System and method of associating an object with a world wide web (WWW) site

• US 6,671,738 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vantageport Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vantageport Incorporated
• Inventors: Ressl, Michael G., Rajchel, Suzanne K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/441,311
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 709/224, 709/226, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for associating an object with a web site is provided. An object in space is identified with unique object-identifying coordinates. These coordinates are compared with a database of object-identifying coordinates that correspond to unique web site identifiers and at least one web site identifier corresponding to the object-identifying coordinates is selected. Once the web site identifier is selected, WWW data may be downloaded relating to the object identified by the object-identifying coordinates. This data may be downloaded with minimal or no intervention from a mobile user once the system has identified the object-identifying coordinates of the object.

Claims

1. A method of associating a volume in space with a web site, wherein the volume in space is occupied by a target, comprising the steps of:

determining platform coordinates of a user observation platform, wherein the user observation platform is remote from the volume in space;

interrogating the target occupying the volume in space;

receiving an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal reflected from the target;

determining volume coordinates of the volume in space based on the platform coordinates and the interrogation signal;

comparing the volume coordinates to a database of listed volume coordinates, wherein each listed volume coordinate corresponds to a web site identifier; and

selecting at least one web site identifier corresponding to listed volume coordinates which match the volume coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the volume coodinates with the at least one web site identifier; and

storing the volume coordinates and asociated web site identifier in the database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the interrogation signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency signal, an optical signal, and an energy pulse.

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

determining target coordinates of the target;

determining user coordinates of a user; and

determining volume coordinates based on the target coordinates and the user coordinates.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the target coordinates comprise the distance, angle and inclination of the target relative to the user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the user coordinates comprise the coordinates in space, inclination and declination of the user.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

calculating the target coordinates based on the interrogation signal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the interrogation signal is selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency signal, an optical signal and an energy pulse.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

downloading web site data corresponding to the selected web site identifier.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the web site identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a translation subsystem on a host computer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a translation subsystem on a communication device.

13. A method of downloading web site data, comprising the steps of:

choosing an volume in space as an input parameter, the volume in space occupied by a target;

determining target coordinates of the target based on volume coordinates of the volume in space and on an interrogation signal reflected from the target;

selecting at least one unique web site identifier that corresponds to the target coordinates; and

downloading web site data corresponding to the selected web site identifier.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

sending a request from a translation subsystem to a web site computer corresponding to the selected web site identifier; and

sending web site data from the web site computer to a user computer.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the downloading of web site data is without user intervention.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

sending a uniform resource locater from a translation subsystem to a user computer;

requesting data from a web site host computer corresponding to the uniform resource locator;

receiving the request at the web site host computer; and

sending web site data to the user computer.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the downloading of web site data is without user intervention.

18. A system of associating a volume in space with a web site, comprising:

means for determining platform coordinates of a user observation platform, wherein the user observation platform is remote from the volume in space;

means for interrogating the target occupying the volume in space;

means for receiving an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal reflected from the target;

means for determining volume coordinates of the volume in space based on the platform coordinates and the interrogation signal;

means for comparing the volume coordinates to a database of listed volume coordinates, wherein each listed volume coordinate corresponds to a web site identifier; and

means for selecting at least one web site identifier corresponding to listed volume coordinates which match the volume coordinates.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for associating the volume coodinates with the at least one web site identifier; and

means for storing the volume coordinates and asociated web site identifier in the database.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

means for determining target coordinates of the target;

means for determining user coordinates of a user; and

means for determining volume coordinates based on the target coordinates and the user coordinates.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

means for calculating the target coordinates based on the interrogation signal.

22. The system of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

means for downloading web site data corresponding to the selected web site identifier.

23. Computer program product for associating a volume in space with a web site, the volume in space occupied by a target, comprising:

means for choosing the volume in space as an input parameter;

means for determining target coordinates of the target based on volume coordinates of the volume in space and on an interrogation signal reflected from the target;

means for selecting at least one unique web site identifier that corresponds to the target coordinates; and

means for downloading web site data corresponding to the selected web site identifier.

24. The program of claim 23, further comprising:

means for sending a request from a translation subsystem to a web site computer corresponding to the selected web site identifier; and

means for sending web site data from the web site computer to a user computer.

25. The program of claim 23, further comprising:

means for sending a uniform resource locater from a translation subsystem to a user computer;

means for requesting data from a web site host computer corresponding to the uniform resource locator;

means for receiving the request at the web site host computer; and

means for sending web site data to the user computer.

26. A system for associating a volume in space with a web site, the volume in space occupied by a target, comprising:

means for choosing the volume in space as an input parameter;

means for determining target coordinates of the target based on volume coordinates of the volume in space and on an interrogation signal reflected from the target;

means for selecting at least one unique web site identifier that corresponds to the target coordinates; and

means for downloading web site data corresponding to the selected web site identifier.

27. Computer program product for associating a volume in space with a web site, comprising:

means for determining platform coordinates of a user observation platform, wherein the user observation platform is remote from the volume in space;

means for interrogating the target occupying the volume in space;

means for receiving an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal reflected from the target;

means for determining volume coordinates of the volume in space based on the platform coordinates and the interrogation signal;

means for comparing the volume coordinates to a database of listed volume coordinates, wherein each listed volume coordinate corresponds to a web site identifier; and

means for selecting at least one web site identifier corresponding to listed volume coordinates which match the volume coordinates.