Method and apparatus for providing location-based information via a computer network

• US 6,677,894 B2
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krasner, Norman F., Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US09/201,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.03, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 701/215, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/456.2, 455/456.5, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 342/357.46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/06 employing an initial estimate of the location of the receiver as aiding data or in generating aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/254 relating to Doppler shift of satellite signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/256 relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/047 Automatic frequency control using an auxiliary signal, e.g. low frequency scanning of the locking range or superimposing a special signal on the input signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for distributing location-based information (i.e., information specific to a client'"'"'s location or a location of interest to the client) to a client, which may be a mobile SPS receiver, via the Internet and in particular, the World-Wide Web. The client provides information about its location and/or a location of interest to a Web server. The Web server, based on the information, provides via the Internet information relating to the client'"'"'s location or location of interest to the client.

Claims

1. A method for providing information from a web server, said me ad comprising:

receiving at said web server a request for information, said request being received over the Internet from a mobile communication device, said request not including position information of said mobile communication device;

transmitting, from said web server to a location server, a request or a position of said mobile communication device;

receiving from said location server said position of said mobile communication device and in response to receiving said position, providing, from said web server, information associated with said position to said mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile communication device comprises a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver and a wireless communication system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said SPS receiver determines a plurality of pseudoranges to a corresponding plurality of SPS satellites and said wireless communication system transmits said plurality of pseudoranges or receipt by said location server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said location server transmits satellite information to said mobile communication device and wherein said SPS receiver receives said satellite information and determines said plurality f pseudoranges based on said satellite information.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said location server receives said plurality of pseudoranges and determines said position of said mobile communication device based on said plurality of pseudoranges.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said web server receives, from said location server, said position of said mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said web server initiates said request for said position information in response to said request for information over said internet from said mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said web server and said location server are logically distinct but physically co-located.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said web server also functions an application server.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said information associated with said position comprises location-based service information related to said position of said mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said position comprises SPS-related information related to said position of said mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said position of said mobile communication device includes GPS navigational information.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said position of said mobile communication device includes location-specific services.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said position of said mobile communication device includes representations of cellular use demographics.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said information provided by said web server includes said position of said mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said position of said mobile communication device includes data to aid said mobile communication device itself to determine its position.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining at said web server whether a position of said mobile communication device is required to service said request for information;

wherein said transmitting said request for a position of said mobile communication device is in response to a determination that a position of said mobile communication is required to service said request for information.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said web server transmits said request for position of said mobile communication device through an application server;

and, said application server performs service management.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said service management comprises subscriber management.

17. A method for providing information from a location server, said method comprising:

receiving, at said location server, a request, from a web server, for a position of a mobile communication device, said request being initiate by said web server after receiving a request for information over the Internet from said mobile communication device, said request for information from said mobile communication device not including position information of said mobile communication device;

transmitting from said location server to said web server said position of mobile communication device, wherein said web server uses said position to provide information associated with said position to said mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said mobile communication device comprises a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver and a wireless communication system.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said SPS receiver determines a plurality of pseudoranges to a corresponding plurality of SPS satellites and said wireless communication system transmits said plurality of pseudoranges for receipt by said location server.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said location server transmits satellite information to said mobile communication device and wherein said SPS receiver receives said satellite information and determines said plurality of pseudoranges based on said satellite information.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said location server receives said plurality of pseudoranges and determines said position of said mobile communication device based on said plurality of pseudoranges.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said web server and said location server are logically distinct but physically co-located.

23. A method in a mobile communication device for providing information, said method comprising:

transmitting over the Internet a request to a web server for information, said web server, in response to said request, causing a location server to determine a position of said mobile communication device, said request not including position information of said mobile communication device;

receiving information associated with said position of said mobile communication device, said receiving being in response to said web serve receiving said position which was requested from said location server.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said mobile communication device comprises a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver and a wireless communication system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said SPS receiver determines a plurality of pseudoranges to a corresponding plurality of SPS satellites and said wireless communication system transmits said plurality of pseudoranges for receipt by said location server.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said location server transmits satellite information to said mobile communication device and wherein said SPS receiver receives said satellite information and determines said plurality of pseudoranges based on said satellite information.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said location server receives said plurality of pseudoranges and determines said position of said mobile communication device based on said plurality of pseudoranges.