Method of and apparatus for topologically based retrieval of information

• US 6,553,310 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lopke, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/712,874
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/200, 701/201, 701/211, 701/207, 709/203, 709/226, 709/224, 709/227, 709/104, 709/223, 709/229, 709/217, 709/219, 709/232, 709/249, 704/275, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• 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

An apparatus for, and a method of, customizing an Internet session to the current location of the user which can, through a variety of methods, identify a user'"'"'s specific location and once the specific location is determined, customize Internet information for the user'"'"'s specific location. The location can be determined through a GPS device, user input or calculation and application of location parameters from a known position or similar methods. The customized Internet information can be accessed via, for example, CDPD, and user specific queries can be addressed through Internet search capabilities coupled with local processing.

Claims

1. A method for identifying resources, said method comprising:

identifying a class of information to be retrieved;

identifying a topological criteria, said topological criteria comprising a data path topology between a location and at least one resource of a data network;

identifying a resource of said data network that satisfies said topological criteria;

searching said resource for said class of information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location comprises a location of a requestor;

and

wherein said data path topology comprises closest resource on said data network to said location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said location comprises a location of a requestor;

and

wherein said data path topology comprises least amount of network traversal between said location and a resource of said data network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said class of information is identifiable by a key;

wherein said method further comprises transmitting said key and said topological criteria to a remote server; and

wherein said remote server performs said identifying of said resource satisfying said topological criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said method further comprises identifying another topological criteria;

and

wherein said searching comprises searching said resource for said class of information also satisfying said another topological criteria.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said class of information is identifiable by a key, and said method further comprises:

transmitting said key and said another topological criteria to a remote server; and

returning a result of said searching step to a requestor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said method further comprises

establishing communications with said resource;

and

returning target data associated with respective physical facilities in response to said key and said another topological criteria.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said physical facilities are identified by respective street addresses.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising

communicating location information to a remote server using a common gateway interface (CGI).

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising

transmitting to a client a list of facilities having said class of information and satisfying said another topological criteria.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein

said resource comprises a remote database of destinations;

said step of identifying another topological criteria comprises a step of determining a current location of a requestor; and

said step of searching said resource comprises

selecting ones of said destinations satisfying a first proximity criteria to identify candidate ones of said destinations;

comparing said current location of said requestor to at least one location of said candidate destinations using second proximity criteria; and

displaying said candidate destinations together with associated results of said comparing step.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of determining said current location comprises

computing a present position using a global positioning system (GPS).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying said topological criteria comprises

computing said location using a global positioning system (GPS).

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying said topological criteria comprises

computing said location using vehicle sensor derived information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said data network comprises the Internet.

16. A method of identifying resources, the method comprising

identifying a topological criteria, said topological criteria comprising a data path topology between a location and at least one remote server of a data network;

identifying a remote server of said data network that satisfies said topological criteria;

accessing said remote server from a client;

transmitting a displayable form to said client;

encoding location information;

transmitting a request for identification of a class of resources together with said location information to said remote server;

searching a database for resources (i) contained within said class and (ii) satisfying proximity criteria based on said location information to identify a list of resources; and

transmitting said list of resources to said client.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of encoding comprises a step of:

using a common gateway interface (CGI).

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising

calculating a position of said client.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said location comprises said position of said client.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising

storing information in said database in connection with each of said resources in a form such that said resources are accessible based on said class and said proximity criteria.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein said location information is in a format including one of:

a street, address, a postal zipcode, city and state information, latitude and longitude values, an area code in accordance with the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), and Telephone Number Area Code and Prefix (NPA-NXX).

22. A mobile navigation assistant comprising:

positioning logic providing a current position of the assistant;

a wireless communications system connected to a data network;

resource identification logic for identifying a remote database of facilities of said data network, said remote database satisfying a topological criteria, said topological criteria comprising a data path topology between a location and at least one resource of said data network;

an input device for receiving a search criteria; and

a display providing an indication of ones of said facilities satisfying said search criteria together with positional information relative to said current position.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said positioning logic comprises a global positioning system (GPS);

and

wherein said apparatus further comprises a database of map information, said display providing a graphic representation of said ones of said facilities based on said map information and said current position.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the search criteria comprises a category of said facilities;

said display comprises a virtual image projection providing a heads-up display presentation;

said input device comprises a manually activated switch mounted on a vehicular steering wheel; and

said input device comprises a speech recognition system.