Method and apparatus for providing position-related information to mobile recipients

• US 7,286,837 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Giniger, Michael L., Hilton, W. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow; Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/059,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/561, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/457, 455/556.2, 455/566, 455/422.1, 455/420, 455/452.1, 455/440, 455/418, 455/419, 455/458, 379/45, 379/48, 379/50, 379/51, 379/58, 340/905, 340/990, 340/991, 340/988, 340/989, 340/995, 340/825.49, 342/357.06, 342/450, 342/457, 342/449, 701/201, 701/208, 701/211, 701/209, 701212-213, 701/207, 705/5
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for providing position-related information to a mobile user includes a mobile unit and a central site server. The mobile unit includes circuitry for determining present position information from position signals which may emanate from, for example, GPS satellites. The mobile unit further includes circuitry for establishing a wireless bidirectional communications link with the central site server via a terrestrial network, which may be accessed via a cellular telephone network. The central site server includes circuitry for receiving the present position information from the mobile unit. A table stored at the central site server includes different response information in correspondence with possible positions of the mobile unit. The response information may further be in correspondence with user preferences. The central site server uses the received present position information to retrieve corresponding response information from the table, and sends the retrieved response information to the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link. The mobile unit further includes circuitry, such as a loudspeaker, for supplying the response information to the mobile user. In another aspect of the invention, communications between the mobile unit and the central site server are encrypted. Furthermore, the mobile unit may include components for preventing position information from being supplied to the loudspeaker, thereby eliminating distracting noise from being presented to the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing position-related information to a mobile user, the system comprising:

a mobile communication device including a positioning system for receiving position signals from an external source of position signals, and for generating position information responsive thereto, said device including an input device configured to receive from an operator a selection signal indicative of at least one topic of interest;

a wireless communication network; and

at least one server configured to receive said position information and said at least one selection signal from the mobile communications device over said wireless communication network, to determine the present position of the mobile communication device responsive to said received position information, and to retrieve information responsive to said determined present position and said-at least one user selected topic of interest, the at least one server configured to send said retrieved information to the mobile communication device at least in part over said wireless communication network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said input device of the mobile communication device comprises a keypad and the selection signal corresponds to an alphanumeric entry on said keypad.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said input device of the mobile communication device comprises a microphone and the selection signal comprises a voice signal received by said microphone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device comprises an analog wireless phone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device comprises a digital wireless phone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device comprises a laptop computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device further comprises a receiver configured to receive position signals from a satellite positioning system.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the receiver comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the mobile user includes audio content.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the mobile user includes video content.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the mobile user includes text content.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the mobile user includes image content.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server includes means for determining a requested refresh interval and providing said requested refresh interval to the mobile communication device, thereby specifying how frequently the mobile communication device is to collect position signals from the external source and update the position information provided to the server.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one server includes means for requesting updated position information from the mobile communication device, and determining an updated present position responsive thereto.

15. An apparatus for supplying information to a mobile communication device over a communication network, comprising:

an interface configured for receiving position information relating to a present position of the mobile communication device and for receiving at least one user-selected topic of interest from the mobile communication device;

means, responsive to the received position information, for determining the present position of the mobile communication device, and for retrieving information corresponding to the present position of a mobile communication device responsive to at least one user-selected topic of interest; and

means for sending the retrieved position-related information to the mobile communication device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the position-related information includes audio content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the position-related information includes video content.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the position-related information includes text content.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the position-related information includes image content.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said apparatus includes means for determining a requested refresh interval and providing said requested refresh interval to the mobile communication device, thereby specifying how frequently the mobile communication device is to collect position signals from the external source and update the position information provided to the server.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said apparatus includes means for requesting updated position information from the mobile communication device, and determining an updated present position responsive thereto.

22. A method for providing position-related information from a server to a mobile communication device, said method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at said server at least one user selected topic of interest;

wirelessly receiving at said server position information relating to position signals received by the mobile communication device from external sources;

responsive to said position information received by the server, determining the present position of the mobile communication device in said server; and

providing from said server to said mobile communication device position-related information responsive to said determined present position and to the at least one user selected topic of interest.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said mobile communication device includes a satellite positioning system receiver.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising:

receiving positioning signals with said satellite positioning system receiver of the mobile communication device; and

deriving the position of the mobile communication device at least in part from said received positioning signals.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said server includes means for determining a requested refresh interval and providing said requested refresh interval to the mobile communication device, thereby specifying how frequently the mobile communication device is to collect position signals from the external source and update the position information provided to the server.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein said server includes means for requesting updated position information from the mobile communication device, and determining an updated present position responsive thereto.