USOO7343564B2
`
`(12)
`
`United States Patent
`Othmer
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`(54) SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR
`DISPLAYING LOCATION-BASED MAPS ON
`COMMUNICATION DEVICES
`
`75 (75) Inventor: sustain Othmer, Mountain View,
`
`5,321,750 A
`
`6/1994 Nadan
`
`(Continued)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(73) Assignee:
`
`es.Mobilis. Inc., Mountain View,
`
`EP
`JP
`
`1195949 A2 10/2002
`4O9311997 A * 12, 1997
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 69 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/298,818
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Dec. 9, 2005
`9
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2006/0O8916O A1
`Apr. 27, 2006
`
`65
`(65)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`A. Catovic et al., “Geolocation updating schemes for location aware
`services in wireless networks', 2001, IEEE, vol. 1, pp. 378-382.*
`G. Bieber et al., “XyberScout: a platform for the efficient construc
`tion of mobile location aware information systems', Jan. 2003,
`IEEE *
`“SCE Students' Applicaitons Won Motorola's Buddy Finder Com
`petition'.
`http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sce/achieves-sch2003-05.
`aspiisch2003-11-3; 2003.*
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner X. L. Bautista
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Workman Nydegger
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/916,960,
`filed on Aug. 11, 2004.
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/494.644, filed on Aug.
`11, 2003.
`Tickers a populated with location-based information that
`(51) Int. Cl.
`1s selected according tO the geographic location of commu
`(2006.01)
`G06F 3/00
`ENA SE The
`of a communication device 1S
`(2006.01)
`G06F 3/4
`identified based on a GPS system, proximity to transmitters
`(52) U.S. Cl. ...................... 71st,74,715,76s. 715,781.
`1 a wireless network, user input, or using other techniques.
`715/764; 340/995.15; 340/995.1
`(58) Field of Classification Search ................
`1570s, EPRESSEE
`715/708, 760, 764, 781, 788, 809, 835, 513,
`nication device. In general location-based, context-aware
`715/935, 700, 733,774, 839, 864, 866,501.1,
`tent can be displaved on tick
`iat d ith
`715,765. 707/1719,328,329; 34.5/157, E. variety
`s
`s
`s
`s
`OT commun1cauon deV1ces, 1nclud1ng mob1le commun1ca
`345/172; 701.23g E.3. 6. g2. tion devices and “immobile' or stationary personal comput
`S
`lication file f
`l t • u a-s h hi t
`ers. When a ticker item is selected from the ticker, a location
`ee appl1cauon Ille Ior complete searcn n1story.
`associated with the selected ticker item and/or a location of
`References Cited
`the communication device is used to generate a map that is
`displayed on the display of the device to the user.
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`(56)
`
`3,824,597 A
`
`7/1974 Berg
`
`15 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`
`Display items
`On Ticker
`
`Receive inputSelecting
`A Ticker item
`
`Present information
`Associated With Selected
`Ticker tem
`
`Present
`Map
`Information
`
`802
`
`804
`
`86
`
`808
`
`Page 1 of 20
`
`SAMSUNG EX-1208
`
`

`

`US 7,343,564 B2
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`U.S. Appl. No. 11/128,649, filed May 13, 2005, Othmer.
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`6,771,290 B1
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`Delivery System Using Reliable and Flexible Browser', 1998,
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`IEEE, pp. 188-189.
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`NTT, “NTT Develops RealPush Network”, Dec. 19, 1997, News
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`9, 2003 Cadiz et al.
`* cited by examiner
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Page 2 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 1 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`100 /
`
`108
`
`
`
`t
`
`Satellite
`
`Bluetooth
`ACCeSS
`Point
`
`Broadcast
`Radio
`Satellite
`
`Mobile Communication
`Device
`
`Page 3 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 2 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`Ticker Client Software
`
`200 N
`
`WAPIWeb
`
`Java
`AMS
`Native applications
`
`To ticker Server
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Asia
`pplications
`220
`
`Usade
`Aciant
`222
`
`Rendering
`Engine
`216
`
`Scheduler
`212
`
`Data Store
`208
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Action
`Dispatcher
`218
`
`
`
`
`
`Content
`Endine
`224
`
`COntent
`Manager
`214
`
`
`
`
`
`Rules and
`Preferences
`210
`
`
`
`
`
`Filter
`202
`
`Meta Taddin
`204 ging
`
`
`
`Security
`206
`
`Bluetooth
`
`802.11
`
`Broadcast Radio
`O
`Satellite
`
`SMS
`Narrowband Wireless
`(CDMA, GSM, etc.)
`
`Fig. 2
`
`Page 4 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 3 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`Ticker Server
`
`300 \
`
`To billing and
`reporting system
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Securityl
`Authentication
`302
`
`Campaign
`Manager
`306
`
`Membership
`Manager
`310
`
`Usage
`ACCounting
`304
`
`Rules and
`Preferences
`308
`
`
`
`Device Registration?
`Location Ticker
`312
`
`To ticker
`
`Data Store
`314
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Content Aggregator
`Galyay
`
`Content providers
`
`Fig. 3
`
`Page 5 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 4 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`
`
`User invokes Ticker
`Client Software
`
`402
`
`Ticker Server
`Prompts User To
`Register
`
`User Provides
`Registration
`information
`
`404
`
`406
`
`Ticker Server
`Obtains Device
`LOCation information
`
`408
`
`Fig. 4
`
`Page 6 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet S of 8
`Sheet 5 of 8
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`Page 7 of 20
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`Page 7 of 20
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 6 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`
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`
`608
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`614
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`
`616
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`Fig. 6
`
`Page 8 of 20
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 7 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`Start
`
`ldentify Candidate
`Items
`
`700
`
`as a
`
`sm am am am) m mss is
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`704
`
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`
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`
`Based On Relevance SCOre,
`Determine Order Of Display
`For items
`
`Based On Relevance SCOres,
`Determine Whether To Apply
`Presentation Attributes
`
`708
`
`710
`
`Display items On Ticker
`
`712
`
`End
`
`Fig. 7
`
`Page 9 of 20
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 11, 2008
`
`Sheet 8 of 8
`
`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`802
`
`804
`
`806
`
`808
`
`
`
`Display items
`On Ticker
`
`Receive Input Selecting
`A Ticker item
`
`Present Information
`ASSOCiated With Selected
`Ticker item
`
`Present
`Map
`Information
`
`Fig. 8
`
`Page 10 of 20
`
`

`

`US 7,343,564 B2
`
`1.
`SYSTEMIS AND METHODS FOR
`DISPLAYING LOCATION-BASED MAPS ON
`COMMUNICATION DEVICES
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
`application Ser. No. 10/916,960, filed on Aug. 11, 2004,
`which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
`Patent Application Ser. No. 60/494,644, filed Aug. 11, 2003.
`The foregoing applications are incorporated herein by ref
`CCC.
`
`10
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`15
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates generally to communica
`tions systems, methods and devices. More particularly,
`exemplary embodiments of the invention concern Systems
`and methods directed to providing location-based, context
`aware content and displaying it within a ticker on a user
`device.
`2. Related Technology
`The popularity of the Internet has given rise to a plethora
`of information services as have become accustomed to
`accessing timely, personalized news and information. As a
`result, demand for these types of content services continues
`to grow. Scrolling information displays, referred to herein as
`"tickers,” are one type of content distribution mechanism
`that can give a viewer a quick, high-level update, and they
`have become commonplace on the television news and on
`sports channels, providing viewers with “at-a-glance' head
`lines, breaking news, weather reports, sports scores and
`other updates.
`One early example of a scrolling information display or
`"ticker' on a personal computer (PC) system was that
`provided by Pointcast. Through the Pointcast service, PC
`users could subscribe to news and information channels of
`interest and receive periodic updates on their computer
`displays, often in the form of a scrolling information display
`at the bottom of the user's display screen-commonly
`known as a ticker. An even earlier example of the use of
`tickers in conjunction with a PC was the ticker provided by
`gaming company Catapult Entertainment, Inc. The Catapult
`ticker, in addition to providing information to users of the
`gaming system about news and current events and gaming
`related information Such as upcoming tournaments, high
`scores, and new software releases, was also interactive
`through the use of the computer mouse. Rather than being
`limited to the information in the ticker, the user could click
`on an item in the ticker having a Universal Resource
`Identifier (URI) associated with it, which would then cause
`a web page to be displayed with additional information
`about that item. More recently, through the use of messaging
`systems with near-universal reach such as the Short Mes
`55
`saging System (SMS), mobile workers can now receive
`up-to-the-minute business, financial and customer informa
`tion on their mobile devices from various news and enter
`tainment content providers and from many other information
`Sources, including corporate portals and customer relation
`ship management applications. Furthermore, tickers are
`beginning to appear as a method for dynamic information
`display on mobile communication devices, such as cellular
`telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and “smart'
`phones.
`While the value of receiving personalized, timely infor
`mation in a condensed, quickly-read format such as a ticker
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`60
`
`65
`
`2
`is indisputable, the information tickers known in the art
`could be significantly improved. The continued, rapid
`growth of mobile communication device use is a reflection
`of the mobile society in which we live, and increasingly we
`rely on these devices for news and other information in
`addition to staying in touch with co-workers, friends and
`family. Furthermore, the location of a mobile communica
`tion device having a connection to a network can be easily
`determined through signal triangulation methods or other
`methods, and the proliferation of GPS enabled devices
`fueled by government regulatory requirements to improve
`public safety means that the location of any cell phone or
`other mobile communication device can be established.
`Smaller devices such as wristwatches that can receive infor
`mation updates promise to make it even more convenient to
`always carry a mobile communication device, and as appli
`cations for these devices such as messaging, calendars and
`appointment reminders, news alerts, and traffic reports
`become more popular, the mobile communication device is
`becoming a more essential requirement for users to guide
`them through the day. As users of these devices move around
`from home to work, in and out of conference rooms and
`buildings, between terminals in an airport, from neighbor
`hood to neighborhood, city to city, and between States and
`countries, they could benefit significantly from an informa
`tion service that takes into account their geographical loca
`tion and information preferences and then provides at-a-
`glance updates to the user's device that are meaningful and
`useful to the user in their current location. However, existing
`ticker services are not capable of responding to the geo
`graphic location of the user or providing information that is
`tailored to the current location of the user.
`
`BRIEF SUMMARY OF AN EXEMPLARY
`EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
`
`In general, exemplary embodiments of the invention
`concern Systems and methods for providing location-based,
`context-aware content to communication devices including
`mobile communication devices and “immobile' or station
`ary personal computers, and displaying the location-based
`content within a ticker on the display of the communication
`device. While the invention is applicable to immobile or
`"wired’ communication devices including computer sys
`tems, landline telephones, televisions, and set top boxes, its
`application is particularly well-suited to mobile wireless
`communication devices (referred to hereinafter as “mobile
`communication device(s) or “mobile device(s)) such as
`laptop and notebook computers, cellular telephones, PDAs,
`and any other mobile communication device having a dis
`play device and enabled to wirelessly receive data.
`More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide
`for recognizing the geographical location of a communica
`tion device by either receiving location information from the
`device or from the network, or by receiving profile infor
`mation input by a user of a communication device as to the
`location of the device. The device location is then correlated
`with either or both of user preferences and location-based
`content pertaining to those preferences. Corresponding pro
`motions, local news, local event information and other
`location-based content is then transmitted to a data store on
`the device by a network server, or it is selectively retrieved
`from a data store on the device in which location-based
`content that has already been transmitted from external
`servers is stored pending display on the device. In accor
`dance with a scheduling system and certain rules and
`preferences, the data received on the device is scheduled for
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`display and then displayed within the ticker on the device at
`the appropriate time using specified formats and presenta
`tion attributes. The methods of the invention are proactive in
`that location-aware content is pushed to the device and/or
`displayed within the ticker when the user enters or nears a
`specified location without the need for the user to actively
`request it.
`In the exemplary embodiment, a cellular telephone user
`subscribes to a location-based ticker service of the invention
`and indicates preferences for categories of content by input
`ting the preference via a user interface element on the cell
`phone. In this case, the user could specify, for example, a
`preference for Peet's coffee and indicate a desire to be
`notified each time a Peet's coffee store is nearby. The
`preference is then stored for future reference by the system.
`As the user changes location throughout the day, the cell
`phone reports its geographical location or the cell phone
`location is otherwise communicated periodically to a loca
`tion-based ticker server of the location-based ticker service,
`and from time to time the ticker on the user's cell phone
`receives content updates, including location-aware content,
`which is then displayed on the ticker to the user. Alterna
`tively, the location-based ticker server can send a list of
`Peet's coffee shop locations along with a message for
`display within the ticker, and store it on the cell phone.
`Display rules may be received in metadata associated with
`the content and stored on the cellphone; these rules are then
`considered by the scheduling system as it determines when
`the message from Peet's should be displayed in the ticker.
`For example, based on the user's proximity to a Peet's
`location, a message could scroll within the ticker that says
`“Peet's coffee 2 blocks west”. Determining a mobile
`device's location is well understood in the art and can be
`done through a number of means including GPS, assisted
`GPS, or RF triangulation. The ticker scheduling system
`(described in more detail herein) uses the device location
`and the information about the location of Peet's coffee stores
`to determine what information to display on the ticker. In
`accordance with such “proximity rules” and other rules that
`may be stored on the cellphone, on the location-based ticker
`server, or both, location-based content for the general geo
`graphical area, Such as a city, may be displayed, and as the
`user changes location, the content displayed within the
`ticker may become more finely tuned and specific to the
`user's current location.
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`Member vendors of the location-based ticker service may
`register information about their products and services,
`including advertisements, promotional information and
`entertainment-related information with the location-based
`ticker service. In this example, Peet's Coffee, a member
`vendor of the location-based ticker service, could register a
`promotional coupon with the service, which is then trans
`mitted to communication devices located, for instance, in a
`particular region such as Northern California. The promo
`tional coupon is associated with metadata that includes a
`proximity rule stating that if a user arrives at a location
`within a specified distance of a Peet's retail store, the
`information is to be displayed on the ticker of the user's
`device. In this case, the Peet's promotional content may be
`downloaded at any time—such as during an off-peak time
`for network traffic—regardless of the user's current location,
`and stored on the device pending display when the user
`reaches the location specified in the proximity rule.
`Alternatively, the Peet's promotional information may be
`stored at the ticker server, and then downloaded to the data
`store on the device in “real-time' or near real-time when the
`user reaches the specified location. In this case, when the
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`4
`user's cell phone travels near a Peet's Coffee location, the
`location-based ticker server, having determined that there is
`a match between the user's preference for Peets, the user's
`current location, and the location of the nearest Peet's,
`transmits data concerning the nearest Peet's location to the
`ticker on the user's device. The member vendor may specify
`one proximity rule for mobile communication device users,
`and another proximity rule for stationary or wired commu
`nication devices. Furthermore, other characteristics of the
`user's device can be taken into account, Such as the speed at
`which it is moving. The speed and direction of motion of the
`communication device can be determined through GPS
`offsets or other methods, included in the geographical infor
`mation about the communication device, and reported to the
`location-based ticker server or used to select location-based
`content stored locally on the communication device. A third
`proximity rule can be specified for devices in motion. For
`example, if the device is moving faster than fifteen miles per
`hour, the proximity rules may say that the Peet's promo
`tional content should display if the device is within three
`miles of a Peet's retail location.
`According to this example, Peet's has further specified an
`expiration time after which the coupon should not be trans
`mitted to the communication devices. Similarly, content
`transmission may also commence based on time, and the
`time at which content is transmitted to the device may or
`may not be independent of the device location. In general,
`the ticker content can be transmitted or displayed at a time
`or manner specified by a triggering event. Examples of Such
`triggering events include a specified time or location. Upon
`the occurrence of the triggering event, content that has been
`designated as being appropriate for the triggering event (e.g.,
`appropriate for the current time or location of the commu
`nication device) is displayed on the ticker or transmitted to
`the communication device.
`Returning to the present example, in some cases the Peet's
`data may be transmitted directly to a mobile communication
`device without having first been aggregated at the ticker
`server. For example, if the mobile device encounters a
`wireless access point of a wireless local area network
`(WLAN), such as an 802.11 network, the Peet's data can be
`transmitted directly to the mobile device.
`After the location-based content is transmitted to the
`device using any of the aforementioned methods, the trans
`mitted data is indexed in a data store on the device according
`to its attributes, and a scoring algorithm of the scheduling
`system determines when and how the content will be dis
`played within the ticker on the device. For example, because
`the user has indicated a strong preference for Peet's coffee,
`and the user is only fifty yards away from the retail store, the
`scheduling system, having considered the device location,
`rules that may have been received in metadata associated
`with the content, and user preferences, determines that the
`content should be displayed within the ticker immediately in
`a red font, and the device could emit an audible tone and/or
`vibrate to notify the user that actionable content pertaining
`to an important preference has arrived in the ticker. Other
`presentation attributes of the location-based content are also
`possible. Furthermore, because the location-based ticker
`server is aware of the preferences of the user, in this case it
`recognizes that there is a strong possibility that the user may
`wish to take advantage of the promotional coupon, and it
`transmits this Supplemental content, including the promo
`tional coupon, to cache memory on the cellphone. The user
`may then click on the Peet's ticker item to cause the
`Supplemental content in cache memory, including, for
`example, walking directions and the promotional coupon, to
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`be displayed on the cell phone screen or in a web browser
`on the phone. In one example, a map is presented on the
`display of the device to graphically illustrate the location of
`Peet's coffee. The map can be generated based on the current
`location of the device or based on the location associated
`with the selected ticker item. The map can be generated by
`the ticker server or provided using a mapping service from
`another server that is accessible over a wireless network.
`The ability to provide a map to Peet's actual location may be
`easier for a user to follow than a textual description of Peet's
`location.
`Significantly, the location-based, context-aware content
`can be obtained from multiple content sources using any of
`a number of data transmission modes or “bearers’, depend
`ing on the configuration of the device. For example, as the
`user changes location, a cell phone equipped to communi
`cate with a cellular telephone system and to sense the
`wireless access points of both Bluetooth and 802.11 net
`works may obtain stock quotes via an SMS text message, art
`exhibit content via Bluetooth, and a discount coupon from a
`nearby retailer associated with an 802.11 network. Data
`from all of these sources can be transmitted to the device in
`Such a way as to avoid interfering with the other commu
`nication services of the device and without the user having
`taken any action. For example, a location-based content
`update can be sent to the ticker on the cell phone when it is
`idle. The user can then view, navigate, and interact with the
`location-based ticker items while engaging in a telephone
`call or other communication session by using one or more
`buttons or soft keys on the mobile device to navigate the
`ticker. In some embodiments, a map associated with a
`selected ticker can be presented to the user. In fact, a single
`click on a ticker item can provide a map based advertise
`ment. In other words, a map can be presented along with
`other location-based and context-aware content.
`In view of the foregoing, the systems and methods of the
`invention can recognize the geographical location of a
`communication device and based on the geographical loca
`tion and other considerations, populate a ticker running on
`the communication device with location-based, context
`aware content. This represents a significant improvement
`over conventional ticker systems, which fail to take the
`geographic location of the user into account when populat
`ing tickers. Moreover, the ticker systems of the invention are
`interactive in a way that has not been possible using con
`ventional ticker systems. The tickers of the invention can
`display news, weather, advertisements, promotions, tourist
`attraction information, conference room booking informa
`tion, and special event information, from multiple content
`Sources, to mobile communication device users and station
`ary computer device users alike. MMS messages email
`messages and other content may be sent to the ticker from
`external sources or the device user might send them to his
`own ticker as a form of “reminder” or “to do' list, for
`example. The content can be personalized to varying
`degrees, depending on its source and the method used to
`transmit it to the device.
`These and other aspects of embodiments of the present
`invention will become more fully apparent from the follow
`ing description and appended claims.
`
`6
`embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended
`drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only
`typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore
`to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be
`described and explained with additional specificity and
`detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in
`which:
`FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating aspects of an
`exemplary operating environment for embodiments of the
`invention.
`FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating aspects of location
`based ticker client software.
`FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an exemplary implemen
`tation of a location-based ticker server.
`FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of a process for
`registration and location of a mobile device.
`FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmit
`ting location-based content to a communication device.
`FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmit
`ting location-based content to a communication device.
`FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of a scoring
`algorithm for selecting and displaying content within a
`ticker on a display device.
`FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of presenting a
`location-based map on a display of a communication device.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
`OF THE INVENTION
`
`Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe
`various aspects of exemplary embodiments of the invention.
`I