Geographical web browser, methods, apparatus and systems

• US 7,142,843 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Push Data LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Geobrowser Innovations LP
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan, Anastasi, Mark Nicholas, MacFarlane, Duncan Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US11/099,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.3, 455/422.1, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/456.3, 370/310, 707/10, 709/708, 709/226, 340/905, 705/37, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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 packet filter filters local hotspot push messages to see whether they coincide with the user'"'"'s preferences. In some embodiments, the push message is used to notify the user that information is available for download, and in other embodiments the push message provides the content directly to the user.

Claims

1. A geographical information system comprising:

a public access wireless local area network station with a low-power local coverage area substantially smaller than a coverage area of a base station node of a cellular network, the public access wireless local area network station operative to wirelessly communicate with one or more user mobile devices, and to provide connectivity to a remote network server via an Internet, the public access wireless local area network station further operative to wirelessly transmit at least one unsolicited data packet into its low-power local coverage area, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains an identifier; and

a wireless user device configured to receive the unsolicited data packet, to compare the identifier to one or more stored user-configured preference parameters and to selectively generate a user-selectable notification for display to a user associated with the wireless user device when the comparison generates a positive result;

wherein the user has the ability to select the user-selectable notification, and in response to the selection, a request packet is wirelessly sent from the wireless user device to the public access wireless local area network station and forwarded via the Internet to the remote network server, and in response, a set of content related to the notification is downloaded to the wireless user device from the remote network server.

2. The geographical information system of claim 1, further comprising:

the cellular network, the cellular network comprising the cellular base station, the cellular base station being coupled to provide to the wireless user device a first connection to the Internet.

3. The geographical information system of claim 2 wherein the public access wireless local area network station provides a second connection to the Internet, and depending on the geographical position of the wireless user device, the wireless user device can select between using the first and second connections while maintaining communications with the remote network server.

4. The geographical information system of claim 3, wherein the wireless user device can switch between the first and second connections while also maintaining communications with one or more additional remote network servers that are coupled to the Internet.

5. The geographical information system of claim 1 wherein the unsolicited data packet contains a URL indicative of an application layer address of the remote network server, and the URL is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

6. The geographical information system of claim 1 wherein the unsolicited data packet contains a network address of the remote network server, and the network address is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

7. Mobile communications apparatus comprising:

a cellular radio transceiver configured for communications with a cellular base station via a cellular communications air interface protocol that supports wireless packet data connectivity, the cellular base station being configured to provide a communication path to a remote network server via an Internet;

a wireless local area network packet transceiver configured for communications with a public access wireless local area network station via a low-power wireless local area network protocol, wherein the wireless local area network packet transceiver has a transmission radius substantially less than the transmission radius of the cellular radio transceiver and is adapted for wireless local area network communications;

a network interface module coupled to the wireless local area network packet transceiver, the network interface module operative to receive one or more unsolicited packets from the public access wireless local area network station, the network interface module further comprising a packet filter and one or more user-configured filter parameters, wherein the packet filter is operative to compare at least the one or more user-configured filter parameters to indication of a type of content associated with the one or more unsolicited packets, and the mobile communications apparatus is configured to generate a notification for display on a user interface when the comparison generates a positive result.

8. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the public access wireless local area network station is configured to provide a connection to an Internet, and the notification is selectable by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus further comprising:

a content download software operative to send a request packet to be routed to the network server via the public access wireless local area network station and via the Internet responsive to selection of the notification by the user, and to receive downloadable content from the remote server via the Internet, the downloadable content being related to the notification.

9. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more unsolicited packets contain an address of the remote network server, and this address is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

10. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the address comprises a URL indicative of an application layer address of the remote network server.

11. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the notification is selectable by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus further comprising:

a content download software operative to send a request packet to be routed to the network server via the cellular base station and via the Internet responsive to a selection of the notification by the user, and to receive downloadable content that is stored on the remote server, the downloadable content being related to the notification.

12. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cellular base station provides a first connection to an Internet, the public access wireless local area network station provides a second connection to the Internet, and the wireless user device can select between using the first and second connections while maintaining communications with the remote network server.

13. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 7, wherein the notification comprises a user selectable image, which upon selection by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, provides to the user content related to the notification.

14. A mobile communications apparatus, comprising:

a first receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless local area network station via a low power wireless communication protocol and to receive an unsolicited packet from the wireless local area network station, the unsolicited packet containing an indication of information content;

an information content selective packet filter configured to receive at least the indication and to compare one or more stored information-content parameters to at least the indication and to selectively produce an output when the comparison provides a positive result; and

a display device configured to receive information related to the output and operative to display an image related to the received information.

15. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the image is selectable by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus further comprising a software component operative to, in response to selection of the image by the user, cause a request packet to be coupled via the wireless local area network station to a remote network server that has additional content related to the indication.

16. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unsolicited data packet contains an address of the remote network server, and this address is used to direct the request packet to the remote network server.

17. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the address comprises a URL indicative of an application layer address of the remote network server.

18. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 15, wherein the remote network server is coupled to the wireless local area network via an Internet.

19. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 18, wherein the software component is further operative to receive from the remote network server, via the Internet and the wireless local area network station, a set of downloadable content related to the indication.

20. The mobile communications apparatus claim 14, further comprising a second receiver wirelessly coupled to a cellular network.

21. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 20, wherein the image is selectable by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus further comprising a software component that, in response to selection of the image by the user, causes a request packet to be coupled via the cellular network to a remote network server that has additional content related to the indication.

22. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 20, wherein the image is selectable by a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus, the mobile communications apparatus further comprising a software component that, in response to selection of the image by the user, using an address extracted from the unsolicited packet, causes a request packet to be coupled via the cellular network and an Internet to a remote network server that has downloadable content related to the indication, and to receive from the remote network server, via the Internet and the cellular network, the downloadable content related to the indication.

23. The mobile communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information content related to the unsolicited packet is streamed to the first receiver via the low-power wireless communication protocol and selectively passed through the packet filter without the need for a user associated with the mobile communications apparatus to request the information content to be downloaded.