System and method for sending local information from a wireless browser to a web server

• US 7,330,883 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cricket Communications Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dinh, John, Jessup, Raymond K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mirza, Adnan M.
• Application Number:
  US09/526,105
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/224, 709/226, 455/414.3, 455/414
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and method for using a wireless browser to send local information from a wireless handset to a Web server. A service request received from a handset user includes the type of local information needed to carry out the request as well as the URL address of the server. The handset confirms that the input is not a telephone number to be dialed. If the input is a telephone number, the browser is terminated and the number is dialed. Otherwise, the browser acquires the local information needed to carry out the request from the handset. The local information is appended to the URL address, which is extracted from the user input, and the browser is instructed to navigate to the URL address to provide the local information to the server.

Claims

1. A method for sending local information from a wireless handset to a Web server comprising the following steps:

(a) receiving a service request from a user of the wireless handset via a wireless data transmission passing through at least one wireless base station, wherein the service request includes local information specifying a location of the wireless handset;

(b) acquiring the local information, from the wireless handset; and

(c) sending the local information to the Web server from the wireless handset via a uniform resource locator,

wherein a phone dialing process is modified to send the local information as part of the uniform resource locator.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service request received in step (a) also comprises a URL address of the Web server.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises extracting the URL address from the service request, appending the local information to the URL address, and navigating a wireless browser to the URL address.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wireless browser is an HDML/WML browser.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local information comprises one or more coordinates indicating geographic location of the handset.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the geographic location is obtained from GPS data provided by a position determination system associated with the handset.

7. A method for using a wireless browser to send local information from a wireless handset to a Web server or to dial a telephone number comprising the following steps:

(a) receiving an input from a user of the wireless handset via a wireless data transmission passing through at least one wireless base station, wherein the input comprises either a service request that includes local information specifying a location of the wireless handset or a telephone number to be dialed;

(b) determining whether the input comprises a service request or a telephone number;

(c) if the input is a telephone number, terminating the browser and dialing the telephone number; and

(d) if the input is a service request, acquiring the local information from the wireless handset and sending the local information to the Web server from the wireless handset via a uniform resource locator,

wherein a phone dialing process is modified to send the local information as part of the uniform resource locator.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wireless browser is an HDML/WML browser.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein in step (a), if the input is a telephone number, the telephone number is inserted into a NUMBER field following an HDML/WML CALL command, and if the input is a service request, the local information and the URL address of the Web server is inserted into the NUMBER field following the HDML/WML CALL command.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises determining whether the NUMBER field includes a local type information.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises determining whether the NUMBER field includes a URL address.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein step (d) comprises extracting the URL address from the NUMBER field and appending the local information to the URL address, and navigating the browser to the URL address.

13. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the local information comprises GPS position of the wireless handset.

14. A wireless communications system comprising:

a wireless handset comprising a transceiver for sending and receiving communications across a wireless communication network via a wireless data transmission passing through at least one wireless base station and an Internet browser configured to accept a user input comprising either a telephone number to be dialed or a service request including local information specifying a location of the wireless handset and a URL address; and

a Web server located at the URL address contained in the service request and in communication with the handset over the network, the Web server receiving the local information from the Internet browser and carrying out the service request based on the local information,

wherein a phone dialing process is modified to send the local information as part of the uniform resource locator.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, and further comprising a position determination system for providing local information to the browser comprising geographic location of the handset.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the position determination system is a GPS receiver.