Short messaging using information beacons
First Claim
1. A method of wireless communication in a local environment, comprising the steps of:
- positioning an information beacon in a certain location, said information beacon having a memory and a wireless short-range transceiver and being capable of transmitting messages in a local operating region associated with said beacon;
receiving, by said beacon, a message from a sender device, wherein the message is addressed to a specific or designated recipient device when present within the local operating region of said beacon based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device;
storing, by said beacon, the message until detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device;
detecting, by said beacon, the presence of the specific or designated recipient device based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device when the specific or designated recipient device enters the operating region of said beacon, without communication with a remotely located central database; and
wirelessly transmitting, by said beacon, the stored message to the specific or designated recipient device when the presence of the specific or designated recipient device has been detected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A short messaging communication system for communicating short messages to a user located in an operating region of the system. Information beacons or beacons which function as store and forward devices operable in a corresponding local operating region communicate with terminal devices that are located within the local operating region. Short messages can be “private” messages wherein only specified recipients are permitted access, or “public” messages whose access is not limited to specific users. A message stored on a beacon can be retrieved by a recipient when the recipient'"'"'s presence in the operating range is detected, whereupon the beacon will wirelessly transmit the message to the recipient device. For private messages, a password or other security access code may be required for input into the receiving device to decipher the received message.
104 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A method of wireless communication in a local environment, comprising the steps of:
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positioning an information beacon in a certain location, said information beacon having a memory and a wireless short-range transceiver and being capable of transmitting messages in a local operating region associated with said beacon;
receiving, by said beacon, a message from a sender device, wherein the message is addressed to a specific or designated recipient device when present within the local operating region of said beacon based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device;
storing, by said beacon, the message until detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device;
detecting, by said beacon, the presence of the specific or designated recipient device based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device when the specific or designated recipient device enters the operating region of said beacon, without communication with a remotely located central database; and
wirelessly transmitting, by said beacon, the stored message to the specific or designated recipient device when the presence of the specific or designated recipient device has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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18. A method of communication in a wireless local area network having a plurality of wireless beacons in communication with each other and a host, with each beacon containing a memory, and a wireless short-range transceiver, and being operable in a corresponding operating region, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, by a specific one beacon, a message from a sender device wherein the message is addressed to a specific or designated recipient device when present within the corresponding local operating region of said specific one beacon or within the corresponding local operating region of another beacon of said plurality based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device;
storing, by said specific one beacon the message until detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device;
detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device when said specific or designated recipient device enters the operating region of said specific one beacons or the operating region of said another beacon, without communication with a remotely located central database;
retrieving the stored message by said specific one beacon; and
wirelessly transmitting, by said specific one beacon, the stored message to the specific or designated recipient device when the presence of the specific or designated recipient device has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 40, 41)
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34. A system for wireless communication to a recipient device in a local environment, comprising:
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an information beacon positioned in a certain location, said information beacon having a memory and a wireless short-range transceiver and being capable of transmitting messages in a local operating region associated with said beacon;
means for receiving, by said beacon, a message from a sender device, wherein the message is addressed to a specific or designated recipient device when present within the local operating region of said beacon based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device;
means for storing, by said beacon the message until detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device;
means for detecting, by said beacon, the presence of the specific or designated recipient device when the specific or designated recipient device enters the operating region of said beacon, without communication with a remotely located central database; and
means for wirelessly transmitting, by said beacon, the stored message to the specific or designated recipient device when said detecting means detects the presence of the specific or designated recipient device. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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42. A system for communication in a wireless local area network having a plurality of wireless beacons in communication with each other and a host, with each beacon containing a memory, and a wireless short-range transceiver, and being operable in a corresponding operating region, comprising:
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means for receiving, by said beacon, a message from a sender device wherein the message is addressed to a specific or designated recipient device when present within the corresponding local operating region of said specific one beacon or within the corresponding local operating region of another beacon of said plurality based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device;
a memory for storing, by said specific one beacon, the message until detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device;
means for detecting the presence of the specific or designated recipient device based on an identification of the specific or designated recipient device when said specific or designated recipient device enters the operating region of said specific one beacons or the operating region of said another beacon, without communication with a remotely located central database;
means for retrieving the stored message by said specific one beacon; and
means for wirelessly transmitting, by said specific one beacon, the stored message to the specific or designated recipient device when the presence of the specific or designated recipient device has been detected. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification