Providing geographic based promotion services to a computing device

• US 7,009,556 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wayport, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wayport, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/776,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/450, 342/451, 342/463, 342/357.01
• US Class Current: 342/357.43
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A geographic-based communications service system has a mobile unit for transmitting/receiving information, and access points connected to a network. The access points are arranged in a known geographic locations and transmit and receive information from the mobile unit. When one of the access points detects the presence of the mobile unit, it sends a signal to the network indicating the location of the mobile unit and the information requested by the mobile unit. Based on the signal received from the access point, the network communicates with information providers connected to the network and provides data to the mobile unit through the access point corresponding to the location of the mobile unit.

Claims

1. A method of providing geographic-based promotion information to a computing device operated by a user, the method comprising:

receiving a geographic location of the computing device from the computing device;

selecting promotion information dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device; and

transmitting the promotion information to the computing device after said selecting.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said selecting promotion information comprises selecting the promotion information dependent upon a profile of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

wherein the profile indicates the promotion information is desired by the user.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein said selecting promotion information comprises selecting the promotion information dependent upon past transactions of the user.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the promotion information comprises promotions of a first provider of goods and/or services proximate to the geographic location of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the promotion information comprises an advertisement.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the advertisement comprises information regarding goods or services proximate to the geographic location of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein an access point communicates with the computing device, the method further comprising:

the access point providing the geographic location of the computing device to the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the promotion information to the computing device in a wireless fashion.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the geographic location of the computing device comprises a geographic location of an access point communicating with the computing device;

wherein said selecting promotion information comprises selecting the promotion information dependent upon the geographic location of the access point.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein said selecting promotion information comprises selecting the promotion information dependent upon past transactions of the user.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein said selecting promotion information comprises selecting the promotion information dependent upon a profile of the user.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein the geographic location of the access point is determined by accessing a management information base (MIB), wherein the MIB comprises information including the geographic location of the access point.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the access point stores a portion of the Mm, wherein the portion comprises information including the geographic location of the access point.

16. The method of claim 11,

wherein the geographic location of the access point is determined by its proximity to another geographic location.

17. The method of claim 11,

wherein the access point is a wireless access point, wherein the wireless access point and the computing device communicate in a wireless fashion.

18. The method of claim 11,

wherein said receiving and said selecting are performed by a server computer system coupled to a network.

49. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving the geographic location of the computing device from the computing device comprises receiving the geographic location of the computing device through a network;

wherein said transmitting the promotion information to the computing device comprises transmitting the promotion information to the computing device through the network.

19. A method of providing geographic-based advertisement information to a computing device operated by a user, the method comprising:

receiving a geographic location of the computing device from the computing device;

selecting advertisement information dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device; and

transmitting the advertisement information to the computing device after said selecting.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein said selecting advertisement information comprises selecting the advertisement information dependent upon a profile of the user.

21. The method of claim 19,

wherein said selecting advertisement information comprises selecting the advertisement information dependent upon past transactions of the user.

22. The method of claim 19,

wherein the advertisement information comprises information regarding goods or services proximate to the geographic location of the computing device.

23. The method of claim 19,

wherein the advertisement information comprises a promotion.

24. The method of claim 19,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

25. The method of claim 19,

wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the promotion information to the computing device in a wireless fashion.

26. The method of claim 19,

wherein the geographic location of the computing device comprises a geographic location of an access point communicating with the computing device;

wherein said selecting advertisement information comprises selecting the advertisement information dependent upon the geographic location of the access point.

27. The method of claim 26,

wherein said selecting advertisement information comprises selecting the advertisement information dependent upon at least one of past transactions of the user or a profile of the user.

28. The method of claim 26,

wherein the geographic location of the access point is determined by accessing a management information base (MIB), wherein the MIB comprises information including the geographic location of the access point.

29. The method of claim 19,

wherein said receiving and said selecting are performed by a server computer system coupled to a network.

50. The method of claim 19,

wherein said receiving the geographic location of the computing device from the computing device comprises receiving the geographic location of the computing device through a network;

wherein said transmitting the advertisement information to the computing device comprises transmitting the advertisement information to the computing device through the network.

30. A carrier medium for carrying signals in a geographic-based promotion system, wherein the carrier medium is operable to carry:

a geographic location of a computing device, wherein the computing device is operated by a user; and

promotion information which is provided to the computing device, wherein a content of the promotion information is dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device and past transactions of the user.

31. The carrier medium of claim 30,

wherein the content of the promotion information is dependent upon a profile of the user.

32. The carrier medium of claim 30,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

33. A carrier medium for carrying signals in a geographic-based advertisement system, wherein the carrier medium is operable to carry:

a geographic location of a computing device, wherein the computing device is operated by a user; and

advertisement information which is provided to the computing device, wherein a content of the advertisement information is dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device and past transactions of the user.

34. The carrier medium of claim 33,

wherein the content of the advertisement information is dependent upon a profile of the user.

35. The carrier medium of claim 33,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

36. A carrier medium comprising program instructions for providing advertising, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

receiving a geographic location of a computing device from the computing device;

transmitting advertisement information to the computing device, wherein a content of the advertisement information is dependent on the geographic location of the computing device.

51. The carrier medium of claim 36,

wherein said receiving the geographic location of the computing device from the computing device comprises said receiving the geographic location of the computing device through a network;

wherein said transmitting the advertisement information to the computing device comprises transmitting the advertisement information to the computing device through the network.

52. The carrier medium of claim 36, wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

37. An advertisement provider system for providing geographic-based advertisement information for a computing device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions which are executable by the processor to;

receive a geographic location of a computing device;

receive identity information of a user of the computing device;

select advertisement information dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device and the identity information of the user; and

transmit said advertisement information to a network, wherein said advertisement information is operable to be transmitted to the computing device via the network.

38. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein the identity information of the user indicates a profile of the user;

wherein said advertisement information is dependent upon the profile of the user.

39. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein the identity information of the user indicates past transactions of the user;

wherein said advertisement information is dependent upon the past transactions of the user.

40. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein said advertisement information comprises advertising related to goods or services.

41. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein said advertisement information includes a promotion.

42. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

43. The advertisement information provider system of claim 37,

wherein the geographic location of the computing devices includes a geographic location of an access point communicating with the computing device.

44. A promotion provider system for providing geographic-based promotion information for a computing device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions which are executable by the processor to;

receive a geographic location of a computing device;

receive identity information of a user of the computing device;

select promotion information dependent upon the geographic location of the computing device and the identity information of the user; and

transmit said promotion information to a network, wherein said promotion information is operable to be transmitted to the computing device via the network.

45. The promotion information provider system of claim 44,

wherein the identity information of the user indicates a profile of the user;

wherein said promotion information is dependent upon the profile of the user.

46. The promotion information provider system of claim 44,

wherein the identity information of the user indicates past transactions of the user;

wherein said promotion information is dependent upon the past transactions of the user.

47. The promotion information provider system of claim 44,

wherein the computing device is a portable computing device.

48. The promotion information provider system of claim 44,

wherein the geographic location of the computing devices includes a geographic location of an access point communicating with the computing device.