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

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- Number: US 10,455,356 B2
- Document ID: US10455356B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/622,856
- Filed: 2017-06-14
- Published: 2017-12-07
- Granted: 2019-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 1999-09-24
- Applicants: Dennis J. Dupray; Sheldon F. Goldberg
- Inventors: Dennis J. Dupray; Sheldon F. Goldberg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455356B2

## CPC

- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G06Q 50/34: Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
- G07F 17/3288: {Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking}
- H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- 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)}
- H04M 3/4228: {in networks}
- H04M 3/4878: {Advertisement messages}
- H04M 3/493: Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries {; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals}
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04M 3/42059: {Making use of the calling party identifier}
- H04M 2242/14: with services dependent on location
- H04M 2242/15: Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
- H04M 2242/30: Determination of the location of a subscriber
- H04W 8/08: Mobility data transfer
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 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 (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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting, based on the determining, content to the network station.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the content includes advertising based on the more precise location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the content includes a listing of one or more items geographically located near the more precise location.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the content is restricted to only being transmitted to a geographic area that includes the more precise location.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, 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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting to the network station the identification information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 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, 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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the one or more services are directed to one or more of: services for games, taxation services, services for a distribution of software, advertising presentations, and information related to locations within a local geographical area, wherein the user is expected to find information of interest.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

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

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising: transmitting, based on the determining, content to the network station.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
transmitting to the network station the identification information.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

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.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

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.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the content 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.

### Claim 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 (c), 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) requesting, based on the identification information, a location of the network station when the network station or the user therefor is identified;
(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 dependent upon first approximate location, obtains the more precise location; and
determining one or more services to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the location provider or determiner determines 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.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

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

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
transmitting, based on the determining, content to the network station.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the content includes advertising based on the more precise location.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the content includes a listing of one or more items geographically located near the more precise location.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, further comprising:
transmitting to the network station the identification information.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

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.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the content is restricted to only being transmitted to a geographic area that includes the more precise location.

### Claim 30 (depends on 21)

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.

### Claim 31 (depends on 21)

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.

### Claim 32 (depends on 21)

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.

### Claim 33 (depends on 21)

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.

### Claim 34 (depends on 21)

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

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

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.