NETWORK SERVICES DEPENDENT ON GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user's phone number (or other identification for contacting the user's station), and (b) supplies the user's station with a distinctive identifier. The provider then supplies a location determining service with the user's phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a user by locating a network station residing with the user for providing network communications, comprising performing the following steps (a) through (f) at a time when the location is desired, wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations, wherein at least one of the different locations is used to determine whether at least one network service is available to the network station via a connection to at least one networks; (a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the user or the network station; (b) subsequently transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the user or the network station; (c) subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site; (d) using the received second identification information to identify the first identification information; (e) subsequently transmitting, via a fourth network communication, a request for determining a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified, wherein the request is determined using a first approximate location of the network station; (f) receiving, in response to the request, a fifth network communication for providing a more precise location of the user than the first approximate location to a predetermined network site; and selecting a wireless location provider using the first approximate location, wherein the wireless location provider is then activated for determining the more precise location, the wireless location provider determining the more precise location using one of: global positioning location technology, a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal multipath pattern matching location technology; wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet while the steps a-f are performed; and determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1 further including using the first approximate location to identify a location determining service to which the request is transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1 further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service includes providing advertising to the network station based on the more precise location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining information for identifying websites that offer services near the user's more precise location.

6. The method of claim 1, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the transmitting step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service includes selecting or prioritizing network sites based on the more precise location, wherein the selection or prioritization includes obtaining advertising information for identifying products or services that are offered near to the user's more precise location.

8. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined national site, is in response to a request for the second identification information; and wherein the network station is a wireless network station; and the more precise location requires analysis of a geographically varying characteristic of wireless signals between the network station and the network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first approximate location is used for determining a location providing source for determining the more precise location.

10. The method of claim 1, further including a step of identifying a location providing service from a plurality of location providing services for determining the more precise location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the steps are performed at a time a product or service is requested via an Internet transmission by the user.

12. A method for determining the location of a user by locating a network station residing with the user for providing network communications, comprising performing the following steps (a) through (f) at a time when the location is desired, wherein one or more networks are accessed by the network station from a plurality of different locations, wherein at least one of the different locations is used to determine whether at least one network service is available to the network station via a connection to at least one networks; (a) receiving, via a first network communication from the network station, first identification information for identifying the user or the network station; (b) subsequently transmitting, via a second network communication, second identification information to the network station for storing thereon and distinctively identifying the user or the network station; (c) subsequently receiving, from the network station via a third network communication, the second identification information at a predetermined network site; (d) using the received second identification information to identify the first identification information; (e) subsequently transmitting, via a fourth network communication, a request for determining a location of the network station when the first identification information is identified, wherein the request is determined using a first approximate location of the network station; (f) receiving, in response to the request, a fifth network communication for providing a more precise location of the user than the first approximate location to a predetermined network site; and selecting a wireless location provider using the first approximate location, wherein the wireless location provider is then activated for determining the more precise location, the wireless location provider determining the more precise location using one of: a wireless signal time difference of arrival location technology, a wireless signal angle of arrival location technology, and a wireless signal multipath pattern matching location technology; wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet while the steps (a)-(f) are performed; and determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said network communications are directed to one or more of: gambling services, taxation services, services for the distribution of software, advertising presentations, and information related to locations within a local geographical area that the user is expected to find of interest.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a destination of the request is determined using the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet while the steps of claim 16 are performed.

15. The method of claim 12, further including determining the request according to a coverage area of a location determining service having the first approximate location, wherein the network station includes a cellular wireless device for communicating on the Internet.

16. The method of claim 12, further including using the first approximate location to identify a location determining service to which the request is transmitted.

17. The method of claim 12, further including determining a service to be provided to the user according to the more precise location.

18. The method of claim 12, further including determining whether the second identification information is retrieved from the network station in order to perform the transmitting step.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first approximate location is used for determining a location providing source for determining the more precise location.

20. The method of claim 12, further including a step of identifying a location providing service from a plurality of location providing services for determining the more precise location.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the high level components used in an embodiment of the present invention wherein the communications network is, for example, the Internet.

[0021] FIGS. 2A and 2B provide a flowchart of the high level steps performed at a network service site (e.g., an Internet website), and at a user's network station for verifying the location of the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a high level diagram of the components used in an embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, a communications network 10, such as the Internet, is used for providing network based services between a network service site 14 and one or more network user stations 18 whose locations are desired to be verified (or determined) one or more times by the network service site 14. Additionally, one or more telephony location service providers 22 are in communication with the network site 14, via one or more public switched telephone networks 26, wherein the network service site 14 provides the telephone numbers of users (at their stations 18) who are to have their locations determined. Accordingly, the telephony location service providers 22 respond with locations of the network users. Note that such telephony location service providers 22 are currently available for providing the location of telephony subscribers for emergency services such as 911. Moreover, various technologies have been developed for also verifying the location of users on cellular or wireless phones such as global positioning location technologies, time difference of arrival triangulation technologies, angle of arrival technologies, and multipath pattern matching technologies for wireless signals as one skilled in the art will understand. Moreover, as one skilled in the art will also understand, the automatic location identification (ALI) currently used for emergency 911 services can also be used for providing location services to other location requesters such as the network service site 14.

[0023] The network service site 14 also accesses a database 30 of telephony location service providers 22, wherein the database associates each location service provider with their corresponding geographical coverage area for providing locations of users. This database is used to select an appropriate location service provider 22 given the general area in which the network user has indicated he/she is located, Additionally, the network service site 14 also accesses a database 34 having any geographical constraints to be applied during service activation with a user once the user's location has been verified (e.g., gambling wagering limitations according to the user's location). Moreover, note that in addition to geographical constraints, the database 34 may also include geographically associated advertising and additional information to provide to the user depending upon the user's verified location,

[0024] A general high level flowchart illustrating the steps performed by the present invention is provided in the flowchart of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Note that this flowchart describes the steps performed when a network user request a particular service. However, as one skilled in the art will understand, a similar flowchart can be provided for substantially unrequested services as advertising of locally available products and/or services, The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Further, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, and within the skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain the best mode presently known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention as such, or in other embodiments, and with the various modifications required by their particular application or uses of the invention, It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.