Information management and processing in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- defining, by an absolute location, one or more geographical regions in which one or more fixed resources are located;
defining a location of each of the one or more fixed resource within a geographical region, the location of each fixed resource being a relative location that is defined relative to the absolute location of the geographical region which the fixed resource is located; and
storing the relative location of each fixed resource in a hierarchical directory structure having one or more levels corresponding the one or more geographical regions, the relative location of each fixed resource being stored in the directory level corresponding to the geographical region from which the relative location of the fixed resource is derived.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems and data structure for storing and managing information in a wireless network are described wherein fixed resources in the system are stored in a database in a hierarchical directory structure according to the location of each fixed resource. Each level of the directory structure represents a geographical area in which a fixed resource is located. A mobile user submits a query for the location of the nearest fixed resource having certain properties. The system determines the location of the mobile user and then searches the database for the request fixed resorce that is nearest to the mobile user. When the fixed resource is identified, data regarding its location is transmitted to the mobile user. In addition, specific directions as to how to get to the location of the fixed resource from the location of the mobile user may be provided.
62 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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defining, by an absolute location, one or more geographical regions in which one or more fixed resources are located;
defining a location of each of the one or more fixed resource within a geographical region, the location of each fixed resource being a relative location that is defined relative to the absolute location of the geographical region which the fixed resource is located; and
storing the relative location of each fixed resource in a hierarchical directory structure having one or more levels corresponding the one or more geographical regions, the relative location of each fixed resource being stored in the directory level corresponding to the geographical region from which the relative location of the fixed resource is derived. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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4. The method as recited in clain 1, wherein each of the one or more hierarchical directory levels has a class name selected from the following class names:
- country, state, territory, county, city, campus, building, or floor.
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9. A method for searching for a location of a fixed resource in wireless network having one or more fixed resources, the method comprising:
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receiving a request at a network server from a computing unit for a location of a nearest fixed resource;
determining a location of the computing unit;
searching a hierarchical directory structure containing fixed resource objects for a match with the requested fixed resource, each fixed resource object being stored in the hierarchical directory structure according to a location of each fixed resource;
determining which fixed resource object has a location that is nearest to the computing unit; and
transmitting data regarding the location of the nearest fixed resource to the computing unit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
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13. The method as recited in claim wherein 9, computing unit is a mobile computing unit operating within the scope of the wireless network.
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16. A method of storing fixed resource information about one or more fixed resources of a wireless network in one or more computer-readable media, the method comprising:
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naming a fixed resource object with as object same that denotes location of a fixed resource represented by the object, the fixed resource object including properties of the fixed resource; and
storing the fixed resource object according to the object name in a hierarchical directory structure in one or more computer-readable media, the hierarchical directory structure having multiple levels, each level resenting a geographical region in which the fixed resource is located. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A location-aware computer program, comprising:
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a location subsystem to determine a location of a user within at least one geograghical area;
a resource database having records that each contain information about a resource, including a location of the resource, each record being or according to the location of the resource represented by the record, and a directory tree structure having multiple levels, each level representing a geographical area; and
a query processor that receives a query from the user for a resource that is nearest to the user and returns a location of a resource that is nearest to the user. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A wireless network system, comprising:
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one or more servers having non-volatile memory;
at least one mobile computer located within multiple geograghical areas covered by the wireless network system;
at least one fixed resource located within the geographical areas, the geographical areas each having an absolute location, the fixed resource having a relative location that is relative to the absolute location of a geographical area in which the fixed resource is located;
a location subsystem to determine the relative location of a mobile computer within a geographical area; and
a resource database stored in the memory of t least one of the servers, the resource database being organized in a directory tree structure having multiple levels where each of the levels corresponds to a geographical area covered by the wireless network, a highest level corresponding to a largest geographical area and a lowest level corresponding to a smallest geographical area, wherein the relative location of the fixed resource is stored at a level which represents smallest geographical region in which the fixed resource is located. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A database, comprising:
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multiple records associated with fixed resources a wireless network; and
a directory tree structure to organize the records according to a location of the fixed resource that the record represents, wherein the directory tree structure comprises multiple levels, each level representing a geographical area covered by the wireless networks a lowest level representing a smallest geographical area in which a fixed resource may be located, and each subsequently higher level of the tree structure representing increasingly larger geographical areas which encompass the fixed resources. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification