Vicinity-based community for wireless users

• US 20080113674A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mohammad Faisal Baig
• Original Assignee: Mohammad Faisal Baig
• Inventors: Baig, Mohammad Faisal
• Application Number:
  US11/982,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20080113674A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing vicinity-based community services at a wireless access location by a public network service provider. The method includes the steps of receiving over a public network, at least one request for vicinity-based community services from at least one end-user accessing the wireless access point, grouping end-users accessing common wireless access points, and providing the vicinity-based community services in real time to end-users accessing the public network service provider from the wireless access point. The apparatus includes devices for carrying out the method described above.

Claims

1. A method for providing vicinity-based community services at a wireless access location by a public network service provider, comprising the steps of:

receiving over a public network, at least one request for vicinity-based community services from at least one end-user accessing said wireless access point;

grouping end-users accessing common wireless access points; and

providing said vicinity-based community services in real time to end-users accessing said public network service provider from said wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a physical location associated with said wireless access point from information received by said at least one end-user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining a physical location comprises the steps of:

receiving physical address information of said wireless access location from each end-user; and

correlating said physical address information with an IP address associated with said wireless access location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of determining a physical location associated with said wireless access point comprises determining at least one of a street address and a venue name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing a barter service.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving from end-users at a particular wireless access point, postings of goods and services for exchange with other goods and services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing a lost and found service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing on-line games.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving from one or more end-users at said wireless access point, requests to play said on-line games.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said requests to play said on-line games include requests for competitions with other end-users at said wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing an advertising service.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving from one or more advertising entities, bids to provide advertising to said at least one end-user based on end-user profiling.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said vicinity-based community services further comprises the steps of:

receiving bids to advertise at a particular physical location in real time;

selecting an entity associated with the highest bid; and

providing advertisements associated with said selected entity in real time to said location.

14. Apparatus for providing vicinity-based community services at a wireless access location by a public network service provider, comprising the steps of:

means for receiving over a public network, at least one request for vicinity-based community services from at least one end-user accessing said wireless access point;

means for grouping end-users accessing common wireless access points; and

means for providing said vicinity-based community services in real time to end-users accessing said public network service provider from said wireless access point.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising means for determining a physical location associated with said wireless access point from information received by said at least one end-user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said means for determining a physical location comprises:

means for receiving physical address information of said wireless access location from each end-user; and

means for correlating said physical address information with an IP address associated with said wireless access location.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing a barter service.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for receiving from end-users at a particular wireless access point, postings of goods and services for exchange with other goods and services.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing a lost and found service.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for receiving from end-users at a particular wireless access point, postings of lost and found items at the location of the wireless access point.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for providing said vicinity-based community services comprises providing on-line games.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for receiving requests to play said on-line games from one or more end-users at said wireless access point,

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for providing said vicinity-based community services comprises means for providing an advertising service.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for receiving from one or more advertising entities, bids to provide advertising to said at least one end-user based on end-user profiling.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for providing said vicinity-based community services further comprises:

means for receiving bids to advertise at a particular physical location in real time;

means for selecting an entity associated with the highest bid; and

means for providing advertisements associated with said selected entity in real time to said location.