Systems, devices and methods for providing services in a proximity-base environment

• US 7,139,557 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dataspread LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pando Networks Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tang, Hong Da, Damarla, Chanakya C., Pollard, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/081,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20020086663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 455556-558, 455432-433, 455/435, 455/414, 455/466, 455/516, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/9, 455/11.1, 455/550.1, 455/90.1, 455/435.1, 570/469, 570/328, 570277-278, 570/282, 570352-353, 340/829.36, 340/829.49
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A system for delivery of services to at least one client program on a mobile device adapted to communicate in a wireless manner including a plurality of communication/detection devices. Each of the communication/detection devices has a known range and is adapted to detect the presence of the mobile device when the mobile device is within the range thereof. Each communication/detection device is also adapted to communicate information between the mobile device and the communication/detection device when the mobile device is within the range thereof. The system further includes at least one multiplexer in communication with at least one of the communication/detection devices and at least one server including content stored thereon to provide at least one service to the client program on mobile device. The server is in communication with the multiplexer. The service to be provided to the mobile device depends on which one of the plurality of communication/detection devices is in communication with the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for delivery of services to at least one mobile client capable of wireless communication comprising:

a plurality of communication/detection devices, each of said communication/detection devices associated with a physical space to detect the presence of said client when said client is within said physical space and to communicate information between said client and said communication/detection device when said client is within an associated physical space;

at least one server, each of said servers being programmed to host at least one service associated with at least one physical space, said service being notified of a mobile client located in said associated physical space;

an aggregate space defined by a set of at least two physical spaces, said at least one server setting at least one service group to be available to the aggregate space; and

at least one multiplexer in communication with at least one of the communication/detection devices and said at least one server, said multiplexer being configured to communicate with said at least one server when a mobile client is within said at least one associated physical space, wherein at least one service group including at least one service is associated with said physical space.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said service independently generates content for delivery to said client.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer connects a server and an associated communication/detection device so that said client does not require information for a communication path to a server and a server does not require information of the communication path to said client.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said communication/detection devices, the multiplexer and the server are each present at separate locations.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein a higher-level aggregate space is defined as a set of aggregate spaces, the server setting at least one service group to be available to the higher-level aggregate space.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said physical space is defined by multiple communication/detection devices and said multiplexer includes a control program to provide notification to at least one server when said client is within a said associated physical space by detection information provided to said multiplexer from said communication/detection devices.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein multiple servers are in communication with the multiplexer.

8. A method of providing services to a mobile client capable of wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating information from said at least one communication/detection devices associated with a physical space to detect the presence of said mobile client when said mobile client is within said physical space and to communicate information between the mobile client and the communication/detection device when the mobile client is within said physical space;

combining a plurality of physical spaces in a set to define an aggregate space;

associating at least one service group to be available to said client determined to be present within the aggregate space; and

communicating information between the communication/detection device and at least one server, each of said servers being programmed to host at least one service associated with at least one physical space, said service being notified of a mobile client located in said associated physical space.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said services independently generate content for delivery to said client.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of forming said at least one service into a service group.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of associating at least one service group including at least one service with said physical space.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

combining a plurality of aggregate spaces in a set to define a higher-level aggregate space; and

associating at least one service group to be available to a client determined to be present within the higher-level aggregate space.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of associating each of the physical spaces with departments within a place of business, and associating the aggregate space with the entire place of business.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of associating each of the physical spaces with departments within a place of business, associating the aggregate spaces with the entire place of business, and associating the higher-level aggregate space with a plurality of places of business in a chain.

15. A method of providing services to a mobile client capable of wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating information from said at least one communication/detection devices associated with a physical space to detect the presence of said mobile client when said mobile client is within said physical space and to communicate information between the mobile client and the communication/detection device when the mobile client is within said physical space;

providing at least one server having at least one proximity-based application stored thereon, the proximity-base application hosting at least one service generating content for delivery to said client when said client is within at least one associated physical space, said service predicated upon an occurrence of proximity-based events within at least one associated physical space; and

providing at least one intermediary, the intermediary being in communication with the plurality of communication/detection devices and in communication with the server, the intermediary including a control program to provide notification to at least one server when said client is present within or absent from said at least one associated physical space by detection information provided by the plurality of communication/detection devices, the intermediary providing notification when said client is present within or absent from the associated physical space.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the proximity-based events comprise an enter space proximity event, a still within space event, a temporarily left space event, a returned to space event, and an exited space event.

17. A method of providing services to a mobile client capable of wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one server having at least one proximity-based application stored thereon, the proximity-based application hosting at least one service generating content for delivery to said client when said client is within a set of physical spaces including at least one physical space, the service content predicated upon an occurrence of proximity-based events within the set of physical spaces;

determining whether the mobile client is present within each of said physical spaces in the set of physical spaces using a plurality of communication/detection devices that are associated with at least one physical space, each communication/detection device providing notification when the said client is within the associated physical space and to communicate information between the mobile client and the communication/detection device when the mobile client is present within the associated physical space; and

providing the information of whether the mobile client is present within each associated physical space of the set of associated physical spaces to the server in a periodic manner to enable the server to determine the proximity-based events.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of communicating content from services hosted by the server to the mobile client via at least one of the communication/detection devices.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the higher-level proximity-based events include an enter space event, a still within space event, a temporarily left space event, a returned to space event, and an exited space event.

20. A method of providing services to a mobile client capable of wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating information from said mobile client to at least one server when said mobile client is within in a physical space, the physical space associated with at least one of said services and each of said servers being programmed to host at least one service associated with at least one physical space;

combining a plurality of physical spaces in a set to define an aggregate space;

associating at least one service group to be available to said client determined to be present within the aggregate space; and

notifying said service of a mobile client located in said associated physical space and said service generating content for delivery to said client.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one service group including at least one service is associated with said physical space.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

combining a plurality of aggregate spaces in a set to define a higher-level aggregate space; and

associating at least one service group to be available to a client determined to be present within the higher-level aggregate space.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of associating each of the physical spaces with departments within a place of business, and associating the aggregate space with the entire place of business.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

combining a plurality of aggregate spaces in a set to define a higher-level aggregate space; and

associating at least one service group to be available to a client determined to be present within the higher-level aggregate space.

25. A method of providing services to a mobile client capable of wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one server having at least one proximity-based application stored thereon, the proximity-based application hosting at least one service generating content for delivery to said client when said client is within a set of physical spaces, including at least one physical space, the service content predicated upon an occurrence of a proximity-based events within the set of physical spaces;

determining whether the mobile client is present within each of said physical spaces in the set of physical spaces; and

providing the information of whether the mobile client is present within each associated physical space of the set of associated physical spaces to the server in a periodic manner to enable the server to determine the proximity-based events.