireless connection is NFC and the unique identifier is an RFID Tag.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the secure communication channel uses one of a Bluetooth, a UWB, or a WLAN communication.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the action request is a purchase request, and communicating information related to the action request to an external server includes communicating a payment request corresponding to the purchase request.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier is associated with a bank account to accommodate a completion of a payment request.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving and recognizing of the unique identifier is performed by a wireless hub, and wherein the wireless hub provides a user interface through which additional information is exchanged following the recognition of the unique identifier.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving and recognizing of the unique identifier is performed by a wireless hub, wherein the wireless hub is housed within one of a kiosk or a set top box, and wherein the wireless hub separately collects utility information.

16. A system for facilitating secure receipt and performance of an action, the system comprising:

means for receiving a unique identifier corresponding to a user equipment through a short range wireless connection;

means for recognizing the unique identifier and establishing a secure communication channel with the user equipment based upon the recognition of the unique identifier, wherein the secure communication channel is separate from the short range wireless connection used to receive the unique identifier;

means for receiving an action request from the user equipment through the secure communication channel;

means for communicating information related to the action request to an external server through a network connection to accommodate a completion of the action request; and

means for communicating a confirmation of the completion of the action request to the user equipment.

17. A method for delivering diaper status updates, the method comprising:

receiving status information relating to a current condition of a diaper whose condition is not necessarily apparent visually based upon a detection of the current condition by a sensor, wherein the status information indicates that the diaper in the current condition requires an update, and wherein the status information is received through a wireless connection; and

generating an alert corresponding to the current condition upon receiving the status information through the wireless connection.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining an identifier that is associated with the status information; and

correlating a designated recipient to the identifier, such that generating the alert comprises sending the alert to the designated recipient.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the current condition comprises wetness, and wherein the sensor determines wetness by detecting at least one of a weight, a chemical property or an electrical property.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining an identifier that is associated with the status information; and

correlating a plurality of designated recipients to the identifier, such that generating the alert comprises sending the alert to at least one of the plurality of designated recipients.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein a first designated recipient is sent the alert, and a second designated recipient is sent an alert only if the current condition is determined to persist after an elapsed period of time following the alert to the first designated recipient.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining an identifier that is associated with the status information and correlating a designated recipient to the identifier; and

determining a location of the diaper;

such that generating the alert comprises sending the alert to the designated recipient and notifying the designated recipient as to the location of the diaper.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless connection implements one of RFID, UWB, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or MIPI.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring cumulative diaper usage based upon the receipt of status information and generation of alerts.

25. A system for delivering diaper status updates, the system comprising:

means for receiving status information relating to a current condition of a diaper whose condition is not necessarily apparent visually based upon a detection of the current condition by a sensor, wherein the status information indicates that the diaper in the current condition requires an update, and wherein the status information is received through a wireless connection; and

means for generating an alert corresponding to the current condition upon receiving the status information through the wireless connection.