Location beaconing methods and systems

• US 6,327,535 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Holtgrewe, Burdette J., Burns, Gregory, Reus, Edward F., Parupudi, Gopal, Evans, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/543,646
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/214, 701/216, 701/300, 379/220, 379/221, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.08, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Context-aware computing systems and methods are described. In particular embodiments, location aware systems and methods are described. In the described embodiments, hierarchical tree structures are utilized to ascertain a device context or location. The tree structures can be stored on or accessible to mobile computing devices so that the devices can determine their own particular context or location. In one embodiment, one of the tree structures comprises a Master World tree structure that contains nodes that represent geographical divisions of the Earth. Another of the tree structures can comprise a so-called Secondary World that contains nodes that represent physical or logical entities that are organization or company specific views of the world. A computing device can automatically determine its context or location by ascertaining a node on one or more of the tree structures and then traversing the tree structure to ascertain the complete context. A unique device architecture is described that permits context aware computing. The device architecture comprises a context service module, a common interface, and one or more context providers. The context providers provide information, through the common interface, that pertains to the context of a device, and the context service module processes the information to device the device'"'"'s context. An application program interface (API)/events layer is provided through which various applications can call the device to ascertain the device'"'"'s location so that location dependent goods or services can be rendered. A privacy manager is also provided in some embodiments to enforce privacy thereby protecting the granularity of the location information that is provided to the applications. In addition, unique location beacons are described that transmit information that can be used by the computing device to ascertain its location.

Claims

1. A system for determining the location of a computing device comprising:

a beacon that is mountable in a location;

the location being associated with one or more nodes on one or more hierarchical tree structures that are configured to define a complete context of the location; and

the beacon being configured to provide specific information pertaining to the one or more nodes that are associated with the location, the specific information being useable by a computing device to derive the complete context by mapping the specific information to one or more specific nodes and traversing tree structures that are associated with the nodes to derive the location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a desktop computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the complete context of the device comprises the device'"'"'s location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the hierarchical tree structures comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a geographical division of the Earth.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the hierarchical tree structures comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a physical or logical entity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

one of the hierarchical tree structures comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a geographical division of the Earth; and

one of the hierarchical tree structures comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a physical or logical entity; and

a link that connects at least one node from each tree structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific information comprise a unique ID that pertains to the one or more nodes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the unique ID pertains to a node of a hierarchical tree structure that comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a geographical division of the Earth.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the unique ID pertains to a node of a hierarchical tree structure that comprises multiple nodes each of which represent a physical or logical entity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific information includes information that permits the computing device to ascertain more information about it location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said specific information includes at least one URL that is associated with a tree structure.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said specific information includes a pair of URLs that are associated with different tree structures.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific information includes a unique ID for each of a pair of nodes for different tree structures, and a URL associated with each ID that provides a protocol for ascertaining additional information about an associated tree structure.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific information includes one or more code download pointers.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific information includes a signature.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is a program-once beacon.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is a re-programmable beacon.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is configured to use wireless transmissions to provide the specific information.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is configured to use radio frequency transmissions to provide the specific information.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is configured to use short range radio frequency transmissions to provide the specific information.

22. A system for determining the location of a computing device comprising:

one or more locations each of which being associated with a node on a hierarchical tree structure that comprises multiple nodes that are connected together to define a complete location;

a beacon mounted at each location and configured to transmit node-specific information that can be used by a computing device to derive the device'"'"'s complete location.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the multiple nodes of the hierarchical tree structure represent geographic divisions of the Earth.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the multiple nodes of the hierarchical tree structure represent physical or logical entities.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the node-specific information comprises a node ID and a URL that identifies the tree structure with which the node is associated.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the node-specific information comprises a code download pointer.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the node-specific information comprises a signature.

28. A system for determining the location of multiple computing devices comprising:

one or more computing devices each of which being configured to access one or more hierarchical tree structures and traverse the tree structures to ascertain the complete location of the device;

one or more beacons mounted in various locations that are each associated with a node on a hierarchical tree structure to which the one or more computing devices have access, the one or more beacons being configured to transmit node-specific information concerning the node with which it is associated, the one or more computing devices being configured to receive the transmissions and ascertain a device location by mapping the node-specific information to a node and traversing the associated hierarchical tree structure to ascertain the complete location of the device within the hierarchical tree structure.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein at least one beacon is incorporated into existing infrastructure.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing devices comprise mobile computing devices.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing devices comprise desktop computing devices.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing devices comprise hand-held computing devices.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more hierarchical tree structures comprises a tree structure having multiple nodes each of which represent a geographical division of the Earth.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more hierarchical tree structures comprises a tree structure having multiple nodes each of which represent a physical or logical entity.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the node specific information comprises a unique ID and a URL that is associated with the tree structure with which the node is associated.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the node-specific information comprises a code download pointer.

37. The system of claim 28, wherein the node-specific information comprises a signature that identifies the beacon.

38. A method for determining the location of a computing device comprising:

transmitting information from a beacon, the information uniquely identifying a node of a hierarchical tree structure having multiple nodes, each node representing a location;

receiving the information with a computing device;

using the computing device, mapping the information to a node of the hierarchical tree structure; and

ascertaining the location of the computing device using the hierarchical tree structure.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting radio frequency information.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting infrared information.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting information.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the information comprises a URL that is associated with the tree structure and which can be used to ascertain additional information about the tree structure.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein the information includes a code download pointer.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein the information uniquely identifies two nodes, each node being associated with a different hierarchical tree structure.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein one of the hierarchical tree structures includes multiple nodes each of which represent a geographical division of the Earth.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the information comprises a URL that is associated with each node and which can be used to ascertain additional information about the tree structure with which it is associated.

48. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 38.

49. A system for determining the location of a computing device comprising:

one or more beacons that are mountable in a location;

the location being associated with one or more nodes on a hierarchical tree structure that is configured to define a context of the location; and

the beacon being configured to provide specific information pertaining to the one or more nodes that are associated with the location, the specific information being useable by a computing device to derive the context of the location by mapping the specific information to one or more specific nodes and traversing the hierarchical tree structure that is associated with the nodes to derive the context.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the nodes on the hierarchical tree structure can represent a logical entity.

51. A method for determining the location of a computing device comprising:

receiving information with a computing device, the information having been transmitted from a beacon, the information uniquely identifying a node of a hierarchical tree structure having multiple nodes, each node representing a location;

using the computing device, mapping the information to a node of the hierarchical tree structure; and

ascertaining the location of the computing device using the hierarchical tree structure.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said ascertaining comprises traversing two or more nodes on the hierarchical tree structure.

53. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 51.