Position-Based Context Awareness for Mobile Terminal Device

• US 20080242418A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HMD Global Oy
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Theimer, Wolfgang, Serafat, Reza, Gaschler, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 9,178,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/08 Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

The present invention relates to location/position-based context awareness for devices and mobile terminal devices, respectively. In particularly, the present invention relates to an infrastructure entity performing the location/position-based context awareness for a portable terminal device. According to the present invention an infrastructure entity and a method operable therewith for serving distance-dependent context information relating to a defined environment is provided. For instance, terminal/object distances are determined in accordance with a position of a portable terminal, each position of a plurality of objects and a position of an infrastructure entity, which is adapted to serve the aforementioned distance-dependent context information. Context information, which is associated with each of the plurality of object, is provided for being selected. Context information is selected from provided context information on the basis of the determined terminal/object distances. The selected context information is finally transmitted to the portable terminal for being processed thereon.

Claims

1. Method for serving context information to a mobile terminal device, wherein said context information is associated with a predefined environment associated with an infrastructure entity, wherein several predefined environments form a gaming area in a gaming scenario, said method comprising:

keeping said context information by said infrastructure entity in store, wherein said infrastructure entity handles said context information of its predefined environment, wherein said context information of said infrastructure entity is centrally administrated by a central server;

determining at least a position of said mobile terminal device when said mobile terminal is located within a coverage area of said infrastructure element;

selecting said context information in accordance with said determined position and said predefined environment associated with the infrastructure element; and

transmitting said selected context information to said mobile terminal for being processed thereon.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining said position of said mobile terminal by the means of terminal-based position technology or network-based position technology.

4. Method according to claim 1, comprising:

providing a plurality of objects, wherein each object is associated with said context information, wherein each object has a position, which is defined with reference to said defined environment.

5. Method according to claim 4, comprising:

determining terminal/object distances on the basis of positions of said mobile terminal and said plurality of objects; and

selecting said context information in accordance with said termninal/object distances.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said determining further comprises:

determining said terminal/object distances at a point in time;

or

determining said terminal/object distances over a period of time.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein said position of said mobile terminal and/or said positions of a plurality of objects is/are allowed to vary in time.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein each of said terminal/object distances comprises one out of a group of distance quantities including:

a distance between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects; and

a distance between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein contents of said context information associated with at least one of said objects depends on said terminal/object distance.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein said coverage area differs from said defined environment.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein said context information comprises information out of a group of information including information to be displayed to a user of said mobile terminal, information for being processed by said mobile terminal and instructions instructing said mobile terminal to operate correspondingly.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein said defined environment is mapped to a digital representation, which comprises said plurality of objects.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or more objects of said plurality of objects represent physical objects being present within said defined environment.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or more objects of said plurality of objects represent virtual objects, which require no physical correspondence within said defined environment.

15. Computer program product for executing a method for serving context information relating to a defined environment, comprising program code sections for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program is run on a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a portable communication enabled terminal.

16. Computer program product for executing a method for serving context information relating to a defined environment, comprising program code sections stored on a machine-readable medium for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program product is run on a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a portable communication enabled terminal.

17. Software tool for serving context information relating to a defined environment, comprising program portions for carrying out the operations of claim 1, when said program is implemented in a computer program for being executed on a microprocessor based device, processing device, a terminal device, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a portable communication enabled terminal.

18. Computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the steps of claim 1 to be carried out.

38. Method according to claim 2, comprising providing a plurality of objects, wherein each object is associated with said context information, wherein each object has a position, which is defined with reference to said defined environment.

3. (canceled)

19. Infrastructure entity adapted for serving context information to a mobile terminal device when located within a coverage area of said infrastructure entity, comprising:

an information storage for storing context information, which is associated with a defined environment of said infrastructure entity, wherein several predefined environments form a gaming area in a gaming scenario, wherein said context information is administrated by a central server;

calculation means adapted for determining at least a position of said mobile terminal;

selection means adapted for selecting said context information in accordance with said position and said defined environment; and

a wireless data interface for data communications with said mobile terminal, wherein said wireless data interface is adapted to transmit said selected context information to said mobile terminal for being processed thereon.

20. Infrastructure entity according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of objects are provided, each of which is associated with said context information and each of which has a position, which is defined with reference to said defined environment.

21. Infrastructure entity according to claim 19, comprising:

said calculation means, which is adapted for determining terminal/object distances on the basis of positions of said mobile terminal and said plurality of objects; and

said selection means which is adapted for selecting said context information in accordance with said terminal/object distances.

22. Infrastructure entity according to claim 21, wherein said calculation means is adapted

for determining said terminal/object distances at a point in time;

and

for determining said terminal/object distances over a period of time.

23. Infrastructure entity according to claim 21, wherein said calculation means is adapted

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects;

and/or

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

24. Infrastructure entity according to claim 21, wherein contents of said context information associated with at least one of said objects depends on said terminal/object distances.

25. Infrastructure entity according to claim 19, wherein said coverage area differs from said defined environment.

26. Infrastructure entity according to claim 19, wherein said defined environment corresponds to a digital representation thereof, which comprises said objects, each of which represents one out of a physical object and a virtual object.

39. Infrastructure entity according to claim 22, wherein said calculation means is adapted for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects, and for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

40. Infrastructure entity according to claim 22, wherein said calculation means is adapted for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects, or for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

27. System for serving context information, comprising a plurality of infrastructure entities and at least one mobile terminal,

wherein each infrastructure entity is adapted for serving context information of an individually defined environment of each individual infrastructure entity, wherein several predefined environments form a gaming area in a gaming scenario, wherein said context information is administrated by a central server;

said mobile terminal comprising;

a wireless data interface adapted for data communication with said infrastructure entities;

wherein each infrastructure entity adapted for serving context information to a mobile terminal device when located within a coverage area of said respective infrastructure entity, each infrastructure entity comprising;

an information storage for storing context information, which is associated with its defined environment;

calculation means adapted for determining at least a position of said mobile terminal;

selection means adapted for selecting said context information in accordance with said position and said defined environment, and

a wireless data interface for data communications with said mobile terminal, wherein said wireless data interface is adapted to transmit said selected context information to said mobile terminal for being processed thereon.

28. System according to claim 27, wherein said individually defined environments of said infrastructure entities overlap.

30. System according to claim 27, wherein a plurality of objects are provided, each of which is associated with said context information and each of which has a position, which is defined with reference to one of said defined environment.

31. System according to claim 27, wherein each infrastructure entity comprises:

said calculation means, which is adapted for determining terminal/object distances on the basis of positions of said mobile terminal and said plurality of objects; and

said selection means which is adapted for selecting said context information in accordance with said terminal/object distances.

32. System according to claim 31, wherein said calculation means is adapted

for determining said terminal/object distances at a point in time;

and

for determining said terminal/object distances over a period of time.

33. System according to claim 32, wherein said calculation means is adapted

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects;

and/or

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

34. System according to claim 31, wherein said calculation means is adapted

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects;

and/or

for determining said terminal/object distances between said position of said mobile terminal and said position of said infrastructure entity.

35. System according to claim 31, wherein contents of said context information associated with at least one of said objects depends on said terminal/object distances.

36. System according to claim 30, wherein coverage area of at least one of said infrastructure elements differs from said defined environment of at least one of said infrastructure elements.

37. System according to claim 31, wherein said defined environment corresponds to a digital representation thereof, which comprises said objects, each of which represents one out of a physical object and a virtual object.

29. (canceled)