Methods and apparatus for collecting and using information regarding location object-based actions
First Claim
1. A communication system comprising:
- a client device adapted to receive a location object that includes a tracer identifying a business entity associated with the location object, to perform one or more location object-based actions using the location object, to store location object usage information, and, after performing the one or more location object-based actions, to send the location object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer to a server, wherein the location object usage information describes the one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by the client device using the location object; and
the server adapted to receive and store the location object usage information.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of a communication system includes a client device adapted to receive a location object that includes tracer information, and to perform one or more location object-based actions using the location object. The client device stores the tracer information and location object usage information, which describes the one or more location object-based actions that have been performed using the location object. The client device also sends the stored information to a server. The system also includes the server, which is adapted to receive the location object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device. In an embodiment, the system also includes a service provider adapted to initiate a billing event, which may include generation and transmission of a bill to a sponsor entity based on an evaluation of the location object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device.
34 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A communication system comprising:
-
a client device adapted to receive a location object that includes a tracer identifying a business entity associated with the location object, to perform one or more location object-based actions using the location object, to store location object usage information, and, after performing the one or more location object-based actions, to send the location object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer to a server, wherein the location object usage information describes the one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by the client device using the location object; and the server adapted to receive and store the location object usage information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method performed by a client device, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a location object that includes a tracer identifying a business entity associated with the location object; performing one or more location object-based actions using the location object; storing location object usage information, wherein the location object usage information describes the one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by the client device using the location object; and after performing the one or more location object-based actions, sending the location object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer to a server. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method performed by a server, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a client-generated location information request from a client device, wherein the location information request includes parameters for obtaining location information; obtaining one or more location objects in response to receiving the client-generated location information request, wherein a location object of the one or more location objects includes a tracer identifying a business entity associated with the location object in one or more tracer fields; sending the one or more location objects to the client device; and after sending the one or more location objects, receiving location object usage information and client-reported tracer information from the client device, wherein the location object usage information describes one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by the client device using the one or more location objects, and the client-reported tracer information includes an identification of the business entity from the tracer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method performed by a service provider, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving location object usage information and reported tracer information from another system entity, wherein the location object usage information describes one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by one or more client devices using one or more location objects that identify one or more sponsor entities associated with the one or more location objects, and wherein the reported tracer information includes an identification of the one or more sponsor entities associated with the one or more location objects; and initiating a billing event based on an evaluation of the location object usage information and the reported tracer information. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
-
23. A client device comprising:
-
a processing subsystem adapted to determine whether a location object-based action has been performed in which a location object that includes a tracer identifying a business entity associated with the location object has been used by the client device, and when the location object-based action has occurred, to initiate storage of location object usage information into a data storage subsystem, wherein the location object usage information describes the location object-based action; the data storage subsystem adapted to store the location object usage information; and a network interface adapted to receive the location object, and after the processing subsystem has determined that the one or more location object-based actions have been performed, to transmit one or more messages that include the location object usage information and an identification of the business entity from the tracer over a network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
Specification