System and method for location based interaction with a device

• US 8,024,186 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: De Bonet, Jeremy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore; Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zuniga; Jackie
• Application Number:
  US11/439,543
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238
• US Class Current: 704/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

Embodiments of these location-based systems and methods for device interaction may allow a content delivery system to provide certain content to a device, or restrict certain content from being delivered to the device, based on the location of the device. When a user requests certain content the location of the device may be determined and compared against an access control list defining a set or rules regarding that content to determine if the requested content may be accessed from that location. If the content may be accessed from this location the content may be delivered, otherwise an error message, or another option, may be delivered to the device. Similarly, the location of a device may be utilized to tailor the delivery of content to a device, such that content may be provided to a user based on the user'"'"'s location, in certain cases with little or no stimulus from the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for location based interaction with a device over a network of connected computers, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium accessible by the processor, the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the stored instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

determine that a location of a user device is needed to deliver content to the user device, wherein the content is provided by one or more content sources coupled to the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is coupled to the user device over a network, wherein the network comprises a base station, and wherein the apparatus functions as a media bridge interfacing between the one or more content sources and the network;

prepare and send a set of instructions from the apparatus to the user device over the network, the set of instructions executing on the user device cause the user device to perform a set of actions to;

instruct a media application executing on the user device to make a request to a gateway associated with the base station, the request based on a communications protocol;

receive a response to the request from the gateway, the response comprising a header in accordance with the communications protocol;

parse the header of the response to the request to determine the location of the user device; and

return the location of the user device to the apparatus over the network;

tailor the content provided by the one or more content sources to the location of the user device; and

provide the tailored content from the apparatus to the user device over the network based on the location of the user device;

wherein the at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions translatable by the processor to;

associate one or more regions with the user device based on the location of the user device;

receive a request for content from the user device; and

determine if the requested content should be provided to the user device based on the one or more regions, wherein determining if the requested content should be provided to the user device is based on a default rule and a set of exceptions associated with the requested content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location comprises a latitude and a longitude of the user device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the provided content comprises the requested content if the requested content should be provided to the one or more regions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the provided content comprises an offer to purchase the requested content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the provided content comprises alternative content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.

6. A method for location based interaction with a device over a network of connected computers, comprising:

at a media bridge, determining that a location of a user device is needed to deliver content to the user device, wherein the content is provided by one or more content sources coupled to the media bridge, wherein the media bridge is coupled to the device over a network, wherein the network comprises a base station, and wherein the media bridge interfaces between the one or more content sources and the network;

preparing and sending a set of instructions from the media bridge to the user device over the network, the set of instructions executing on the user device cause the user device to perform a set of actions to;

instruct a media application executing on the user device to make a request to a gateway associated with the base station, the request based on a communications protocol;

receive a response to the request from the gateway, the response comprising a header in accordance with the communications protocol;

parse the header of the response to the request to determine the location of the user device; and

return the location of the user device to the media bridge over the network;

tailoring the content provided by the one or more content sources to the location of the user device; and

providing the tailored content from the media bridge to the user device over the network based on the location of the user device

wherein the method further comprises;

associating one or more regions with the user device based on the location of the user device;

receiving a request for content from the user device; and

determining if the requested content should be provided to the user device based on the one or more regions, wherein determining if the requested content should be provided to the user device is based on a default rule and a set of exceptions associated with the requested content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location comprises a latitude and a longitude of the user device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the provided content comprises the requested content if the requested content should be provided to the one or more regions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the provided content comprises an offer to purchase the requested content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the provided content comprises alternative content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.

11. A system for location based interaction with a device over a network of connected computers, comprising:

a user device; and

a content delivery device connected to the user device over the network and operable to;

determine that a location of the user device is needed to deliver content to the user device, wherein the content is provided by one or more content sources coupled to the content delivery device, and wherein the content delivery device functions as a media bridge interfacing between the one or more content sources and the network;

prepare and send a set of instructions to the user device over the network, the set of instructions executing on the user device cause the device to perform a set of actions to;

instruct a media application executing on the user device to make a request to a gateway associated with a base station on the network, the request based on a communications protocol;

receive a response to the request from the gateway, the response comprising a header in accordance with the communications protocol;

parse the header of the response to the request to determine the location of the user device; and

return the location of the user device to the content delivery device over the network;

tailor the content provided by the one or more content sources to the location of the user device; and

provide the tailored content to the user device over the network based on the location of the user device;

wherein the content delivery device is further operable to;

associate one or more regions with the user device based on the location of the user device;

receive a request for content from the user device; and

determine if the requested content should be provided to the user device based on the one or more regions, wherein determining if the requested content should be provided to the user device is based on a default rule and a set of exceptions associated with the requested content.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the location comprises a latitude and longitude of the user device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the provided content comprises the requested content if the requested content should be provided to the one or more regions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the provided content comprises an offer to purchase the requested content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the provided content comprises alternative content if the requested content should not be provided to the one or more regions.