Location based router

• US 9,629,118 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoltenberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LILLEMO, SHAWN D
• Application Number:
  US13/892,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A location based router system comprises a router in communication with an ad hoc network of devices, including at least one mobile device. The router directs packets from the network to associated agents. The router receives queries from requesting clients, such as the mobile device, and provides location to the requesting client. Additionally, depending on preferences of the client, it also routes market packets for location based services back to the mobile device dependent on its location.

A method of providing location based service to a mobile device in a wireless network. The method receives a query for location in the wireless network from the wireless device. The query includes an opt-in level for participating in offers for location based services. Mobile device location computed from packets transmitted between the mobile device and nodes in the wireless network is determined. The method provides a data structure comprising location, opt in level, and mobile device user information to a market for services, where the market for services determines an associated service based on the location, opt in level and mobile device user information and adds metadata for the associated service to the data structure to produce a response structure, enabling the user device to obtain the associated service.

Claims

1. A method of providing location based service to a mobile device in a wireless network of an indoor venue comprising:

from the mobile device, receiving a query for location in the wireless network;

in a computer in communication with the wireless network, instantiating a first cloud side agent to manage a location based service session for the mobile device through the wireless network;

in a computer in communication with the mobile device through the wireless network, instantiating a client agent to manage permissions of a user of the mobile device;

receiving location solutions of the mobile device, the location solutions computed from packets transmitted between the mobile device and nodes in the wireless network in the indoor venue;

for the location solutions, forming data structures comprising location solutions of the mobile device in the indoor venue;

with the permissions provided by the client agent, updating the data structures with a first permission by modifying a permission field of the data structures with the first permission;

in the first cloud side agent, receiving the updated data structures and providing updated data structures with location solutions for the mobile device in the indoor venue to the client agent according to the first permission;

for a search request for a product in the indoor venue requested by the mobile device, the client agent determining that a second permission is to be included in the search request;

from the first cloud side agent, receiving the search request, adapting the search request based on the second permission and a location solution of the mobile device and providing the adapted search request to a process for matching the adapted search request to a bid;

constructing a response data structure with one or more matched responses from the process for matching; and

transferring the response data structure to the client agent, which in turn, prepares the responses for presentment to the user on a user interface of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

with the client agent, creating a first extensible data structure for the search request, the data structure including opt in level, user identification and user preferences;

receiving the extensible data structure in the first cloud side agent, determining proximity to the product in the search request, populating a second extensible data structure with the proximity, and providing the second extensible data structure as the updated search request to the process for matching.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising a location solution agent in the wireless network, remote from the mobile device, the location solution agent determining the location solutions of the mobile device from data gathered from packets exchanged between the mobile device and the nodes in the wireless network, the location solution agent populating extensible data structures with the locations solutions.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising an agent for executing an auction to determine the offer from the electronic exchange.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

executing the client side agent and the first cloud side agent concurrently as a pair of agents for managing the location based service session, the pair of agents executing remotely from the mobile device to track location of the mobile device based on packets exchanged between the mobile device and nodes in the network and obtaining location based offers for the mobile device, the pair of agents exchanging location and offers when queried by a corresponding application on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the client agent is in communication with a database of historical information about sessions of the mobile device, and operable to determine location based offers based on the historical information about the sessions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first permission indicates one of at least two opt in levels comprising permission to provide location while maintaining anonymity of the user of the mobile device, and permission to provide location and an offer based on identity of the user of the mobile device.

8. A method of providing location based service to a mobile device comprising:

issuing a request to connect to a wireless network;

initiating a network session with the wireless network;

establishing a secure connection with a client agent executing in a computer in communication with the mobile device through the wireless network, the client agent being instantiated in the computer to manage permissions of a user of the mobile device, the permissions controlling use of a stream of location solutions determined for the mobile device during a location based service session;

from the mobile device, communicating with nodes in the wireless network to produce RF packet communication from which location of the mobile device is derived, the location being computed remotely from packets transmitted between the mobile device and the nodes in the wireless network and providing the stream of location solutions as the mobile device moves during the network session, wherein the stream of location solutions are formed into extensible data structures in the wireless network, and the extensible data structures are updated with a permission state of the permissions provided by the client agent on behalf of the mobile device;

from the mobile device, making a search query to the wireless network, the search query being populated into an extensible data structure including a location solution and provided to a process for matching the search query with a response; and

receiving a matching response to the search query and presenting the response on a display of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

creating an extensible data structure for the query, the data structure including the opt in level, user identification and user preferences;

sharing the extensible data structure with one or more agents, the agents including an agent for providing location and adding the location to the extensible data structure, and an agent for adding metadata corresponding to an offer obtained from an electronic exchange for determining offers for location based queries.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising a location solution agent in the wireless network, the location agent determining the location of the mobile device from data gathered from packets exchanged between the mobile device and the nodes in the wireless network, and providing the stream of location solutions.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising an agent for executing an auction to determine the offer from the electronic exchange.

12. The method of claim 8 further including:

executing a cloud side companion agent corresponding to the session, the cloud side companion agent executing remotely from the mobile device to track location of the mobile device based on packets exchanged between the mobile device and nodes in the network and obtaining location based offers for the mobile device, the cloud side companion agent exchanging location and offers when queried by a corresponding application on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the cloud side companion agent comprises the client agent, and the client agent is in communication with a database of historical information about sessions of the mobile device, and operable to determine the location based offers based on the historical information about the sessions.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the permissions control use of location solutions and include one of at least two opt in levels comprising a first permission to provide location while maintaining anonymity of the user of the mobile device, and a second permission to provide location and an offer based on identity of the user of the mobile device.