Distributed location based service system

• US 20020155844A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Enhancement Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Griffiths, Jonathan Charles, Rankin, Paul John
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 4/06 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 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for providing a distributed location based service system to a mobile user. Information related to a particular geographic location may be electronically transferred to a mobile electronic device, without a request from the user, and interpreted locally on the device in the form of a virtual map of location based resources. The mobile device is capable of determining its location using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a process of measurement and prediction based on calculation. The mobile device can then use the location information and compare it to available location based resources within the device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a location determination element;

a radio frequency transceiver connected to said location determination element;

an electronic memory connected to said transceiver;

a processor connected to said location determination element, said transceiver, and said memory; and

an output element connected to said processor;

whereby information regarding resources available at the location of the mobile communication device may be downloaded to the device, without a request from the device, and whereby the processor can process said information and such processed information is made available at the output element.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said output element is a visual display.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said location determination element uses global positioning information.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said memory has an algorithm stored therein.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein said algorithm comprises a location prediction algorithm.

6. The device according to claim 1 and further including an input element whereby the user can input information into the device and store said information in the memory.

7. The device according to claim 4 wherein said algorithm comprises a time based algorithm which operates on time preference information.

8. The device according to claim 7 and further including an input element whereby the user can input time preference selections into the device.

9. The device according to claim 4 wherein said algorithm comprises a geographic preference algorithm.

10. The device according to claim 4 wherein said algorithm comprises a subject matter preference algorithm.

11. A communication system comprising:

a mobile communication device including a location determination element;

a radio frequency transceiver connected to said location determination element;

a memory connected to said transceiver;

a processor connected to said location determination element, said transceiver, and said memory; and

an output connected to said processor;

a location resource server including a memory in which data is stored, said data pertaining to resources available at selected geographic locations, said location resource server capable of establishing communication with said mobile communication device;

whereby said location resource server can establish communication with said device and download information to said mobile communication device, without a request for information from said device, and whereby said device can process such information and output processed information on its output, said processed information pertaining to resources available at the location of said mobile communication device.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said device memory includes an algorithm.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said algorithm includes a location prediction algorithm.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein said mobile communication device includes an input.

15. The system according to claim 14 including a time based algorithm for processing information based on time preferences selected by the user on said input.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein said algorithm includes a geographic preference algorithm.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein said algorithm includes a subject matter preference algorithm.

18. The system according to claim 11 wherein said location determination element uses global positioning information.

20. The method according to claim 19 including the step of processing said downloaded information by means of an algorithm stored in said device.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said algorithm is time based.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein said algorithm is subject matter based.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein said algorithm is geographically based.

24. The method according to claim 20 including the step of predicting the future location of said device on the basis of a location prediction algorithm.

25. The method according to claim 19 wherein said location determination step uses global positioning information.

26. The method according to claim 20 including the step of visually displaying said processed information.

19. A method for supplying geographically based resource information to a mobile communication device comprising:

determining the location of said device;

communicating said location to a location resource server;

selecting information based on said communicated determined location; and

downloading said selected information to said device.