SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A SUBSCRIBER'S ZONE INFORMATION

• US 20120140749A1
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher E. Caldwell, Janne P. Linkola
• Original Assignee: Christopher E. Caldwell, Janne P. Linkola
• Inventors: Caldwell, Christopher E., Linkola, Janne P
• Granted Patent: US 8,908,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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 4/06 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 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering customized content to wireless service subscribers are disclosed. According to the disclosed embodiments, wireless access points can be grouped into various zones. Some of all of these zones can be further associated with predefined service types or other customized attributes. When a wireless subscriber connects to an access point in a given zone, the subscriber can be provided with content and/or services based on the zone to which he is connected.

Claims

1. In a system having multiple wireless handheld devices wherein the handheld devices communicate with at least one server computer via an internet protocol (IP)-based wireless local area network (WLAN), a method associated with the providing of services to groups of subscribers, the method comprising:

defining multiple service zones, wherein each service zone includes one or more access points for one or more IP-based WLANs;

storing the defined multiple service zones;

assigning at least one service type for each of the multiple service zones, wherein some of the service types for some service zones differ from service types for other service zones;

storing the defined service types for the multiple service zones;

determining that one of the multiple handheld devices is operating within one of the multiple service zones, wherein the one handheld device is configured to communicate over the IP-based WLANs or over a cellular phone network under a wireless protocol; and

,

providing to the one handheld device at least one of the service types for the one service zone in which the one handheld device is operating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld devices are dual-mode devices capable of seamlessly communicating over both the cellular phone network and one or more IP-based WLANs, wherein each WLAN includes at least one wireless access point for communicating with the handheld devices under a known WLAN protocol, and wherein the WLAN protocol differs from a wireless protocol for the cellular phone network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld devices employ at least a portion of an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Generic Access Network (GAN), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol to communicate with the WLAN.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least some of the multiple handheld devices with at least some of the multiple service zones; and

,

storing the associations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed in association with when the one handheld device registers with one of the access points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service types include billing rates, and wherein at least one of the service types includes a free mobile phone service for at least some handheld devices within at least one of the service zones.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service types define one or more advertisements to be displayed to a handheld device user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining multiple service zones comprises defining multiple service zones based on IP addresses or MAC addresses for sets of access points.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service types include downloadable digital content files.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing includes providing an icon for display on the one handheld device based on the one service zone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing includes providing text for display on the one handheld device based on the one service zone.

12. A system for receiving services at a mobile device, comprising:

means for providing communications at the mobile device based on a protocol, wherein the protocol is Generic Access Network (GAN), or Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP);

means for obtaining or providing information associated with a logical location of the mobile device in which the mobile device is currently operating, wherein the logical location is associated with a predefined service zone; and

,

means for receiving content or at least one service based at least in part on the predefined service zone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the received content or at least one service is based at least in part on a time of day or day of week.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for storing the information regarding the logical location of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for displaying the information regarding the logical location of the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for displaying an icon based on the predefined service zone.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for displaying text based on the predefined service zone.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for obtaining or providing comprises means for registering the mobile device with an access point associated with the predefined service zone.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the received content or at least one service is based at least in part on a unique identifier associated with the mobile device.

20. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to at least assist in providing services for a mobile telecommunications device, the computer program performing a method comprising:

obtaining information associated with a network location of the mobile telecommunications device, wherein the mobile telecommunications device is configured for wireless voice communications over both a cellular network and a IP-based computer network, and wherein the obtaining includes determining the network location of the mobile telecommunications device within the IP-based computer network;

determining one of multiple predefined zones associated with the network location of the mobile telecommunications device within the IP-based computer network; and

associating content or at least one service to the mobile telecommunications device based at least in part on the one predefined zone.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the obtaining comprises registering the mobile telecommunications device with a wireless node associated with the IP-based computer network.

22. A computer-implemented method associated with providing services in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the mobile telecommunications network includes a cellular network, the method comprising:

defining multiple service zones, wherein each service zone includes one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs);

associating at least one service type for each of the multiple service zones, wherein at least one of the service types for at least one service zone differ from service types for other service zones; and

,

storing an association of the service types with the multiple service zones, wherein subscribers operating wireless devices capable of operating in both the cellular network and the WLANs receive at least some of the service types based on the defined multiple zones.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the wireless devices employ an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) protocol, or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol, or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining that one of wireless devices is operating within one of the multiple service zones; and

,

providing to the one wireless device at least one of the service types for the one service zone in which the one wireless device is operating.

25. A computer-implemented method for providing services to groups of subscribers, the method comprising:

receiving an access request with a network controller from a mobile device via an IP-based wireless access network;

sending an access point identifier to the network controller, wherein the access point identifier is associated with a point of entry into the IP-based wireless access network for the mobile device;

querying a database with an access point identifier;

receiving a reply from the database in response to the query, wherein the reply includes a service zone identifier associated with the access point; and

providing an output based on the service zone identifier.

26. In a system having multiple wireless handheld devices capable of communicating over an IP-based wireless local area network (WLAN) that includes at least one wireless access point for communicating with the handheld devices, an apparatus comprising:

a database; and

a server, coupled to the database, and configured to;

define multiple zones of service, wherein each zone of service includes one or more access points for one or more WLANs;

assign at least one service type for each of the multiple zones of service, wherein some of the service types for some zones of service differ from types of service for other zones of service;

storing the defined service types for the multiple zones of service;

determine that one of the multiple handheld devices is operating within one of the multiple zones of service; and

,

associate the one handheld device with at least one of the zones of service in which the one handheld device is operating.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the one handheld device is configured to provide voice communications over both a cellular phone network and over the IP-based WLAN under Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) protocol, or Generic Access Network (GAN) protocol, or Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) protocol.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein at least two zones of service share a single access point, and wherein at least two zones of service are assigned to a single service type.