Method and apparatus for providing information based on a location

• US 9,268,006 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Hyun-su, Zhidkov, Sergey, Park, Kyong-ha, Chebaev, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Htun, San
• Application Number:
  US13/603,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing location information are provided. The method includes receiving data including reference sound information from at least one external device; receiving location information request data including sound information from the mobile device; detecting similar reference sound information to the sound information based on a comparison of the sound information to the reference sound information; determining location in formation of an external device that transmitted the similar reference sound information; and transmitting the determined location information to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information to a mobile device by an apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of the apparatus, location information including sound information from a plurality of mobile devices;

comparing, by the processor, the sound information received from the plurality of mobile devices;

grouping, by the processor, mobile devices that have transmitted similar sound information, according to a result of comparing the sound information;

detecting, by the processor, most recently received location information from among a plurality of piece of location information received from the grouped mobile devices;

detecting, by the processor, a difference between a time when the detected most recently received location information is received and a current time;

p1 obtaining, by the processor, the location information by using a movement distance that is predicted according to the detected difference; and

transmitting, by the processor, the obtained location information to each of the grouped mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the mobile device enters an area managed by the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the area is based on most-recent location information of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes map information indicating a current location of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the location information further includes additional information related to the current location, wherein the additional information includes at least one of event information and coupon information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound information includes sound surrounding the plurality of mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, sound information from at least one other device connected to the apparatus;

receiving, by the processor, location information request data including sound information from the mobile device;

comparing, by the processor, the sound information received from the at least one other device and sound information received from the mobile device;

detecting, by the processor, similar sound information to the sound information received from the mobile device according to a result of comparing the sound information, wherein the detected similar sound information is received from the at least one other device;

determining, by the apparatus, location information of a device that transmitted the similar sound information, from among the at least one other device; and

transmitting, by the processor, the obtained location information of the device to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving additional information from the at least one other device; and

transmitting the additional information of the other device to the mobile device when transmitting the obtained location information of the device to the mobile device, wherein the additional information includes at least one of event information and coupon information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the additional information of the device to the mobile device includes at least one of menu information related to the additional information and information related to the additional information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the sound information received from the at least one other device and the sound information received from the mobile device is performed based on time information indicating a time at which the sound information is received.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the sound information received from the at least one other device includes sound surrounding the at least one other device.

12. An apparatus for providing location information to a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for receiving location information including sound information from a plurality of mobile devices; and

a processor for receiving the location information including sound information from a plurality of mobile devices via the communication unit, comparing the sound information received from the plurality of mobile devices, grouping mobile devices that have transmitted similar sound information, according to a result of comparing the sound information, detecting most recently received location information from among a plurality of piece of location information received from the grouped mobile devices, detecting a difference between a time when the detected most recently received location information is received and a current time, and obtaining location information by using a movement distance that is predicted according to the detected difference, and transmitting the obtained location information to each of the grouped mobile devices via the communication unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor determines whether the mobile device enters an area managed by the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the area is based on most-recent location information of the mobile device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the location information includes map information indicating a current location of the mobile device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location information further includes additional information related to the current location.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sound information includes sound surrounding the plurality of mobile devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor:

receives sound information from at least one other device connected to the apparatus;

receives location information request data including sound information from the mobile device;

compares the sound information received from the at least one other device and sound information received from the mobile device;

detects similar sound information to the sound information received from the mobile device according to a result of comparing the sound information, wherein the detected similar sound information is received from the at least one other device;

determines location information of a device that transmitted the similar sound information, from among the at least one other device; and

transmits the obtained location information of the device to the mobile device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon at least one program which includes commands for executing a method of providing location information to a mobile device by an apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of the apparatus, location information including sound information from a plurality of mobile devices;

comparing, by the processor, the sound information received from the plurality of mobile devices;

grouping, by the processor, mobile devices that have transmitted similar sound information, according to a result of comparing the sound information;

detecting, by the processor, most recently received location information from among a plurality of piece of location information received from the grouped mobile devices;

detecting, by the processor, a difference between a time when the detected most recently received location information is received and a current time;

obtaining, by the processor, the location information by using a movement distance that is predicted according to the detected difference; and

transmitting, by the processor, the obtained location information to each of the grouped mobile devices.