Providing location-based information in local wireless zones

• US 20050148342A1
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

The present invention allows mobile terminals to receive location-based information upon entering a local wireless zone established by an access point. The access point includes or is associated with one or more servers, which may provide the location-based information and control access. The local wireless zone is a limited area in which communications between the access point and the mobile terminal are possible. Once the mobile terminal enters into one or more local wireless zones, the presence of the mobile terminal in the local wireless zone is detected. Once detected, the mobile terminal is afforded access to a server on which the location-based information is stored. The server is associated with the local wireless zone.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based information to mobile terminals in local wireless zones, the method comprising:

a) recognizing a mobile terminal within a local wireless zone in which local wireless communications with the mobile terminal via an access point are possible; and

b) providing location-based information to the mobile terminal via the access point from a server associated with the local wireless zone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request for the location-based information from the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending a zone identifier to the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving the zone identifier from the mobile terminal, wherein the zone identifier is used at least in part to identify the location-based information to provide to the mobile terminal from the server.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) receiving a host configuration protocol request for configuration information bearing on communications between the mobile terminal and the server; and

b) providing the configuration information to the mobile terminal to facilitate communication between the mobile terminal and the server.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the host configuration protocol request comprises a zone identifier.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the configuration information provided to the mobile terminal comprises an IP address for the server from which the location-based information is requested.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

a) receiving a domain name service request; and

b) providing an IP address for the server from which the location-based information is requested.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the domain name service request comprises the zone identifier, and wherein the IP address is associated with the zone identifier.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the domain name service request comprises certain of the configuration data, and wherein the IP address is associated with the configuration data.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) receiving user information from the mobile terminal; and

b) identifying the location-based information based at least in part on the local wireless zone and the user information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the location-based information is provided according to a service for users within the local wireless zone.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the service consists of one of the group consisting of web services, voice communications, video call communications, instant messaging, email, voicemail, commerce transactions, facsimile, authentication, geo-location, file transfer, streaming media, and real-time media.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user selection bearing on one of a plurality of services associated with the local wireless zone, and wherein the location-based information is selected to correspond to the one of the plurality of services in the user selection.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the local wireless communications are wireless local area network communications.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the local wireless communications are Bluetooth communications.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the server is integrated with the access point.

18. A method for providing location-based information to mobile terminals in local wireless zones, the method comprising:

a) detecting a presence within a first local wireless zone in which local wireless communications with a first access point are possible; and

b) receiving first location-based information via the first access point from a first server associated with the first local wireless zone.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

a) detecting a presence within a plurality of local wireless zones in which local wireless communications with a plurality of access points are possible;

b) selecting one of the plurality of local wireless zones;

c) receiving second location-based information via the one of the plurality of local wireless zones.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

a) presenting the plurality of local wireless zones to a user of the mobile terminal; and

b) receiving a response from the user corresponding to the one of the plurality of local wireless zones.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising sending a request for the first location-based information via the access point.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving a zone identifier.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising sending the zone identifier to identify the first location-based information.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

a) sending to a host server via the access point a host configuration protocol request for configuration information bearing on communications between the mobile terminal and the first server; and

b) receiving the configuration information to facilitate communication between the mobile terminal and the first server.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the host configuration protocol request comprises a zone identifier.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the configuration information comprises an IP address for the first server from which the first location-based information is requested.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

a) sending a domain name service request to a domain name server; and

b) receiving an IP address for the first server from which the first location-based information is requested.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the domain name service request comprises the zone identifier, and wherein the IP address is associated with the zone identifier.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the domain name service request comprises certain of the configuration data, and wherein the IP address is associated with the configuration data.

30. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending user information to the first server, which identifies the first location-based information based at least in part on the local wireless zone and the user information.

31. The method of claim 18 wherein the first location-based information is received according to a service for users within the local wireless zone.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the service consists of one of the group consisting of web services, voice communications, video call communications, instant messaging, email, voicemail, commerce transactions, facsimile, authentication, geo-location, file transfer, streaming media, and real-time media.

33. The method of claim 18 further comprising sending a user selection bearing on one of a plurality of services associated with the local wireless zone, and wherein the location-based information is selected to correspond to the one of the plurality of services in the user selection.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein the local wireless communications are wireless local area network communications.

35. The method of claim 18 wherein the local wireless communications are Bluetooth communications.

36. The method of claim 18 wherein the first server is integrated with the first access point.

37. The method of claim 18 further comprising facilitating cellular communications via a cellular communication network.

38. A local wireless system for providing location-based information to mobile terminals in local wireless zones, the method comprising:

a) means for recognizing a mobile terminal within a local wireless zone in which local wireless communications with the mobile terminal via an access point are possible; and

b) means for providing location-based information to the mobile terminal via the access point from a server associated with the local wireless zone.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprising means for receiving a request for the location-based information from the mobile terminal.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for sending a zone identifier to the mobile terminal.

41. The system of claim 40 further comprising means for receiving the zone identifier from the mobile terminal wherein the zone identifier is used at least in part to identify the location-based information to provide to the mobile terminal from the server.

42. The system of claim 38 further comprising:

a) means for receiving a host configuration protocol request for configuration information bearing on communications between the mobile terminal and the server; and

b) means for providing the configuration information to the mobile terminal to facilitate communication between the mobile terminal and the server.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the host configuration protocol request comprises a zone identifier.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein the configuration information provided to the mobile terminal comprises an IP address for the server from which the location-based information is requested.

45. The system of claim 42 further comprising:

a) means for receiving a domain name service request; and

b) means for providing an IP address for the server from which the location-based information is requested.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the domain name service request comprises the zone identifier, and wherein the IP address is associated with the zone identifier.

47. The system of claim 45 wherein the domain name service request comprises certain of the configuration data, and wherein the IP address is associated with the configuration data.

48. The system of claim 38 further comprising:

a) means for receiving user information from the mobile terminal; and

b) means for identifying the location-based information in light of the local wireless zone and the user information.

49. The system of claim 38 wherein the location-based information is provided according to a service for users within the local wireless zone.

50. A mobile terminal for receiving location-based information in local wireless zones, the mobile terminal comprising:

a) a communication interface adapted to facilitate local wireless communications with access points when present within the local wireless zones;

b) a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

i) detect a presence within a first local wireless zone in which local wireless communications with a first access point are possible; and

ii) receive first location-based information via the first access point from a first server associated with the first local wireless zone.

51. The mobile terminal of claim 50 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) detect a presence within a plurality of local wireless zones in which local wireless communications with a plurality of access points are possible;

b) select one of the plurality of local wireless zones;

c) receive second location-based information via the one of the plurality of local wireless zones.

52. The mobile terminal of claim 51 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) present the plurality of local wireless zones to a user of the mobile terminal; and

b) receive a response from the user corresponding to the one of the plurality of local wireless zones.

53. The mobile terminal of claim 50 wherein the control system is further adapted to send a request for the first location based information via the first access point.

54. The mobile terminal of claim 53 wherein the control system is further adapted to receive a zone identifier.

55. The mobile terminal of claim 54 wherein the control system is further adapted to send the zone identifier to identify the first location-based information.

56. The mobile terminal of claim 55 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) send to a host server via the access point a host configuration protocol request for configuration information bearing on communications between the mobile terminal and the first server; and

b) receive the configuration information to facilitate communication between the mobile terminal and the first server.

57. The mobile terminal of claim 56 wherein the host configuration protocol request comprises a zone identifier.

58. The mobile terminal of claim 56 wherein the configuration information comprises an IP address for the first server from which the first location-based information is requested.

59. The mobile terminal of claim 56 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) send a domain name service request to a domain name server; and

b) receive an IP address for the first server from which the first location-based information is requested.

60. The mobile terminal of claim 59 wherein the domain name service request comprises the zone identifier, and wherein the IP address is associated with the zone identifier.

61. The mobile terminal of claim 59 wherein the domain name service request comprises certain of the configuration data, and wherein the IP address is associated with the configuration data.

62. The mobile terminal of claim 50 wherein the control system is further adapted to send user information to the first server, which identifies the location-based information in light of the local wireless zone and the user information.

63. The mobile terminal of claim 50 wherein the location-based information is received according to a service for users within the local wireless zone.

64. The mobile terminal of claim 63 wherein the service consists of one of the group consisting of web services, voice communications, video call communications, instant messaging, email, voicemail, commerce transactions, facsimile, authentication, geo-location, file transfer, streaming media, and real-time media.

65. The mobile terminal of claim 50 wherein the control system and the communication interface are further adapted to facilitate cellular communications via a cellular communication network.