Communication system for wireless communication of content to users

• US 6,714,794 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: OʼCarroll, Finbarr Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US09/697,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/456, 455/424, 455/427, 455/432, 455/433, 455/440, 455/457, 455/403, 455/566, 455/414, 455/62, 455/63, 455/67.4, 455/422, 370/465, 370/468
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

A communication system (10) provides content to communication devices (12) over one or more wireless channels that support packet data communication under a specified radio packet data transmission protocol, such as GPRS. The communication system (10) receives proximity and functionality information from the communication devices (12). Based on the proximity and functionality level information, the communication system (10) determines an optimum data rate and optimum content format for communicating the content with the communication devices (12). Using the optimum data rate and content format, the content is transmitted to the communication devices (12) over a wireless channel, thereby optimizing the air time and providing the best user experience regardless of communication device capability or position.

Claims

1. A communication system that provides content to communication devices over a wireless channel, comprising:

a receiver that receives proximity information and display functionality level information associated with a communication device;

a controller that, based on the proximity information, determines an optimum data rate and, based on the display functionality level information, determines an optimum content format for communicating the content over the wireless channel; and

a transmitter that uses the optimum data rate and optimum content format for transmitting the content to the communication device over the wireless channel.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the optimum data rate corresponds to a Quality of Service (QoS) offered by the communication system.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises one or more data packets that are communicated in accordance with a specified radio packet data transmission standard.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the one or more data packets are communicated with control information that defines the optimum content format for presenting the content at the communication device.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the one or more data packets that are transmitted in accordance with the optimum content format is adjusted based on at least the display functionality level information.

6. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the content comprises graphic content.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the graphic content comprises a number of data packets that correspond to graphic images.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the graphic content is transmitted with control information that includes at least one of:

a number of graphic images, size of each graphic image, graphic display speed, screen size format of each graphic image, and functionality level of the graphic content.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the number of data packets representing graphic images which are communicated is reduced when the functionality level information of the graphic content is higher that the display functionality level information of the communication device.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a transmitter that transmits proximity information and display functionality level information to a communication system;

a receiver that receives one or more data packets representing a content from the communication system based on the proximity information and the display functionality level information, wherein the one or more data packets are received with control information which defines how the content is presented at the communication device; and

a controller that, based on the control information, presents the content at the communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the one or more data packets are communicated in accordance with a Quality of Service (QoS) offered by a communication system.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the content comprises graphic content.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the graphic content comprises a number of data packets that correspond to graphic images.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the control information which is received includes at least one of:

number of graphic images, size of each graphic image, graphic display speed, screen size format of each graphic image, and functionality level of the graphic content.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the graphic content is displayed as still images.

16. A method of communicating content with a communication device over a wireless channel comprising the steps of:

receiving proximity information and display functionality level information from the communication device;

determining an optimum data rate based on the proximity information;

determining a content format based on the display functionality level information; and

communicating the content with the communication device using the optimum data rate and the content format.