Network services dependent upon geographical constraints

• US 9,699,609 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis J. Dupray
• Original Assignee: Dennis J. Dupray
• Inventors: Goldberg, Sheldon F., Dupray, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/791,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• 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: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user'"'"'s phone number (or other identification for contacting the user'"'"'s station), and (b) supplies the user'"'"'s station with a distinctive identifier. The provider of the product or service then supplies a location determining service (or location service provider) with the user'"'"'s phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service (or location service provider) for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service (or location service provider) determines that the user'"'"'s station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider of the product or service can provide the requested product or service to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location of a user or a network station, the network station for providing wireless network communications, comprising performing by computational equipment the following (a) through (f),

wherein one or more networks are accessed wirelessly by the network station from a plurality of different network station locations;

(a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the user or the network station;

(b) transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the user or the network station;

(c) receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information;

(d) using the received second identification information to identify the user or the network station using the first identification information;

(e) requesting a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified; and

(f) receiving, in response to the requesting, a more precise location of the network station than a first approximate location for the network station, wherein a location provider or determiner, activated according to the first approximate location, determines the more precise location, the location provider or determiner determining the more precise location using one of;

a global positioning location technology, a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal pattern matching location technology.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location provider or determiner is activated using the first approximate location for the network station.

3. The method of claim 1, further including determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the services include providing advertising to the network station based on the more precise location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the services include selecting or prioritizing particular services, offered by one or more network sites, the particular services based on the more precise location, wherein the selecting or prioritizing includes obtaining information for identifying websites that offer services near the more precise location.

6. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the using the received second identification information of (d) in claim 1.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the services include selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selecting or prioritizing includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are available near to the more precise location.

8. The method of claim 1, further including requesting the second identification information from the network station prior to (c) of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first approximate location for the network station is used for selecting the location provider or determiner for determining the more precise location.

10. The method of claim 1, further including identifying a location provider or determiner from a plurality of location providers or determiners for determining the more precise location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed at a time a product or service is requested via an Internet transmission by the user.

12. A method for providing a location of a network station, the network station for providing network communications, comprising performing by computational equipment the following (a) through (f),

wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations;

(a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the network station or a user therefor;

(b) transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the network station or the user therefor;

(c) receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information;

(d) using the received second identification information to identify the first identification information;

(e) requesting a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified; and

(f) receiving, in response to the requesting, a more precise location of the network station than a wireless coverage for the network station, wherein a location provider or determiner, activated according to a first approximate location for the network station, determines the more precise location, the location provider or determiner obtaining the more precise location using one of;

a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal pattern matching location technology;

wherein the network station includes a wireless device for communicating on the Internet during a performance of (a) through (f).

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said network communications are directed to one or more of:

services for games, taxation services, services for the distribution of software, advertising presentations, and information related to locations within a local geographical area, wherein the user is expected to find the information of interest.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the location provider or determiner is selected using the first approximate location for the network station.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the location provider or determiner is selected according to a wireless coverage area for the location provider or determiner.

16. The method of claim 12, further including determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

17. The method of claim 12, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the transmitting.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a first approximate location is used for selecting the location provider or determiner for obtaining the more precise location.

19. The method of claim 12, further including identifying the location provider or determiner from a plurality of location providers or determiners for determining the more precise location.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the services is presented to the user via an Internet website, wherein the Internet website includes local information to the more precise location, the local information including at least one of:

locally related advertising, locally preferred establishment, local point of interest, and local event.

21. A method for providing a location of a network station for providing network communications therewith, comprising performing by electronic equipment the following (a) through (d), wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations;

wherein identification information is transmitted, via a network communication, to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the network station or a user therefor;

(a) receiving, from the network station via a network communication, the identification information;

(b) using the received identification information to identify the network station or the user therefor;

(c) requesting a location of the network station when the network station or the user therefor is identified; and

(d) receiving, in response to the requesting, a more precise location of the network station than a first approximate location for the network station, wherein a location provider or determiner, activated dependent upon first approximate location, obtains the more precise location, the more precise location determined using one of;

a global positioning location technology, a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal pattern matching location technology.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the location provider or determiner determines the more precise location using the wireless signal pattern matching location technology.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the location provider or determiner is activated using the first approximate location for the network station.

24. The method of claim 21, further including determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the services include providing advertising to the network station based on the more precise location.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the services include selecting or prioritizing particular services, offered by one or more network sites, the particular services based on the more precise location, wherein the selecting or prioritizing includes obtaining information for identifying websites that offer services near the more precise location.

27. The method of claim 21, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the using the received second identification information of (c) in claim 21.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the services include selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selecting or prioritizing includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are available near to the more precise location.

29. The method of claim 21, further including requesting the second identification information from the network station prior to (b) of claim 21.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the first approximate location for the network station is used for selecting the location provider or determiner for determining the more precise location.

31. The method of claim 21, further including identifying a location provider or determiner from a plurality of location providers or determiners for determining the more precise location.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is performed at a time a product or service is requested via an Internet transmission by the user.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the location provider or determiner is selected according to a wireless coverage area for the location provider or determiner.

34. The method of claim 21, further including determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein at least one of the services is presented to the user via an Internet website, wherein the Internet website includes local information to the more precise location, the local information including at least one of:

locally related advertising, locally preferred establishment, local point of interest, and local event.