Broadcast channel delivery of location-based services information

• US 20070270161A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDPA Holdings Incorporated (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hampel, Karl Georg, MacDonald, William Michael, Poosala, Viswanath
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Location-based services are provided in a communication system comprising at least a portion of at least one wireless network. In one aspect of the invention, mobile user devices that are located within a common geographic area are identified, and location-based service information is delivered to the identified mobile user devices over a broadcast channel shared by those mobile user devices. A response to the location-based service information maybe received from at least a given one of the mobile user devices, and at least one message maybe controllably delivered to the given one of the mobile user devices based on the response to the location-based service information.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying mobile user devices, associated with a wireless network, that are located within a common geographic area; and

delivering location-based service information to the identified mobile user devices associated with the wireless network over a broadcast channel shared by said devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving a response to the location-based service information from at least a given one of the mobile user devices; and

controlling delivery of at least one message to the given one of the mobile user devices based on the response to the location-based service information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a given one of the mobile user devices stores the location-based service information in an internal memory thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the given one of the mobile user devices subsequently accesses at least a portion of the stored location-based service information based on at least one of location, presence and profile information associated with that device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast channel comprises a paging channel of the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the location-based service information comprises content-identifying information identifying location-based service content that is available for delivery to the mobile user devices, such that a given one of the mobile user devices can autonomously select from the available location-based service content particular location-based service content to be delivered to that device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the location-based service information comprises a plurality of content summaries.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the content summaries are transmitted to the mobile user devices as a linked list of content summaries transmitted in one or more slots of a slotted broadcast channel.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the location-based service information comprises assist information for use by a given one of the mobile user devices in determining its current location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the assist information comprises assist data for use in an AGPS location process.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium storing one or more software programs which when executed by at least one processing device implement the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus for use in providing location-based services, the apparatus comprising:

a location-based services system comprising at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory;

wherein the location-based services system is adapted to identify mobile user devices, associated with a wireless network, that are located within a common geographic area; and

wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to control delivery of location-based service information to the identified mobile user devices associated with the wireless network over a broadcast channel shared by said devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the location-based services system is external to the wireless network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the location-based services system is implemented using a layered architecture comprising at least an application support layer, an application enabling layer, a location-based service enabling layer and a network connectivity layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the location-based services system is further adapted to receive a response to the location-based service information from at least a given one of the mobile user devices, and to control delivery of at least one message to the given one of the mobile user devices based on the response to the location-based service information.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the broadcast channel comprises a paging channel of the wireless network.

17. A mobile user device associated with a wireless network, the mobile user device being configured to receive location-based service information delivered over a broadcast channel shared by the mobile user device and at least one additional mobile user device identified as being commonly located therewith.

18. The mobile user device of claim 17 wherein said mobile user device is configured to store the location-based service information in an internal memory thereof.

19. The mobile user device of claim 18 wherein said mobile user device is configured to subsequently access at least a portion of the stored location-based service information based on at least one of location, presence and profile information associated with that device.

20. The mobile user device of claim 17 wherein the location-based service information is delivered under the control of a location-based services system.