US 10,455,356 B2 · Network services dependent upon geographical constraints

Abstract

A method and system arc 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 then supplies a location determining service with the user's phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.

Claims35

Dependent claims

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 (c), wherein one or more networks are accessed wirelessly by the network station from a plurality different network station locations:

(a) receiving, via a network communication from the network station, identification information that identifies the user or the network station;
(b) requesting, based on the identification information, a location of the network station;
(c) 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;
and
determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

3 more elements

A method for providing a location of a network station, the network station for providing network communications, comprising performing by computational equipment the following, wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations;

(a) receiving, via a network communication from the network station, identification information for identifying the network station or a user therefor;
(b) requesting, based on the identification information, a location of the network station;
and
(c) 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 (c);
and
determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Network services dependent upon geographical constraints

Life of this patent

Network services dependent upon geographical constraints

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35