Method and apparatus for providing position-related information to mobile recipients

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BACKGROUND

The invention relates to mobile information systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for providing information to mobile users, which information is based upon the user's position and tailored to the user's interests.

For a number of reasons, it may be desirable to dynamically provide a mobile user with information that is particularly related to the user's present location. Such reasons may include, but are not limited to, the desire to assist and/or inform the user as he or she tours a particular locale or exhibit, and the desire to assist the user as he or she attempts to navigate from one location to another. A number of techniques for providing such position-related information are known, and will now be described.

To begin with, a variety of methods have been employed for the purpose of presenting observers with information that is related to exhibits (e.g., art displays, zoological displays, and the like) or sights (e.g., tours of historic sights, natural wonders, urban settings, theme parks, and the like) which are in the proximate vicinity of the observer and for guiding or controlling the observer's physical movements through an exhibit, display, or geographic locale. The most common and most widely used of these presentation and touring methods include:

Guided tours in which the customer accompanies a tour guide on a walking tour or in a vehicle (e.g., bus, boat, helicopter);

Personal tours in which the sightseer reads a brochure and follows a map or floor plan;

Personal tours in which the sightseer reads informative sign boards, or obtains information from a kiosk or diorama;

Loudspeaker broadcasts of information at preselected (i.e., fixed) locations;

Portable playback devices rented by the sightseer which play an audio tape, compact disk, or video tape; and

Portable receivers rented by the sightseer which trigger short range infrared (or similar technology) transmitters located at various points of the exhibit, and which play back a description keyed to the location of the transmitter.

The above-mentioned techniques variously suffer from one or more of the following drawbacks: 1) a lack of automation, such as in the case of human tour guides; 2) a failure to detect the user's location, thereby requiring the user to expend some effort to ensure receipt of the appropriate information at the right time; 3) an inability to provide information at more than a few fixed locations; and an inability of the user to select the type of information that will be received at any given location.

Recognizing the increasing mobility of society and the growing need and quest for concise, rapid, accurate and readily available information, the proprietors of information and entertainment venues, aircraft and automobile manufacturers, electronic equipment providers, and recreational equipment providers have attempted to install or provide access to on-demand information. These providers have come to realize that people prefer on-the-spot information at a time and place of their own choosing that is relevant to their current location and tailored to their particular interests.

Several types of devices and equipment have been created which have attempted to afford the user freedom from interpreting written material. Guided and unguided tours, for example, employ pre-positioned audio and video information which is delivered when the user either pushes a button to announce his presence or when his approach is detected by the triggering of a sensor. Such a system readily determines that a viewer is at a particular predefined location. However, the system is limited in that position-based information is restricted to those locations at which the provider can economically and practically position the sensor stations. Users who are proceeding in a vehicle or are, of necessity, continually on the move either cannot maintain contact with the fixed information source or will quickly find themselves located at a point where the provided information is no longer relevant. Another drawback stems from the fact that the quality of the audio or video at fixed stations is dependent on close proximity to the location, and tends to deteriorate with continuous usage.

Tour bus and van manufacturers have installed audio and visual devices which can provide position related tour and scenic information keyed to the vehicle's location as determined by the driver or tour guide. Listeners use channel selectors mounted to their seats to select what prerecorded information they will receive in their headsets or monitors. This system provides whatever information the tour company has preselected and the staff must either continually correlate the content with the position of the vehicle or prepare a sequential presentation of content that will hopefully match the predicted position of the vehicle.

A class of individual and personal mobile information systems have also been created based on "on-board" storage technologies and the use of signs, sensors, and user inputs to establish the current position of the vehicle or individual. The position information, which may be automatically obtained via the fixed sensor or else manually determined by the individual from external signs, maps, and the like, and then entered by means of a keyboard or selection switch, triggers the playback device to output the corresponding audio or visual information stored locally (on-board or on the individual) on an audio cassette, compact disk (CD) read only memory (ROM), compact disc, or similar storage system.

The drawback with systems whose position information is derived from fixed sensors and signs is that they tend to be obtrusive and, as a practical matter, the scope of their coverage is limited to those locations where they may be feasibly and legally placed.

The drawback with on-board systems requiring user involvement in the determination and inputting of current location is that the conduct of these activities may be distracting and even dangerous, particularly if the user is mobile and responsible for the safe control of a vehicle.

The advent of universal and accurate navigation systems, such as the global positioning system (GPS), has made it possible to rapidly determine the position of a mobile object or individual with high precision. For background information on these techniques, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,115 and its included references. Briefly, a plurality of artificial satellites are utilized so that at least four observed satellites are always capable of providing a mobile receiver with a meaningful signal with which to determine orbiting data of each satellite. The present position of each satellite is obtained by applying detected orbit data to solve Kepler's equation. A distance from the ground-based mobile object to each satellite can be obtained by measuring the propagation time of the signal transmitted from the satellite. The mobile receiver's present position is determined by the solution of simultaneous equations relating the position of each of the multiple satellites with the distance between the mobile receiver and each respective observed satellite. The resulting position information is displayed to the user as his location at the time of observation.

Such capabilities enable accurate and rapid determination of current position by people at fixed positions or on the move. The advent of this technology means that the traveler need no longer be dependent upon pre-positioned sensors or upon the manual determination and inputting of current location to provide the position trigger for information sources such as those described above. As a result, a number of systems have been devised which allow the occupant of a mobile vehicle to retrieve information contained on an installed cassette tape, compact disk or similar storage device, which information is based on the accurate GPS position data entered into an onboard computer. Such systems are particularly suited for mobile navigation as employed, for example, in the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,254. This system incorporates a position recognition system and an onboard map or location database. While this system provides map information generated from an onboard database including the display of the mobile unit's current position and surrounding geographic features, another system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,486 goes further to display onboard generated routing information for locations specified by the operator. Yet another system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,492, wherein audio instructions derived from an onboard computer processing unit (CPU) are provided to the traveler to effect preselected routing, thereby freeing the operator from interpreting visual instructions and pictorial information as required in the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,486.

Also known in the art is a personal guidance system for blind pedestrians developed by Jack Loomis, Reginald Golledge, and Roberta Klatzky, as described in P.

Tyson, "High-Tech Help for the Blind", Technology Review pp. 19-21, April 1995. As described in this article, the system incorporates a GPS monitor, laptop computer, headphones, and associated equipment into a twenty-eight pound backpack unit which is intended to be worn by a blind pedestrian. As the pedestrian walks through an area, the GPS information is used by the computer to retrieve, and deliver to the user, audio information indicating the structures and landmarks in current proximity to the pedestrian.

The disadvantage in each of these systems is that the derivation of information from an on-board storage device necessitates the collection and entry of that information into the computer's mass storage device long before the journey is commenced. Consequently, the routing guidance and other information is based on static information from the moment it is entered into the database of the onboard system. If the information is of a perishable nature, such as in the nature of highway traffic conditions, construction and repair progress, seasonal availability or cost information, the on-board database is only as good as the most recent edition received and loaded by the user.

Equally limiting is the scope and breadth of the onboard database. Normally entered into a finite space and capacity, any travel beyond the dimensions of the loaded data is of necessity unsupported by the installed information system.

Furthermore, in the case of the personal guidance system for blind pedestrians, the employment of "on-board" processing and storage of the information database necessitates that the pedestrian constantly carry the "on-board" equipment from location to location.

The limitations suffered by solutions relying on on-board information storage systems are partially addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,843 to Champion et al. In a described embodiment, this traffic information system permits direct access to information maintained and kept current by a service provider. Information concerning the current status of traffic conditions along a specific metropolitan commuter route is maintained in a high capacity dynamic data base and is available to customers on demand. Additional information reports which may be of interest to a subscriber, including airline flight and surface travel information as well as stock information, may be queried. Subscribers are provided such information by wireline telephone, mobile telephone, or computer.

The employment of a centralized information system which is remotely located from the mobile vehicle solves the problem of local storage limitations and additionally permits the provider to rapidly update the information disseminated to customers. However, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,843 requires that subscribers personally determine their current position and provide that position information via the input device, whether that be digitally via modem or via a dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) capable telephone. In addition, the travel information system is geared specifically toward urban vehicular commuters by providing information on traffic conditions and optimum routing given those conditions. The system does not address the needs of pedestrians including tourists, travelers, students, and the local populace in general for a broad range of position-dependent information in urban, rural or remote locations.

As described in Better Homes and Gardens p. 214, July 1995, another known system utilizes GPS technology to locate the current position of a vehicle and to use this information provide an emergency service. At the touch of a button, buyers of the 1996 Lincoln Continental automobile (manufactured by the Ford Motor Company) will be able to access a worldwide emergency tracking system. This system, which is known as the Remote Emergency Satellite Cellular Unit (RESCU), uses global positioning satellite technology and the cellular phone network to put a driver in voice contact with an operator at a special response center. The operator at the response center pinpoints the vehicle's location, guides the appropriate emergency service to the vehicle, and stays in voice communication with the customer until help arrives. A special password setup protects against false alarms or unauthorized attempts to turn the system off.

In essence, the RESCU system provides an enhanced version of the standard 911 emergency call in which the location of the customer is automatically relayed to the emergency center instead of being verbally communicated by the customer over the voice circuit. As such, the RESCU system is an emergency service for vehicular customers that utilizes GPS positioning technology. It should be noted, however, that the information content received by the customer is in all relevant aspects identical to that which would be received by a customer using a wireline or cellular phone to make a standard 911 call. That is, the information is not automatically retrieved from a data base as a function of the caller's position, but rather is whatever the operator at the response center happens to say to the caller. Thus, the position information is only relevant with respect to the dispatch of emergency personnel and is largely unrelated to the information content received by the vehicular customer. Additionally, the RESCU system is designed specifically to serve customers riding in properly equipped automobiles and is not applicable to pedestrians in distress.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system that delivers information which is related to the accurate position of the information seeker.

It is another object of the invention to provide the position-related information with minimal effort expended by the user in determining his accurate position.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide user-selectable position-related information on a broad range of topics or interests.

It is still another object of the invention to provide position-related information to users who may be anywhere in a broad geographic area served by mobile communications providers.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide position-related information on a continuous basis at any hour or in any climatic condition.

It is still another object of the invention to provide dynamically changeable position-related information by means of a fully automated, centrally maintained facility to ensure accuracy, completeness and timeliness.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a position-related information delivery service to users (vehicle occupants or pedestrians) by means of lightweight, highly portable and easily employed equipment.

It is still another object of the invention to extend the position-related information delivery service to third parties in support of emergency and life support actions on behalf of the subscriber.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a position-related information delivery service to subscribers in a mode requiring minimal visual observation and interpretation on the part of the subscribers.

It is another object of the invention to provide a position-related information delivery service that supports the presentation of text, graphics, and images to subscribers.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a position-related information delivery service which is unobtrusive to the environment surrounding the user, safely employable, expandable to all areas where wireless communications capability may extend, available to collocated and interested travelers, and which is responsive to emergency conditions and supportive of regional or national emergency planning.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are achieved in an apparatus for providing position-related information to a mobile user. The apparatus comprises a mobile unit and a central site server. The mobile unit includes means for receiving position signals; means for determining present position information from the position signals; and wireless means for establishing a bidirectional communications link with a central site server via a terrestrial network. In a preferred embodiment, the bidirectional communications link is established through a cellular telephone network coupled to a public switched telephone network or public data network. The mobile unit further includes means for sending the present position information to the central site server via the bidirectional communications link; means for receiving response information from the central site server via the bidirectional communications link; and means for supplying the response information to the mobile user. The central site server comprises means for coupling to the terrestrial network; means for receiving the present position information from the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link; means for storing a plurality of response information, each response information corresponding to a particular position; means for using the received present position information to retrieve corresponding response information from the storing means; and means for sending the retrieved response information to the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link.

In another aspect of the invention, the central site server supplies the mobile unit with a menu of user. information-type possibilities. The user makes a selection by, for example, pressing a key on the mobile unit's keypad, and thereby generates a menu selection signal. The menu selection signal is then sent to the central site server via the bidirectional communications link. The central site server receives the menu selection signal from the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link, and uses this in conjunction with the position information to retrieve corresponding response information from the storing means.

In another aspect of the invention, communications between the mobile unit and the central site server are encrypted. Accordingly, the mobile unit's means for sending the present position information to the central site server comprises means for encrypting the present position information; and means, coupled to the encrypting means, for sending the encrypted present position information to the central site server. Furthermore, the mobile unit's means for receiving response information from the central site server comprises means for receiving encrypted response information from the central site server; and means, coupled to the encrypted response information receiving means, for decrypting the encrypted response information. The central site server's means for receiving the present position information from the mobile unit comprises means for receiving the encrypted present position information via the bidirectional communications link; and means, coupled to the encrypted present position information receiving means, for decrypting the encrypted present position information. The central site server's means for sending the retrieved response information to the mobile unit comprises means for encrypting the retrieved response information; and means, coupled to the retrieved response information encrypting means, for sending the encrypted retrieved response information to the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the mobile unit further comprises means for receiving a request position command from the central site server via the bidirectional communications link; and means, coupled to the present position determining means and to the request position command receiving means, for causing the present position determining means to initiate operation in response to receipt of the request position command. Furthermore, the central site server further comprises means for sending the request position command to the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the mobile unit further comprises a timer; and means, coupled to the timer, for periodically sending updated position information to the central site server via the bidirectional communications link. The mobile unit may also include means for receiving a position refresh interval value from the central site server via the bidirectional communications link; and means for loading the position refresh interval value into the timer. In this embodiment, the central site server further comprises means for sending the position refresh interval value to the mobile unit via the bidirectional communications link. In this way, the position refresh rate of the mobile unit can be set by the central site server.

In an alternative embodiment, the mobile unit further comprises means for receiving a position refresh interval value from the mobile user; and means for loading the position refresh interval value into the timer. Thus, in this embodiment, the user has control of the position refresh rate.

In other aspects of the invention, the mobile unit may process the position information to generate position coordinates, which are sent to the central site server. Alternatively, the position signals themselves may be transmitted from the mobile unit to the central site server. In this case, the central site server has the ability to generate position coordinates from the position signals.

In still another aspect of the invention, the position-related information distribution system may be used for providing assistance in emergency situations. That is, the central site server may further include means for establishing a second communications link with an operator via the terrestrial network. The operator may be, for example, an emergency service provider. The central site server may further include means for sending the present position information to the operator via the second communications link; and means for transferring the bidirectional communications link to enable communic