Location based information delivery

• US 7,890,124 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Mountain Communications, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, William L., Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US11/536,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.1, 705/10, 705/25
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for location-based information delivery. One system described herein includes a matching server operative to identify a geographic area in which an informational message should be transmitted to subscriber devices located within the area. The geographic area may be a statically defined fixed geographic area, such as a neighborhood, that the matching server identifies utilizing one or more fixed geographic indicators. The geographic area identified by the matching server may alternatively be an ad-hoc variably sized geographic area. The matching server may utilize one or more variable geographic indicators to identify the geographic area. Once a geographic area has been identified, the matching server is operative to transmit an informational message to subscriber devices located within the geographic area. The informational message may contain content relevant to the geographic area.

Claims

1. A method for location-based information delivery, the method comprising:

receiving media content for insertion into a media stream, the media content including a geographic descriptor specifying that the media content should be provided to one or more subscriber devices within an ad-hoc variably sized geographic area;

receiving, from each of the subscriber devices, geographic location information corresponding to the each of the subscriber devices;

determining whether each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices;

in response to determining that each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices, determining geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area-associated with the media content, wherein the geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area are defined by the geographic location information corresponding to the subscriber devices;

identifying one or more subscriber devices to which the media content may be potentially delivered within the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area based on one or more community demarcations and further based upon calling patterns of the subscriber devices;

identifying the actual subscriber devices to which the media content should be delivered from the identified potential subscriber devices based on the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area associated with the media content; and

causing the media content to be delivered to the identified actual subscriber devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media stream comprises a video stream and wherein the media content comprises video content relating to the geographic area identified in the geographic descriptor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber device is a fixed location subscriber device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location information corresponding to each of the subscriber devices comprises information pertaining to one or more community demarcations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the video content comprises a video advertisement relating to a business located within the geographic area identified in the geographic descriptor.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the media stream to be delivered to the fixed location subscriber device comprises transmitting the media stream to the subscriber device over a wired or wireless communications network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the subscriber devices comprises a video display device operative to receive the media stream over the wired or wireless communications network and to render the media stream.

8. A method for location-based information delivery, the method comprising:

receiving an informational message;

receiving a geographic descriptor specifying that the informational message should be delivered to one or more subscriber devices within an ad-hoc variably sized geographic area;

receiving, from each of the subscriber devices, geographic location information corresponding to the each of the subscriber devices;

determining whether each of the subscriber devices is proximate to the others of the subscriber devices;

in response to determining that each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices, determining geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area in which the message should be delivered, wherein the geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area are defined by the geographic location information corresponding to the subscriber devices;

identifying one or more subscriber devices to which the message may be potentially delivered within the geographic area based on one or more community demarcations and further based upon calling patterns of the subscriber devices;

identifying the actual subscriber devices to which the message should be delivered from the identified potential subscriber devices based on the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area associated with the message; and

causing the message to be delivered to the identified actual subscriber devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the geographic area in which the message should be delivered further comprises identifying the geographic area based upon a fixed location of one or more subscriber devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the informational message comprises receiving information related to the geographic area.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying a geographic area in which the message should be delivered comprises identifying the geographic area based upon a defined geographical area corresponding to the informational message.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the geographic area in which the message should be delivered further comprises identifying the geographic area based on a mobile location of one or more subscriber devices.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more subscriber devices to which the message may be potentially delivered within the geographic area comprises identifying the subscriber devices located within the geographic area having a fixed location or a mobile location as devices to which the message may be potentially delivered.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the actual subscriber devices to which the message should be delivered further comprises determining whether each potential subscriber device to which the message may be delivered is within the geographic area.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the message to be delivered to the identified actual subscriber devices comprises transmitting the informational message to the actual subscriber devices over a wired or wireless communications network.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the message to be delivered to the identified actual subscriber devices comprises providing an interface through which the subscriber devices may request the message, receiving a request at the interface for the message, and providing the message in response to the request.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

store a first data record comprising an informational message;

store a second data record comprising data identifying a fixed location of a subscriber device to which the message may be potentially transmitted;

store a third data record comprising data identifying a mobile location of a subscriber device to which the message may be potentially transmitted;

store a geographic descriptor specifying that the informational message is to be delivered to one or more subscriber devices within an ad-hoc variably sized geographic area;

receive, from each of the subscriber devices, geographic location information corresponding to the each of the subscriber devices;

determine whether each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices;

in response to determining that each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices, determine geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area in which the message should be delivered, wherein the geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area are defined by the geographic location information corresponding to the subscriber devices;

identify subscriber devices to which the message may potentially be transmitted that are located within the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area based on the contents of the second data record and the third data record;

identify the actual subscriber devices to which the message should be transmitted based upon a profile associated with the actual subscriber devices, calling patterns of the potential subscriber devices and on one or more community demarcations; and

to transmit the message to the identified actual subscriber devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first data record further comprises a geographic descriptor corresponding to the message, the geographic descriptor specifying the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area in which the message may be provided.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions are further operative when executed to cause the computer to identify the geographic area based upon a fixed location of one or more subscriber devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions are further operative when executed to cause the computer to identify the geographic area based on a mobile location of one or more subscriber devices.

21. A system for location-based information delivery including a matching server, the matching server configured to:

receive an informational message;

receive a geographic descriptor specifying that the informational message should be delivered to one or more subscriber devices within an ad-hoc variably sized geographic area;

receive, from each of the subscriber devices, geographic location information corresponding to the each of the subscriber devices;

determine whether each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices;

in response to determining that each of the subscriber devices is proximate to others of the subscriber devices, determine geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area-associated with the informational message, wherein the geographic bounds of the ad-hoc variably sized geographic area are defined by the geographic location information corresponding to the subscriber devices;

identify one or more subscriber devices to which the informational message may be potentially delivered within the geographic area based on calling patterns of one or more subscriber devices;

identify the actual subscriber devices to which the informational message should be delivered from the identified potential subscriber devices based on one or more community demarcations; and

cause the informational message to be delivered to the identified actual subscriber devices.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the geographic location information comprises the mobile location of one or more subscriber devices and the calling patterns of one or more subscriber devices.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the geographic area is based on community demarcations and the location of one or more fixed location subscriber devices.