Position-based context awareness for mobile terminal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014569-A1
Application number	US-201514862834-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2004
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to location/position-based context awareness for devices and mobile terminal devices, respectively. In particularly, the present invention relates to an infrastructure entity performing the location/position-based context awareness for a portable terminal device. According to the present invention an infrastructure entity and a method operable therewith for serving distance-dependent context information relating to a defined environment is provided. For instance, terminal/object distances are determined in accordance with a position of a portable terminal, each position of a plurality of objects and a position of an infrastructure entity, which is adapted to serve the aformentioned distance-dependent context information. Context information, which is associated with each of the plurality of object, is provided for being selected. Context information is selected from provided context information on the basis of the determined terminal/object distances. The selected context information is finally transmitted to the portable terminal for being processed thereon.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
causing, at least in part, storage of context information associated with a predefined environment, said context information is centrally administered by a central server; selecting said context information in accordance with a determined position of a mobile terminal device and said predefined environment; causing, at least in part, a transmission of said selected context information to said mobile terminal for being processed thereon; and providing a plurality of objects, wherein each object is associated with said context information, wherein each object has a position, which is defined with reference to said defined environment, wherein each of a mobile terminal to object distances comprises a distance between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining said position of said mobile terminal by the means of terminal-based position technology or network-based position technology.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting said context information in accordance with said terminal to object distances.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein, in accordance with said terminal to object distances, said context information includes mobile terminal operating instructions.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said mobile terminal operating instructions include purchase instructions.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining further comprises:
determining said terminal to object distances at a point in time; or determining said terminal to object distances over a period of time.

7 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said position of said mobile terminal and/or said positions of a plurality of objects is/are allowed to vary in time.

8 . The method according to claim 1 wherein contents of said context information associated with at least one of said objects depends on said terminal to object distance.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a coverage area within which said mobile terminal is located differs from said defined environment.

10 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said context information comprises information out of a group of information including information to be displayed to a user of said mobile terminal, information for being processed by said mobile terminal and instructions instructing said mobile terminal to operate correspondingly.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said defined environment is mapped to a digital representation, which comprises said plurality of objects.

12 . The method according to claim 1 wherein one or more objects of said plurality of objects represent physical objects being present within said defined environment.

13 . The method according to claim 1 wherein one or more objects of said plurality of objects represent virtual objects, which require no physical correspondence within said defined environment.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a position of at least one other mobile terminal device in relation to said mobile terminal device when said at least one other mobile terminal is located within the coverage area.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said context information is associated with real world, virtual world, or augmented world, portions of the predefined environment.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein a set of one or more other objects are assigned to the at least one other mobile terminal.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said selected context information is a timetable, the mobile terminal device is proximate one of the plurality of objects, and the one of the plurality of objects is a mode of transportation.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
communicating wirelessly with the mobile terminal device through at least one wireless data interface, wherein the at least one wireless data interface is included in at least one infrastructure having the coverage area.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein said context information is associated with augmented world portions of the predefined environment.

20 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising
transmitting routing information to the mobile terminal device.

21 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising
transmitting information about a virtual object associated with the at least one infrastructure to the mobile terminal device such that the mobile terminal device tasks the virtual object.

22 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause following to occur:
cause, at least in part, storage of context information associated with a predefined environment, said context information is centrally administrated by a central server, select said context information in accordance with a determined position of a mobile terminal device and said predefined environment; cause, at least in part, a transmission of said selected context information to said mobile terminal for being processed thereon; and provide a plurality of objects, wherein each object is associated with said context information, wherein each object has a position, which is defined with reference to said defined environment, wherein each of said terminal to object distances comprises a distance between said position of said mobile terminal and each position of said plurality of objects, wherein several predefined environments form a gaming area in a gaming scenario.

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the following is further caused to occur:
determine terminal to object distances on the basis of positions of said mobile terminal and said plurality of objects; and select said context information in accordance with said terminal to object distances.

24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the following is further caused to occur:
determine said terminal to object distances at a point in time; or determine said terminal to object distances over a period of time.

25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , further causing to occur:
determining a position of at least one other mobile terminal device in relation to said mobile terminal device when said at least one other mobile terminal is located within the coverage area.

26 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein said context information is associated with virtual world, or augmented world, portions of the predefined environment.

27 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein a set of one or more other objects are assigned to the at least one other mobile terminal.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Theimer Wolfgang
• Gaschler Dirk
• Serafat Reza
• Schetelig Thomas
• Ross Andree
• Rateitschek Klaus
• Weingart Peter
• Saarhelo Jari
• Hayashi Sawako-Eeva

Classifications

• H04W4/04 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01S5/08

  Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location · CPC title

• A63F13/533

  for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu · CPC title

• A63F13/95

  Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges · CPC title

• H04L67/55

  Push-based network services · CPC title