Geographically constrained network services

• US 9,078,101 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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:
  US14/228,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/415, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/414.3, 370/328
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 are 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 of the 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 in the step (d), 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, to a corresponding predetermined network site, the location as a more precise location of the network station than the first approximate location; 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 the following location technologies;

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;

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 during a performance of the steps (a) through (f); and

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.

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

3. The method of claim 1 further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location, the service provided via transmissions on one of the networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network service includes providing advertising to the network station, the advertising based on the more precise location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network service selects or prioritizes network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization of network sites uses information for identifying one or more of the network sites that offer services, the services being near the more precise location.

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selecting or prioritizing includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are offered near to the more precise location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of (c) subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined 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.

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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 of the 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 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, to a predetermined network site, a more precise location of the network station than the first approximate location; 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;

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 during a performance of the steps (a)-(f); and

determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined network site is 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.

14. The method of claim 12, 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 each of the steps are performed.

15. The method of claim 12, 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.

16. The method of claim 12, further including using the first approximate location to identify the location determining service to which the request is transmitted.

17. The method of claim 12, further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first approximate location is used for determining a location providing source for determining the more precise location.

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

20. An apparatus for determining the location of a user by locating a network station residing with the user for providing network communications at a time when the location is desired, comprising:

(a) a cellular wireless device for accessing one or more networks from a plurality of different locations and for communicating on the Internet, at least one of the different locations is used to determine whether at least one network service is available via a connection to at least one of the networks;

(b) an identification information transmitter for transmitting a first identification information identifying the user or the network station via a first network communication;

(c) an identification information receiver for receiving a second identification information distinctively identifying the user or the network station via a second network communication;

(d) a storage for storing the second identification information; and

(e) a second identification information transmitter for transmitting the second identification information to a predetermined site via a third network, the first identification information is identified using the second identification information,

wherein a request for determining a location of the network station is transmitted via a fourth network communication when the first identification information is identified, wherein the request is determined using a first approximate location of the network station,

wherein, in response to the request, a fifth network communication provides, to a predetermined network site, a more precise location of the network station than the first approximate location,

wherein a wireless location provider is selected 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,

wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, and

wherein the request is determined according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location.