Using a wireless beacon broadcast to provide a media message

• US 20070242643A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chandra, Ranveer, Wolman, Alastair, Padhye, Jitendra
• Application Number:
  US11/404,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

A system and method for using a wireless beacon broadcast to provide a media message is disclosed. A first beacon broadcast is provided from a wireless access point, the first beacon broadcast having a first beacon component with a first portion of media. A second beacon broadcast is provided from the wireless access point, the second beacon broadcast having a second beacon component with a second portion of media. The first portion of media and the second portion of media are combinable to provide a complete media message.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using a wireless beacon broadcast to provide a media message, said computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a first beacon broadcast from a wireless access point, said first beacon broadcast having a first beacon component with a first portion of media; and

providing a second beacon broadcast from said wireless access point, said second beacon broadcast having a second beacon component with a second portion of media, wherein said first portion of media and said second portion of media are combinable to provide a complete media message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing concatenation information for said first beacon component with a first portion of media and said second beacon component with a second portion of media, said concatenation information providing directions for concatenating said first portion of said media and said second portion of said media into a concatenated media message.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a first service set identifier (SSID) as said first beacon component with a first portion of media;

utilizing a second SSID as said second beacon component with a second portion of media; and

providing said first SSID and said second SSID in a format comprising a unique identifier, a sequence number, a more flag and a portion of said media.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a first basic service set identifier (BSSID) as said first beacon component with a first portion of media;

utilizing a second BSSID as said second beacon component with a second portion of media; and

providing said first BSSID and said second BSSID in a format comprising a unique identifier, a sequence number, a more flag and a portion of said media.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a first information element (IE) as said first beacon component with a first portion of media;

utilizing a second IE as said second beacon component with a second portion of media; and

providing said first IE and said second IE in a format comprising a unique identifier, a sequence number, a more flag and a portion of said media.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said media message is provided in a user sensorial format selected from the group of formats including, text, audio, and video.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a first beacon basic service set identifier (BSSID) with said first beacon broadcast and said second beacon broadcast, said first beacon and said second beacon providing at least a portion of said media message;

providing a second beacon BSSID with a third beacon broadcast from said access point, said third beacon providing connection information to said access point; and

switching between said first beacon BSSID and said second beacon BSSID such that a consumer utilizing said access point is not disconnected when said access point broadcasts said first BSSID.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said method comprises a revenue model selected from the group of revenue models consisting of:

a publish-subscribe model, a unique BSSID tracker, a home access point model, and a varying receive rate model.

9. A system for using a service set identifier (SSID) portion of a wireless network beacon to provide a media message, said system comprising:

a wireless access point;

a first SSID portion provider configured to provide a first beacon broadcast from said wireless access point; and

a second SSID portion provider configured to provide a second beacon broadcast from said wireless access point, wherein said first SSID and said second SSID are combinable to provide directions for receiving at least a portion of a media message in a user sensorial format.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a first layer SSID portion provider configured to provide a first layer SSID portion of said media message, said first layer SSID portion residing in a single beacon; and

a second layer SSID portion provider configured to provide a second layer SSID portion of said media message, said second layer SSID portion dispersed across a plurality of beacons.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a concatenation information provider configured to provide concatenation information for combining a plurality of SSID portions of said media message over a plurality of beacons to provide a complete said media message in a user sensorial format.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

an access point ad center URL provider configured to provide an access point ad center URL for allowing a consumer device to download a complete said media message over a network connection, wherein said complete media message download is based on said ad center URL provided by said access point.

13. Instructions on a computer-usable medium wherein the instructions when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for concatenating a service set identifier (SSID) portion of at least two beacons broadcast from an access point of a wireless network to provide a media message, said computer-implemented method comprising:

broadcasting a first beacon having a first SSID with a first portion of media;

broadcasting a second beacon having a second SSID with a second portion of media, wherein said first portion of media and said second portion of media are distinct; and

providing concatenation information related to said first SSID portion and said second SSID portion, said concatenation information providing directions for concatenating said first portion of media and said second portion of media into a concatenated media message.

14. The instructions of claim 13 wherein said media message is provided in a user sensorial format selected from the group of formats including, text, audio, and video.

15. The instructions of claim 13 further comprising:

broadcasting said first SSID and said second SSID in a format comprising a unique identifier, a sequence number, a more flag and said portion of media.

16. The instructions of claim 13 further comprising:

controlling a broadcast range of said first beacon and said second beacon by modifying a broadcast data rate of said wireless access point.

17. The instructions of claim 13 further comprising:

controlling a broadcast range of said first beacon and said second beacon by modifying a broadcast power of said wireless access point.

18. The instructions of claim 13 further comprising:

broadcasting said first beacon and said second beacon from an access point of said wireless network.

19. The instructions of claim 18 further comprising:

broadcasting a first beacon basic SSID (BSSID) with said first beacon and said second beacon from said access point, said first beacon and said second beacon providing at least a portion of said media message;

broadcasting a second beacon BSSID with a third beacon from said access point, said third beacon providing connection information to said access point; and

switching between said first beacon BSSID and said second beacon BSSID such that a consumer utilizing said access point is not disconnected when said access point broadcasts said first BSSID.

20. The instructions of claim 13 further comprising:

providing a plurality of access points for said wireless network, wherein at least a first access point provides access to said wireless network and wherein at least a second access point provides said media message.