Network gateway for collecting geographic data information

• US 6,523,064 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Akatsu, Shinji, Matsubara, Fernando Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/302,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 209/223, 209/224, 209/225, 209/226, 209/229, 209/231, 209/232, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a gateway device comprises a central processing unit, an external network interface, an internal network interface, and a positioning unit each coupled to the central processing unit. The gateway device further comprises a persistent memory, also coupled to the central processing unit, wherein the persistent memory is configured to store statistical data pertaining to content received through the external network interface as well as geographic location information. The gateway device is configured to collecting statistical geographic location information. According to an embodiment, a method for collecting the statistical geographic location information comprises: storing geographic location information in a persistent memory dedicated to a positioning unit, sampling incoming data passing between the external network interface and the internal network interface of the gateway device, recording the sampled incoming data in a persistent data table, receiving a request, the request comprising a demand for information contained in the persistent data table, and in response to the request, transmitting information contained in the persistent data table together with geographic location information.

Claims

1. A gateway device, comprising:

a central processing unit;

an external network interface communicatively coupled to the central processing unit;

an internal network interface communicatively coupled to the central processing unit;

a positioning unit communicatively coupled to the central processing unit, the positioning unit configured to record geographic location information;

a first persistent memory communicatively coupled to the central processing unit; and

a data table stored within the first persistent memory, the data table configured to store statistical data pertaining to content received through the external network interface and geographic data pertaining to nodes communicatively coupled to the internal network interface.

2. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the positioning unit comprises a global positioning system transceiver.

3. The gateway device of claim 1, wherein the positioning unit comprises a second persistent memory configured to be manually updated so as to store therein a geographic location identifier.

4. A method for collecting statistical geographic location information in a network environment, comprising:

storing geographic location information in a second persistent memory location dedicated to a positioning unit;

sampling incoming data passing between an external network interface and an internal network interface of a gateway device;

recording the sampled incoming data in a persistent data table;

receiving a request from a central server, the request comprising a demand for information contained in the persistent data table; and

in response to the request, transmitting information contained in the persistent data table together with geographic location information to the central server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising encrypting the information contained in the persistent data table and the geographic location information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sampled incoming data comprises content information and wherein the persistent data table comprises the sampled incoming data as well as internal network routing information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content information comprises a program identifier and a timestamp.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the geographic location information is stored in the second persistent memory location by manually entering a location identifier into the second persistent memory location.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the geographic location information is stored in the second persistent memory location by:

transmitting and receiving signals to and from a global positioning module;

triangulating a location for the positioning unit based upon signals from the global positioning module; and

recording the triangulated position in the second persistent memory location.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

registering in an address mapping table a plurality of nodes contained in the network environment, and

periodically synchronizing at least a portion of the address mapping table with the central server.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions for causing one or more processors to perform the acts of:

storing geographic location information in a second persistent memory location dedicated to a positioning unit;

sampling incoming data passing between an external network interface and an internal network interface of a gateway device;

recording the sampled incoming data in a persistent data table;

receiving a request from a central server, the request comprising a demand for information contained in the persistent data table; and

in response to the request, transmitting information contained in the persistent data table together with geographic location information to the central server.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising sequences of instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the act of encrypting the information contained in the persistent data table and the geographic location information.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the sampled incoming data comprises content information and wherein the persistent data table comprises the sampled incoming data as well as internal network routing information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the content information comprises a program identifier and a timestamp.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions for causing the one or more processors to store the geographic location information in the second persistent memory location by causing manual entry a location identifier into the second persistent memory location.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising one or more sequences of instructions for causing the one or more processors to store the geographic location information in the second persistent memory location by:

transmitting and receiving signals to and from a global positioning module;

triangulating a location for the positioning unit based upon signals from the global positioning module; and

recording the triangulated position in the second persistent memory location.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising sequences of instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform the acts of:

registering in an address mapping table a plurality of nodes contained in the network environment, and

periodically synchronizing at least a portion of the address mapping table with the central server.