System and process for limiting distribution of information on a communication network based on geographic location
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for controlling the distribution of text or image information from an information provider processor to a plurality of recipient processors on a communications network, based on the geographic locations of the recipient processors the method comprising:
- associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor;
generating location information with a first one of said positioning systems and providing the location information to the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system, said location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the positioning system;
communicating, on the communications network, location information from the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system to the provider processor;
determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the first positioning system is within a predefined location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed;
providing the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system with access to first text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to be within a location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step, and providing the recipient processor with access to second text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within a location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step, wherein said second text or image information includes text or image information different from said first text or image information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system includes a plurality of recipient processors located at geographically remote locations with respect to each other and connected for communication with an information provider processor, over the communications network. The provider and recipient processors may comprise respective computers coupled for communication on the internet or world-wide-web. The provider processor is capable of providing information from any suitable source, by communicating such information over a communications network. However, access to the information by the recipient processors is controlled, based on the geographic location or region of the recipient processors. Each recipient processor is operably associated with a positioning system for providing geographic location information corresponding to the location or region in which the positioning system is located, such as a global positioning system GPS. The geographic position information is used to determine whether or not the processor requesting the information is within a restricted (or limited) or non-restricted region. This determination may be made comparing the geographic information provided by the recipient processor and positioning system with a list of non-restricted or non-limited (or restricted) geographic locations or regions.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for controlling the distribution of text or image information from an information provider processor to a plurality of recipient processors on a communications network, based on the geographic locations of the recipient processors the method comprising:
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associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor; generating location information with a first one of said positioning systems and providing the location information to the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system, said location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the positioning system; communicating, on the communications network, location information from the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system to the provider processor; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the first positioning system is within a predefined location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed; providing the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system with access to first text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to be within a location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step, and providing the recipient processor with access to second text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within a location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step, wherein said second text or image information includes text or image information different from said first text or image information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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7. A method for controlling the distribution of information from an information provider processor to a plurality of recipient processors on a communications network, based on the geographic locations of the recipient processors the method comprising:
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associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor; generating location information with a first one of said positioning systems and providing the location information to the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system, said location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the positioning system; communicating, on the communications network, location information from the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system to the provider processor; generating time data representing the time at which the location information is generated; communicating said time data on the communications network, from the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system to the provider processor; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the first positioning system is within a predefined location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed; determining whether the time data corresponds to a time within an expected location information generating time period; and imposing said limitations or restrictions to the access of information by the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to be within a location or region for which such limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step, imposing further limitations or restrictions to the access of information by the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system in the event that the time data does not correspond to a time within the expected location information generating time period, and allowing access of information by the recipient processor without limitations or restrictions in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within a location or region for which such limitations or restrictions to access are imposed in said determining step and the time data corresponds to a time within the expected location information generating time period.
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9. A method for controlling communications between first and second communications units coupled for communication over the Internet, comprising the steps of:
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receiving location information over the Internet with the first communications unit, the location information corresponding to the geographic location of the second communications unit, wherein said location information comprises communication signals representing location data generated by a satellite signal receiving and processing device located in the proximity of the second communications unit; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the second communications unit is within a predefined geographic region; receiving time data with the first communications unit, the time data comprising data generated from the satellite signal receiving and processing device and representing the time at which the location information was generated; determining whether the time data corresponds to a time within an expected location information generating time period; and controlling the communication of further information between the first and second communications units, dependent upon the determination of whether the second communication unit is within the predefined geographic region and dependent upon the determination of whether the time data corresponds to a time within the expected location information generating time period.
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14. A method for communicating information between processors coupled for communication over the Internet, dependent on geographic location of one of the processors, the method comprising:
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associating a positioning system with a first processor coupled in the network; providing, with the positioning system, a data signal corresponding to the geographic location of the first processor; transmitting location communications signals over the Internet from the first processor to at least one other processor coupled to the Internet; and controlling further communications between the first processor and the at least one other processor, dependent upon the geographic location of the first processor, comprising; determining, from the location communications signals, whether the geographic location of the first processor is within a predefined location or region; and providing the first processor with access to first information in the event that the geographic location of the first processor is determined to be within the predetermined location or region, and providing the first processor with access to second information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within the predetermined location or region, wherein said second information includes information different from said first information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 18)
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17. A method for communicating information between processors coupled for communication over the Internet, dependent on geographic location of one of the processors, the method comprising:
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associating a positioning system with a first processor coupled in the network; providing, with the positioning system, a data signal corresponding to the geographic location of the first processor; transmitting location communications signals over the Internet from the first processor to at least one other processor coupled to the Internet; and controlling further communications between the first processor and the at least one other processor, dependent upon the geographic location of the first processor, comprising; determining, from the location communications signals, whether the geographic location of the first processor is within a predefined location or region; and providing the first processor with access over the Internet to first information in the event that the geographic location of the first processor is determined to be within the predetermined location or region, and providing the first processor with access over the Internet to second information in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within the predetermined location or region, wherein said second information includes information different from said first information.
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19. A method for controlling communications between first and second communications units coupled for communication over the Internet, comprising the steps of:
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receiving location information over the Internet with the first communications unit, the location information corresponding to the geographic location of the second communications unit; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the second communications unit is within a predefined geographic region; and controlling the communication of further information between the first and second communications units, dependent upon the determination of whether the second communication unit is within the predefined geographic region, comprising; providing the second communications unit with access to first information in the event that the geographic location of the second communications unit is determined to be within the predefined region, and providing the second communications unit with access to second information in the event that the geographic location of the second communications unit is determined to not be within the predefined region, wherein said second information includes information different from said first information. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method for controlling communication of text or image information between first and second communications units coupled in a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving location information over the network with the first communications unit, the location information corresponding to the geographic location of the second communications unit; determining, from the location information, whether the second communications unit is within a predefined geographic region; and providing the second communications unit with access to first text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the second communications unit is determined to be within the predefined geographic region, and providing the second communications unit with access to second text or image information in the event that the geographic location of the second communications unit is determined to not be within the predefined geographic region, wherein said second text or image information includes text or image information different from said first text or image information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for controlling the distribution of information from an information provider processor to a plurality of recipient processors on a communications network, based on the geographic locations of the recipient processors, the method comprising:
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associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor; generating location information with a first one of said positioning systems and providing the location information to the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system, said location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the positioning system; communicating, on the communications network, a request from the recipient processor to the provider processor, the request being associated at the provider processor with first information and second information, wherein said second information includes information different from said first information; communicating, on the communications network, location information from the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system to the provider processor, said location information being associated with the request; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the first positioning system is within a predefined location or region for which limitations or restrictions to access are imposed; providing, in response to the request, the recipient processor associated with the first positioning system with access to said first information in response to said request, in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to be within the predefined location or region, and providing the recipient processor with access to said second information in response to said request, in the event that the geographic location of the first positioning system is determined to not be within the predefined location or region.
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26. A method for controlling communications between first and second communications units coupled for communication over the Internet, comprising the steps of:
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receiving location information over the Internet with the first communications unit, the location information corresponding to the geographic location of the second communications unit; determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the second communications unit is within a predefined geographic region; receiving time data with the first communications unit, the time data representing the time at which the location information was generated; determining whether the time data corresponds to a time within an expected location information generating time period; and controlling the communication of further information between the first and second communications units, dependent upon the determination of whether the second communication unit is within the predefined geographic region and dependent upon the determination of whether the time data corresponds to a time within the expected location information generating time period.
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Specification