Methods and Apparatuses for Providing Location Based Ratings Services on Communications Networks

• US 20100161718A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey, Soelberg, Emily
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing location based ratings services on communications networks are disclosed. Location information relating to a device, or a user associated with the device, associated with a submitted rating can be associated with a rating and stored as part of the rating. Ratings can be sorted, filtered, and/or prioritized based upon associated location information. The location information can indicate where the rating is submitted, the billing address associated with the device used to submit the rating, the location of the device when the rating was submitted, the current location of the user who submitted the rating, whether the device was roaming when the rating was submitted, if an address associated with the device is near the rated business, where the device user lives, and the like. Methods and computer-readable media embodying methods for providing differentiated user service options, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for providing location based ratings services to a device operating on a communications network, the system comprising:

a location based ratings server comprising a memory for storing computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to;

recognize received data as ratings data submitted by a device;

determine if location information associated with the device can be obtained;

obtain location information associated with the device, if the location based ratings server so determines;

associate the location information with the ratings data; and

store the ratings data and the location information in a storage location associated with the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to obtain location information associated with the device by making the location based ratings server operable to:

pass an identification string associated with the device to a location server; and

recognize received data as location information associated with the device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to obtain location information associated with the device by making the location based ratings server operable to:

pass an identification string associated with the device to a user identification server;

recognize received data as identification data associated with the device;

pass the identification data to a location server; and

recognize received data as location information associated with the device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user identification server comprises a home location register (HLR) of a cellular network.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to:

recognize received data as a request for location information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions that make the locations based ratings server operable to determine if location information is available comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to:

examine device data received from a ratings server, the device data comprising an identification string associated with the device; and

determine, based on the device data, if the device is capable of providing the requested location information.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to make the location based ratings server operable to:

retrieve account information associated with the device, the account information comprising a city and a state.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions that make the locations based ratings server operable to associate the location information with the ratings data further comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to make the locations based server operable to:

format the locations information as a data field in a database entry for the ratings data received from the device.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to make the locations based server operable to:

organize two or more ratings based upon the location information associated with the ratings.

10. A method for providing location based ratings services to a device operating on a communications network, the method comprising:

recognizing data received at a location based ratings server as ratings data submitted by the device;

determining, at the location based ratings server, if location information associated with the device can be obtained;

obtaining location information associated with the device, if the location based ratings server so determines;

associating the location information with the ratings data; and

storing the ratings data and the location information in a storage location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining location information further comprises:

passing an identification string associated with the device to a location server; and

recognizing data received from the location server as location information, the location information comprising data indicating the location of the device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

passing an identification string associated with the device to a user identification server;

recognizing data received from the user identification server as identification data associated with the device;

passing the identification data to a location server; and

recognizing data received from the location server as location information, the location information comprising data indicating the location of the device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising recognizing data received by the locations based ratings server as a request for location information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if location information associated with the device can be obtained comprises:

examining, at the location based ratings server, device data received from a ratings server, the device data comprising an identification string associated with the device; and

determining at the location based ratings server, based on the device data, if the device is capable of providing the requested location information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving account information associated with the device, the account information comprising a city and a state.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein associating the location information with the ratings data further comprises formatting the location information as a data field in a database entry for the ratings data received from the device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising organizing two or more ratings based upon the location information associated with the ratings.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by a processor to perform the steps of:

recognizing data received at a first node of a communications network as ratings data submitted by the device;

determining, at the first node of the communications network, if location information associated with the device can be obtained;

obtaining location information associated with a device in communication with the first node of the communications network, if the first node of the communications network determines that location information associated with the device can be obtained;

associating the location information with the ratings data;

storing the ratings data and the location information in a storage location; and

storing the ratings data without location information if the location information associated with the device can not be obtained.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions for obtaining location information further comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

passing an identification string associated with the device to a second node of the communications network; and

recognizing data received from the second node of the communications network as location information, the location information comprising data indicating the location of the device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

passing an identification string associated with the device to a third node of the communications network;

recognizing data received from the third node of the communications network as identification data associated with the device;

passing the identification data to a second node of the communications network; and

recognizing data received from the second node of the communications network as location information, the location information comprising data indicating the location of the device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable instructions for determining if location information associated with the device can be obtained comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the steps of:

examining, at the first node of the communications network, device data received from a ratings server, the device data comprising an identification string associated with the device; and

determining at the first node of the communications network, based on the device data, if the device is capable of providing the requested location information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the step of retrieving account information associated with the device, the account information comprising a city and a state.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable instructions for associating the location information with the ratings data further comprise computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the step of formatting the locations information as a data field in a database entry for the ratings data received from the device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising computer-readable instructions, executable by the processor to perform the step of organizing two or more ratings based upon the location information associated with the ratings.