Method and system for integrating location based services into retail applications

An information-distribution system comprising:

• a portable device having (i) a network communication interface arranged to provide connectivity with a network, (ii) a location-determination module that is operable to determine a geographic location of the portable device, (iii) a processing unit, (iv) data storage containing request trigger logic executable by the processing unit, and a set of correlation-data that defines geographic locations and, for each defined geographic location, a corresponding network address, wherein each geographic location defined by the correlation-data has been designated by a user of the portable device as a geographic location where the portable device requests information, (v) a display screen, and (vi) a user interface to input user-selections;
• and
• a first merchant server that is accessible via a first network address that is defined by the set of correlation-data and that corresponds to a given geographic location defined by the correlation data,
• wherein the processing unit executes the request-trigger logic to make a determination that the geographic location of the portable device matches the given geographic location defined by the correlation-data, and prior to the network communication interface receiving any information from the first merchant server after the processing unit determines that the geographic location of the portable device matches the given geographic location defined by the correlation-data, to prompt a user of the portable device for permission to request redeemable merchant offers from the first merchant server via the first network address,
• wherein the portable device is operable to receive permission from the user to request redeemable merchant offers and, in response to receipt of the permission from the user, cause the network communication interface to send a first information-request to the first merchant server via the first network address,
• wherein, in response to receiving the first information-request, the first merchant server generates and transmits, for delivery to a merchant's store, a notification indicating that the user is at the geographic location of the portable device,
• wherein the first information-request comprises information about a user of the portable device, and
• wherein, in response to the first information-request sent to the first merchant server, the first merchant server is operable to tailor merchant information based on information about the user of the portable device and to send the tailored merchant information to the portable device.

A method of distributing merchant information to a portable device, the method comprising:

• the portable device maintaining correlation-data that defines a plurality of latitude and longitude coordinate ranges, wherein each respective latitude and longitude coordinate range consists of two latitude coordinates and two longitude coordinates, wherein the correlation-data comprises a plurality of network addresses, wherein each respective latitude and longitude coordinate range is associated with a respective network address of the plurality of network addresses, and wherein each respective latitude and longitude coordinate range has been designated by a user of the portable device as a geographic location where the portable device requests information from a respective merchant server;
• the portable device monitoring a current latitude and longitude of the portable device;
• the portable device determining that the current latitude and longitude of the portable device are within a given latitude and longitude coordinate range defined by the correlation-data;
• prior to the portable device receiving information from a first given merchant server after the portable device determining that the current latitude and longitude of the portable device are within the given latitude and longitude coordinate range, prompting a user of the portable device for permission to send an information-request to the first given merchant server via the network address associated with the given latitude and longitude coordinate range,
• the portable device sending an information request to the first given merchant server via the network address associated with the given latitude and longitude coordinate range, wherein sending the information-request occurs in response to the portable device receiving permission from the user to send the information-request;
• and
• the portable device displaying a list of a plurality of merchant identifiers received from the first merchant server,
• the portable device receiving a selection of a merchant identifier from the displayed list of the plurality of user-selectable merchant identifiers and the portable device responsively requesting merchant information from a second merchant server at a second network address via a second information-request, the second network address being associated with the merchant identifier selected from the displayed list of the plurality of user-selectable merchant identifiers, and
• the portable device receiving merchant-information in response to the second information-request.