Clearinghouse System and Method for Carriers, Advertisers, and Content Providers of Carrier-Based Networks

• US 20100299274A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Original Assignee: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Inventors: Rappaport, Theodore S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A computerized system, method and process allows telecommunications carriers to find, evaluate and select locations for equipment through direct access to end users, while providing citizens the opportunity to offer the use of their dwelling or other assets to carriers. The system and method further provides a computerized mechanism for (a) creating an inventory and marketplace for available properties for use in telecommunications networks, (b) providing quality and/or performance monitoring and control for wireless communication systems based on data in the clearinghouse, and (c) providing localized content over wireless networks using the clearinghouse.

Claims

1. A method of gaining permission to use property by one or more carriers of carrier-based services, comprising:

accessing a clearinghouse system through one or more electronic interfaces, said clearinghouse system having a computer configured to control, manage and update a clearinghouse database populated with records of properties available for possible use by one or more carriers;

searching and identifying records in said clearinghouse database associated with a particular geographical location; and

offering a benefit or other consideration for a right to install carrier equipment on a property identified in the step of searching and identifying.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the clearinghouse system is configured to provide a web-based forum for electronically negotiating property use transactions based on the records of properties stored in said clearinghouse database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the clearinghouse system is configured to host an electronic business exchange for facilitating the closing of property use transactions based on the records of properties stored in said clearinghouse database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the records of properties stored in said clearinghouse database are generated by said computer from record forms submitted by property owners or property possessors.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said clearinghouse database is further configured to store property need or property specification information submitted by one or more carriers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the computer is further configured to match a property need or property specification of one or more carriers to one or more property records stored in said clearinghouse database.

7. A system, comprising:

a database configured to store communications network infrastructure information of one or more communications networks;

a computer configured to control, manage and update said database; and

an interface through which advertisers or content providers submit target location and advertising or content information,

wherein said computer includes a server configured to generate and serve data containing location-based advertising or location-based content to subscribers in a geographic location using network infrastructure information stored in said database.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said interface comprises a web-based interface.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising an interface for receiving subscriber-location information sent from subscriber communications devices.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said server is further configured to serve data in response to target location and advertising or content information provided by said advertisers or content providers, or in response to subscriber-initiated queries.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the data containing said location-based advertising or location-based content is formatted and served by said computer in the form of web pages, text, video, audio, or multimedia communications.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer and said database are collocated or embedded with wireless edge infrastructure equipment that transmits a local signal.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said server and said database are remotely located from the wireless edge infrastructure equipment that transmits the local signal.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein for each target location submitted by said advertiser or content provider said computer processes said advertising or content information in a machine readable format for file storage and generation of advertising or content datastreams at said wireless edge infrastructure equipment.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer is configured to receive the target location and advertising or content information from said advertisers or content providers in one or more of:

a) one or more file formats;

b) real time electronic transmissions; and

c) pre-recorded transmissions.

16. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer is further configured to serve location-based advertising or location-based content to one or more wireless networks in a plurality of different locations.

17. The system of claim 7, further comprising a registration and viewing interface coupled to said computer configured to provide said advertisers or content providers to view or edit advertising or content information.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said registration and viewing interface is further configured to provide said advertisers or content providers the ability to determine advertising or content providing effectiveness.

19. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer is further configured to monitor advertising and content provisioning usage and compute therefrom advertising and content provisioning statistics.

20. The system of claim 7 wherein said location-based content comprises emergency alerts, traffic information, or other local information targeted for a localized population.

21. A clearinghouse system, comprising:

a clearinghouse database populated with records of properties available for possible use by one or more carriers; and

a computer configured to search and identify records in said clearinghouse database associated with a particular geographical location and offer a benefit or other consideration to an owner or controller of a property identified by said computer in exchange for permission to install carrier equipment on said identified property.

22. The clearinghouse system of claim 21 wherein said computer is configured to provide a web-based forum for electronically negotiating property use transactions between one or more carriers and owners or controllers of properties recorded in said clearinghouse database.

23. The clearinghouse system of claim 21 wherein said computer is further configured to host an electronic business exchange for facilitating the closing of property use transactions between one or more carriers and owners or controllers of properties recorded in said clearinghouse database.

24. The clearinghouse system of claim 21 wherein said computer is further configured to generate the records of said properties from record forms submitted by property owners or property controllers.

25. The clearinghouse system of claim 21 wherein said clearinghouse database is further configured to store property need or property specification information submitted by one or more carriers.

26. The clearinghouse system of claim 25 wherein said computer is further configured to match a property need or property specification of one or more carriers to one or more property records stored in said clearinghouse database.

27. A clearinghouse system for gaining permission to use property by one or more carriers of carrier-based services, comprising:

means for storing records of properties available for possible use by one or more carriers;

means for controlling, managing and updating said means for storing;

means for identifying one or more records stored by said means for storing of one or more properties located in a particular geographical location; and

means for providing a benefit or other consideration to an owner or controller of a property associated with a property record identified by said means for identifying in exchange for permission to install carrier equipment on the property associated with said identified property record.

28. The clearinghouse system of claim 27, further comprising means for electronically negotiating property use transactions between carriers and property owners or controllers based on property records stored by said means for storing.

29. The clearinghouse system of claim 27, further comprising means for hosting an electronic business exchange for facilitating the closing of property use transactions between carriers and property owners or controllers based on property records stored by said means for storing.

30. The clearinghouse system of claim 27, further comprising means for generating said records of properties for storage by said means for storing from property record forms submitted to said means for controlling, managing and updating.

31. The clearinghouse system of claim 27 wherein said means for storing comprises means for storing property need or property specification information of one or more carriers.

32. The clearinghouse system of claim 31, further comprising means for matching a property need or property specification of one or more carriers to one or more property records stored by said means for storing.

33. A system, comprising:

means for storing communications network infrastructure information of one or more communications networks;

means for processing said communications network infrastructure information;

means for receiving target location and advertising or content information; and

means for generating and serving data containing location-based advertising or location-based content to subscribers in a geographic location using communications network infrastructure information stored by said means for storing.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for receiving target location and advertising or content information comprises a web-based interface.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising means for receiving subscriber-location information sent from subscriber communications devices.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for generating and serving data is configured to serve data in response to target location and advertising or content information provided by advertisers or content providers, or in response to subscriber-initiated queries.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the data containing said location-based advertising or location-based content is formatted and served by said means for generating and serving data in the form of web pages, text, video, audio, or multimedia communications.

38. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for generating and serving data and said means for storing are collocated or embedded with wireless edge infrastructure equipment that transmits a local signal.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said means for generating and serving data and said means for storing are remotely located from the wireless edge infrastructure equipment that transmits the local signal.

40. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for receiving is configured to receive the target location and advertising or content information in one or more of:

a) one or more file formats;

b) real time electronic transmissions; and

c) pre-recorded transmissions.

41. The system of claim 33 wherein said computer is configured to receive the target location and advertising or content information from said advertisers or content providers in one or more of:

a) one or more file formats;

b) real time electronic transmissions; and

c) pre-recorded transmissions.

42. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for generating and serving data is configured to serve location-based advertising or location-based content to one or more wireless networks in a plurality of different locations.

43. The system of claim 33, further comprising interface means coupled to said computer through which advertisers or content providers view or edit advertising or content information.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein said interface means includes means for providing said advertisers or content providers the ability to determine advertising or content providing effectiveness.

45. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for processing is further configured to monitor advertising and content provisioning usage and compute therefrom advertising and content provisioning statistics.

46. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for generating and serving data includes means for generating and serving location-based emergency alerts, traffic information, or other local information targeted for a localized population.

47. A method, comprising:

storing communications network infrastructure information of one or more communications networks in a database;

controlling, managing and updating said communications network infrastructure information stored in said database;

receiving target location and advertising or content information; and

generating and serving data containing location-based advertising or location-based content to subscribers in a geographic location from communications network infrastructure information stored in said database and received target location and advertising or content information.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein receiving target location and advertising or content information comprises receiving target location and advertising or content information through a web-based interface.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising receiving subscriber-location information sent from subscriber communications devices.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising serving data in response to target location and advertising or content information provided by advertisers or content providers, or in response to subscriber-initiated queries.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein data containing said location-based advertising or location-based content is formatted in the form of web pages, text, video, audio, or multimedia communications.

52. The method of claim 47 wherein receiving target location and advertising or content information comprises receiving target location and advertising or content information in one or more of:

a) one or more file formats;

b) real time electronic transmissions; and

c) pre-recorded transmissions.

53. The method of claim 47, further comprising serving location-based advertising or location-based content to one or more wireless networks in a plurality of different locations.

54. The method of claim 47, further comprising providing an interface through which advertisers or content providers view or edit advertising or content information.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein said interface is further configured to provide said advertisers or content providers the ability to determine advertising or content providing effectiveness.

56. The method of claim 47, further comprising generating and serving location-based emergency alerts, traffic information, or other local information targeted for a localized population.