Systems and methods for obtaining location based information using a mobile communication device

• US 7,089,022 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Diego
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D.
• Application Number:
  US11/049,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/404.2, 455/440, 455/457, 455/422.1, 455/406, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 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

A method for obtaining information related to services within a certain area using a mobile communication device includes downloading a menu of services based on a coarse determination of the position of the mobile communication device, where each service in the menu is associated with a telephone number. The associated telephone number is used to connect to a networked based server that stores information related to a plurality of services. Once the menu of services and associated telephone numbers is downloaded, a subscriber can select one of the services in order to obtain information related to the service using the associated number.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining location based information for a mobile wireless communication device, the method comprising:

accessing a network based server;

obtaining coarse position information of the mobile wireless communication device;

providing the coarse position information to the network based server;

requesting a menu of services from the network based server;

receiving the menu of services from the network based server based on the coarse position information;

receiving a service selection from the menu;

initiating a communication to an information server associated with the selected service;

obtaining fine position information of the mobile wireless communication device;

providing the fine position information to the information server; and

receiving service information corresponding to the selected service based on the fine position information.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the initiating the communication with the information server comprises initiating a voice call to a number associated with the selected service.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the providing the fine position information comprises transmitting dual tone multi-frequency tones indicative of the fine position information.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the service information comprises at least one of pre-stored digital audio and dynamically generated synthesized text-to-speech.

5. A mobile communication device comprising:

a position determination system;

a processor coupled to the position determination system;

a radio coupled to the processor and configured to transmit and receive signals; and

a memory, coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the following steps;

access a network based server;

obtain coarse position information of the mobile wireless communication device;

provide the coarse position information to the network based server;

request a menu of services from the network based server;

receive the menu of services from the network based server based on the coarse position information;

determine that a service has been selected from the menu;

initiate a communication with an information server associated with the selected service using the radio;

obtain fine position information of the mobile wireless communication device using the position determination system;

provide the fine position information to the information server; and

receive service information corresponding to the selected service based on the fine position information.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 5

wherein communication initiated with the information server comprises a voice call to a number associated with the selected service.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6,

wherein the fine position information comprises dual tone multi-frequency tones indicative of the fine position information.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 5,

wherein the service information comprises at least one of pre-stored digital audio and dynamically generated synthesized text-to-speech.

9. A server for a mobile communication network, the server comprising:

a memory, configured to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, and configured to execute the instructions comprising;

receiving a coarse position of a mobile wireless communication device;

providing a menu of services based on the coarse position;

receiving a service information request corresponding to an item of the menu of services;

receiving fine position information of the mobile wireless communication device;

retrieving service information corresponding to the service information request based on the fine position information; and

transmitting the service information to the wireless mobile communication device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the service information comprises information stored in a database connected to the server.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein

wherein the server is communicably coupled to the wireless mobile communication device over a voice call connection.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein

wherein the fine position information comprises dual tone multi-frequency tones indicative of the fine position information.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein

wherein the service information comprises pre-stored digital audio.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein

wherein the service information comprises dynamically generated synthesized text-to-speech.