Location broadcasting

• US 20070121557A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Application Number:
  US11/289,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121557A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information

Abstract

The present invention broadcasts location information to communication terminals, which are located in a geographic area associated with the location information. Communication terminals within the area in which the broadcasted location information can be received will receive the location information and be able to use the location information as an indication of their actual locations. As such, the communication terminals can determine their locations based on the broadcasted information. The location information may be manually provisioned in the broadcasting devices. Alternatively, the location information can be obtained from another source or a location system, such as a GPS receiver.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining location information associated with a geographic area; and

broadcasting the location information for reception by any communication terminals within the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is broadcast via local wireless communications throughout a local wireless zone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the location information is broadcast from a wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is broadcast via Ethernet-based communications throughout a local area network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the location information is broadcast from an Ethernet hub.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is broadcast via Ethernet-based communications throughout a subnet of a local area network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is broadcast in a beacon transmission.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the beacon transmission comprises information identifying a wireless access point from which the beacon transmission is transmitted.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is broadcast from a broadcasting device and identifies a geographic location of the broadcasting device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information identifies the geographic area in which the location information can be received when broadcast.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving satellite positioning indicia bearing on a position of a satellite positioning receiver, which is associated with a broadcasting device; and

creating the location information based on the satellite positioning indicia.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information is dynamic.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the location information comprises one of the group consisting of geolocation coordinates, civic address, and descriptive text for a location.

14. A system comprising:

a communication interface; and

a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

obtain location information associated with a geographic area and

broadcast the location information for reception by any communication terminals within the geographic area.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface and the location information is broadcast via local wireless communications throughout a local wireless zone.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a network interface associated with the control system, and wherein system is a wireless access point.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the communication interface is a network interface and the location information is broadcast via Ethernet-based communications throughout a local area network.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the system is an Ethernet hub.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information is broadcast via Ethernet-based communications throughout a subnet of a local area network.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information is broadcast in a beacon transmission.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the beacon transmission comprises information identifying a wireless access point from which the beacon transmission is transmitted.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information identifies a geographic location of the system.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information identifies the geographic area in which the location information can be received when broadcast.

24. The system of claim 14 further comprising a satellite positioning receiver adapted to provide to the control system with satellite positioning indicia bearing on a position of the satellite positioning receiver, the control system further adapted to create the location information based on the satellite positioning indicia.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information is dynamic.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the location information comprises one of the group consisting of geolocation coordinates, civic address, and descriptive text for a location.