System and method for delivering content to a wireless station

• US 8,938,196 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radius Networks, inc.
• Original Assignee: Radius Networks, inc.
• Inventors: Bradish, Stillman, Smith, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US13/296,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455 411- 413, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 370/310.2, 370/312, 370/328, 370/349, 370/389, 370/402
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• 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 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system and method for delivering content to a wireless station. An string broadcast station receives message content. The message content may, for example, be in the form of a coupon, an announcement, a menu, a news alert, directions and a link to additional content on a server. The string broadcast station parses the message content into one or more message parts. The message parts are transformed by the string broadcast station into one or more network information strings. The string broadcast station then broadcasts the one or more network information strings. A wireless station may receive the network information strings, determine the order in which the parts are to be assembled, and assemble the parts to obtain the message in its original form. A wireless station may also rebroadcast a message part for reception by other wireless stations.

Claims

1. A method for delivering content to a wireless station, comprising:

receiving message content by a string broadcast station;

parsing the message content into one or more message parts by the string broadcast station;

transforming the one or more message parts into one or more network information strings by the string broadcast station;

assigning to the one or more message parts one or more attributes by the string broadcast station, wherein at least one attribute includes a relay attribute; and

broadcasting the one or more network information strings by the string broadcast station, wherein

a value of the relay attribute is incremented prior to rebroadcasting, and

the relay attribute defines a limit on a number of times that the one or more message parts may be rebroadcast by the wireless station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message content is selected from the group comprising a text message, a coupon, an announcement, a menu, a news alert, directions and a link to additional content on a server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network information strings are broadcast over a wireless network selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi network, an RFID network, a Zigbee network, a Bluetooth network and a 3G/4G cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting by the string broadcast station the one or more network information strings comprises broadcasting the one or more network information strings in one or more beacon messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more network information strings by the wireless station;

obtaining the one or more attributes by the wireless station; and

processing the one or more network information strings according to the one or more attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more network information strings by the wireless station;

obtaining the relay attribute by the wireless station, wherein the relay attribute comprises the value which is equal to a maximum number of times that a message part may be rebroadcast by the wireless station;

determining a number of times the one or more network information strings have been rebroadcast by the wireless station; and

rebroadcasting the one or more network strings when the number of times the one or more network information strings have been rebroadcast by the wireless station is less than the value of the relay attribute.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rebroadcasting of the one or more network strings comprises broadcasting the one or more network strings in one or more probe messages by the wireless station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes further comprise a message identifier and a message part number, and

the method further comprises:

receiving the one or more network information strings by the wireless station;

interpreting the one or more network information strings to obtain the one or more message parts by the wireless station;

assembling the one or more message parts associated with the message identifier by the wireless station;

ordering the message parts according to the message part number by the wireless station; and

displaying the message content by the wireless station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless station is selected from the group consisting of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a Wi-Fi enabled device, a Bluetooth enabled device, and a Zigbee enabled device.

10. A system for delivering content to a wireless station, comprising:

a string broadcast station, wherein the string broadcast station comprises a memory storing software instructions and a first processor that causes the string broadcast station to perform operations comprising;

receiving message content;

parsing the message content into one or more message parts;

transforming the one or more message parts into one or more network information strings;

assigning the one or more message parts one or more attributes, wherein at least one attribute includes a relay attribute; and

broadcasting the one or more network information strings, wherein

a value of the relay attribute is incremented prior to rebroadcasting, and

the relay attribute defines a limit on a number of times that the one or more message parts may be rebroadcast by the wireless station.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the message content is selected from the group comprising a text message, a coupon, an announcement, a menu, a news alert, directions and a link to additional content on a server.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more network information strings are broadcast over a wireless network selected from the group consisting of a Wi-Fi network, an RFID network, a Zigbee network, a Bluetooth network and a 3G/4G cellular network.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein broadcasting the one or more network information strings comprises broadcasting the one or more network information strings in one or more beacon messages.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless station comprises a second processor that causes the wireless station to perform operations comprising:

receiving the one or more network information strings;

obtaining the one or more attributes; and

processing the one or more network information strings according to the one or more attributes.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless station comprises a second processor that causes the wireless station to perform operations comprising:

receiving the one or more network information strings;

obtaining the relay attribute, wherein the relay attribute comprises the value which is equal to a maximum number of times that a message part may be rebroadcast by the wireless station;

determining a number of times the one or more network information strings have been rebroadcast by the wireless station; and

rebroadcasting the one or more network strings when the number of times the one or more network information strings have been rebroadcast by the wireless station is less than the value of the relay attribute.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operation of rebroadcasting the one or more network strings comprises broadcasting the one or more network strings in one or more probe messages by the wireless station.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more attributes further comprise a message identifier and a message part number, and the wireless station comprises a second processor that causes the wireless station to perform operations comprising:

receiving the one or more network information strings;

interpreting the one or more network information strings to obtain the one or more message parts;

assembling the one or more message parts associated with the message identifier ordering the one or more message parts according to the message part number; and

displaying the message content by the wireless station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless station is selected from the group consisting of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a Wi-Fi enabled device, a Bluetooth enabled device, and a Zigbee enabled device.