Collaborative location server/system

• US 6,983,313 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korkea-Aho, Mari
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/329,321
• Time in Patent Office: 2,399 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 709/229, 701/208, 707/10, 707/513, 345/733, 345/744, 715/733, 715/744
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/00 Tariff metering apparatus in taximeters G07B13/00; apparatus actuated by coins, cards or the like with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas, or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A collaborative location server for storing, retrieving and publishing location information with respect to a geographical point. The invention includes a storage which stores location information in corresponding relation to each of a plurality of geographical points. The location information provides information concerning the geographical points. The invention further includes storage and retrieval apparatus, responsive to a storage and retrieval request including positioning information, for storing and retrieving location information concerning a geographical point corresponding to the positioning information.

Claims

1. A collaborative location server, operatively connected to a network, for storing, retrieving and publishing information input by a plurality of users of mobile terminals with respect to geographical points, comprising:

a storage which stores location information, including user inputted information in corresponding relation to each of a plurality of geographical points, said location information including information concerning said geographical points and access right information relating to said user inputted information;

wherein said user inputted information is stored in said storage along with the location information by mobile terminal users positioned in a vicinity of at least one of the plurality of geographical points for use by other mobile terminal users when positioned in the vicinity of said at least one of the plurality of geographical points;

storage means responsive to a storage request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a first mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of a geographical point for storing said user inputted information about said geographical point wherein at least one access right level is applied to at least portions of said user inputted information; and

retrieval means responsive to a retrieval request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a second mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of said geographical point for retrieving at least a portion of said user inputted information along with the location information concerning said geographical point corresponding to an access right level of said second mobile terminal requesting said information; and

wherein the location information including at least a portion of said user inputted information is provided to said second mobile terminal user by way of at least one web link.

2. A collaborative location server according to claim 1, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first and second mobile terminals is supplied by a positioning system.

3. A collaborative location server according to claim 1, wherein said location information for each geographical point includes position information of said geographical point including geographical coordinates, identification (ID) information of said geographical point including a name, title information of said location information including a title of said location information, type information of said geographical point including information concerning a type of said geographical point, owner information of said location information including information of an owner of said location information, said access right information of said location information including information of access rights of users to said location information, comment information including comments of a creator of said location information, link information including information for linking said location information to other information, and date information including a time and date of creation of said location information and expiration date of said location information.

4. A collaborative location server according to claim 3, wherein said link information includes information for linking said location information to at least one web page stored on said collaborative location server or on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.

5. A collaborative location server according to claim 3, wherein any information included in said location information includes link information for linking said location information to other information.

6. A collaborative location server according to claim 1, wherein the location information is a virtual electronic document providing information concerning a corresponding geographical point.

7. A collaborative location server according to claim 6, wherein each virtual electronic document is a web page.

8. A collaborative location server according to claim 7, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages providing information about other location information.

9. A collaborative location server according to claim 7, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages stored on said collaborative location server or on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.

10. A collaborative location server according to claim 1, wherein the location information stored by the first user of a mobile terminal is retrieved by the second user of a mobile terminal.

11. A method using a network of storing, retrieving and publishing information input by a plurality of users of mobile terminals with respect to geographical points comprising the steps of:

storing location information including user inputted information in a storage, operatively connected to the network, in corresponding relation to each of a plurality of geographical points,

wherein said location information includes information concerning said geographical points and access right information relating to said user inputted information,

wherein said user inputted information is stored in said storage along with the location information by mobile terminal users positioned in a vicinity of at least one of the plurality of geographical points for use by other mobile terminal users when positioned in the vicinity of said at least one of the plurality of geographical points;

in response to a storage request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a first mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of a geographical point, storing said user inputted information about said geographical point wherein at least one access right level is applied to at least portions of said user inputted information and in response to a retrieval request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a second mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of said geographical point, retrieving at least a portion of said user inputted information along with the location information concerning said geographical point corresponding to an access right level of said second mobile terminal requesting said information; and

wherein the location information including at least a portion of said user inputted information is provided to said second mobile terminal user by way of at least one web link.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first mobile terminal user indicates a geographical position of said first mobile terminal.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first mobile terminal is supplied by a positioning system.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

allowing a user of said first mobile terminal to input said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first mobile terminal to said second mobile terminal.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein said location information for each geographical point includes position information of said geographical point including geographical coordinates, identification (ID) information of said geographical point including a name, title information of said location information including a title of said location information, type information of said geographical point including information concerning a type of said geographical point, owner information of said location information including information of an owner of said location information, said access right information of said location information including information defining access rights to said location information, comment information including comments of a creator of said location information, link information including information for linking said location information to other information, and date information including a time and date of creation of said location information and expiration date of said location information.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein information included in said location information includes link information for linking said location information to other information.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said link information links said location information to at least one web page stored on said collaborative location server or on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein the location information is a virtual electronic document providing information concerning a corresponding geographical point.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the virtual electronic document is a web page.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages forming other location information.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages stored on said collaborative location server on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.

22. A collaborative location system operatively connected to a network for storing, retrieving and publishing information input by a plurality of users of mobile terminals with respect to geographical points, comprising:

a plurality of collaborative location servers operatively connected to the network, each storing and retrieving location information input by a plurality of users of mobile terminals with respect to geographical points included within a predefined area, said each collaborative location server comprises;

a storage which stores location information including user inputted information in corresponding relation to each of a plurality of geographical points;

wherein said location information provides information concerning said geographical points and access right information relating to said user inputted information;

wherein said user inputted information is stored in said storage along with the location information by mobile terminal users positioned in a vicinity of at least one of the plurality of geographical points for use by other mobile terminal users when positioned in the vicinity of said at least one of the plurality of geographical points;

storage and retrieval means responsive to a storage request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a first mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of a geographical point for storing said user inputted information about said first geographical point wherein at least one access right level is applied to at least portions of said user inputted information and a retrieval request, including positioning information and access right information, initiated by a mobile terminal user positioned in a vicinity of said geographical point for retrieving at least a portion of said user inputted information along with the location information concerning said geographical point corresponding to an access right level of a second mobile terminal requesting said information; and

wherein the location information including at least a portion of said user inputted information is provided to said second mobile terminal user by way of at last one web link.

23. A collaborative location system according to claim 22, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first and second mobile terminals indicates a geographical position of said first and second mobile terminals.

24. A collaborative location system according to claim 23, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said first and second mobile terminals is supplied by a positioning system.

25. A collaborative location system according to claim 22, wherein said positioning information included in each of said storage and retrieval requests transmitted by said fist and second mobile terminals is input by a user thereof.

26. A collaborative location system according to claim 22, wherein said location information for each geographical point includes position information of said geographical point including geographical coordinates, identification (ID) information of said geographical point including a name, title information of said location information including a title of said location information, type information of said geographical point including information concerning a type of said geographical point, owner information of said location information including information of an owner of said location information, said access right information of said location information including information of access rights of users to said location information, comment information including comments of a creator of said location information, link information including information for linking said location information to other information, and date information including a time and date of creation of said location information and expiration date of said location information.

27. A collaborative location system according to claim 26, wherein any of information included in said location information includes link information for linking said location information to other information.

28. A collaborative location system according to claim 27, wherein said link information links said location information to at least one web page stored on said collaborative location server or on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.

29. A collaborative location system according to claim 22, wherein the location information is a virtual electronic document providing information concerning a corresponding geographical point.

30. A collaborative location system according to claim 29, wherein each virtual electronic document is a web page.

31. A collaborative location system according to claim 30, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages forming information about other location information.

32. A collaborative location system according to claim 30, wherein said web page is linked to other web pages stored on said collaborative location server or on a web server on a network accessible to said collaborative location server.