Interpersonal communication and interactive information system
First Claim
1. A system for providing a local network based within a facility, wherein the system provides local information and access to a local interpersonal communication service, and wherein the system comprises:
- a host computing system;
a facility-specific, machine readable tag including information identifying the facility;
one or more participating mobile devices, each comprising a visual display, each adapted to contact the host computing system in response to reading the facility-specific, machine readable tag, and each adapted to transmit and receive data over a facility-hosted data transmission signal, wherein the data transmission signal enables transmission of electronic data between the host computing system wirelessly between the one or more participating mobile devices;
an information and communications software program loaded within each of the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program is adapted to provide the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service, wherein the information and communications software program enables the data transmission signal to uniquely identify the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program enables the one or more participating mobile devices to transmit data over the data transmission signal, wherein the local interpersonal communication service enables the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program to be visible to others of the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program, and wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program over the data transmission signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interpersonal communication and an interactive information system is disclosed, through which a user can access a wireless local area network within a facility from a compatible mobile device, obtain information specific to the user'"'"'s location and communicate with other mobile devices in the facility location through the wireless local area network. The user can establish communications through the network by reading a tag specific to the facility using the mobile device, and locations of the mobile device within the facility are established by reading other tags using the mobile device, by reading radio-frequency signals, or through a GPS system.
49 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for providing a local network based within a facility, wherein the system provides local information and access to a local interpersonal communication service, and wherein the system comprises:
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a host computing system; a facility-specific, machine readable tag including information identifying the facility; one or more participating mobile devices, each comprising a visual display, each adapted to contact the host computing system in response to reading the facility-specific, machine readable tag, and each adapted to transmit and receive data over a facility-hosted data transmission signal, wherein the data transmission signal enables transmission of electronic data between the host computing system wirelessly between the one or more participating mobile devices; an information and communications software program loaded within each of the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program is adapted to provide the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service, wherein the information and communications software program enables the data transmission signal to uniquely identify the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program enables the one or more participating mobile devices to transmit data over the data transmission signal, wherein the local interpersonal communication service enables the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program to be visible to others of the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program, and wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the information and communications software program over the data transmission signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for providing a local network based within a facility, wherein the local network provides local information and access to a local interpersonal communication service, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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hosting a facility hosted data transmission signal that enables the transmission of electronic data wirelessly between a computer host associated with the facility and one or more participating mobile devices and also enables the transmission of the electronic data wirelessly between two or more of the participating mobile devices, the mobile devices comprising a visual display and adapted to transmit and receive data over the local data transmission signal; providing a facility-specific, machine readable tag, including information identifying an address of the computer host associated with the facility; establishing a connection between the computer host associated with the facility and one or more of the participating mobile devices in response to the one or more of the participating mobile devices reading the information identifying the facility from the facility-specific, machine readable tag, by each participating mobile device, providing an information and communications software program to be loaded onto the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program receives facility-specific auxiliary data and provides the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service;
wherein the software program enables the transmission signal to identify the mobile device and enables the mobile device to transmit data over the transmission signal and receive data originating locally on the transmission signal; andenabling, by the local interpersonal communication service, the participating mobile devices identified by the software program to be visible to other of the participating mobile devices identified by the software program wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the software program over the facility hosted data transmission signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for providing a local network based within a facility, wherein the local network provides local information and access to a local interpersonal communication service, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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hosting a facility hosted data transmission signal that enables the transmission of electronic data wirelessly between a computer host associated with the facility and one or more participating mobile devices and also enables the transmission of the electronic data wirelessly between two or more of the participating mobile devices, the mobile devices comprising a visual display and adapted to transmit and receive data over the local data transmission signal; providing a plurality of location-specific machine-readable tags at a plurality of locations within the facility, wherein each of the machine-readable tags provides information describing a location where the tag is placed; hosting a facility hosted data transmission signal that enables the transmission of electronic data wirelessly between a computer host associated with the facility and one or more participating mobile devices and also enables the transmission of the electronic data wirelessly between two or more of the participating mobile devices, the mobile devices comprising a visual display and adapted to transmit and receive data over the local data transmission signal; establishing a connection between the computer host associated with the facility and one or more of the participating mobile devices providing an information and communications software program to be loaded onto the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the program receives the facility-specific auxiliary data over the transmission signal and provides the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service;
wherein the software program enables the transmission signal to identify the mobile device and enables the mobile device to transmit data over the transmission signal and receive data originating locally on the transmission signal; andenabling, by the local interpersonal communication service, the participating mobile devices identified by the software program to be visible to other of the participating mobile devices identified by the software program wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the software program over the facility hosted data transmission signal, establishing a connection between the computer host associated with the facility and one or more of the participating mobile devices, providing an information and communications software program to be loaded onto the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the program receives the facility-specific auxiliary data over the transmission signal and provides the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service;
wherein the software program enables the transmission signal to identify the mobile device and enables the mobile device to transmit data over the transmission signal and receive data originating locally on the transmission signal, wherein the information and communications software program is additionally adapted to operate with the facility-specific software program to determine a location of each of the location-specific machine readable tags from information read from the tag; andenabling, by the local interpersonal communication service, the participating mobile devices identified by the software program, with their locations, to be visible to others of the participating mobile devices identified by the software program and wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the software program over the facility hosted data transmission signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for providing a local network based within a facility, wherein the local network provides local information and access to a local interpersonal communication service, and wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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hosting a facility hosted data transmission signal that enables the transmission of electronic data wirelessly between a computer host associated with the facility and one or more participating mobile devices and also enables the transmission of the electronic data wirelessly between two or more of the participating mobile devices, the mobile devices comprising a visual display and adapted to transmit and receive data over the local data transmission signal; establishing a connection between the computer host associated with the facility and one or more of the participating mobile devices, wherein each of the participating mobile devices is adapted to establish a connection with the host computing system through a Wi-Fi access point and alternatively through a cellular communications tower in response to determining the qualities of signals from the access point or the cellular communications tower; providing an information and communications software program to be loaded onto the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein the information and communications software program receives facility-specific auxiliary data and provides the one or more participating mobile devices with local and facility information and access to the interpersonal communication service;
wherein the software program enables the transmission signal to identify the mobile device and enables the mobile device to transmit data over the transmission signal and receive data originating locally on the transmission signal; andenabling, by the local interpersonal communication service, the participating mobile devices identified by the software program to be visible to other of the participating mobile devices identified by the software program wherein messages can be sent and received among the participating mobile devices identified by the software program over the facility hosted data transmission signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification