Apparatus and methods for enabling location-based services within a premises

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10278008-B2
Application number	US-201715728452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for enabling location identification and related services in a premises. In one embodiment, location identification services are provided via a gateway device using data extracted from a wireless signal. The data is used to estimate a location of a device (based on comparison to previously gathered and/or reference data). In another embodiment, infrared (IR) or other short range wireless signals are broadcast from the client devices to a set-top-box (STB), and the STB or gateway correlates the signals to a location within the premises. A profiling process is used to establish specific locations within a premises, and associate location-specific services therewith. The location-based services include for example (i) loading particular applications and/or content when the user enters a particular location, (ii) providing information and/or advertisement opportunities when the user is near a particular public or business location, and (iii) content delivery optimization among multiple user devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a first computerized device to generate and utilize client device context-specific profile data associated with a mobile client device, the client device context-specific profile data relating the mobile client device to one or more positions within a given area, the first computerized device configured for data communication with at least one or more computerized devices other than the mobile client device within the given area, the method comprising:
transmitting at least one request signal from the first computerized device to the mobile client device, the first request signal being transmitted to the mobile client device when located at a first position within the given area;
receiving, in response to the transmitted at least one request signal, a response signal from the mobile client device indicative of one or more first device-specific characteristics;
generating data associating the one or more first device-specific characteristics to the first position;
correlating the data associating the one or more first device-specific characteristics to the first position with data indicative of a first user context at the first position, the data indicative of the first user context comprising at least one or more location-based data commands which are each issuable from the first computerized device to respective ones of the one or more other computerized devices within the given area based at least in part on subsequent position identification of the mobile client device by the first computerized device; and
storing, in a data structure comprising the client device-context specific profile data, the data associating the one or more first device-specific characteristics to the first position correlated with the data indicative of the first user context at the first position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the storing of the data associating the one or more first device-specific characteristics to the first position correlated with the data indicative of the first user context at the first position:
performing a first location tracking operation; and
determining that one or more current device-specific characteristics correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics; and

based at least in part on the determination that the one or more current device-specific characteristics correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics:
identifying that a current location of the mobile client device corresponds to the first location within the given area; and
issuing, to at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, a first one of the one or more location-based data commands associated with the first user context.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the issuing of the first one of the one or more location-based data commands comprises issuing a data command configured to cause first digitally rendered content to be displayed on a display device associated with the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, the first digitally rendered content related to the first location.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the issuing of the first one of the one or more location-based data commands comprises issuing a data command configured to cause the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices to switch from a first power consumption state to a second power consumption state, operation in the first power consumption state consuming less electrical power than operation in the second power consumption state.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining an inactive status of the mobile client device at the first position;
wherein the issuing, to the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, the first one of the one or more location-based data commands associated with the first user context comprises issuing a data command configured to cause the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices to switch from a first power consumption state to a second power consumption state, operation in the first power consumption state consuming more electrical power than operation in the second power consumption state.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the inactive status comprises:
determining a start time at which the identifying that the current location of the mobile client device corresponds to the first location within the given area occurs; and
determining that a time lapsed since the start time is greater than or equal to than a predetermined threshold for inactivity.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
after the performing of the first location tracking operation, performing second location tracking operation and determining that one or more subsequent current device-specific characteristics do not correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics; and
based at least in part on the determination that one or more subsequent current device-specific characteristics do not correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics:
identifying that a current location of the mobile client device does not correspond to the first location within the given area; and
issuing, to the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, a second one of the one or more location-based data commands associated with the first user context.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the issuing of the second one of the one or more location-based data commands comprises issuing a data command configured to cause the at least one of the one or more other client devices to switch from a first power consumption state to a second power consumption state, operation in the first power consumption state consuming more electrical power than operation in the second power consumption state.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the data indicative of the first user context at the first position at least in part comprises data indicative of a specified period of time; and
the method further comprises, after the storing of the data associating the one or more first device-specific characteristics to the first position correlated with the data indicative of the first user context at the first position:
performing a first location tracking operation;
determining that one or more current device-specific characteristics correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics;
identifying a then-current time;
determining that the then-current time is within the specified time period; and
based at least in part on (i) the determination that the one or more current device-specific characteristics correspond to the one or more first device-specific characteristics, and (ii) the determination that the then-current time is within the specified time period:
identifying that a current location of the mobile client device corresponds to the first location within the given area within the specified time period; and
issuing, to at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, a first one of the one or more location-based data commands associated with the first user context.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the issuing of the first one of the one or more location-based data commands comprises issuing a data command configured to cause first digitally rendered content to be displayed on a display device associated with the at least one of the one or more other computerized devices, the first digitally rendered content having a context related to one or more of: (i) the first location, or (ii) the specified time period.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the specified tim

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Stern Peter
• Cholas Chris
• Stafford Roger Graham

Classifications

• H04L12/2801

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title

• H04W4/18

  Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals · CPC title

• H04L12/2898

  Subscriber equipments (DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801) · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title