Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems

• US 20050177645A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Push Data LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Push Data LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan, Anastasi, Mark Nicholas, MacFarlane, Duncan Leo
• Application Number:
  US11/099,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177645A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A geographical web browser allows a user to navigate a network application such as the Word Wide Web by physically navigating in geographical coordinates and roaming through coverage areas of cellular base stations, wireless LANs, microcells, and other such broadcast domains. A mobile unit communicates with a network server via an air interface that supports wireless packet data. A network server uses a set of user preferences to filter a set of server-side information in accordance with a user'"'"'s interest. A content-selective information filter performs a network server-side search to identify content that matches the user'"'"'s preferences and automatically downloads the information to the mobile unit based on a geographic event.

Claims

1. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a plurality of mobile units, an Internet, one or more network servers, and a plurality of public access wireless local area network stations each coupled to the Internet and providing a low power bi-directional wireless access connectivity in a respective restricted local coverage area, a method comprising:

maintaining a database of information, wherein the information is categorized in accordance with a set of information categories;

maintaining one or more user interest preferences associated with one or more categories of content that a particular user desires to receive;

receiving, via the Internet and via a particular public access wireless local area network station which is presently in wireless contact with a particular mobile unit operated by the particular user, a request packet that is automatically generated in the mobile unit based on a geographical event without the need for the particular user to request the information to be downloaded while connected to the particular public access wireless local area network station; and

causing a set of the information related to the one or more user preferences to be coupled via the Internet and via the particular public access wireless local area network station to the particular mobile unit;

wherein the particular user can enter into a user interface commands to access the set of information from a local storage area in the mobile unit irrespective of whether or not the particular mobile unit is thereafter connected to the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes an interactive GUI (graphical user interface) and at least some of the set of information is coupled to the user via the interactive GUI.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactive GUI includes a pick list that allows the user to select different downloaded information items.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactive GUI includes a next button that allows a user to advanced to a next downloaded information item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical event is generated when a set of GPS coordinates cross a boundary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical event is generated when a packet is received at the particular mobile unit received from the particular public access wireless local area network station.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving from the particular mobile unit an indication of a present location of the particular mobile unit;

wherein the present location is determined based upon an output of a GPS receiver located in the particular mobile unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical event is generated when a navigation packet is received from the particular public access wireless local area network station.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving from the particular mobile unit an indication of a present location of the particular mobile unit;

wherein the present location is determined based upon the navigation packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more user interest preferences are received via one or more user interest packets.

11. For use in a mobile data network environment comprising a plurality of mobile units, an Internet, one or more network servers, and a plurality of public access wireless local area network stations each coupled to the Internet and providing a low power bi-directional wireless access connectivity in a respective restricted local coverage area, a method comprising:

sending to a remote network server an indication of one or more user interest preferences associated with one or more categories of content that a particular user desires to receive, wherein the remote network server has access to a database of information, and the information is categorized in accordance with a set of information categories;

detecting a geographical event;

sending, via the Internet and via the particular public access wireless local area network station, a request packet that is automatically generated in the mobile unit in response to the detection of the geographical event without the need for the particular user to request the information to be downloaded while connected to the particular public access wireless local area network station;

receiving a set of the information related to the one or more user preferences via the Internet and via the particular public access wireless local area network; and

storing at least a portion of the set of information into a local storage area;

wherein the particular user can enter into a user interface commands to access the set of information from the local storage area in the mobile unit irrespective of whether or not the particular mobile unit is thereafter connected to the Internet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user interface includes an interactive GUI (graphical user interface) and at least some of the set of information is coupled to the user via the interactive GUI.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive GUI includes a pick list that allows the user to select different downloaded information items.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive GUI includes a next button that allows a user to advanced to a next downloaded information item.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographical event is generated when a set of GPS coordinates cross a boundary.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographical event is generated when a packet is received at the particular mobile unit from the particular public access wireless local area network station.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a present location of the particular mobile unit based upon an output of a GPS receiver located in the particular mobile unit; and

sending an indication of the present location of the particular mobile unit to the remote network server;

wherein the set of information relates to the user preference and is also qualified based upon the present location of the particular mobile unit.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographical event is generated when a navigation packet is received from the particular public access wireless local area network station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a present location of the particular mobile unit based upon information contained in the navigation packet;

sending an indication of the present location of the particular mobile unit to the remote network server; and

wherein the set of information relates to the user preference and is also qualified based upon the present location of the particular mobile unit.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more user interest preferences are received via one or more user interest packets.