System and method for providing the regional community service based on mobile blog in mobile terminal

• US 7,890,582 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SK Communications Company Limited (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Communications Company Limited (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Hoon, Kim, Jonathan, An, Chester, Im, Hyuck Jin, Shim, Sung Wha, Kwon, Hyun Jung, Go, Youn Kyung, Ahn, Jae Hong, Won, Don Hi, Chung, Ui Chung, Kim, Soo Jin, Seo, Jung Wook, Im, Chol Hong, Lee, Yong Il, Park, Kun Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US11/572,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/204, 455/414, 455/455, 455/456, 455/457, 455/566, 455/41.2, 455/414.2, 707/102, 707/758, 715/779, 370/338
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for providing a moblog-based regional community service through a mobile terminal. The system includes a location-based community server for setting a plurality of main arenas by dividing a geographical area in a regional unit, setting and storing one or more virtual spatial locations, the one or more virtual spatial locations being a projection of real spatial public locations, as spots in one of the main arenas, receiving information on posts registered in spots transmitted through a mobile terminal by providing one or more pieces of information on the spots belonging to the main arena from information on a location of the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal, and storing the received information on posts with a link with the spots.

Claims

1. A system for providing a moblog-based regional community service through a mobile terminal, comprising:

a location-based community server comprising a CPU and memory for setting a plurality of main arenas by dividing a geographical area into a plurality of regional units, setting and storing one or more virtual spatial locations, the one or more virtual spatial locations being a projection of real spatial public locations, as spots in one of the main arenas, selecting a main arena based on information on a location of the mobile terminal, providing information on one or more of the spots belonging to the selected main arena to the mobile terminal, receiving post information to be registered in the one or more of the spots belonging to the main arena through the mobile terminal, and storing the received information on posts with a link with the spots,

wherein the location-based community server selects a current main arena of the mobile terminal, such that a particular one of the main arenas is automatically selected as the current main arena when an actual location of the mobile terminal is detected to be within a particular one of the regional units, provides a list of selectable spots belonging to the current main arena to the mobile terminal, the selectable spots in the list respectively having the same name as a real spatial public location within the particular regional unit for the current main arena, receives a selection input from the mobile terminal, which selects one of the selectable spots, and provides a list of post related to the selected spot;

wherein the location-based community server includes a service management module for establishing a link between the posts and the spots; and

the service management module further includes;

a search engine for performing a function of searching the azits storing the posts or personal information using keywords inputted from users and outputting a search result;

a linker for performing a function of managing at least one of connection relationships between azits and posts, between azits and azits, and between azits and spots; and

a content formatter for performing a function of formatting various information in a prescribed format such that the various information can be configured on a screen in such a manner adapted to wired/wireless environments.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the location-based community server further includes:

a user authentication and authorization unit for performing a function of authentication and authorization for users;

a post manager for performing a function of managing at least one of input, correction, deletion, inquiry and photograph registration of posts as an information registration unit;

an external interface for performing a function of interface for data exchange with the external;

and

a database unit for storing various information required to provide the service.

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

at least one external link system provided at the external of the location-based community server for enhancing a function of the moblog-based regional community service,

wherein the external link system includes at least one of a short message service system, a multimedia message system, an instant message system, an e-mail system, a billing system, and a location-based system.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, when the location-based system is included, the location-based system confirms a location of the mobile terminal according to a prescribed method and provides information on the location of the mobile terminal to the location-based community server.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the information on the location of the mobile terminal is acquired according to one of a location acquisition method using a GPS system, a location acquisition method using base station cell IDs, a location acquisition method using UFIDs, and a location acquisition method using an AP (Access Point).

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the location-based system directly enters into at least one of a main arena and the spots at which the mobile terminal is located, according to the information on the location of the mobile terminal.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the spots are identified according to a code granted for each location.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the post information include at least one of text, image and multimedia data.

15. The system according to claim 4, wherein the information on the location of the mobile terminal is acquired according to one of a location acquisition method using base station cell IDs, a location acquisition method using UFIDs, and a location acquisition method using an AP (Access Point).

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

a main arena corresponding to a preset regional unit is preset in the location-based community server, and corresponding selectable spots in connection with said main arena are preset in the location-based community server, such that each of the corresponding selectable spots corresponds to a real spatial location within the preset regional unit; and

then

the actual location of the mobile terminal is detected; and

when the actual location of the mobile terminal is detected to be within the preset regional unit, the location-based community server then controls a list of the corresponding selectable spots within the preset regional unit to be displayed on the mobile terminal, such that each of the corresponding selectable spots is displayed to have the same name as a real spatial location within the present regional unit.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein, when the actual location of the mobile terminal is detected to be within the particular regional unit, the location-based community server automatically provides the mobile terminal with said list of selectable spots within the particular regional unit to the mobile terminal.

9. A method for providing a moblog-based regional community service through a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a plurality of main arenas by dividing a geographical area into a plurality of regional units and setting and storing one or more virtual spatial locations, the one or more virtual spatial locations being a projection of real spatial public locations, as spots in each of the main arenas;

selecting a current main arena of the mobile terminal, such that a particular one of the main arenas is automatically selected as the current main arena when an actual location of the mobile terminal is detected to be within a particular one of the regional units;

providing a list of selectable spots belonging to the current main arena to the mobile terminal, the selectable spots in the list respectively having the same name as a real spatial public location within the particular regional unit for the current main arena;

receiving a selection input from the mobile terminal, which selects one of the selectable spots; and

providing a list of post related to the selected spot;

establishing a link between the posts and the spots by a service management module of a location-based community server; and

the establishing step of the service management module further includes the steps of;

searching the azits storing the posts or personal information using keywords inputted from users and outputting a search result;

managing at least one of connection relationships between azits and posts, between azits and azits, and between azits and spots; and

formatting various information in a prescribed format such that the various information can be configured on a screen in such a manner adapted to wired/wireless environments.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

registering a post information related to the selected spot.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

storing the registered information on the post and information on a link for a spot related to the post.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the post information include at least one of text, image and multimedia data.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information on the location of the mobile terminal is acquired according to one of a location acquisition method using a GPS system, a location acquisition method using base station cell IDs, a location acquisition method using UFIDs, and a location acquisition method using an AP (Access Point).

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

by each user, performing evaluation on propensity of each of the spots; and

providing a list of spots according to the evaluated propensity of each spot.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information on the location of the mobile terminal is acquired according to one of a location acquisition method using base station cell IDs, a location acquisition method using UFIDs, and a location acquisition method using an AP (Access Point).

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

a main arena corresponding to a preset regional unit is preset, and corresponding selectable spots in connection with said main arena are preset such that each of the corresponding selectable spots corresponds to a real spatial location within the preset regional unit; and

then

the actual location of the mobile terminal is detected; and

when the actual location of the mobile terminal is detected to be within the preset regional unit, a list of the corresponding selectable spots within the preset regional unit is then displayed on the mobile terminal, such that each of the corresponding selectable spots is displayed to have the same name as a real spatial location within the present regional unit.