System and method for proactive content delivery by situation location

• US 6,456,234 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc., JBCR Innovations LLP
• Original Assignee: William J. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/589,328
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.01, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/46, 342/47, 701/23, 701/24, 701/200, 701/213, 701/214, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 342/357.48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• 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 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability

Abstract

Provided is transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system. The server data processing system communicates with the receiving data processing system in a manner by pushing content when appropriate. A candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of the receiving data processing system is recognized and a situational location of the remote data processing system is determined. The candidate delivery event may be a location and/or direction change, device state change, or movement exceeding a movement tolerance. The situational location of the remote data processing system may be its location, direction, location and direction, proximity to a location, state change, or location and/or direction relative to a previous location and/or direction, or combinations thereof. A set of delivery content from a delivery content database is transmitted from the server data processing system to the receiving data processing system according to the situational location of the receiving data processing system, and according to delivery constraints. The delivery content is configurable by authorized administrators on an instant activation basis for proactive delivery.

Claims

1. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communication system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system,

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recongnition of said candidate delivery event; and

automatically retrieving, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from deliverable content database searched according to said situational location, wherein said deliverable content database contains means for a plurality of administrators to configure for delivery and maintain their own delivery content is configured through use of an authenticated user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system; and

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of maintaining a transmission history of said delivery information for said receiving data processing system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said history is maintained at said receiving data processing system and wherein said history includes an invocable speed reference, said invocable speed reference user selectable for automatic invocation of communications from said receiving data processing system to an other data processing system.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content comprises the step of automatically transmitting delivery information according to a transmission delivery constraint.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

accessing by said server data processing system a transmission history of previously transmitted information to said receiving data processing system;

determining from said transmission history that said set of delivery content was previously transmitted; and

canceling transmission of said set of delivery content to said receiving data processing system.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

accessing by said receiving data processing system a transmission history of previously transmitted information to said receiving data processing system;

determining from said transmission history that said set of delivery content was previously transmitted; and

canceling transmission of said set of delivery content to said receiving data processing system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically determining the situational location further includes the step of automatically determining the situational location with location hierarchy data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically retrieving further includes retrieving said set of delivery content according to a system delivery constraint.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically retrieving further includes retrieving said set of delivery content according to a user configured delivery constraint.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving parameters at said server data processing system from said receiving data processing system for facilitating determination of said situational location by said server data processing system.

12. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location;

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system, wherein said delivery information is a content delivery indicator indicating the existence of deliverable content in said deliverable content database, said deliverable content enabled for future delivery to said receiving data processing system when a user acts upon said content delivery indicator; and

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

13. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location;

enabling a user of said receiving data processing system to toggle a content delivery setting; and

optionally transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system according to said content delivery setting.

14. A receiving data processing system for automatically presenting situational location dependent information from a server data processing system, said receiving data processing system comprising:

means for automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processings system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

means for automatically communicating said candidate delivery event to said server data processing system;

means for automatically receiving delivery information for a set of delivery content from said server data processing system, said set of delivery content corresponding to a situational location of said receiving data processing system, wherein said set of delivery content originates from a deliverable content database containing means for a plurality of administrators to configure for delivery and maintain their own delivery content in said deliverable content database, and wherein said delivery content is configured through use of an authenticated user interface; and

means for automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

15. The receiving data processing system of claim 14 wherein said means for automatically receiving delivery information comprises:

means for automatically receiving delivery information for a set of delivery content to a local cache of said receiving data processing system, from said server data processing system, said delivery information corresponding to a situational location of said receiving data processing system; and

means for accessing said cache to facilitate said means for automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

16. The receiving data processing system of claim 14 wherein said delivery information is received according to delivery constraints.

17. A server data processing system for transmitting to a receiving data processing system situational location dependent information associated with said receiving data processing system, said server data processing system comprising:

means for automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

means for automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

means for automatically retrieving a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location, wherein said deliverable content database contains means for a plurality of administrators to configure for delivery and maintain their own delivery content in said deliverable content database, and wherein said delivery content is configured through use of an authenticated user interface; and

means for automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content to said receiving data processing system.

18. The server data processing system of claim 17 wherein said delivery information is transmitted according to delivery constraints.

19. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processings system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving according to a delivery constraint, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location, wherein said delivery constraint is initialization or termination of said receiving data processing system;

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system; and

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

20. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processings system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving according to a delivery constraint, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location, wherein said delivery constraint comprises means for including or excluding delivery of certain delivery content to said receiving data processing system in accordance with user configured preferences;

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system; and

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

21. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving according to a delivery constraint, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location, wherein said delivery constraint comprises information for including or excluding delivery of certain types of delivery content based on the capabilities of said receiving data processing system;

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system; and

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system.

22. A method in an interoperating communications system for automatic transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system, said interoperating communications system including said server data processing system and said receiving data processing system between which data is communicated, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically recognizing a candidate delivery event of said receiving data processing system, said candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of said receiving data processing system, said current positional attribute a subset of a situational location of said receiving data processing system, and said current positional attribute differing from a former positional attribute of said receiving data processing system;

automatically completing determination of said situational location of said receiving data processing system upon recognition of said candidate delivery event;

automatically retrieving, by said server data processing system, a set of delivery content from a deliverable content database searched according to said situational location;

automatically transmitting delivery information for said set of delivery content, from said server data processing system to said receiving data processing system;

automatically presenting said delivery information to the user interface of said receiving data processing system; and

maintaining a transmission history of said delivery information at said receiving data processing system wherein said history includes an invocable speed reference associated with said set of delivery content, said invocable speed reference user selectable for automatic invocation of communications from said receiving data processing system to an other data processing system.