Location-based wireless messaging for wireless devices

• US 7,983,677 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dacosta, Behram Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US12/637,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 455/440
• US Class Current: 455/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An apparatus and method of location-based wireless messaging wireless devices is described. The method includes the receipt of a location-based message request from a user of a wireless device desiring to receive a location-based message. Once the request is received, a spatial location of the wireless device is monitored. Once a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified, as a spatial location of a message delivery location, a location-based message is communicated. In one embodiment, a user, via a location-based message request, may request the delivery of the location-based message to a destination wireless device. In a further embodiment, a wireless device may periodically transmit the current spatial location of the wireless device to a predetermined destination wireless device. In a further embodiment, a wireless device may be notified when a selected wireless device is within a predetermined proximity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a spatial location of a wireless device, wherein monitoring the spatial location of the wireless device comprises

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the wireless device,

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the at least one received signal, and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the wireless device according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values; and

communicating a location-based message if, during the monitoring of the spatial location of the wireless device, a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified as a message delivery location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the wireless device further comprises:

comparing an identified spatial location of the wireless device with coordinate boundaries of the message delivery location; and

when the wireless device is physically located within the coordinate boundaries of the message delivery location, transmitting the location-based message to one of the wireless device, a user of the wireless device and a destination wireless device selected by the user of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to monitoring the wireless device, the method further comprises:

storing a location-based message by the wireless device; and

storing, by the wireless device, a message delivery location for the stored location-based message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein storing the message delivery location further comprises:

requesting information for identification of the message delivery location; and

processing one or more received values to establish the coordinate boundaries as an internal representation of the message delivery location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein processing the received values further comprises:

receiving a message delivery location address; and

determining coordinates of the message delivery location address for the wireless device according to a geographic positioning system (GPS).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the spatial location of the wireless client further comprises:

converting an approximate spatial location of the wireless device into one or more coordinate values;

comparing the one or more coordinate values to an internal representation of the message delivery location; and

when the one or more coordinate values fall within the internal representation of the message delivery location, delivering the location-based message to a destination wireless device selected by a user of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

receiving a broadcast location name from a wireless access point;

converting the received broadcast location name to a coordinate representation;

comparing the coordinate representation of the broadcast location name to a coordinate representation of the message delivery location; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the coordinate representation of the broadcast location name matches the coordinate representation of the message delivery location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

identifying a current spatial location of the wireless device using a geographic positioning system (GPS);

converting GPS coordinates of the current spatial location of the wireless device to determine a location type of the current spatial location of the wireless device according to a GPS look-up directory;

comparing the location type of the current spatial location to a location type of the message delivery location; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the location type of the current spatial location matches the location type of the message delivery location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the message to the user further comprises:

identifying a current location of the wireless device according to a geographic positioning system (GPS);

determining GPS coordinates of the message delivery location according to a namedirectory-to-GPScoordinatelookup;

comparing GPS coordinates of the message delivery location to current GPS coordinates of the wireless device; and

delivering the location-based message to a user of the wireless device if the GPS coordinates of the current spatial location of the wireless device match the GPS coordinates of the message delivery location.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including software executed by at least one processor, within an electronic device, the software comprising:

a location-based message request module to receive a location-based message request from a user of a wireless device; and

a message delivery module to monitor a spatial location of the wireless device and to communicate a location-based message to the user of the wireless device if a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified as a message delivery location, according to the received location-based message request,

wherein monitoring the spatial location of the wireless device comprises

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the wireless device,

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the at least one received signal, and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the wireless device according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the software further comprises:

a delivery location selection module to enable the user to select the message delivery location, according to the received location-based message request.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the software further comprises:

a device location detection module to identify a current spatial location of the wireless device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the software further comprises:

a delivery location identification module to process the selected message delivery location to establish an internal representation of the message delivery location and to compare a current spatial location of the wireless device to the internal representation to detect if the wireless device has reached the message delivery location.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the software further comprises:

a location conversion module to convert message delivery locations and spatial locations of the wireless device according to one of a location type and a coordinate representation.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the location-based message module processes the received location-based message request to determines coordinates of a message delivery location using a geographic positioning system (GPS).

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the device location detection module converts an approximate spatial location of the wireless device into one or more coordinate values, compares the one or more coordinate values to an internal representation of the message delivery location and delivers the location-based message to the user of the wireless device if the one or more coordinate values falls within the internal representation of the message delivery location.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the delivery location identification module is further to compare a location type of the current spatial location to a location type of the message delivery location and to deliver the location-based message to the user if the location type of the current spatial location matches the location type of the message delivery location.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the software further comprises:

a location type detection module to determine the location type of the current spatial location of the wireless device and to determine the location type of the message delivery location.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein software further comprises:

a motion detection module to initiate the message delivery module to monitor a current spatial location of the wireless device if movement of the wireless device is detected.

20. A station comprising:

a communication interface to receive a location-based message request; and

circuitry coupled to the communications interface, the circuitry comprising location-based message logic to monitor a spatial location of the station and to communicate a location-based message when a current spatial location of the station is identified as a message delivery location according to the received location-based message request,

wherein monitoring the spatial location of the station comprises

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the station,

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the at least one received signal, and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the station according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the location-based message logic of the circuitry further comprises:

device location detection logic to identify a relative/spatial location of the station according to the received location-based message request.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the location-based message logic of the circuitry further comprises:

delivery location identification logic to generate an internal representation of the message delivery location and to compare a current spatial location of the station to the internal representation to detect if the station has reached the message delivery location; and

message delivery logic to communicate the location-based message to a user of the station if the current spatial location of the station is identified as the message delivery location.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

a display to enable the selection of a message delivery location according to the received location-based message request.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the device location detection logic of the circuitry includes a geographic positioning system (GPS) receiver to identify the spatial location of the wireless device according to the received location-based message request.

25. A system comprising:

a station including

a communications interface for communicating with an access point of a network,

a location-based message logic to monitor a spatial location of the station,

wherein monitoring the spatial location of the station comprises

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the station,

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the at least one received signal, and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the station according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values, and

a chipset coupled to the interface, the chipset including location-based message logic circuitry to respond to a location-based message request and to communicate a location-based message to a user of the station when a current spatial location of the station is identified as a message delivery location according to the location-based message request.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the location-based message logic circuitry further comprises:

device location detection logic to identify a relative/spatial location of the station.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the device location detection logic of the circuitry includes a geographic positioning system (GPS) receiver to identify the current spatial location of the station according to the received location-based message request.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the location-based message logic circuitry receives the current spatial location of station from the network access point.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the network comprises a cellular network.

30. A method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless device, a location-based message request;

monitoring, by a wireless device access point, a spatial location of the wireless device, wherein monitoring the spatial location of the wireless device comprises

determining a signal strength of at least one signal received by the wireless device,

calculating multipath and radio frequency (RF) propagation values according to one or more predetermined characteristics of the at least one received signal, and

identifying an approximate spatial location of the wireless device according to the signal strength and the calculated multipath and RF propagation values; and

communicating, by the wireless device access point, a location-based message if a current spatial location of the wireless device is identified as a message delivery location as indicated by the received location-based message request.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein communicating the location-based message further comprises:

delivering the location-based message to the wireless device if the current spatial location of the wireless device is matches a spatial location of the message delivery location.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein communicating the location-based message further comprises:

delivering the location-based message to a destination wireless device as indicated by the location-based message request once the wireless device has reached the message delivery location.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein communicating the location-based message further comprises:

comparing a location type of the current spatial location of the wireless device to a location type of the message delivery location; and

delivering the location-based message to the wireless device if the location type of the current spatial location matches the location type of the message delivery location.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

periodically transmitting a current spatial location of the wireless device to a destination wireless device, as indicated by the received location-based message request.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

identifying a current spatial location of a selected wireless device as indicated by the location-based message request; and

notifying the wireless device regarding a proximity of the selected wireless device if the current spatial location of the wireless device is within a predetermined proximity of the spatial location of the selected wireless device.