Broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information

• US 7,672,280 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shim, Dong-Hee, Han, Kyu-Sung, Shon, Min-Jung, Son, Sung-Mu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US11/155,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/466, 455/410, 455/414.3, 455/41.2, 455/456.5, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 370/338, 370/328, 370/432, 370/312, 725/25, 725/62
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

In a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information, when a terminal sets contents desired to be received in a specific area, a broadcast/multicast server checks current location information of the terminal transmitted from a location server or from the corresponding terminal, selects contents provided in the corresponding area, and transmits it to the terminal. Thus, a waste of a communication channel can be prevented, and since a user can selectively receive contents or information according to his/her location, user'"'"'s satisfaction and convenience can be enhanced.

Claims

1. A broadcast/multicast service method based on user location information, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received [certain] one or more broadcasting/multicasting contents from a contents provider, a service guide including [service-available area] contents information [for broadcasting/multicasting contents,] to one or more terminals;

wherein the contents information includes area information with respect to an area where the contents can be provided for service, and

receiving, by the broadcast/multicast server, a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to one or more contents selected by a user of a specific terminal of the one or more terminals from the service guide; and

transmitting, to the specific terminal, contents corresponding to an exact current location of the specific terminal among the contents selected by the user, after the broadcast/multicast server performs location tracking of the specific terminal, to enable location based broadcast/multicast services corresponding to the contents selected by the user,

wherein the contents transmitted to the specific terminal were location based filtered by classifying the broadcasting/multicasting contents, which has been received from the contents provider, according to each [broadcast/multicast service-available area] area where the contents can be provided for service, and

wherein the service guide contains information related to at least one among a group of information comprising;

broadcast areas, target areas, horizontal accuracy, geographic area shapes, country codes, geopolitical area names, postal zip codes, service areas, services lists, terminal identifications, user settings, proprietary elements, and application-specific elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selects contents desired to be received at a specific location or at a current location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location tracking of the specific terminal comprises:

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server transmits a location tracking request message to a network entity; and

a step in which the broadcast/multicast server receives a response message with respect to the location tracking request including a location tracking value of the specific terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location tracking request message and the corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

a step in which the network entity which has received the location tracking request message checks whether location information of the corresponding terminal can be disclosed;

a step in which if a user'"'"'s permission is required for the location tracking, the network entity transmits a notification message requesting permission for the location tracking to the user, and receives a corresponding response message; and

a step in which the network entity calculates a location tracking value of the specific terminal to obtain the exact current location of the specific terminal.

6. A method for providing a broadcast/multicast service based on user location information in which a broadcast/multicast service is provided to at least one or more terminals, each terminal having a client module for performing transmission/reception of signals through a network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a broadcast/multicast server which has received one or more broadcasting/multicasting contents, a service guide including contents information to the client module of the one or more terminals;

wherein the contents information includes area information with respect to an area where the contents can be provided for service, and

receiving, by the broadcast/multicast server, a broadcast/multicast request message with respect to broadcasting/multicasting contents selected by a user of a specific terminal of the one or more terminals among the contents information included in the service guide;

transmitting, by the broadcast/multicast server, a location tracking request message with respect to the specific terminal to a network entity;

receiving a response message with respect to the location tracking request message from the network entity, the response message including information indicating an exact location of the specific terminal; and

transmitting, to the specific terminal, broadcasting/multicasting contents corresponding to the exact location of the specific terminal among the contents selected by the user according to location based filtering by the broadcast/multicast server,

wherein the contents transmitted to the specific terminal were location based filtered by classifying the broadcasting/multicasting contents, which has been received from a contents provider, according to each [broadcast/multicast service-available area] area where the contents can be provided for service, and

wherein the service guide contains information related to at least one among a group of information comprising;

broadcast areas, target areas, horizontal accuracy, geographic area shapes, country codes, geopolitical area names, postal zip codes, service areas, services lists, terminal identifications, user settings, proprietary elements, and application-specific elements.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

checking, by the broadcast/multicast server, area information from the received contents; and

classifying and storing the contents according to each area or storing the received contents as it is.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the location tracking request message and the corresponding response message have an MLP (Mobile Location Protocol) format.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the client module comprises:

a broadcast/multicast client module which requests or receives a broadcast/multicast service; and

a location client module which requests or receives user location information.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

checking, by the network entity which has received the location tracking request message, whether location information of the specific terminal can be disclosed;

transmitting a notification message requesting permission for the location tracking to the user if the user'"'"'s permission is required for the location tracking, and, receiving a corresponding response message; and

calculating a location tracking value of the specific terminal to obtain the exact location of the specific terminal.