APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING LOCATION-BASED SERVICES WITHIN A PREMISES

• US 20150094098A1
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stern, Peter, Cholas, Chris, Stafford, Roger Graham
• Granted Patent: US 9,788,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for enabling location identification and related services in a premises. In one embodiment, location identification services are provided via a gateway device using data extracted from a wireless signal. The data is used to estimate a location of a device (based on comparison to previously gathered and/or reference data). In another embodiment, infrared (IR) or other short range wireless signals are broadcast from the client devices to a set-top-box (STB), and the STB or gateway correlates the signals to a location within the premises. A profiling process is used to establish specific locations within a premises, and associate location-specific services therewith. The location-based services include for example (i) loading particular applications and/or content when the user enters a particular location, (ii) providing information and/or advertisement opportunities when the user is near a particular public or business location, and (iii) content delivery optimization among multiple user devices.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of generating a client device-specific profile, said profile relating a client device to a position thereof within a given area, said method comprising:

transmitting at least one request signal from a gateway device to said client device, said at least one request signal being transmitted to said client device when said client device is located at a position within said given area;

receiving, in response to said transmitted at least one request signal, a response signal from said client device indicating one or more device-specific characteristics; and

storing a profile comprising an association of said one or more device-specific characteristics to said position within said given area.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said one or more device-specific characteristics comprise at least one of:

antenna receive power, an error rate, and/or a transmit power.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said association comprises assigning an identifier to said profile, said identifier configured to identify said position within said given area in user-cognizable terminology.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a location request from a first client device;

evaluating device-specific information in said location request against said profile to identify said profile as comprising device-specific characteristics which correlate to said device-specific information of said location request; and

providing an assigned identifier associated to said profile to said first client device.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a communication from a first client device;

utilizing at least device-specific information in said communication to correlate said profile thereto; and

causing one or more content to be displayed at said first client device based at least in part on said correlation to said profile.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said stored profile is also based, at least in part, on a predicted pattern of movement of said client device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said stored profile based on said predicted pattern of movement is used to predict a piece of content to send to said client device.

36. A method of correlating a mobile client device to a particular location within a user premises, said method comprising:

receiving from an intermediary device a first communication, said first communication comprising information identifying said intermediary device and said mobile client device;

evaluating said information identifying said intermediary device against pre-stored information associating a plurality of intermediary devices to individual ones of known locations to determine said particular location of said intermediary device; and

correlating said mobile client device to said particular location of said intermediary device.

43. A mobile user wireless device configured for location-specific operation, said device comprising:

a processor;

a wireless transceiver in data communication with said processor; and

a storage device in data communication with said processor and having a computer program disposed thereon, said program configured to, when executed;

generate, in response to a first transmission received at said transceiver, a reply uniquely identifying said mobile device;

cause transmission of said reply to a gateway device;

receive a second transmission including location information of said mobile device within a premises; and

based at least in part on said location information, cause adjustment of at least one user interface so as to provide at least one location-specific content element to a user of said device.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein said location information is derived from at least one of:

antenna receive power, error rate, client transmit power, signal quality, and amplification needed to transmit and/or receive signals.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein said location information comprises a location near a public or business location and said location-specific content element comprises an advertisement or information regarding said public or business location.

46. The device of claim 43, wherein said program is further configured to, when executed, based at least in part on said location information, transmit location data to said gateway device such that said gateway device is configured to track a movement of said mobile device around said premises.

47. The device of claim 46, wherein said gateway device is further configured to predict a future movement of said mobile device, and said adjustment of said at least one user interface is based on said prediction of future movement.

48. The device of claim 43, wherein said wireless transceiver comprises an infrared (IR) interface and said computer program is further configured to, when executed, broadcast short range wireless signals to said gateway device.