Method and apparatus in a wireless communication system for selectively providing information specific to a location

• US 6,529,728 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Darrell Anthony, Wallace, Craig Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/502,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/414, 455/3.05, 455/456, 455/41, 455/517, 455/435, 455/432, 455/550, 370/908, 340/825.26, 340/825.27, 340/7.48, 340/905
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A portable communication unit (PCU) (102) performs (402) a registration process with a wireless local area network (WLAN) (104) when the PCU moves within communication range of the WLAN. The PCU and the LAN cooperate to create (404) a local information profile describing at least one of types of information and methods of delivering the information desired by a user of the PCU. During the registration process, the PCU and the WLAN cooperate further to determine (406) whether a type of information described in the local information profile is out-of-date or missing in the PCU. If so, the WLAN downloads (408) the type of information to the PCU in accordance with the local information profile.

Claims

1. A method for selectively providing information specific to a location, the information provided to a portable communication unit when the portable communication unit registers with a wireless local area network serving the location, the method comprising the steps of:

performing a registration process between the portable communication unit and the wireless local area network when the portable communication unit moves within communication range of the wireless local area network;

creating a local information profile describing at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information desired by a user of the portable communication unit;

determining, during the registration process, whether a type of information described in the local information profile is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit; and

downloading said type of information to the portable communication unit in accordance with the local information profile, only when said type of information is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration process comprises the steps of:

discovering, by the wireless local area network, that the wireless local area network does not have a copy of the local information profile for the user;

requesting, by the wireless local area network, the portable communication unit to send the local information profile to the wireless local area network; and

transmitting, by the portable communication unit in response to the requesting step, the local information profile and a user identifier to the wireless local area network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step comprises the steps of:

discovering by the wireless local area network that neither the wireless local area network nor the portable communication unit has a copy of the local information profile for the user;

sending from the wireless local area network to the portable communication unit an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location; and

selecting by the user, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby creating the local information profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

discovering by the wireless local area network that the local information profile in the portable communication unit is indefinite about how certain types of information available from the wireless local area network are to be handled;

sending from the wireless local area network to the portable communication unit an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location; and

selecting by the user, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby updating the local information profile.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the local information profile and a user identifier in a memory element of the wireless local area network.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the downloading step comprises the step of sending a first time-stamp to the portable communication unit when downloading the information, and

wherein the method further comprises the step of storing, in a memory element of the wireless local area network, a second time-stamp for each information type stored therein whenever the information corresponding to the information type is changed, and

wherein the determining step comprises the step of comparing the first and second time-stamps to determine whether the information is out-of-date.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

entering, by the user of the portable communication unit, a command to modify the local information profile;

transmitting the command to the wireless local area network;

sending, in response to the command, from the wireless local area network to the portable communication unit, an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location along with an indication of current selections; and

selecting by the user, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby updating the local information profile.

8. A portable communication unit for selectively providing information specific to a location, the information provided to the portable communication unit when the portable communication unit registers with a wireless local area network serving the location, the portable communication unit comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with the wireless local area network;

a processor coupled to the transceiver for controlling the portable communication unit;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing software and other data; and

a user interface coupled to the processor for conveying the information to a user,

wherein the processor is programmed to cooperate with the wireless local area network to;

perform a registration process between the portable communication unit and the wireless local area network when the portable communication unit moves within communication range of the wireless local area network;

create a local information profile describing at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information desired by the user;

determine, during the registration process, whether a type of information described in the local information profile is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit; and

download said type of information to the portable communication unit in accordance with the local information profile, only when said type of information is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit.

9. The portable communication unit of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the transceiver to receive a request from the wireless local area network to send the local information profile to the wireless local area network; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to transmit the local information profile and a user identifier to the wireless local area network in response to the request.

10. The portable communication unit of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the wireless local area network to discover that neither the wireless local area network nor the portable communication unit has a copy of the local information profile for the user;

cooperate with the transceiver to receive from the wireless local area network an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location; and

cooperate with the user interface to allow the user to select, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby creating the local information profile.

11. The portable communication unit of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the wireless local area network to discover that the local information profile in the portable communication unit is indefinite about how certain types of information available from the wireless local area network are to be handled;

cooperate with the transceiver to receive from the wireless local area network an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location; and

cooperate with the user interface to allow the user to select, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby updating the local information profile.

12. The portable communication unit of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to cooperate with the transceiver and the wireless local area network to store the local information profile and a user identifier in a memory element of the wireless local area network.

13. The portable communication unit of claim 8,wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the transceiver to receive a first time-stamp when downloading the information; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to send the first time-stamp to the wireless local area network during the registration process.

14. The portable communication unit of claim 8, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the user interface to allow the user to enter a command to modify the local information profile;

cooperate with the transceiver to transmit the command to the wireless local area network;

cooperate further with the transceiver to receive from the wireless local area network an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location along with an indication of current selections; and

cooperate with the user interface to allow the user to select, from the electronic form, among the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information, thereby updating the local information profile.

15. A wireless local area network for selectively providing information specific to a location, the information provided to a portable communication unit when the portable communication unit registers with the wireless local area network, the wireless local area network comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with the portable communication unit;

a processor coupled to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver;

a memory element coupled to the processor for storing the information; and

an input interface coupled to the processor for receiving the information, wherein the processor is programmed to;

perform a registration process between the portable communication unit and the wireless local area network when the portable communication unit moves within communication range of the wireless local area network;

cooperate with the portable communication unit to create a local information profile describing at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information desired by a user of the portable communication unit;

determine, during the registration process, whether a type of information described in the local information profile is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit; and

download said type of information to the portable communication unit in accordance with the local information profile, only when said type of information is out-of-date or missing in the portable communication unit.

16. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the memory element to discover that the wireless local area network does not have a copy of the local information profile for the user;

cooperate with the transceiver to request the portable communication unit to send the local information profile to the wireless local area network; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to receive from the portable communication unit the local information profile and a user identifier.

17. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the memory element and the transceiver to discover that neither the wireless local area network nor the portable communication unit has a copy of the local information profile for the user; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to send to the portable communication unit an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location.

18. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the transceiver to discover that the local information profile in the portable communication unit is indefinite about how certain types of information available from the wireless local area network are to be handled; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to send to the portable communication unit an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location.

19. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to

store the local information profile and a user identifier in a memory element of the wireless local area network.

20. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the transceiver to send a first time-stamp to the portable communication unit when downloading the information;

store in the memory element a second time-stamp for each information type stored therein whenever the information corresponding to the information type is changed; and

compare the first and second time-stamps to determine whether said type of information is out-of-date.

21. The wireless local area network of claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

cooperate with the transceiver to receive a command from the portable communication unit to modify the local information profile; and

cooperate further with the transceiver to send, to the portable communication unit in response to the command, an electronic form listing the at least one of types of information and methods of delivering said information available for the location along with an indication of current selections.