Method for performing location-specific services, broadcasting unit and mobile receiving device

• US 9,392,400 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIBBEE, CHAYCE R
• Application Number:
  US11/909,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,758 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

In order to perform location-specific services of a broadcasting unit (3), virtual cells (22, 23, 24) for the location-specific services are set up so that cell data, which define a local cell area, are transmitted to a mobile receiving device (1) via the broadcasting unit (3). The cell data are stored in the mobile receiving device (1). The mobile receiving device (1) establishes its current position (25) and determines whether it is located in the cell area. In the event the mobile receiving device (1) is located in the cell area, the receiving device performs a service assigned to the cell data. The setting up of cells (22, 23, 24) for local-specific services by the broadcasting unit (3) in a multitude of mobile receiving devices (1) in the service area (2) of the broadcasting unit (3) enables geographical areas inside and outside the service area (2) to be split up into smaller, interactive and virtual service cells and cell clusters in a dynamic and optimal manner according to need and geographical and/or service-specific parameters.

Claims

1. A method for performing location-specific services of a broadcasting unit, comprising:

receiving by a mobile receiving device, geographic area data transferred from the broadcasting unit, the geographic area data defining a plurality of geographic areas by coordinates as partial areas of a service area covered by a broadcast transmitter of the broadcasting unit, the plurality of geographic areas being setup for the location-specific services, and by;

storing the geographic area data in the mobile receiving device,

determining in the mobile receiving device a current geographic position of the mobile receiving device,

determining by the mobile receiving device a current presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area from the plurality of geographic areas by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the determined geographic area defined by the geographic area data, and

performing a service that is assigned to the determined geographic area in the mobile receiving device in an event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area; and

wherein;

the geographic area data define a three-dimensional regional geographic area;

a current three-dimensional position of the mobile receiving device is determined; and

the current presence of the mobile receiving device in the three-dimensional regional geographic area is determined on a basis of the current three-dimensional position.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-specific services comprise a data transfer from the broadcasting unit to the mobile receiving device;

and in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area, the method further comprising;

accepting received data assigned to the geographic area data; and

processing the received data in the mobile receiving device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting unit assigns user data to the geographic area data and transfers the user data together with the geographic area data to the mobile receiving device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area identification data;

the broadcasting unit transfers user data together with the area identification data separately from the geographic area data to the mobile receiving device; and

the mobile receiving device assigns the user data to the stored geographic area data on a basis of the area identification data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographic area data comprise an instruction;

and the instruction is carried out in the mobile receiving device in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area type classification;

and received data assigned to the determined geographic data are further processed in the mobile receiving device depending on the area type classification.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the area type classification comprises at least one value selected from alarm type for alarms, information type for information data of various categories, application type for executable applications, and link type for hyperlinks.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

accepting selection commands at the mobile receiving device from the user for the selection of area type classification to select alarm types; and

wherein the service assigned to the geographic area data is performed in the mobile receiving device in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area with the selected area type classification.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographic area data comprise validity data which define a temporal validity of the determined geographic area, whereby the validity data comprise at least one of a start instruction for instant activation of the determined geographic area, a stop instruction for immediate deactivation of the determined geographic area, a start time value and stop time value for the definition of a time window, and a start time value and a duration for the definition of a time window.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographic area data define a cluster of geographic areas.

11. A mobile receiving device which is configured to receive data transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by a broadcasting unit, comprising:

a cell-determination module to accept and store geographic area data which define the plurality of geographic areas by coordinates a as a partial areas of a service area covered by a broadcast transmitter of the broadcasting unit, and which are transmitted in a broadcast-based manner by the broadcasting unit;

a position-determination module for determining a current geographical position of the mobile receiving device;

a presence-determination module for determining a current presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area from the plurality of geographic areas by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the geographic area defined by the geographic area data;

a service module to perform a service assigned to the geographic area data in the mobile receiving device, in an event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area;

wherein;

the geographic area data define a three-dimensional regional geographic area;

the position-determination module is further configured to determine a current three-dimensional position of the mobile receiving device; and

the presence-determination module is further configured to determine the current presence of the mobile receiving device in the three-dimensional regional geographic area on a basis of the current three-dimensional position.

12. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the service module is configured to accept and process received data assigned to the geographic area data, in an event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area.

13. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area identification data;

and

the cell-determination module is further configured to store the geographic area data in the mobile receiving device; and

the service module is further configured to assign received data to the stored geographic area data on a basis of the area identification data transferred by the broadcasting unit together with the data.

14. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the geographic area data comprise an instruction;

and

the service module is further configured to carry out the instruction in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area.

15. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area type classification;

and

the service module is further configured to process received data depending on the area type classification.

16. The mobile receiving device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a selection module configured to accept selection commands from the user for the selection of area type classification to select alarm types;

wherein

the service module is further configured to perform the service assigned to the geographic area data, in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area with the selected area type classification.

17. A method for performing location-specific services of a broadcasting unit, comprising:

receiving by a mobile receiving device, geographic area data transferred from the broadcasting unit, the geographic area data defining a plurality of geographic areas by coordinates as partial areas of a service area covered by a broadcast transmitter of the broadcasting unit, the plurality of geographic areas being setup for the location-specific services, and by;

storing the geographic area data in the mobile receiving device,

determining in the mobile receiving device a current geographic position of the mobile receiving device,

determining by the mobile receiving device a current presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area from the plurality of geographic areas by determining whether the current geographical position is located in the geographic area defined by the geographic area data, and

performing a service that is assigned to the determined geographic area in the mobile receiving device in an event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area; and

wherein the geographic area data comprise validity data which define a temporal validity of the determined geographic area, whereby the validity data comprise one or more of a start instruction for instant activation of the determined geographic area, a stop instruction for immediate deactivation of the determined geographic area, a start time value and stop time value for the definition of a time window, and a start time value and a duration for the definition of a time window.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the location-specific services comprise a data transfer from the broadcasting unit to the mobile receiving device;

and in the event of a positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area, the method further comprising;

accepting received data assigned to the geographic area data; and

processing the received data in the mobile receiving device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the broadcasting unit assigns user data to the geographic area data and transfers the user data together with the geographic area data to the mobile receiving device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area identification data;

the broadcasting unit transfers user data together with the area identification data separately from the geographic area data to the mobile receiving device; and

the mobile receiving device assigns the user data to the stored geographic area data on a basis of the area identification data.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the geographic area data comprise an instruction;

and the instruction is carried out in the mobile receiving device in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in the determined geographic area.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the geographic area data comprise an area type classification;

and received data assigned to the determined geographic data are further processed in the mobile receiving device depending on the area type classification.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the area type classification comprises at least one value selected from alarm type for alarms, information type for information data of various categories, application type for executable applications, and link type for hyperlinks.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

accepting selection commands at the mobile receiving device from the user for the selection of area type classification to select alarm types; and

wherein the service assigned to the geographic area data is performed in the mobile receiving device in an event of the positively determined presence of the mobile receiving device in a geographic area with the selected area type classification.