System and process for distribution of information on a communication network

• US 20020023010A1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geocom LLC
• Original Assignee: Geocom LLC
• Inventors: Rittmaster, Ted R., Piccionelli, Greg A.
• Application Number:
  US09/812,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023010A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A communications system includes a plurality of recipient processors located at geographically remote locations with respect to each other and connected for communication with an information provider processor, over the communications network. The provider and recipient processors may comprise respective computers coupled for communication on the Internet or WWW. The provider processor is capable of providing information form any suitable source, by communicating such information over a communications network. However, access to the information by the recipient processors is controlled, based on the geographic location or region of the recipient processors. Each recipient processor is operably associated with a positioning system for providing geographic location information corresponding to the location or region in which the positioning system is located, such as a global positioning system GPS. The geographic position information is used to determine whether or not the processor requesting the information is within a restricted (or limited) or non-restricted region. This determination may be made comparing the geographic information provided by the recipient processor and positioning system with a list of non-restricted or non-limited (or a list of restricted or limited) geographic locations or regions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the distribution of information from an information provider processor to a plurality of recipient processors on a communications network, based on the geographic locations of the recipient processors the method comprising:

associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor;

receiving location information from the positioning system associated with a given recipient processor, the location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the given recipient processor;

determining, from the location information, whether the geographic location of the given recipient processor is within a predefined location or region;

requiring additional information before providing the given recipient processor with access to first information in the event that the given recipient processor is determined to be within the predefined location or region.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein requiring additional information comprises communicating a query to from the provider processor to the given recipient processor for the additional information.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein requiring additional information comprises user age information.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises payment information.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises a user indication that a waiver, license or disclaimer is accepted.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises current time information.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises user identification information.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving location information comprises receiving location information over the network by the provider processor and determining comprises determining, by the provider processor, whether the geographic location of the given recipient processor is within a predefined location or region.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving location information comprises receiving location information by the given recipient processor and determining comprises determining, by the given recipient processor, whether the geographic location of the given recipient processor is within a predefined location or region.

10. A method for controlling the distribution of displayable content to aplurality of recipient processors, including first and second recipient processors, on a communications network, the method comprising:

associating a respective positioning system with each respective recipient processor;

associating a large format, electronic display device with each respective recipient processor;

locating each display device in a location viewable from an area in which a large number of people are expected to inhabit or pass;

communicating first displayable content over the network to the first recipient processor and communicating second displayable content over the network to the second recipient processor, the first displayable content corresponding to business establishments in the vicinity of the display device associated with the first recipient processor and the second displayable content corresponding to business establishments in the vicinity of the display device associated with the second recipient processor, wherein the first displayable content is different from the second displayable content.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein communicating first and second displayable content comprises:

receiving location information from the positioning system associated with the first recipient processor, the location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the first recipient processor;

receiving location information from the positioning system associated with the second recipient processor, the location information corresponding to the general geographic location of the second recipient processor;

associating the geographic location of the first recipient processor with first content and the geographic location of the second processor with second content; and

communicating the associated first and second content to the respective first and second recipient processors.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein locating each display device comprises locating the display device associated with the first recipient processor adjacent a theater entrance and wherein the first displayable content includes information relating to productions or shows scheduled for a showing in the theater.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first displayable content further includes advertisement information relating to a business establishment near the theater.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein locating each display device comprises locating the display device associated with the first recipient processor adjacent a theater entrance and wherein the first displayable content includes a clip of a portion of a production or show scheduled for a showing in the theater.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein locating each display device comprises locating the display device associated with the first recipient processor adjacent a road or highway and wherein the first displayable content includes information relating to business establishments near the road or highway location of the display device associated with the first recipient processor.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein locating each display device comprises locating the display device associated with the first recipient processor adjacent a highway or freeway off-ramp and wherein the first displayable content includes information relating to business establishments accessible from that highway or freeway off-ramp.

17. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising providing an advertiser interface for allowing advertisers in the vicinity of the area in which the display device associated with the first recipient processor is located to enter or modify content for inclusion in the first displayable content, and allowing advertisers in the vicinity of the area in which the display device associated with the second recipient processor is located to enter or modify content for inclusion in the second displayable content.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the advertiser interface comprises a web site.