Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems

• US 20080194240A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aido Mobility LLC (Endpoint IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eo Communication Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Anastasi, Mark Nicholas, MacFarlane, Duncan Leo, Dowling, Eric Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A geographical web browser allows a user to navigate a network application such as the Word Wide Web by physically navigating in geographical coordinates. For example, a geographical web browser is implemented in a mobile unit such as a dashboard computer. The mobile unit includes one or more transducers such as antennas and is operative to receive locally broadcast signals or to operate a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. As the mobile unit navigates into different physical localities, different web pages are displayed by the geographical web browser. For example, a user desiring to buy a house can set the web browser to a real estate web page. Instead of clicking on a hyperlink to access web pages of properties in an area, the user drives into a first area and automatically receives web pages relating to homes in that area. When the mobile unit crosses town and enters a second area, a new set of web pages is downloaded relating to properties in the second area. The geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems disclosed herein enable improved road-navigation and traffic management, advertisement, and related services.

Claims

1. A method for use in a mobile unit, the method comprising:

communicating with a cellular communication network according to a cellular communication air interface protocol that supports wireless packet data connectivity;

receiving an unsolicited data packet from the cellular communication network, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains a pointer to content stored on a remote network server, and an identifier indicative of the stored content;

processing the unsolicited data packet by comparing the identifier to one or more stored user-configured preference parameters to selectively generate a user-selectable notification for display to a user associated with the mobile unit when the comparison generates a positive result; and

upon selection of the user-selectable notification by the user, transmitting to the remote network server via the cellular communication network a request packet including information related to the pointer in order to request at least some of the stored content to be downloaded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the pointer comprises an address of the remote network server, and the address is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the address comprises a URL indicative of an application layer address of the remote network server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises an indication of at least one information class.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains an address field to address the unsolicited data packet to the mobile unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unsolicited data packet is a broadcast packet that can be received and processed by any of one or more mobile units.

7. A method for use in a mobile unit, the method comprising:

communicating with a cellular communication network according to a cellular communication air interface protocol that supports wireless packet data connectivity;

receiving an unsolicited data packet from the cellular communication network, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains data content and an identifier indicative of the data content;

processing the unsolicited data packet by comparing the identifier to one or more stored user-configured preference parameters to selectively block the data content when the comparing generates a negative result; and

displaying information related to the data content to a user associated with the mobile unit when the comparing generates a positive result.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data content is hierarchically selectable, and upon selection of the information related to the data content by the user, more of the data content is displayed to the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the information related to the data content comprises at least a portion of the data content itself.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the unsolicited data packet further contains an address field to address the unsolicited data packet to the mobile unit.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the unsolicited data packet is a broadcast packet that can be received and processed by any of one or more mobile units.

12. A method for use in a mobile unit, the method comprising:

communicating with a public access wireless local area network station, wherein the public access wireless local area network station comprises a gateway connection to an Internet and wirelessly communicates according to a low-power air interface protocol that supports wireless packet data connectivity;

receiving an unsolicited data packet from the public access wireless local area network station, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains a pointer to content stored on a remote network server, and an identifier indicative of the stored content;

processing the unsolicited data packet by comparing the identifier to one or more stored user-configured preference parameters to selectively generate a user-selectable notification for display to a user associated with the mobile unit when the comparison generates a positive result; and

upon selection of the user-selectable notification by the user, transmitting to the remote network server via the public access wireless local area network station a request packet including information related to the pointer in order to request further related information to be downloaded.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information related to the pointer comprises an address of the remote network server, and the address is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the address comprises a URL indicative of an application layer address on the remote network server.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifier comprises an indication of at least one information class.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the unsolicited data packet further contains an address field to address the unsolicited data packet to the mobile unit.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the unsolicited data packet is a broadcast packet that can be received and processed by any of one or more mobile units.

18. A method for use in a mobile unit, the method comprising:

communicating with a public access wireless local area network station, wherein the public access wireless local area network station comprises a gateway connection to an Internet and wirelessly communicates according to a low-power air interface protocol that supports wireless packet data connectivity;

receiving an unsolicited data packet from the public access wireless local area network station, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains an identifier and a data content and an identifier Vindicative of the data content;

processing the unsolicited data packet by comparing the identifier to one or more stored user-configured preference parameters to selectively block the data content when the comparing generates a negative result; and

displaying information related to the data content to a user associated with the mobile unit when the comparing generates a positive result.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data content is hierarchically selectable, and upon selection of the information related to the data content by the user, more of the data content is displayed to the user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the information related to the data content comprises at least a portion of the data content itself.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the unsolicited data packet further contains an address field to address the unsolicited data packet to the mobile unit.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the unsolicited data packet is a broadcast packet that can be received and processed by any of one or more mobile units.

23. A method for use in a mobile unit, the method comprising:

communicating via a first wireless access connection with a remote voice-telephony endpoint, wherein the first wireless access connection is a circuit switched cellular communication air interface channel supplied by a cellular communications network;

receiving from a local broadcast domain entity an unsolicited data packet having one or more packet fields, wherein the unsolicited data packet indicates to the mobile unit that the mobile unit is in radio contact with the broadcast domain entity, wherein the broadcast domain entity provides the mobile unit with a second wireless access connection that uses a wireless packet switched data air interface protocol that is different from the circuit switched cellular communication air interface protocol;

processing the unsolicited data packet by comparing the one or more packet fields to stored information; and

at least partially in response to an affirmative result of the comparing, switching a lower layer of a protocol stack from the first wireless access connection to the second wireless access connection;

a first upper layer function in the mobile unit communicating with a remote network server via the first wireless access connection before the switching and communicating with the remote network server via the second wireless access connection after the switching; and

a second upper layer function in the mobile unit communicating with the remote voice-telephony endpoint via the first wireless access connection before the switching and communicating with the remote voice-telephony endpoint via the second wireless access connection after the switching;

wherein the second upper layer function includes at least one application layer voice telephony processing function.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the broadcast domain entity comprises a bi-directional wireless packet data interface and a connection to an Internet.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the broadcast domain entity is a wireless local area network (LAN) access station.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless local area network (LAN) access station is implemented using a low-power radio frequency channel with a range less than 100 feet.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first and second wireless access connections carries a voice telephony call with the remote endpoint in accordance with a packetized voice format.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least a portion of the packetized voice format complies with at least a portion of an H.323 protocol suite.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein before the switching the first wireless access connection is used as a first physical layer to support a virtual communication session, and after the switching, the second wireless access connection is used as a second physical layer to support the virtual communication session.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote server is a virtual presence server, and the remote voice telephony endpoint is a remote caller who called into the virtual presence server and had a voice telephony call forwarded to the mobile unit using an H.323 packet voice format.