Environment-interactive context-aware devices and methods

• US 20020122055A1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Parupudi, Gopal, Evans, Stephen S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Location aware handheld portable computing devices, methods of operating the same, and computer architectures are described. In one described embodiment, a handheld portable computing device determines its location. The device can then acquire digital data that enables a user of the device to interact with a location environment. The digital data can comprise different types of data that permit environmental interaction. One type of data comprises one or more applets that can be loaded and executed by the device. Other types of data include code download pointers such as URLs that can point to Internet-accessible locations from which applets can be obtained. The device can include an applet cache that can maintain one or more applets for future use on the device. When a device location changes, the device can flush or otherwise empty the cache of applets that are no longer needed. In one particular embodiment, the device determines it location by accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations. The device, or software code that is executing on the device, can then traverse at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location.

Claims

1. A method of operating a portable computing device comprising:

determining a location of the portable computing device;

acquiring digital data associated with the determined location and that can permit the portable computing device to interact with a location environment; and

interacting with the location environment based, at least in part, on the acquired digital data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations; and

traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing comprises locally accessing said one or more hierarchical tree structures.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing comprises accessing said one or more hierarchical tree structures from a source that is remote from the device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said accessing comprises wirelessly accessing said one or more hierarchical tree structures.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises receiving location information from multiple different location providers and, based on the location information, determining the location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises wirelessly receiving location information from multiple different location providers and, based on the location information, determining the location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

receiving location information from multiple different location providers, the location information pertaining to a current location;

accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations; and

traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures responsive to receiving the location information sufficient to ascertain a device location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises data that is used to render a Web page.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said interacting comprises interacting with the Web page.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises code download pointers that reference software code that can be wirelessly downloaded on the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said interacting comprises:

using the code download pointers to access and load the software code on the device; and

executing the software code on the device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said interacting comprises:

using the code download pointers to access and load the software code on the device; and

executing the software code in a runtime environment on the device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital data comprises one or more applets that can be executed on the device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said interacting comprises locally executing the one or more applets.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said acquiring comprises wirelessly acquiring the digital data via the Internet.

17. A portable computing device programmed with instructions that implement the method of claim 1.

18. A handheld portable computing device programmed with instructions that implement the method of claim 1.

19. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 1.

20. A method of operating a portable computing device comprising:

determining a location of the portable computing device by accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations; and

traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location;

acquiring one or more applets associated with the determined location; and

locally executing the one or more applets sufficient to interact with a location environment.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising maintaining an applet cache in which applets can be cached for use on the device.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising removing one or more applets when a device location changes such the one or more applets are no longer needed.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said acquiring comprises generating a query that is configured to identify one or more applets that are associated with the location.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said acquiring comprises querying a server to ascertain one or more applets that are associated with the location and that provide a location-specific service.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising receiving a response from the server that contains digital data associated with services that are provided for that location.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the digital data comprises one or more URLs that are associated with applets that can be executed for that location.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the digital data comprises one or more applets that can be executed for that location.

28. A portable computing device programmed with instructions that implement the method of claim 20.

29. A handheld computing device programmed with instructions that implement the method of claim 20.

30. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 20.

31. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a portable computer device, cause the computing device to:

determine its location;

generate a service query that is configured to identify services that are associated with the location;

wirelessly send the query to one or more servers;

receive a response from the one or more servers that contains digital data associated with applets that can be executed by the device and that provide a location-specific service; and

locally execute the one or more applets to interact with a location environment.

32. The computer-readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing device to determine its location by accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations, and traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location.

33. The computer-readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing device to determine its location by:

receiving location information from multiple different location providers, the location information pertaining to a current location; and

accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations; and

traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures, based at least in part on the location information, to ascertain a device location.

34. The computer-readable media of claim 31, wherein the response comprises one or more URLs associated with applets that can be executed by the device, and further comprising using the URLs to wirelessly access one or more associated applets.

35. The computer-readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing device to:

receive one or more digitally signed applets; and

authenticate the one or more applets prior to executing them on the device.

36. The computer-readable media of claim 31, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing device to maintain an applet cache in which applets can be cached for future use on the device.

37. The computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing device to remove one or more applets from the applet cache when a device location changes such that the one or more applets are no longer needed.

38. A portable computing device embodying the computer-readable media of claim 31.

39. A handheld computing device embodying the computer-readable media of claim 31.

40. A computer architecture comprising:

a location service module configured to wirelessly receive location information and ascertain a location associated with the location information; and

an applet manager operably associated with the location service module and configured to receive and manage applets that can be wirelessly received and that pertain to a location that is ascertained by the location service module, the applets being configured to enable a user of a computer device to interact with a location environment.

41. The computer architecture of claim 40 wherein the location service module is configured to ascertain a location by accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations and traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location.

42. The computer architecture of claim 40 further comprising an applet runtime environment in which one or more wirelessly received applets can execute.

43. The computer architecture of claim 40 further comprising an applet cache in which applets can be cached for use in connection with an ascertained location.

44. The computer architecture of claim 40 further comprising a network component configured to establish wireless communication with a network so that applets can be wirelessly received.

45. A portable computing device embodying the computer architecture of claim 40.

46. A handheld computing device embodying the computer architecture of claim 40.

48. The computing device of claim 47, wherein the location service module is configured to ascertain a location by accessing one or more hierarchical tree structures each of which comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical locations, and traversing at least one node on the one or more hierarchical tree structures to ascertain a device location.

47. A handheld computing device comprising:

a location service module configured to receive location information and ascertain a location associated with the location information;

an applet manager operably associated with the location service module and configured to receive and manage applets that can be wirelessly received and that pertain to a location that is ascertained by the location service module;

an applet runtime environment in which applets that are received can execute to enable a user of the device to interact with a location environment;

an applet cache in which applets can be cached for use in connection with an ascertained location; and

a network component configured to establish wireless communication with a network so that applets can be wirelessly received.