Geo-cast systems and methods

• US 7,613,467 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Fleischman, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/698,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.3, 455/414.1, 455/455.3, 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/466, 455/456.3, 455/458, 455/41.2, 340/988, 340/995.13, 701/213, 701/207, 709/219, 709/206, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• 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 4/06 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

Abstract

A system and method for communicating with only a subquantity of mobile receivers operating within a geographic area that the sender wishes to communicate with, particularly for time critical messages. A system for geo-casting messages to at least one receiver within a geographic region is provided. The system includes an input for receiving the message and a circuit coupled to the input. Upon receiving the message, the circuit reads a geographic designator. Then the circuit accesses a geospatial database using the geographic designator whereby the circuit determines which receivers are in the geographic region designated by the geographic designator. From the geospatial database, the circuit also determines addresses for the receivers so that the circuit can individually forward the message to the receivers within the designated geographic region.

Claims

1. A method of geo-casting a message to a plurality of recipients each having an address and a known geographic location, comprising:

reporting the current locations and addresses of the plurality of recipients to a geospatial database;

designating an arbitrary geographic region to transmit the message to by reference to a physical structure within the geographic region;

determining the addresses of the recipients that are located within the geographic region by using the geospatial database to compare the current reported locations of the recipients with the reference to the structure, the address of at least one of the recipients being an internet protocol (IP) address;

changing the wide area network address of the recipient to dynamically obtain a new IP address due to movement of the recipient; and

transmitting the message to the addresses of each of the recipients having current locations within the geographic region by serially unicasting the message, over a mobile ad hoc network,

operating a computer at an OSI application level.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a geospatial database and comparing the locations of the recipients and the designated geographic region.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a delivery method; and

transmitting the message according to the specified delivery method.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the recipients is mobile relative to the geographic region.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting the message further comprises requesting a reply, whereby recipients which do not receive the message may be identified.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an event has occurred and, if the event has occurred, then transmitting the message being made in response to the event.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the event further comprises a reported location being across a border, the message being a border crossing warning, the geographic region designated within a predetermined distance from the border.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message further comprises commercial information.

9. A telecommunication system comprising:

a mobile ad hoc network;

a transmitter connected to the network;

a memory containing a geospatial database and in communication with the transmitter;

a plurality of receivers including at least one mobile receiver, each of the plurality of receivers including a current address and a location in a geographic area and reporting the current address and the location to the geospatial database on a selected frequency; and

the transmitter enables reception of a message and a geographic destination designator that designates a geographic destination for the message, and further enables access to the geospatial database to identify the addresses of the receivers in the geographic destination to transmit the message to the identified receivers within that geographic destination based on the reported address for each said identified receiver, the geographic destination comprising a geographic region arbitrarily defined by reference to one or more physical structures within the geographic region, the transmitter enabling transmission of the message as a series of unicast messages to the identified receivers,

operating a computer at an OSI application level.

10. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, further comprising:

the transmitter enabling reception of a delivery method designator associated with the message, and transmission of the message according to the designated delivery method.

11. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, further comprising:

the message including a reply request, to enable any one of the receivers that does not respond to the reply request may to be identified.

12. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, further comprising:

the address of at least one of the receivers comprising a wide area network address which changes.

13. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a processor for determining whether an event has occurred and, if the event has occurred, sending the message and geographic destination designator to the transmitter.

14. The telecommunication system according to claim 13, wherein the event further comprises a reported location being across a border, the border defining a boundary for the locations of the receivers, the message being a border crossing warning, and the geographic destination designator designating across the border.

15. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, wherein the message further comprises commercial information.

16. The telecommunication system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an intelligent agent operating within the network to access the geospatial database to identify the addresses of the receivers in the geographic destination.

17. A telecommunication system comprising:

a mobile ad hoc network;

a transmitter connected to the network;

a memory containing a geospatial database and in communication with the transmitter;

a plurality of receivers including at least one mobile receiver, each of the plurality of receivers including an address and a location within a geographic area and reporting the current address and the location of the mobile receiver to the geospatial database, at least one of the addresses being a wide area network address which changes; and

the transmitter enabling operation at an OSI application level to receive a message and a geographic destination designator that designates an arbitrarily defined geographic destination for the message, the geographic destination defined by at least one physical structure in the geographic destination and that enables access to the geospatial database to identify the addresses of the receivers currently reported to be in the geographic destination, to transmit the message to the identified receivers within the geographic destination based on their reported current address, and that enables transmission of the message as a series of unicast messages to the identified receivers within the geographic destination,

operating a computer at an OSI application level.

18. A method of geo-casting a message to a plurality of recipients each having an address and a known geographic location comprising:

reporting the current location and address of the recipients to a geospatial database;

transmitting a message to at least one selected recipient based on their geographic location by;

(1) arbitrarily designating a geographic region for receipt of the message by reference to a plurality of physical structures in the geographic region;

(2) determining the recipients that are within the geographic region by comparing the current reported locations of the recipients to the geographic region; and

(3) serially unicasting the message to the addresses of the recipients that are located within the geographic region over a mobile ad hoc network,

operating a computer at an OSI application level.