Method and apparatus for automatically providing location-based information content on a wireless device
AssigneeAT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
InventorAdrian David Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus provide location based filtering for searching for information in response to a request from a mobile handset. The handset detects location information from the mobile network with which the handset is in communication and forwards the location information as part of an information request to an information database. The location information is used as a filter for selecting a response to the information request.
Claims24
A method for providing information to a wireless device, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for a first category of information;
- determining a level of granularity of the first category of information;
- determining location information based on the level of granularity of the first category of information requested such that the location information has a level of granularity that corresponds to the level of granularity of the first category of information;
- searching a database for data associated with the first category of information;
- and
- transmitting information found in the search to the wireless device.
A method for selecting information for transmission to a wireless device, the method comprising:
- determining a level of granularity of a category of information;
- determining location information based on the level of granularity of the category of information such that the location information is tailored to the level of granularity of the first category of information;
- searching a database for data associated with the category of information;
- identifying a subset of data from the data associated with the category of information.
A method for providing selected data to a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for data residing at a data site;
- determining a level of granularity of the data requested;
- determining location information based on the level of granularity of the data requested such that the location information is tailored to the level of granularity of the data requested;
- selecting data from the data site using the location information;
- and
- transmitting the selected data to the wireless communication device.
A method for providing selected data to a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
- receiving first location information associated with a message type, said first location information having been received by said wireless communication device from a wireless system in which said wireless communication device is registered at a first time;
- selecting data associated with the message type to be conveyed to said wireless communication device, using the first location information;
- transmitting the selected data associated with the first location information to the wireless communication device;
- receiving second location information associated with the message type, said second location information having been received by said wireless communication device from a wireless system in which said wireless communication device is registered at a second time;
- selecting data associated with the message type, to be conveyed to said wireless communication device, using said second location information;
- and
- transmitting the selected data associated with the second location information to the wireless communication device.
A method for delivering geographically relevant information to a wireless device comprising:
- receiving a request for location sensitive information;
- determining a level of granularity of the location sensitive information;
- determining a location of the wireless device based on the level of granularity of the location sensitive information such that the location has a level of granularity that corresponds to the level of granularity of the location sensitive information;
- retrieving geographically relevant information from a database based on the location of the wireless device;
- and
- transmitting the geographically relevant information to the wireless device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.