Geographically constrained network services

• US 8,694,025 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis J. Dupray
• Original Assignee: Dennis J. Dupray
• Inventors: Dupray, Dennis J., Goldberg, Sheldon F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US13/561,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 455/404.2, 455/415, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/440, 455/433, 455/414, 455/417, 342/357.13, 342/457, 342/387, 342/417, 701/300, 705/67
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A method and system arc disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user'"'"'s phone number (or other identification for contacting the user'"'"'s station), and (b) supplies the user'"'"'s station with a distinctive identifier. The provider then supplies a location determining service with the user'"'"'s phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user'"'"'s station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a user by locating a network station residing with the user for providing network communications, comprising performing the following steps (a) through (f) at a time when the location is desired,

wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations, wherein at least one of the different locations is used to determine whether at least one network service is available to the network station via a connection to at least one networks;

(a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the user or the network station;

(b) subsequently transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the user or the network station;

(c) subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site;

(d) using the received second identification information to identify the first identification information;

(e) subsequently transmitting, via a fourth network communication, a request for determining a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified, wherein the request is determined using a first approximate location of the network station;

(f) receiving, in response to the request, a fifth network communication for providing a more precise location of the user than the first approximate location to a predetermined network site; and

selecting a wireless location provider using the first approximate location, wherein the wireless location provider is then activated for determining the more precise location, the wireless location provider determining the more precise location using one of;

global positioning location technology, a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal multipath pattern matching location technology.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network communications are directed to one or more of:

gambling services, taxation services, services for the distribution of software, advertising presentations, and information related to locations within a local geographical area that the user is expected to find of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet while the steps of claim 1 are performed.

4. The method of claim 1, further including determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 further including using the first approximate location to identify a location determining service to which the request is transmitted.

6. The method of claim 1 further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the service includes providing advertising to the network station based on the more precise location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining information for identifying websites that offer services near the user'"'"'s more precise location.

9. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the transmitting step.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are offered near to the user'"'"'s more precise location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first approximate location is used for determining a location providing source for determining the more precise location.

12. The method of claim 1, further including a step of identifying a location providing service from a plurality of location providing services for determining the more precise location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the steps are performed at a time a product or service is requested via an Internet transmission by the user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a service the user requests is from an Internet website and when activated, requires the more precise location to satisfy a constraint, further including a step of determining a constraint that must be satisfied during the activation of the service, wherein the constraint relates to the user'"'"'s geographic location.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one network service includes one of a gambling service and a taxation service.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site, is in response to a request for the second identification information;

and wherein the network station is a wireless network station; and

the more precise location requires analysis of a geographically varying characteristic of wireless signals between the network station and the network.

16. A method for determining the location of a user by locating a network station residing with the user for providing network communications, comprising performing the following steps (a) through (f) at a time when the location is desired,

wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations, wherein at least one of the different locations is used to determine whether at least one network service is available to the network station via a connection to at least one networks;

(a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the user or the network station;

(b) subsequently transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the user or the network station;

(c) subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site;

(d) using the received second identification information to identify the first identification information;

(e) subsequently transmitting, via a fourth network communication, a request for determining a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified, wherein the request is determined using a first approximate location of the network station;

(f) receiving, in response to the request, a fifth network communication for providing a more precise location of the user than the first approximate location to a predetermined network site; and

selecting a wireless location provider using the first approximate location, wherein the wireless location provider is then activated for determining the more precise location, the wireless location provider determining the more precise location using one of;

a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal multipath pattern matching location technology.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said network communications are directed to one or more of:

gambling services, taxation services, services for the distribution of software, advertising presentations, and information related to locations within a local geographical area that the user is expected to find of interest.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet while the steps of claim 16 are performed.

20. The method of claim 16, further including determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet.

21. The method of claim 16, further including using the first approximate location to identify a location determining service to which the request is transmitted.

22. The method of claim 16, further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the service includes providing advertising to the network station based on the more precise location.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining information for identifying websites that offer services near the user'"'"'s more precise location.

25. The method of claim 16, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the transmitting step.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are offered near to the user'"'"'s more precise location.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the first approximate location is used for determining a location providing source for determining the more precise location.

28. The method of claim 16, further including a step of identifying a location providing service from a plurality of location providing services for determining the more precise location.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the steps are performed at a time a product or service is requested via an Internet transmission by the user.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein a service the user requests is from an Internet website and when activated, requires the more precise location to satisfy a constraint, further including a step of determining a constraint that must be satisfied during the activation of the service, wherein the constraint relates to the user'"'"'s geographic location.

31. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one network service for providing includes one of a gambling service and a taxation service.

32. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site, is in response to a request for the second identification information;

and wherein the network station is a wireless network station; and

the more precise location requires analysis of a geographically varying characteristic of wireless signals between the network station and the network.