Mobile device and method for providing location based content

• US 8,571,514 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andreasson, Mans Folke Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US12/360,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20100190513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/73, 455/521, 455/515
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A mobile device and method are disclosed to provide location based content to a user of a mobile device based on the current location, wherein the provision of location based content depends on obtained location data. The mobile device comprises a location obtaining section for obtaining location data based on locations of the mobile device, location based content section for obtaining location based content, and a controller adapted to compare presently obtained location data with previously obtained location data and to select between a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to the comparison, wherein in the first operation mode the location based content section is adapted to provide location based content to a user of the mobile device according to the current location of the mobile device and in the second operation mode providing of location based content is suppressed.

Claims

1. A mobile device for selectively providing location based content, comprising:

a location obtaining section for obtaining location data based on locations of the mobile device and storing the obtained location data in a location storage;

a location based content section for obtaining location based content; and

a controller configured to compare the location data as presently obtained by the location obtaining section with the location data as previously obtained and stored in the location storage by the location obtaining section, and to select between a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to the comparison,

wherein in said first operation mode said location based content section is configured to provide the obtained location based content to a user of said mobile device according to the current location of said mobile device and in said second operation mode providing of the obtained location based content is suppressed, and

wherein said controller is configured to select said second operation mode if the presently obtained location data matches previously obtained location data.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein

said controller is configured to select said first operation mode if the presently obtained location data differs from previously obtained location data.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein

said location obtaining section comprises a sensor for detecting the location of said mobile device to obtain location data.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein

said location obtaining section comprises a timer and is configured to store locations visited by said mobile device together with a time stamp.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein

said location based content section is configured to obtain said location based content from a network server or local information node via wireless transmission according to the current location of said mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said location based content section is configured to register at least one predetermined content type of interest to the user.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein said location based content section is configured to notify the user of location based content of the at least one predetermined content type in the vicinity of the current location of said mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein in said first operation mode said location based content section is configured to display location based content to a user on a map of a vicinity of the current location of said mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein location data are indicative of at least one of a location, several locations, a location pattern and a motion pattern of the mobile device.

10. A method for controlling in a mobile device the provision of location based content, comprising the steps:

obtaining location data based on locations of the mobile device;

storing the obtained location data in a location storage;

obtaining location based content;

comparing the presently obtained location data with the previously obtained and stored location data;

selecting between a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to the comparing step;

if in said first operation mode, providing the obtained location based content to a user of the mobile device according to the current location of the mobile device, and if in said second operation mode, suppressing the provision of the obtained location based content; and

wherein said selecting comprises selecting said second operation mode if the presently obtained location data matches previously obtained location data.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable code stored thereon, which when executed by a processor or microcontroller, causes the processor or microcontroller to carry out the method of claim 10.