Method for Performing Location-Specific Services, Broadcasting Unit and Mobile Receiving Device

• US 20080261604A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Ritter, Rudolf
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

In order to perform location-specific services of a broadcasting unit (3), virtual cells (22, 23, 24) for the location-specific services are set up so that cell data, which define a local cell area, are transmitted to a mobile receiving device (1) via the broadcasting unit (3). The cell data are stored in the mobile receiving device (1). The mobile receiving device (1) establishes its current position (25) and determines whether it is located in the cell area. In the event the mobile receiving device (1) is located in the cell area, the receiving device performs a service assigned to the cell data. The setting up of cells (22, 23, 24) for local-specific services by the broadcasting unit (3) in a multitude of mobile receiving devices (1) in the service area (2) of the broadcasting unit (3) enables geographical areas inside and outside the service area (2) to be split up into smaller, interactive and virtual service cells and cell clusters in a dynamic and optimal manner according to need and geographical and/or service-specific paramet

Claims

1. A method for performing location-specific services of a broadcasting unit, comprising:

setting up of cells for the location-specific services through;

broadcast-based transfer of cell data with cell area data which define a regional cell area by the broadcasting unit to a mobile receiving device,

storage of the cell data with the cell area data in the mobile receiving device,

determining in the mobile receiving device of a current position of the mobile receiving device, and

determining by the mobile receiving device of a current presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the cell area defined by the cell area data; and

,

in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area, performance of a service assigned to the cell data in the mobile receiving device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-specific services comprise a data transfer from the broadcasting unit to the mobile receiving device;

and in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area, received data assigned to the cell data are accepted and processed in the mobile receiving device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting unit assigns user data to the cell data and transfers the user data together with the cell data to the mobile receiving device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data comprise a cell identification;

the broadcasting unit transfers user data together with the cell identification separately from the cell data to the mobile receiving device; and

the mobile receiving device assigns the user data to the stored cell data on the basis of the cell identification.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data comprise an instruction;

and the instruction is carried out in the mobile receiving device in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data comprise a cell type;

and received data assigned to the cell data are further processed in the mobile receiving device depending on the cell type.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cell type comprises at least one value from alarm type for alarms, information type for information data of various categories, application type for executable applications and link type for hyperlinks.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the mobile receiving device accepts selection commands from the user for the selection of cell types;

and the service assigned to the cell data is performed in the mobile receiving device in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in a cell area with a selected cell type.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data define a three-dimensional regional cell area;

a current three-dimensional position of the mobile receiving device is determined; and

the current presence of the mobile receiving device in the three-dimensional regional cell area is determined on the basis of the current three-dimensional position.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data comprise validity data which define a temporal validity of the regional cell area, whereby the validity data comprise at least one from a start instruction for instant activation of the cell area, a stop instruction for immediate deactivation of the cell area, a start time value and stop time value for the definition of a time window and a start time value and a duration for the definition of a time window.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell data define a cluster of a plurality of regional cell areas.

12. A broadcasting unit which is set up for the broadcast-based transfer of data to mobile receiving devices, comprising:

a cell-determination module to transfer cell data with cell area data which define a regional cell area to the mobile receiving devices.

13. The broadcasting unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the broadcasting unit is set up to transfer user data together with the cell data to the mobile receiving devices.

14. The broadcasting unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the broadcasting unit is set up to insert a cell identification into the cell data, and to transfer user data together with a cell identification separately from the cell data to the mobile receiving devices.

15. A mobile receiving device which is set up to receive data transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by a broadcasting unit, comprising:

a cell-determination module to accept and store cell data with cell area data which define a regional cell area and which are transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by the broadcasting unit;

a position-determination module for determining a current geographical position of the mobile receiving device;

a presence-determination module for determining a current presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the cell area defined by the cell area data; and

a service module to perform a service assigned to the cell data in the mobile receiving device, in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area.

16. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the service module is set up to accept and process received data assigned to the cell data, in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area.

17. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cell data comprise a cell identification;

the cell-determination module is set up to store the cell data in the mobile receiving device; and

that the service module is set up to assign received data to the stored cell data on the basis of a cell identification transferred by the broadcasting unit together with the data.

18. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cell data comprise an instruction;

and the service module is set up to carry out the instruction in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area.

19. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cell data comprise a cell type;

and the service module is set up to process received data depending on the cell type.

20. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the mobile receiving device comprises a selection module which is set up to accept selection commands from the user for the selection of cell types;

and the service module is set up to perform the service assigned to the cell data, in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in a cell area with a selected cell type.

21. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cell data define a three-dimensional regional cell area;

that the position-determination module is set up to determine a current three-dimensional position of the mobile receiving device; and

the presence-determination module is set up to determine the current presence of the mobile receiving device in the three-dimensional regional cell area on the basis of the current three-dimensional position.

22. A computer program product, comprising computer program code means for controlling one or more processors of a mobile receiving device, said mobile receiving device being set up to receive data transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by a broadcasting unit and to determine a current geographical position of the mobile receiving device in such a way that the mobile receiving device:

receives and stores cell data which are transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by the broadcasting unit and which comprise cell area data which define a regional cell area;

determines a current position of the mobile receiving device in the cell area by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the cell area defined by the cell area data; and

performs a service assigned to the cell data, in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the cell area.