Presenting broadcast received by mobile device based on proximity and content

• US 20050113115A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Drive-By Wifi, LLC
• Original Assignee: Drive-By Wifi, LLC
• Inventors: Tillman, Chad D., Haberman, William E., MacDonald, Brian D., Ivsan, John V.
• Application Number:
  US10/979,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20050113115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A method for practice in a system in which broadcasts are transmitted from wireless transmitters includes the steps of: receiving with the mobile device broadcasts from the wireless transmitters, wherein each broadcast includes informational content for presentation to a person; selecting a particular broadcast, which includes the steps of determining a proximity indicator for a wireless transmitter from which a broadcast is received, and determining whether the type of the informational content of a received broadcast is presentable according to the preferences profile; and, using the mobile device, presenting to the person the informational content of the selected particular broadcast. Determining a proximity indicator may include: measuring a signal strength; or comparing GPS data related to the position of the mobile device to positional data from the wireless transmitter. In this regard, the positional data may include GPS data related to the position of the wireless transmitter.

Claims

1. In a system in which broadcasts are transmitted from wireless transmitters, an invention comprising a method for presenting informational content of one or more selected broadcasts to a person using a mobile device that is within transmission range of each wireless transmitter and that has stored therein a preferences profile indicating at least one type of informational content, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving with the mobile device broadcasts from the wireless transmitters, each broadcast comprising informational content for presentation to a person;

(b) selecting a particular broadcast, including the steps of,

(i) determining a proximity indicator for a wireless transmitter from which a broadcast is received; and

(ii) determining whether the type of the informational content of a received broadcast is presentable according to the preferences profile; and

(c) using the mobile device, presenting to the person the informational content of the selected particular broadcast.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the preferences profile indicates types of informational content with which the person using the mobile device desires to be presented.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein determining whether the type of the informational content of a received broadcast is presentable according to the preferences profile comprises determining that the type of the informational content of the received broadcast matches a type of informational content that is indicated in the preferences profile.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the preferences profile indicates types of informational content with which the person using the mobile device does not desire to be presented.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein determining whether the type of the informational content of a received broadcast is presentable according to the preferences profile comprises determining that the type of the informational content of the received broadcast does not match a type of informational content indicated in the preferences profile.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity indicator comprises measuring a signal strength.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity indicator comprises determining the distance from the mobile device to the wireless transmitter.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein determining the distance comprises measuring a signal strength.

9. The invention of claim 7, wherein determining the distance comprises comparing GPS data related to the position of the mobile device to positional data from the wireless transmitter.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the positional data comprises GPS data related to the position of the wireless transmitter.

11. The invention of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity indicator comprises measuring a signal strength, and wherein selecting a particular broadcast comprises selecting, from among all of the received broadcasts having informational content that is presentable according to the preferences profile, a broadcast having the greatest signal strength.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein selecting a particular broadcast comprises identifying a set of all of the received broadcasts that have informational content that is presentable according to the preferences profile, and selecting from the identified set a broadcast having the greatest signal strength.

13. The invention of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity indicator comprises measuring a signal strength, wherein selecting a particular broadcast comprises a process of determining whether received broadcasts have informational content that is presentable according to the preferences profile, wherein the process begins with a broadcast having the greatest signal strength and proceeds in order of reducing signal strength, and wherein the selected particular broadcast comprises the first broadcast in such order that is determined to have presentable content.

14. The invention of claim 1, wherein determining a proximity indicator comprises determining a distance, wherein selecting a particular broadcast comprises a process of determining whether received broadcasts have informational content presentable according to the preferences profile, wherein the process begins with a broadcast received from the nearest transmitter and proceeds in order of increasing distance, and wherein the selected particular broadcast comprises the first broadcast in such order that is determined to have presentable content.