Location specific content

• US 8,260,320 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Herz, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JOSHUA L
• Application Number:
  US12/270,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20100120450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products communicate location information associated with a device, such as a mobile device, to a server. Content identified by the server is received at the device, from the server and/or from a content service. The content can include an application associated with the location information. The content received at the device is displayed on the device only while the device is at or near a particular location identified by the location information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating location information associated with a device to a server;

receiving, at the device, content identified by the server, the content comprising an application associated with the location information; and

providing an icon for display on the device only while the device is at or near a particular location identified by the location information, the icon operable to, upon receiving an input, cause the device to activate the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the icon when the device is no longer at or near the particular location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content from a content service, the content service identified by the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the content comprises receiving a uniform resource locator (URL), and

the method comprises generating the icon, including;

creating a screenshot of a destination of the URL and

designating a scaled down version of the screenshot as the icon.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the uniform resource locator is received through a beacon signal from an access point, and

providing the icon for display comprises providing the icon for display for a duration in which the device receives the beacon signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content identified by the server comprises a web clip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the icon for display comprises providing the icon for display on a top-level graphical user interface outside of a map display object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is provided by a service provider located at or near the location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is identified by a global positioning system on the device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving location information from a positioning system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning system derives the location information from satellite data received from a plurality of satellites.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning system uses dead reckoning to derive the location information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning system uses a wireless signal strength of the device to derive the location information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is identified by communication of the device with a wireless access point.

15. A system comprising:

a positioning system operable to derive location information associated with a device;

a communications interface operable to communicate location information associated with the device to a server, the communications interface being further operable to receive content from the server based on the location information, the content comprising an application associated with the location information; and

a user interface operable to provide an icon for display on the device when the device is at or near a location identified by the location information, the icon operable to, upon receiving an input, cause the device to activate the application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the content comprises a URL or a web clip.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the content comprises video content, picture content, audio content, multimedia content or routing content associated with a geographical area within a proximate distance to the device based on the location information.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface is operable to present the received content on the device only when the device is at or near a location identified by the location information.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning system is operable to derive the location information from satellite data received from a plurality of satellites.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning system uses dead reckoning to derive the location information.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning system uses a wireless signal strength associated with the device to derive the location information.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface is operable to display the content on the device only when the device is at or near a wireless access point.

23. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory medium operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

communicating location information associated with a device to a server;

receiving, at the device, content identified by the server, the content comprising an application associated with the location information; and

providing an icon for display on the device only while the device is at or near a particular location identified by the location information, the icon operable to, upon receiving an input, cause the device to activate the application.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein:

receiving the content comprises receiving the content from the server a uniform resource locator (URL), and

the operations comprise generating the icon, including;

creating a screenshot of a destination of the URL and

designating a scaled down version of the screenshot as the icon.