METHODS OF LOCATING DATA SPOTS AND NETWORKS AND USER EQUIPMENT FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20120071174A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rimac, Ivica, Bao, Xuan, Lee, Uichin
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Methods determine data spots in a network by identifying a transmission resource and its characteristics so as to determine geography of a data spot. Users are then directed to, locate, and/or move to the data spot and retrieve desired content. Users may be directed to the determined data spot, with a map or compass. Transmission resources include ad hoc hotspots for need by sideloading network users in a communicative proximity. Methods may match characteristics of the requesting network user with determined transmission resources to position a data spot. Example methods may be configured based on amounts of network resources consumed, third-party costs to a user, maximizing user experience by providing nearer and faster data spots, and/or any other desired criteria. Different portions of the methods may be performed by the network, the user, and/or third-parties, to reduce network burden while supplying users with desired content through data spots.

Claims

1. A method of determining data spots in a network, the method comprising:

determining characteristics of a transmission resource, the transmission resource including an ad hoc hotspot;

determining a geographic position of a data spot based on the characteristics of the transmission resource; and

transmitting, from the network to a network user, the geographic position of the data spot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource includes determining content available from each of a plurality of transmission resources, and wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes comparing the content available against content requested by the network user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of characteristics of the network user, the characteristics including at least one of the current location of the network user, a sideloading capability of the network user, a mode of transportation of the network user, and communication protocol compatibility of the user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the plurality of characteristics of the network user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes locating positions within a communicative proximity of the transmission resource, the locating being based on at least one of distance from a current location of the network user to the geographic position, signal quality of the geographic position, cost to the user at the geographic position, and amount of network transmission resources consumed at the geographic position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes determining a plurality of geographic positions each for a data spot of a plurality of data spots.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource is performed by the network and includes determining geographic positions of a plurality of network users and sideloading capabilities of each network user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic positions are determined by the network users transmitting at least one of the geographic positions of the network users to the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource determines characteristics of a plurality of transmission resources further including at least one of a Wi-Fi hotspot and a network base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a route from a current location of a network user to the data spot, the transmitting including transmitting the geographic position and the route.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of a direction and a distance from a current location of a network user to the data spot, the transmitting including transmitting the geographic position and the at least one of the direction and the distance.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a change in the characteristic of the transmission resource; and

repeating the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a characteristic of the network user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the determining the plurality of characteristics of the network user;

determining a change in the characteristic of the network user; and

repeating the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining characteristics of the network user; and

generating historical transmission resource data based on at least one of the characteristics of transmission resource and the characteristic of the network user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the historical transmission resource data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the historical transmission resource data includes a position of the transmission resource in association with at least one of time and event.

15. A method of determining data spots in a network, the method comprising:

determining, by the network, geographic positions of a plurality of network users;

determining, by the network, sideloading capabilities of each network user;

identifying, by the network, at least one ad hoc hotspot based on the geographic positions and the sideloading capability of each network user;

determining a geographic position of a data spot having communicative access to the ad hoc hotspot; and

transmitting, from the network to the network users, the geographic position of the data spot.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes determining a plurality of geographic positions for each of a plurality of data spots.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request for content from a network user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining content available via sideloading from each of the network users, the determining the geographic position of the data spot including comparing the content available against from each of the network users with the request for content from the network user.

19. A method of providing content to a network user, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content from the network user, the content not being currently available at a current position of the network user;

identifying a plurality of transmission resources;

determining available content from each of the transmission resources;

positioning at least one data spot, each data spot being positioned within a communicative proximity of one of the transmission resources having the determined available content matching the requested content; and

transmitting, from the network to a network user, the position of the data spot.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a plurality of characteristics of the network user, the characteristics including at least one of the current location of the network user, a sideloading capability of the network user, a mode of transportation of the network user, and communication protocol compatibility of the user, the positioning the data spot being based on the plurality of characteristics of the network user.

21. A network providing data spot information to network users wirelessly connected thereto, the network comprising:

a central station configured to,

determine characteristics of a transmission resource, the transmission resource including an ad hoc hotspot,

determine a geographic position of a data spot based on the characteristics of the transmission resource, and

transmit, from the central station to at least one of the network users, the geographic position of the data spot.

22. The network of claim 21, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource includes determining content available from each of a plurality of transmission resources, and wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes comparing the content available against content requested by the network user.

23. The network of claim 21, wherein the central station is configured to determine or receive a plurality of characteristics of the network user, the characteristics including at least one of the current location of the network user, a sideloading capability of the network user, a mode of transportation of the network user, and communication protocol compatibility of the user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the plurality of characteristics of the network user.

24. The network of claim 21, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes locating positions within a communicative proximity of the transmission resource, the locating being based on at least one of distance from a current location of the network user to the geographic position, signal quality of the geographic position, cost to the user at the geographic position, and amount of network transmission resources consumed at the geographic position.

25. The network of claim 21, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource determines characteristics of a plurality of transmission resources further including at least one of a Wi-Fi hotspot and a network base station.

26. The network of claim 21, wherein the central station is further configured to,

determine a change in the characteristic of the transmission resource, and

repeat the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

27. The network of claim 21, wherein the central station is further configured to,

determine a characteristic of the network user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the determining the plurality of characteristics of the network user,

determine a change in the characteristic of the network user, and

repeat the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

28. The network of claim 21, wherein the central station is further configured to generate and store historical transmission resource data based on at least one of the characteristics of transmission resource and the characteristic of the network user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the historical transmission resource data.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code that when executed performs a method comprising:

determining characteristics of a transmission resource, the transmission resource including an ad hoc hotspot;

determining a geographic position of a data spot based on the characteristics of the transmission resource; and

transmitting, from a network operator to a network user, the geographic position of the data spot.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource includes determining content available from each of a plurality of transmission resources, and wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes comparing the content available against content requested by the network user.

31. The medium of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a plurality of characteristics of the network user, the characteristics including at least one of the current location of the network user, a sideloading capability of the network user, a mode of transportation of the network user, and communication protocol compatibility of the user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the plurality of characteristics of the network user.

32. The medium of claim 29, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes locating positions within a communicative proximity of the transmission resource, the locating being based on at least one of distance from a current location of the network user to the geographic position, signal quality of the geographic position, cost to the user at the geographic position, and amount of network transmission resources consumed at the geographic position.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the determining the geographic position of the data spot includes determining a plurality of geographic positions each for a data spot of a plurality of data spots.

34. The medium of claim 29, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource is performed by the network and includes determining geographic positions of a plurality of network users and sideloading capabilities of each network user.

35. The medium of claim 34, wherein the geographic positions are determined by the network users transmitting at least one of the geographic positions of the network users to the network.

36. The medium of claim 29, wherein the determining characteristics of the transmission resource determines characteristics of a plurality of transmission resources further including at least one of a Wi-Fi hotspot and a network base station.

37. The medium of claim 29, further comprising:

determining a route from a current location of a network user to the data spot, the transmitting including transmitting the geographic position and the route.

38. The medium of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a change in the characteristic of the transmission resource; and

repeating the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

39. The medium of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a characteristic of the network user, the determining the geographic position of the data spot being further based on the determining the plurality of characteristics of the network user;

determining a change in the characteristic of the network user; and

repeating the determining the geographic position of the data spot and the transmitting further based on the determined change.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code that when executed performs a method comprising:

receiving, at a network user from a network operator, a geographic position of the a spot, the geographic position being determined based on characteristics of a transmission resource, the transmission resource including an ad hoc hotspot.

41. The medium of claim 40, further comprising wherein the method further comprises,

determining a route from a current location of the network user to the data spot.