Location-based wireless messaging for wireless devices

• US 7,764,794 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dacosta, Behram Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US11/288,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20060078122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus and method of location-based wireless messaging wireless devices is described. The method includes the receipt of a location-based message request from a user of a wireless device desiring to receive a location-based message. Once the request is received, a spatial location of the wireless device is monitored. Once a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified, as a spatial location of a message delivery location, a location-based message is communicated. In one embodiment, a user, via a location-based message request, may request the delivery of the location-based message to a destination wireless device. In a further embodiment, a wireless device may periodically transmit the current spatial location of the wireless device to a predetermined destination wireless device. In a further embodiment, a wireless device may be notified when a selected wireless device is within a predetermined proximity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a spatial location of a wireless device;

communicating a location-based message if, during the monitoring of the spatial location of the wireless device, a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified as a message delivery location;

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the wireless device;

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the received signal; and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the wireless device according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the wireless device further comprises:

comparing an identified spatial location of the wireless device with coordinate boundaries of the message delivery location; and

when the wireless device is physically located within the coordinate boundaries of the message delivery location, transmitting the location-based message to one of the wireless device, a user of the wireless device and a destination wireless device selected by the user of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to monitoring the wireless device, the method further comprises:

storing a location-based message by the wireless device; and

storing, by the wireless device, a message delivery location for the stored location-based message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein storing the message delivery location further comprises:

requesting information for identification of the message delivery location; and

processing one or more received values to establish the coordinate boundaries as an internal representation of the message delivery location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein processing the received values further comprises:

receiving a message delivery location address;

determining coordinates of the message delivery location address for the wireless device according to a geographic positioning system (GPS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the spatial location of the wireless client further comprises:

converting an approximate spatial location of the wireless device into one or more coordinate values;

comparing the one or more coordinate values to an internal representation of the message delivery location; and

when the one or more coordinate values fall within the internal representation of the message delivery location, delivering the location-based message to a destination wireless device selected by a user of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

receiving a broadcast location name from a wireless access point;

converting the received broadcast location name to a coordinate representation;

comparing the coordinate representation of the broadcast location name to a coordinate representation of the message delivery location; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the coordinate representation of the broadcast location name matches the coordinate representation of the message delivery location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

identifying a current spatial location of the wireless device using a geographic positioning system (GPS);

converting GPS coordinates of the current spatial location of the wireless device to determine a location type of the current spatial location of the wireless device according to a GPS look-up directory;

comparing the location type of the current spatial location to a location type of the message delivery location; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the location type of the current spatial location matches the location type of the message delivery location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

identifying a current location of the wireless device according to a geographic positioning system (GPS);

determining GPS coordinates of the message delivery location according to a namedirectory-to-GPScoordinatelookup;

comparing GPS coordinates of the message delivery location to current GPS coordinates of the wireless device; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the GPS coordinates of the current spatial location of the wireless device match the GPS coordinates of the message delivery location.