Hierarchical information dissemination for location based systems

• US 8,437,773 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sridhara, Vinay, Khorashadi, Behrooz, Das, Saumitra Mohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US12/851,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/49 for identifying locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Techniques are provided which may be implemented in various methods and/or apparatuses that support information dissemination for and/or within location based systems to control information dissemination.

Claims

1. A method for use in a location based system having a hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by a first nodal transmitting device located in a first zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure and a second nodal transmitting device located at a second zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure, said first zonal position being different than said second zonal position, the method comprising:

obtaining with said first nodal transmitting device one or more signals representing information associated with an item of interest located at a specified location, transmitting with said first nodal transmitting device to said second nodal transmitting device one or more signals representing part of said information associated with said item of interest, wherein within said location based system said first zonal position and said second zonal position are differentiated and propagation of said information and said part of said information is selectively controlled based, at least in part, on at least one of a spatial restriction parameter associated with said specified location, and a temporal restriction parameter associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving with said first nodal transmitting device one or more signals representing a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest;

identifying at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

selectively providing with said first nodal transmitting device one or more signals representing a response to said mobile device based, at least in part, on said estimated position of said mobile device, said response comprising at least a portion of said information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving with said first nodal transmitting device one or more signals representing a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest;

identifying at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

selectively providing with said first nodal transmitting device said request to said second nodal transmitting.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises a logically formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises an ad-hoc formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein identifying said estimated position of said mobile device comprises identifying a corresponding zonal position of said mobile device associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said spatial restriction parameter is associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises one or more signals representing a distance value to operatively restrict propagation of said information to one or more particular zonal positions of the hierarchical zonal structure.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a time-to-live (TTL) value, and further comprising:

determining with said first nodal transmitting device whether said TTL value permits further propagation of said information and said part of said information within the location based system; and

in response to determining that said TTL value does permit further propagation of said part of said information but not said information, transmitting with said first nodal transmitting device said one or more signals representing said part of said information to said second nodal transmitting device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said temporal restriction parameter is associated with one or more signals representing a refresh rate value.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said first zonal position encompassing said specified location is associated with a first refresh rate value, and said second zonal position not encompassing said specified location is associated with a second refresh rate value that is different from said first refresh rate value.

12. An apparatus for use at a first nodal transmitting device within a location based system having a hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by a first nodal transmitting device located in a first zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure and a second nodal transmitting device located at a second zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure, said first nodal transmitting device located in a first zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure and a second nodal transmitting device located at a second zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure, said first zonal position being different than said second zonal position, wherein said first nodal transmitting device comprises:

a communication interface; and

at least one processing unit configured to obtain information associated with an item of interest located at a specified location and to transmit to said second nodal transmitting device a part of said information associated with said item of interest, and wherein within said location based system said first zonal position and said second zonal position are differentiated and propagation of said information and said part of said information is selectively controlled based, at least in part, on a spatial restriction parameter associated with said specified location, and a temporal restriction parameter associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, said at least one processing unit further configured to:

obtain a request via said communication interface for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest from a mobile device;

identify at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

selectively provide a response to said mobile device via said communication interface based, at least in part, on said estimated position of said mobile device, said response comprising at least a portion of said information.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, said at least one processing unit further configured to:

obtain a request via said communication interface for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest from a mobile device;

identify at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

selectively provide said request to said second nodal transmitting device.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises a logically formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, the hierarchical zonal structure comprises an ad-hoc formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein identifying said estimated position of said mobile device comprises identifying a corresponding zonal position of said mobile device associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said spatial restriction parameter is associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a distance value to operatively restrict propagation of said information to one or more particular zonal positions of the hierarchical zonal structure.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a time-to-live (TTL) value, and said at least one processing unit is further configured to:

determine whether said TTL value permits further propagation of said information and said part of said information within the location based system; and

in response to determining that said TTL value does permit further propagation of said part of said information but not said information, initiate transmission of said part of said information to said second nodal transmitting device via said communication interface.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said temporal restriction parameter is associated with a refresh rate value.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said first zonal position encompassing said specified location is associated with a first refresh rate value, and said second zonal position not encompassing said specified location is associated with a second refresh rate value that is different from said first refresh rate value.

23. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-implementable instructions stored thereon that are executable by one or more processing units, the instructions comprising ;

code to obtain at a first nodal transmitting device information associated with an item of interest located at a specified location within a coverage area of a location based system comprising said first nodal transmitting device and a second nodal transmitting device, said first nodal transmitting device and said second nodal transmitting device operatively forming a hierarchical zonal structure, said first nodal transmitting device located in a first zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure and said second nodal located at a second zonal position in said hierarchical zonal structure, said first zonal position being different than said second zonal position;

code to transmit with said first nodal transmitting device to said second nodal transmitting device a part of said information associated with said item of interest, wherein within said location based system said first zonal position and said second zonal position are differentiated and propagation of said information and said part of said information is selectively controlled based, at least in part, on a spatial restriction parameter associated with said specified location, and a temporal restriction parameter associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

24. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein said computer-implementable instructions further comprise:

code to obtain a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest;

code to identify at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

code to selectively initiate transmission of a response to said mobile device based, at least in part, on said estimated position of said mobile device, said response comprising at least a portion of said information.

25. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein said computer-implementable instructions further comprise:

code to obtain a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information relating to said item of interest;

code to identify at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

code to selectively provide said request to said second nodal transmitting device.

26. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises a logically formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

27. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises an ad-hoc formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a plurality of nodal transmitting devices.

28. The article as recited in claim 24, wherein said code to identify said at least an estimated position of said mobile device comprises code to identify a corresponding zonal position of said mobile device associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

29. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein said spatial restriction parameter is associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

30. The article as recited in claim 29, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a distance value to operatively restrict propagation of said information to one or more particular zonal positions of the hierarchical zonal structure.

31. The article as recited in claim 29, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a time-to-live (TTL) value, and wherein said computer-implementable instructions further comprise:

code to determine whether said TTL value permits further propagation of said information and said part of said information within the location based system; and

code to, in response to determining that said TTL value does permit further propagation of said part of said information but not said information, initiate transmission of said part of said information to said second nodal transmitting device.

32. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein said temporal restriction parameter is associated with a refresh rate value.

33. The article as recited in claim 32, wherein said first zonal position encompassing said specified location is associated with a first refresh rate value, and said second zonal position not encompassing said specified location is associated with a second refresh rate value that is different from said first refresh rate value.

34. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining information associated with an item of interest at a specified location;

means for transmitting a part of said information associated with said item of interest;

means for communicating wireless signals; and

means for storing information associated with said item of interest located at a specified location within a coverage area of a location based system comprising a plurality of means for communicating wireless signals operatively forming a hierarchical zonal structure and having different zonal positions within said hierarchical zonal structure, wherein within said location based system said first zonal position and said second zonal position are differentiated and propagation of said information and said part of said information is selectively controlled based, at least in part, on a spatial restriction parameter associated with said specified location, and a temporal restriction parameter associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, further comprising:

means for processing a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information associated with said item of interest;

means for identifying at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

means for selectively providing a response to said mobile device based, at least in part, on said estimated position of said mobile device, said response comprising at least a portion of said information.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, further comprising:

means for processing a request from a mobile device for at least a portion of said information relating to said item of interest;

means for identifying at least an estimated position of said mobile device; and

means for selectively providing said request to one or more means for communicating wireless signals in said hierarchical zonal structure.

37. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises a logically formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a portion of said plurality of means for communicating wireless signals.

38. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the hierarchical zonal structure comprises an ad-hoc formed hierarchical zonal structure defined, at least in part, by at least a portion of said means for communicating wireless signals.

39. The apparatus as recited in claim 35, wherein said means for identifying comprises means for identifying a corresponding zonal position of said mobile device associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

40. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein said spatial restriction parameter is associated with the hierarchical zonal structure.

41. The apparatus as recited in claim 40, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a distance value to operatively restrict propagation of said information to one or more particular zonal positions of the hierarchical zonal structure.

42. The apparatus as recited in claim 40, wherein said spatial restriction parameter comprises a time-to-live (TTL) value, and further comprising:

means for determining whether said TTL value permits further propagation of said information and said part of said information within the location based system; and

means for initiating transmission of at least a portion of said part of said information to at least one other of said plurality of means for communicating wireless signals, in response to determining that said TTL value does permit further propagation of said part of said information but not said information.

43. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein said temporal restriction parameter is associated with a refresh rate value.

44. The apparatus as recited in claim 43, wherein a first zonal position encompassing said specified location is associated with a first refresh rate value, and a second zonal position not encompassing said specified location is associated with a second refresh rate value that is different from said first refresh rate value.