Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems

• US 7,292,844 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Push Data LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Geobrowser Innovations LP
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan, Anastasi, Mark Nicholas, Mac Farlane, Duncan Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US11/603,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.3, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/456.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 370/429, 370/401, 370/345, 709/207, 709/249, 709/206, 701/208
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A geographical web browser allows a user to navigate a network application such as the Word Wide Web by physically navigating in geographical coordinates. For example, a geographical web browser is implemented in a mobile unit such as a dashboard computer. The mobile unit includes one or more transducers such as antennas and is operative to receive locally broadcast signals or to operate a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. As the mobile unit navigates into different physical localities, different web pages are displayed by the geographical web browser. For example, a user desiring to buy a house can set the web browser to a real estate web page. Instead of clicking on a hyperlink to access web pages of properties in an area, the user drives into a first area and automatically receives web pages relating to homes in that area. When the mobile unit crosses town and enters a second area, a new set of web pages is downloaded relating to properties in the second area. The geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems disclosed herein enable improved road-navigation and traffic management, advertisement, and related services.

Claims

1. A method for use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more network servers, a plurality of mobile units including a particular mobile unit operated by a user, and a plurality of wireless packet access stations coupled to the packet switched data network, wherein each wireless packet access station provides wireless access services, wherein the particular mobile unit comprises a processor, a memory, a graphical user interface, and at least one wireless air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process packet data transactions using a wireless packet data network protocol, the particular mobile unit is configured to execute a plurality of application programs and to wirelessly receive an incoming communication from a particular one of the network servers of the one or more network servers, read an application-program identifying field contained within the incoming communication to identify a particular application program resident on the particular mobile unit to which at least a portion of the incoming communication is to be directed, and the particular mobile unit is in communicatian with at least a particular wireless packet access station of the plurality of wireless packet access stations when the particular mobile unit is located in a coverage area of the particular wireless packet access station, the method comprising:

causing the incoming communication to be wirelessly transmitted to the particular mobile unit, wherein the incoming communication includes the application program identifying field that identifies the particular application program and contains an address indicating from where further content is available to be downloaded, the incoming communication is not a server response message sent in response to a client request message coupled from the particular mobile unit substantially just prior to the incoming communication being transmitted, the portion of the incoming communication is coupled to the particular application program at least partially via a virtual conimunication session implemented at one or more layers below an application layer, the virtual communication session is configured to be transitioned from an initial active state to an inactive state, and later to be transitioned from the inactive state back to the active state, and when the virtual communication session is in an instance of the active state, the portion of the incoming communication is coupled to the particular application program via the virtual communication session;

receiving a client-request packet wirelessly coupled from the particular mobile unit, the client-request packet indicating a request to download the further content and including the address; and

sending the further content to the particular mobile unit in response to the client-request packet;

wherein the incoming communication acts as a notification to allow the particular mobile unit to download the further content by transmitting the client-request packet and receiving the further content located at the address contained in the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the particular mobile unit receiving the incoming communication via the virtual communication session, evaluating the application program identifying field, and in response, sending at least a portion of the incoming communication to the particular application program;

the particular mobile unit coupling a graphical indication of the availability of the further content to the graphical user interface;

the particular mobile unit accepting via the graphical user interface a user selection input generated in response to the user of the particular mobile unit selecting the graphical indication; and

the particular mobile unit transmitting the client-request packet in response to the user selection input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication includes an indication of the further content, the method further comprising:

the particular mobile unit coupling a graphical representation of the indication of the further content to the user of the particular mobile unit;

the particular mobile unit accepting a user selection input generated in response to the indication being selected by the user; and

the particular mobile unit transmitting the client-request packet in response to the user selection input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular application program is a geographical web browser and the further content relates to further information available from a navigation web site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the further content relates to further information available from one or more points of presence inside of a shopping mall and the navigation web site provides information to help the user of the particular mobile unit navigate the shopping mall and to obtain relevant information relating to the points of presence inside of the shopping mall.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the incoming communication is pushed to the particular mobile unit in response to information reported by a plurality of traffic condition sensor devices that report sensed traffic condition information to the navigation web site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is pushed to the particular mobile unit in response to information reported by at least one sensor device that is remote from both the particular mobile unit and the particular network server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is pushed to the particular mobile unit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless access stations includes a cellular base station that provides packet data access services and a wireless local area network access station, the method further comprising:

establishing the virtual communication session via the cellular base station to place the virtual communication session in the initial active state;

transitioning the virtual communication session from initial active state to the inactive state; and

transitioning the virtual communication session back to the active state, via the wireless local area network access station;

wherein the incoming communication is wirelessly coupled to the particular mobile unit via the cellular base station, and the further content is downloaded to the particular mobile unit via the wireless local area network access station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless local area network access station uses a bi-directional low power radio frequency channel, and has a coverage area having a radius of less than half of a mile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication received by the particular mobile unit via the virtual communication session causes the particular application program to be launched.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a virtual application layer session at an application layer above the layer of the virtual communication session;

wherein the virtual application layer session is coupled to the particular application program;

wherein just prior to the particular mobile unit receiving the incoming communication, the virtual application layer session is in an inactive state; and

wherein the incoming communication received by the particular mobile unit via the virtual communication session causes the virtual application layer session to be transitioned from the inactive state to an active state.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual communication session is supported by an underlying physical layer of a cellular packet data air interface protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual communication session is supported by an underlying physical layer of a wireless local area network air interface protocol.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user interest indication associated with a user of the particular mobile unit, wherein the user interest indication identifies one or more user preferences used to identify information of potential personal interest to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the further content comports with the user interest indication and includes information that pertains to a member of the group consisting of a point of presence in a locality of the particular wireless access station, a product offered at the point of presence, and a service offered at the point of presence.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting from the particular mobile unit a user interest indication while the virtual communication session is in the initial active state via a cellular base station;

transitioning the virtual communication session to the inactive state;

transitioning the virtual communication session back to the active state; and

downloading the further content via a wireless local area network access station after the virtual communication session has transitioned back to the active state;

wherein the further content comports with the user interest indication.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the particular mobile unit uploading a geographical location update after the virtual communication session has transitioned back to the active state;

wherein the geographical location update indicates a current geographical location of the particular mobile unit, and the further content also comports with the geographical location.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular network server includes an email forwarding function that provides a user of the particular mobile unit with a virtual presence at a desktop associated with a standard email account.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the address contained in the incoming communication is an application layer address.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the application layer address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular application program includes a mode of operation in which it receives pushed information that includes one or more network addresses, and in response, automatically downloads content located at the network addresses.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more network addresses are one or more uniform resource locators (URLs).

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the automatically downloading is selectively executed based on one or more filter conditions stored at the particular mobile unit that are used to evaluate whether the content located at the one or more network addresses is of interest to the user, based upon content indications provided in the pushed information.

25. A method for use in a system comprising a wireless handheld device that includes first and second transceivers configured to be selectively wirelessly coupled to a first wireless packet network access station provided by a base station of a cellular communications network and a second wireless packet network access station that uses a low-power wireless local area network air interface whose coverage area is substantially smaller than a coverage area provided by the first wireless packet network access station, wherein the first and second wireless packet network access stations are coupled via a packet switched data network to a remote server system, and the wireless handheld device is configured to communicate with the remote server system via a selected one of the first and second wireless packet network access stations and via the packet switched data network, the method comprising:

the remote server system receiving a first request coupled thereto from the wireless handheld device via the first wireless packet network access station;

the remote server system transmitting a server response to the wireless handheld device, the server response including an indication of availability of content related to the first request;

the remote server system receiving a second request coupled thereto from the wireless handheld device, wherein the second request is automatically generated by the wireless handheld device in response to the server response, without requiring user action, and the second request is coupled via the second wireless packet network access station; and

the remote server coupling the available content related to the first request to the wireless handheld device, via the second wireless packet access station.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first request is automatically generated by the wireless handheld device, without requiring user action.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first request is automatically generated by the wireless handheld device on a periodic basis, without requiring user action.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless handheld device is further configured to place and receive voice telephony calls, and the packet switched data network comprises at least a portion of the ubiquitous global Internet.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

establishing a communication session between the wireless handheld device and a virtual session server that manages, for a plurality of mobile subscriber devices, communication sessions that can be placed into an active state and an inactive state;

wherein the first request is coupled to the remote server system via the virtual session server during a first active state of the communication session, and the second request is coupled to the remote server system via the virtual session server during a second active state of the communication session which follows an instance of the inactive state of the virtual communication session.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the first request includes a user interest indication related to information entered by a user of the wireless handheld device, and the available content coupled to the wireless handheld device in response to the second request comports with the user interest indication.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first request further includes a geographical location indication related to a current geographical location of the wireless handheld device, and the available content coupled to the wireless handheld device in response to the second request further comports with the geographical location.

32. A method for use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more servers including a particular server, a plurality of mobile units including a particular mobile unit operated by a user, at least one wireless packet access station that provides wireless access services and is coupled to the packet switched data network, wherein the particular mobile unit comprises a processor, a memory, and at least one wireless air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process packet data transactions, the method comprising:

the particular server receiving a first request coupled thereto from the particular mobile unit via the particular wireless packet network access station and via the packet switched data network;

the particular server coupling a server response to the particular mobile unit, the server response including an indication of availability of content related to the first request;

the particular server receiving a second request coupled thereto from the particular mobile unit, wherein the second request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit in response to the server response, without requiring user action; and

the particular server coupling the available content related to the first request to the particular mobile unit.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit, without requiring user action.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit on a periodic basis, without requiring user action.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the particular mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the particular mobile unit is a wireless handheld device that includes a graphical user interface.

37. A method for use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more servers including a virtual session server and a particular network server, a mobile unit operated by a user, one or more wireless packet access stations including a particular wireless packet access station that provides wireless access services and is coupled to the packet switched data network, wherein the mobile unit comprises a processor, a memory, and at least one wireless air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process wireless packet data transactions, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session between the mobile unit and the virtual session server via the particular wireless packet access station, using the at least one wireless air interface;

the particular network server receiving a first request coupled thereto from the mobile unit at least partially via the communication session;

the particular network server coupling a server response to the mobile unit, the server response including an indication of availability of content related to the first request;

the particular network server receiving a second request coupled thereto from the mobile unit, wherein the second request is automatically generated by the mobile unit in response to the server response, without requiring user action; and

the particular network server coupling the available content related to the first request to the mobile unit;

wherein the communication session is configured to be transitioned between an active state and an inactive state; and

wherein the first request is received by the virtual session server and forwarded to the particular network server during a first active state of the communication session, and the second request is received by the particular network server during a second active state of the communication session which follows an inactive state of the communication session.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the mobile unit comprises a wireless handheld device.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the communication session is a virtual communication session.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the virtual communication session is layered over a physical layer that comprises a circuit switched cellular telephony channel that is configured to carry digital packet data and that is only connected when the communication session is in an instance of the active state.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the virtual communication session is layered over a physical layer that comprises a voice-band cellular telephony channel that is configured to carry digital packet data and that is only connected when the communication session is in an instance of the active state.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the virtual communication session is layered over a physical layer that comprises a wireless digital packet data service, and the virtual communication session is layered under an application layer logon session that can only be connected when the virtual communication session is in an instance of the active state.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein mobile unit and the particular network server establish an application layer logon session therebetween, and a segment of the application layer logon session is layered over the communication session.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the application layer logon session is a virtual application session.

46. A method for use in a mobile data network environment comprising a packet switched data network, one or more servers including a particular server, a plurality of mobile units including a particular mobile unit operated by a user, at least one wireless packet access station that provides wireless access services and is coupled to the packet switched data network, wherein the particular mobile unit comprises a processor, a memory, and at least one wireless air interface comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a protocol stack adapted to process packet data transactions, the method comprising:

receiving from the user of the particular mobile unit an indication of a type of information of interest to the user;

the particular mobile unit receiving from the particular server a server response that includes an indication of availability of information corresponding to the type of information of interest to the user; and

the particular mobile unit sending to the particuiar server a request, wherein the second request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit, without requiring user action; and

the particular mobile unit receiving from the particular server the information corresponding to the type of information of interest to the user.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the information of interest to the user becomes available in response to an event that occurs that is external to both the particular mobile unit and the particular server.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the particular mobile unit comprises a mobile telephone.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the particular mobile unit is a wireless handheld device that includes a graphical user interface.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

coupling from the particular mobile unit to the particular server via the particular wireless access station and via the packet switched data network an initial request, wherein the first request includes an indication of the type of information of interest to the user.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the initial request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit, without requiring user action.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the initial request is automatically generated by the particular mobile unit on a periodic basis, without requiring user action.