Location-based web browsing

• US 6,731,612 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koss, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGSDON, JOSEPH B
• Application Number:
  US09/106,819
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/461, 455/463, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104, 340/903, 340/905, 340/988, 709/245, 370/420, 370/427, 370/310, 370/313, 370/901, 370/902, 370/912, 370/913
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Described herein is a hyperlink browsing system that includes a plurality of mobile hyperlink browsers that communicate wirelessly with a plurality of servers having geographically-dependent information content. The hyperlink browsers have access to positioning receivers that generate varying geographical coordinates indicating the varying locations of the hyperlink browsers; When submitting HTTP requests, the hyperlink browsers include the geographical coordinates. The servers recognize the parameters and customize returned content in accordance with the geographic locations of the requesting users.

Claims

1. A hyperlink browsing system comprising:

a plurality of servers that provide hyperlinked content on a wide-area network, wherein at least some of the hyperlinked content is geographically-dependent;

a plurality of mobile clients that communicate with the wide-area network over a wireless communications medium, the mobile clients having varying locations;

the mobile clients having positioning receivers that generate varying geographical coordinates indicating the varying locations of the mobile clients;

the mobile clients having hyperlink browsers that are responsive to user designations of hyperlinked content to send HTTP requests to servers and to render content that is returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the hyperlink browser of a particular mobile client includes current geographical coordinates of that mobile client in HTTP requests;

wherein the servers select and return different geographically-dependent content to the hyperlink browsers in response to the HTTP requests depending on the geographical coordinates in the HTTP requests; and

wherein the servers return valid zone specifications in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specifications indicating geographical zones within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

2. A hyperlink browsing system comprising:

a plurality of servers that provide hyperlinked content on a wide-area network, wherein at least some of the hyperlinked content is geographically-dependent;

a plurality of mobile clients that communicate with the wide-area network over a wireless communications medium, the mobile clients having varying locations;

the mobile clients having positioning receivers that generate varying geographical coordinates indicating the varying locations of the mobile clients;

the mobile clients having hyperlink browsers that are responsive to user designations of hyperlinked content to send HTTP requests to servers and to render content that is returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the hyperlink browser of a particular mobile client includes current geographical coordinates of that mobile client in HTTP requests;

wherein the servers select and return different geographically-dependent content to the hyperlink browsers in response to the HTTP requests depending on the geographical coordinates in the HTTP requests; and

wherein the servers return valid radii specifications in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, each valid radius specification indicating a radius from the geographical coordinates of an HTTP request, within which a returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

3. A hyperlink browsing system comprising:

a plurality of servers that provide hyperlinked content on a wide-area network, wherein at least some of the hyperlinked content is geographically-dependent;

a plurality of mobile clients that communicate with the wide-area network over a wireless communications medium, the mobile clients having varying location;

the mobile clients having positioning receivers that generate varying, geographical coordinates indicating the vary locations of the mobile clients;

the mobile clients having hyperlink browsers that are responsive to user designations of hyperlinked content to send HTTP requests to servers and to render content that is returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the hyperlink browser of a particular mobile client includes current geographical coordinates of that mobile client in HTTP requests;

wherein the servers select and return different geographically-dependent content to the hyperlink browsers in response to the HTTP requests depending on the geographical coordinates in the HTTP requests;

wherein the servers return valid zone specifications in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specifications indicating geographical zones within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

the hyperlink browser of a particular mobile client sends a new resource request when that mobile client leaves the geographical zone specified for particular returned geographically-dependent content.

4. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a hyperlink browser program, the hyperlink browser program being executable by a mobile computer to perform steps comprising:

accepting a designation of hyperlinked content from a user;

obtaining current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer from a global positioning receiver associated with the mobile computer;

in response to user designation of hyperlinked content, sending an HTTP request to a hyperlinked content network over a wireless transmission medium;

including the current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer in the HTTP request; and

receiving geographically-dependent content from the hyperlinked content network as a result of the HTTP request, wherein a valid zone specification is returned to the hyperlink browser program conjunction with the geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

5. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a hyperlink browser program, the hyperlink browser program being executable by a mobile computer to perform steps comprising:

accepting a designation of hyperlinked content from a user;

obtaining current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer from a global positioning receiver associated with the mobile computer;

in response to user designation of hyperlinked content, sending an HTTP request to a hyperlinked content network over a wireless transmission medium;

including the current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer in the HTTP request;

receiving geographically-dependent content from the hyperlinked content network as a result of the HTTP request, wherein a valid zone specification is returned to the hyperlink browser program conjunction with the geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

sending a new HTTP request when the mobile computer leaves the indicated geographical zone.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a hyperlink browser program, the hyperlink browser program being executable by a mobile computer to perform steps comprising:

accepting a designation of hyperlinked content from a user;

obtaining current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer from a global positioning receiver associated with the mobile computer;

in response to user designation of hyperlinked content, sending an HTTP request to a hyperlinked content network over a wireless transmission medium;

including the current geographical coordinates of the mobile computer in the HTTP request;

receiving geographically-dependent content from the hyperlinked content network as a result of the HTTP request, wherein a valid radius is returned to the hyperlink browser program conjunction with the geographically-dependent content, the valid radius indicating a radius from the current geographical coordinates within which the geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

invalidating the geographically-dependent content when the mobile computer leaves an area encompassed by the radius.

7. A mobile information system comprising:

a mobile hyperlink browser that communicates with one or more remote servers, wherein a plurality of hyperlinked content is available from said one or more remote servers, at least some of the hyperlinked content being geographically-dependent;

wherein the mobile hyperlink browser sends resource requests to the one or more servers;

wherein at least some of the resource requests from the mobile hyperlink browser include geographical coordinates indicating the current location of the mobile hyperlink browser;

wherein the servers return valid zone specifications in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specifications indicating geographical zones within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

the mobile hyperlink browser invalidates returned geographically-dependent content when the mobile hyperlink browser leaves the geographical zone specified for that returned geographically-dependent content.

8. A mobile information system comprising:

a mobile hyperlink browser that communicates with one or more remote servers, wherein a plurality of hyperlinked content is available from said one or more remote servers, at least some of the hyperlinked content being geographically-dependent;

wherein the mobile hyperlink browser sends resource requests to the one or more servers;

wherein at least some of the resource requests from the mobile hyperlink browser include geographical coordinates indicating the current location of the mobile hyperlink browser;

wherein the servers return valid zone specifications in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specifications indicating geographical zones within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

the mobile hyperlink browser sends a new resource request when the mobile hyperlink browser leaves the geographical zone specified for particular returned geographically dependent content.

9. A mobile information system comprising:

a computer;

a wireless communications interface that provides communications between the computer and a remote server over a wireless communications medium;

a hyperlink browser that executes on the computer, the hyperlink browser sending resource requests to the remote server over the wireless communications medium;

a positioning receiver that generates varying geographical coordinates indicating the varying location of the computer;

wherein the hyperlink browser includes the varying geographical coordinates in at least some of the resource requests;

wherein the remote server returns a valid zone specification in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

the hyperlink browser invalidates returned geographically-dependent content when the computer leaves the geographical zone specified for that returned geographically-dependent content.

10. A mobile information system comprising:

a computer;

a wireless communications interface that provides communications between the computer and a remote server over a wireless communications medium;

a hyperlink browser that executes on the computer, the hyperlink browser sending resource requests to the remote server over the wireless communications medium;

a positioning receiver that generates varying geographical coordinates indicating the varying location of the computer;

wherein the hyperlink browser includes the varying geographical coordinates in at least some of the resource requests;

wherein the remote server returns a valid zone specification in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid; and

the hyperlink browser sends a new resource request when the computer leaves the geographical zone specified for particular returned geographically-dependent content.

11. A method of browsing hyperlinked content from a mobile browser, comprising;

accepting a designation of hyperlinked content from a user;

obtaining current geographical coordinates of the mobile browser;

in response to the designation of hyperlinked content, sending a resource request to a server over a wireless transmission medium;

including the current geographical coordinates in the resource request;

wherein the server returns a valid zone specification in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid, the method comprising a further step of invalidating the returned geographically-dependent content when the computer leaves the geographical zone specified for the returned geographically-dependent content.

12. A method of browsing hyperlinked content from a mobile browser, comprising:

accepting designation of hyperlinked content from a user;

obtaining current geographical coordinates of the mobile browser;

in response to the designation of hyperlinked content, sending a resource request to a server over a wireless transmission medium;

including the current geographical coordinates in the resource request;

wherein the server returns a valid zone specification in conjunction with returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid, the method comprising a further step of sending a new resource request when the computer leaves the geographical zone specified for particular returned geographically-dependent content.

13. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that are executable by a computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving HTTP requests from a plurality of mobile clients, wherein the HTTP requests include geographical coordinates indicating locations of the mobile clients;

in response to the HTTP requests, selecting geographical-dependent content based on the geographical coordinates included in the HTTP requests;

returning the selected geographical-dependent content to the requesting mobile clients; and

returning a valid zone specification in conjunction with the returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

14. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the valid zone specification is specified as a valid radius specification,

the valid radius specification indicating a radius from the location of a mobile client within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

15. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the returned geographically-dependent content comprises a listing of mobile users in proximity to requesting mobile clients.

16. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, the steps further comprising:

maintaining a database indicating current locations of different mobile clients based on the HTTP requests submitted by said clients;

wherein the returned geographically-dependent content comprises listings of mobile clients that are in proximity to requesting mobile clients.

17. A method of servicing resource requests in a network having hyperlinked content, comprising the following steps:

receiving resource requests from a plurality of mobile clients, wherein the resource requests include geographical coordinates indicating locations of the mobile clients;

in response to the resource requests, selecting geographical-dependent content based on the geographical coordinates included in the resource requests;

returning the selected geographical-dependent content to the requesting mobile clients; and

returning a valid zone specification in conjunction with the returned geographically-dependent content, the valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the valid zone specification is specified as a valid radius specification,

the valid radius specification indicating a radius from the location of a mobile client within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

maintaining a database indicating current locations of different mobile clients based on the HTTP requests submitted by said clients;

wherein the returned geographically-dependent content comprises listings of mobile clients that are in proximity to requesting mobile clients.

20. A hyperlink content system, comprising;

one or more servers having hyperlinked content, wherein at least some of the hyperlinked content is geographically-dependent;

the servers being programmed to accept resource requests that specify geographical coordinates of mobile clients;

the servers being programmed to respond to the resource requests by selecting and returning different geographically-dependent content depending on the specified geographical coordinates;

wherein the servers are further programmed to return valid zone specifications in conjunction with the returned geographically-dependent content, each valid zone specification indicating a geographical zone within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

21. A hyperlink content system as recited in claim 20, wherein each valid zone specification is specified as a valid radius specification, each valid radius specification indicating a radius from the location of a mobile client within which the returned geographically-dependent content is considered valid.

22. A hyperlink content system as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

a database indicating current locations of different mobile clients based on the HTTP requests submitted by said clients;

wherein the returned geographically-dependent content comprises listings of mobile clients that are in proximity to requesting mobile clients.