METHOD FOR ROUTING DATA PACKETS USING AN IP ADDRESS BASED ON GEO POSITION

• US 20100002604A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightwaves Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: MELICK, BRUCE D., SNYDER, DAVID M., BAYCH, LESLIE D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Method of routing data over a network in which contact is made with a home network to determine the reported geo-position, using this geo-position to transmit data to the device over a path through a node in which the node reads the geo-position, accesses a list of possible recipients and their geo-positions, compares its location to the positions, selects a recipient based at least in part on the proximity of the recipient to the device, and transmits the data over the best path. Eventually, the device becomes the recipient. A geo-position may be transmitted as part of an IP address, or as geo-position data or XML tagged geo-position information contained in a data packet or IP addressed message or IP addressed voice calls (VoIP). The geo-position information can be generated from a GPS receiver. This method and/or IP address may be used in a method of doing business in which the geo-position is used to identify the source and location for delivery. This information may be incorporated into a purchase order or confirmation receipt.

Claims

1. A method of determining a physical address associated with a device using a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

requesting a machine address associated with the device over the telecommunications network;

determining a geographic position of the device at least partially based on the machine address associated with the device;

determining a physical address associated with the device based on the geographic position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the geographic position of the device further comprises accessing a database associated with the telecommunications network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine address comprises an internet protocol (ip) address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic position comprises latitude, longitude, and altitude.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine address is based at least in part on location of the device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the geographic position of the device comprises accessing a database relating machine address information with location information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically updating a database with the geographic position associated with the machine address associated with the device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of determining the geographic position of the device further comprises accessing the database.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical address associated with a device is out of direct line-of-sight of GPS satellites.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical address associated with the device is transmitted over a wireless link in the telecommunications network in response to requesting the machine address associated with the device.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the requesting is performed using a request tagged using XML.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical address associated with the device is transmitted over a wireless link in the telecommunications network in response to requesting of the machine address and wherein a response to the requesting of the machine address is tagged using XML.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine address is an internet protocol address associated with a VoIP device.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the XML is used to automatically switch and route data.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the XML is used to automatically switch and route data.

9. A method of determining a physical address associated with a device, comprising:

identifying the device using a machine address;

storing on a network a location of the device identified using a machine address;

updating location of the device stored on the network as the device relocates;

determining a physical address associated with the device based on the location of the device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining the location of the device at least partially based on the machine address.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the location is a geographic position comprising latitude, longitude, and altitude.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining the location further comprises accessing a database associated with the telecommunications network adapted for relating the machine address to location.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the machine address comprises an internet protocol (ip) address.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the machine address is based at least in part on location of the device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the physical address associated with a device is out of direct line-of-sight of GPS satellites.

21. The method of claim 9 wherein the machine address is an internet protocol address associated with a VoIP device.