Method of transmitting area specific content

• US 7,869,816 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Legat, Bruno, Merheb, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer; Temica M
• Application Number:
  US10/986,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of transmitting area specific content to a mobile terminal via a wireless network covering at least two areas, each area having at least one access point is provided. Data indicative of the assignment of the mobile terminal to one of the access points is transmitted to a first network component, one of the areas in which the mobile terminal is located is identified based on a logical mapping of access points to areas, and content specific to one of the areas is pushed to the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting area specific content to a mobile terminal via a wireless network covering at least two areas, each area having at least one access point, the method comprising:

transmitting data being indicative of an assignment of the mobile terminal to one of the access points to a first network component,

identifying one of the areas in which the mobile terminal is located on the basis of a logical mapping of access points to areas,

receiving of area specific content,

pushing of content being specific to the one of the areas to the mobile terminal,

wherein the pushing of content is triggered when the mobile terminal enters or exits one of the areas;

generating of area specific lists being indicative of mobile terminals being located in the areas by the first network component,

transmitting the area specific lists to a second network component, the second network component being an instant messaging server,

storing the area specific lists in storage of the instant messaging server,

providing the area specific content by a content server that is coupled to the second network component, and

pushing of the area specific content to at least some of the mobile terminals identified in the respective area specific list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of one of the areas is performed by the first network component and a result of the identification is transmitted from the first network component to a second network component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data being indicative of the assignment of the mobile terminal to the one of the access points is transmitted from the first network component to a second network component, and wherein the second network component performs the identification of the one of the areas in which the mobile terminal is located.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the area specific content is transmitted from a content server to a second network component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating of area specific lists being indicative of mobile terminals being located in the areas by the first network component and transmitting the area specific lists to a second network component for pushing of area specific content to the mobile terminals.

6. A location server for coupling to a wireless network comprising:

a storage component for storing of data being indicative of assignments of mobile terminals to access points of the wireless network, and for storing of a logical mapping of the access points to areas covered by the wireless network,

data processing means for identification of the areas in which mobile terminals are located on the basis of the data being indicative of the assignments and the logical mapping, and for generating of area specific lists indicative of mobile terminals located in the areas;

transmission means for transmitting of the result of the identification to an instant messaging server, the instant messaging server being configured to provide a push service to mobile terminals being assigned to access points of a wireless network covering at least two areas, the instant messaging server comprising;

storage means for storage of the area specific lists

receiving means for receiving area specific content from a content server, and

data processing means for pushing of the area specific content to the mobile terminals,

wherein the instant messaging server pushes area-specific content to the mobile terminals when the mobile terminals enter or exit one of the areas.