Context aware computing devices having a common interface and related methods

• US 7,096,029 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Parupudi, Gopal, Evans, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/543,052
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Context-aware computing systems and methods are described. In particular embodiments, location aware systems and methods are described. In the described embodiments, hierarchical tree structures are utilized to ascertain a device context or location. The tree structures can be stored on or accessible to mobile computing devices so that the devices can determine their own particular context or location. In one embodiment, one of the tree structures comprises a Master World tree structure that contains nodes that represent geographical divisions of the Earth. Another of the tree structures can comprise a so-called Secondary World that contains nodes that represent physical or logical entities that are organization or company specific views of the world. A computing device can automatically determine its context or location by ascertaining a node on one or more of the tree structures and then traversing the tree structure to ascertain the complete context. A unique device architecture is described that permits context aware computing. The device architecture comprises a context service module, a common interface, and one or more context providers. The context providers provide information, through the common interface, that pertains to the context of a device, and the context service module processes the information to device the device'"'"'s context. An application program interface (API)/events layer is provided through which various applications can call the device to ascertain the device'"'"'s location so that location dependent goods or services can be rendered. A privacy manager is also provided in some embodiments to enforce privacy thereby protecting the granularity of the location information that is provided to the applications. In addition, unique location beacons are described that transmit information that can be used by the computing device to ascertain its location.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a location service module embodied on the computer-readable medium; and

multiple different location providers configured to receive information from one or more different sources of information and process the information to provide location information to the location service module,

the location service module being configured to process the location information to provide a current device location; and

a hierarchical tree structure that resides on the computer-readable medium, the hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth, the location service module being configured to traverse at least some of the nodes to provide the current device location.

2. The computing device of claim 1 embodied as a mobile computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 1 embodied as a desktop computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to self-monitor their operation and to inform the location service module of an operation irregularity.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to assign confidence parameters to the information that is provided to the location service module, the confidence parameters providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to assign accuracy parameters to the information that is provided to the location service module, the accuracy parameters providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to:

assign confidence parameters to the information that is provided to the location service module, the confidence parameters providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information; and

assign accuracy parameters to the information that is provided to the location service module, the accuracy parameters providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to continuously update information that is provided to the location service module.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to periodically update information that is provided to the location service module.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more location providers are configured to update the information at specified times.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more location providers are configured to update the information on the occurrence of specified events.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to receive a request from the location service module and update the information that is provided to the location service module based on the request.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a hand-held mobile computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to accommodate dynamically adding or removing one or more location providers.

15. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to continue operation when one or more of the location providers stops functioning.

16. The computing device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to process the information and provide the unique identification for one of the nodes of the hierarchical tree structure.

17. A method of determining the location of a computing device comprising:

providing multiple location providers that are configured to provide location information that pertains to a current location of the computing device;

receiving location information from the multiple location providers using a common interface;

using the information that is received from the multiple location providers to ascertain a current device location by using a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth, said act of using comprising traversing at least some of the nodes to provide the current device location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the common interface accommodates multiple location providers that are different.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving of the location information comprises continuously receiving location information from at least one of the location providers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving of the location information comprises periodically receiving location information from at least one of the location providers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information at specific times.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information on the occurrence of specific events.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information responsive to a request to receive the information.

24. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a hand-held computing device, cause the hand-held computing device to:

provide multiple different location providers that are configured to provide location information that pertains to a current location of the computing device;

receive location information from the multiple different location providers using a common interface; and

use the information that is received from the multiple location providers to ascertain a current device location by traversing a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth, and traversing at least some of the nodes to ascertain the current device location.

25. A method of determining the location of a mobile computing device comprising:

providing multiple different location providers that are configured to provide location information that pertains to a current location of the computing device;

monitoring one or more of the location providers;

assigning a confidence parameter to location information that is provided by one or more providers, the confidence parameter providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in its location information;

sending the location information and the confidence parameter to a location service module on the mobile computing device, the location service module being configured to use the location information and the confidence parameter to ascertain a current device location;

wherein said location information is configured to be used by the location service module in conjunction with a hierarchical tree structure that resides on a computer-readable medium on the mobile computing device, to ascertain the current device location, the hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth, the location service module being configured to traverse at least some of the nodes to provide the current device location.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising assigning an accuracy parameter to the location information that is provided by one or more providers, the accuracy parameter providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s location information.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising responsive to the monitoring, notifying the location service module upon the occurrence of an operation irregularity.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving a location query and responding to the query with a location provider.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to continuously send the location information to the location service module.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein one or more of the location providers are configured to periodically send the location information to the location service module.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more location providers are configured to send the location information at specified times.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more location providers are configured to send the location information on the occurrence of specified events.

33. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a mobile computing device, implement the method of claim 25.

34. A method of determining the location of a mobile computing device comprising:

providing multiple different location providers that are configured to provide location information that pertains to a current location of the computing device;

monitoring one or more of the location providers;

assigning an accuracy parameter to location information that is provided by one or more providers, the accuracy parameter providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s location information;

sending the location information and accuracy parameter to a location service module on the mobile computing device, the location service module being configured to use the location information and the accuracy parameter to ascertain a current device location;

wherein said location information is configured to be used by the location service module in conjunction with a hierarchical tree structure that resides on a computer-readable medium on the mobile computing device, to ascertain the current device location, the hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth, the location service module being configured to traverse at least some of the nodes to provide the current device location.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising, responsive to the monitoring, notifying the location service module on the occurrence of an operation irregularity of a location provider.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising receiving a location query and responding to the location query with the location provider.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein one or more of the location providers continuously send location information to the location service module.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein one or more of the location providers periodically send location information to the location service module.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the one or more location providers send the location information at specified times.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the one or more location providers send the location information on the occurrence of specified events.

41. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a mobile computing device, implement the method of claim 34.