Providing location-based information in local wireless zones

• US 8,843,159 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/831,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20130203446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• 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 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

Mobile terminals to receive location-based information upon entering a local wireless zone established by an access point are described. The access point includes or is associated with one or more servers, which may provide the location-based information and control access. The local wireless zone is a limited area in which communications between the access point and the mobile terminal are possible. Once the mobile terminal enters into one or more local wireless zones, the presence of the mobile terminal in the local wireless zone is detected. Once detected, the mobile terminal is afforded access to a server on which the location-based information is stored. The server is associated with the local wireless zone.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based information to a mobile terminal in a local wireless zone served by an access point, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session for the mobile terminal at the access point;

receiving user identification from the mobile terminal;

authorizing the mobile terminal to access location-based information from a content server associated with the access point based on the user identification;

sending to the mobile terminal configuration data to enable access to the content server including at least a zone identifier corresponding to the access point that enables the mobile terminal to identify the local wireless zone associated with the access point from among multiple local wireless zones each associated with a different zone identifier; and

providing via the access point location-based information associated with the user identification to the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification comprises user credentials.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a request for the location-based information from the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising querying the content server associated with the access point to request location-based information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein querying the server associated with the access point comprises sending the user identification to the content server.

6. A method of providing location-based information to a mobile terminal in a local wireless zone served by an access point, the access point being associated with a particular zone identifier, the method comprising:

establishing a communication session for the mobile terminal at the access point;

receiving user identification from the mobile terminal;

identifying a server associated with the access point based on the particular zone identifier associated with the access point;

sending configuration data to the mobile terminal including an indication of the particular zone identifier and an address of the identified server;

responsive to a receiving a request from the mobile terminal for the location-based information, querying the identified server to request the location-based information; and

providing to the mobile terminal location-based information associated with the user identification and the particular zone identifier associated with the access point.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a beacon signal, the beacon signal comprising the particular zone identifier associated with the access point.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular zone identifier associated with the access point comprises at least one of a domain name, or an IP address of a content server.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein providing location-based information associated with the user identification and the particular zone identifier associated with the access point comprises providing the location-based information via the access point.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein querying the server associated with the access point comprises sending the user identification to the server.

11. An access point for a wireless communication network, the access point comprising:

a local wireless interface; and

a control system operable with the local wireless interface to;

establish a communication session for the mobile terminal at the access point;

receive user identification from the mobile terminal;

communicate configuration data to the mobile terminal including a particular zone identifier associated with the access point; and

responsive to a request for location-based information from the mobile terminal, obtain the location-based information associated with the user identification from a server corresponding to the particular zone identifier for communication to the mobile terminal.

12. The access point of claim 11, wherein the user identification comprises user credentials.

13. The access point of claim 11, wherein the control system is operable to receive the request for the location-based information from the mobile terminal.

14. The access point of claim 11, wherein the control system is operable to query the server to request location-based information.

15. The access point of claim 14, wherein the control system is operable to query the server by sending the user identification to the server.

16. The access point of claim 11, wherein the control system is further operable with the local wireless interface to:

identify that the server is associated with the access point based on the particular zone identifier associated with the access point; and

query the identified server to request the location-based information associated with the user identification and the particular zone identifier associated with the access point.

17. The access point of claim 16, wherein the particular zone identifier comprises at least one of a domain name, or an IP address of a content server.

18. The access point of claim 17, wherein the local wireless interface is operable to transmit a beacon signal including the particular zone identifier associated with the access point.

19. The access point of claim 11, wherein the control system is further operable to communicate the location-based information over the wireless communication network for receipt by the mobile terminal.