WO2001093100A2

WO2001093100A2 - Position based internet search

Info

Publication number: WO2001093100A2
Application number: PCT/SE2001/001044
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Skog
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2000-05-31
Filing date: 2001-05-11
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Also published as: AU2001262822A1; EP1285362A2; WO2001093100A3

Abstract

A method and system for generating a search on a computer network (15), such as the Internet, is disclosed. An http-client (10) generated a search request from a user at a selected location via a first network. Location data (50) is determined for a mobile telephone (35) at the selected location via a second network. The search request and the location data (50) for the selected location are forwarded to a server (20) wherein search results are generated based upon the search request and the location data (50). The search results are returned to the http-client (10) for display to a user.

Description

POSITION BASED INTERNET SEARCH

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to searches for information upon a computer network such as the Internet, and more particularly, to a search based upon a combination of a search request from a user and a position of a mobile telephone associated with the user.

Description of Related Art Over the last several years the explosive growth of the Internet has provided individuals with nearly unlimited access to all types of information from locations around the world. This growth of information provided on the Internet has led to the creation of various search engines which provide a user the ability to search the Internet for specific types of information. These searches are normally based upon a key word entry made by a user.

The retrieval of information from the Internet is based on World Wide Web (WWW) technology. World Wide Web technology uses a protocol called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP comprises a set of rules enabling the exchange of files on the Internet. These files can comprise text, graphic images, sound, video or other types of multimedia files. Files utilizing HTTP may contain references to other files enabling the accessing of information from these other files. Files maybe easily navigated between using a web browser for displaying web pages and links.

While a web browser provides a relatively quick and efficient way for a user to navigate the Internet via pointing and clicking on particular hypertext links located on web pages, the user must click on a number of links in order to achieve a desired search result or access a particular piece of information. This problem is especially prevalent in situations where the particular location of a user is relevant to a search request. For example, if a user were requesting the locations of restaurants within their area, additional link clicks would be required to indicate the user's present position. The more links a user must click on in order to access a particular piece of information, the more likely a user is to cease attempting to access a particular piece of information. One solution to this problem would be for the user to type in the search form and location desired for a particular search. However, this method may involve typing errors which would be inconvenient for the user. Also, the repeated typing of a number of sequential searches is a time consuming and cumbersome process. Thus, some manner for solving these and other problems for the user would be desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ^"

The present invention comprises a system and method for generating a search on a computer network such as the Internet. A search request is generated at a http- client for transmission to a server over the computer network. The http-client resides in a selected location. Location data for a mobile telephone associated with the user at the selected location is determined and forwarded with the search request to a server having a search engine over the computer network. The computer, or any device that has the possibility to access the Internet, is connected to the Internet via a radio access network or wireline. The mobile phone is connected to a PLMN (i.e., a GSM network or other mobile networks such as TDMA, CDMA) that is separate from the network of the computer. The PLMN has mobility management built into the system enabling the PLMN to position a mobile phone. The server performs a search responsive to the search request and the location data, and generates a search result based on this information. The search results based upon the search request and the location data are returned to the http-client via the computer network and viewed by a user at the selected location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the method and apparatus of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a system utilizing World Wide Web technology for communication over the Internet; FIGURE 2 is an illustration of a system of the present invention enabling a search request and location data to be combined to generate a search result for a user; and

FIGURE 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention for obtaining a search result based upon a search request and location data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particular to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated the general configuration of a system for accessing files over the Internet. An http-client 10 can consist of a web browser which enables a user to access files 25 and data stored within a server 20 over the Internet 15. In addition to the files 25, each server 20 includes an HTTP daemon 30. The HTTP daemon 30 comprises a program that is designed to receive HTTP requests from the http-client 10 and process the request to provide the desired information. The user enters a file request at the http- client 10 using a web browser by either "opening" a web file by typing in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address or by clicking on a hypertext link. In response to the entered URL or activation of the hypertext link pointing to a particular URL, the http-client 10 builds an HTTP request and transmits the request to the Internet Protocol (IP) address indicated by the URL address. The HTTP daemon 30 at the destination server 20 receives the request, and after any required processing, provides a requested file or result.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a system according to the present invention for enabling a search request generated by a http-client 10 to be implemented based upon both the search request and the location of a mobile telephone 35 associated with or carried by the user. The http-client 10 is stored within a memory (not shown) of a computer 40. As discussed earlier, the http-client 10 enables the user to access other servers 20 via a computer network such as the Internet 15 (TCP/TP network) over any type of interface (wireline, wireless, etc.).

A server 20 containing a search engine enables a user to search the Internet 15 for a particular type of information within a search engine database 45. The search engine database 45 includes listings of various types of information stored upon the Internet at which may be of interest to a user. A number of search engine databases

45 which are presently available upon the Internet include search engines such as CNN.com, Yahoo.com, Northernlight.com, etc. The server 20 also includes an HTTP daemon 30 which is responsive to HTTP search requests received from the http-client 10 for initiating searches within the search engine database 45. The computer 40 resides at a selected location. Also residing at this selected location is a mobile telephone 35. The mobile telephone 35 includes circuitry 50 enabling a determination of location data associated with the selected position of the computer 40 and mobile telephone 35 using a second network (PLMN) separate from that used by the computer (TCP/TP). There are presently various technologies available for determining the geographical position of a mobile telephone, so called positioning procedures. One example would be network based positioning procedure based on Cell Global Identity (CGI), sometimes combined with Timing Advance Value (CGI+TA). Other examples might include a global positioning system (GPS) or mobile positioning system (MPS). The positioning applications 39 and the positioning procedures are independent of one another. Alternatively, the location data may be determined using mobility management circuitry within the public land mobile network (PLMN) 38 associated with the mobile telephone 35. According to the system of the present invention, the computer 40 and mobile telephone 35 must be located at substantially the same position. This may be accomplished by merely having the mobile telephone 35 located at or near the computer 40.

In a first embodiment, the http-client 10 within the computer 40 generates a search request for transmission to the server 20 via the Internet 15 (TCP/IP network). Location data is requested and generated with respect to the present position of the mobile telephone 35 by the positioning information circuitry 50 or circuitry within the PLMN 38 (telecom network). This determination of location data for the mobile telephone is made by determining the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) of the mobile telephone 35. This determination of location data may be achieved via an HTTP header within a cookie.

The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and to possibly prepare customized web pages. When a user enters a web site using cookies, the user may be asked to fill out a form providing certain information such as the user's name, user's

ID, and the MISDN number of a user's mobile station. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to the user's web browser which stores it for later use. The next time the user enters the same web site, the user's browser will send the cookie to the web server. The server can use this information to present the user with customized web pages. So, for example, instead of entering just a general welcome page the user might enter a welcome page with the user's name on it.

The server 20 receives the request for the user. The HTTP request includes a cookie. The cookie contains information about the user, for example, the MSISDN number of the user's mobile telephone. An HTTP daemon 30 residing on the server 20 uses the MSISDN number to position the mobile telephone.

Alternatively, the Internet Protocol (IP) number of the computer 40, which is dynamically assigned by the network, that is connected to the Internet 15 may be translated to an MSISDN of the mobile telephone 35 using a subscription database 60 accessible via the Internet 15. This positioning process may be done using a MPS system, GPS system or some other type of positioning system. The location data for the mobile telephone 35 and the search request from the http-client 10 are forwarded to the server 20 via the PLMN 38 and the Internet 15 networks, respectively. The HTTP daemon 30 within the server 20 utilize the provided search request and location data to access the search database 45 and provide a search result based upon these two pieces of information. The search result is returned to the http-client 10 via the

Internet 15 for display to a user.

In an alternative embodiment, only the search request is provided to the server 20 through the Internet 15. In this case, the HTTP daemon 30 in response to the search request accesses the search database 45 to provide the search result. This search result is returned to the http-client 10 wherein the search results are modified by the location data, generated in the manner described earlier, to provide the search information relevant only to the location of the mobile telephone 35 and computer 40.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is illustrated a flow diagram describing a particular example wherein a user on a portable laptop computer 40 is requesting information on Italian Restaurants when the user is within Paris. At step 70, the user connects to the Internet via the http-client 10. The interconnection to the Internet may be via a wireline connection or a wireless connection. The user accesses a particular information portal (i.e., search engine) using the http-client 10 at step 75. The user clicks on a link for "Italian restaurants" and a search request is generated at step 80 by the http-client 10. The MSISDN of the mobile telephone is determined at step 85 using one of the methods described with respect to the discussion of FIGURE 2 and, as a consequence thereof, the position of the mobile telephone 35 and the laptop computer 40 are determined at step 90 from the MSISDN. The search request and the position information are combined at step 95 to enable a search of the database 45 to determine Italian restaurants which are located near the user. The search results based upon the search request and the location data are provided at step 100 to the http-client

10 for presentation to the user.

Using the above-identified invention, a number of advantages are achieved for improvement over systems such as WAP system. For example, a user is able to use a full size keyboard rather than a keypad on a mobile terminal using WAP, a high speed bit rate capable over the Internet access via a laptop/PC using TCP/IP protocol is possible rather than the lower bit rate WAP protocol, this system is much more user friendly because it limits the number of quicks a user is required in order to access a desired web site. And finally, a full sized display associated with a laptop or PC terminal is possible rather than the tiny display upon a mobile terminal. The previous description is of a preferred embodiment for implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily be limited by this description. The scope of the present invention is instead defined by the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for generating a search on a computer network, comprising the steps of: generating a search request from an http-client connected to a first network and residing in a selected location; determining location data for a mobile telephone that is connected to a second network and residing at the selected location; forwarding the search request to a server for performance of the search; and modifying the results of the search based upon the location data for the mobile telephone.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of: determining a MSISDN for the mobile telephone; positioning the mobile telephone based on the MSISDN of the mobile station; and providing the position of the MSISDN as the location data.

3. The method of Claim 2, wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises translating an IP number of the http-client into a MSISDN of the mobile telephone.

4. The method of Claim 2, wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises determining the MSISDN via an HTTP header in a cookie.

5. The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of modifying further comprises the step of modifying the results of the search at the http-client.

6. The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of modifying further comprises the step of modifying the results of the search at the server.

7. A system for generating a search on a computer network, comprising: an http-client for generating a search request at a selected location; a mobile telephone also at the selected location; a server for generating a search result responsive to the search request from the user; and circuitry for generating location data based upon the selected location of the mobile telephone, said location data for providing the search result based upon both the search request and the location data.

8. The system of Claim 7, wherein the server generates the search result responsive to the search request and the location data.

9. The system of Claim 7, wherein the http-client modifies the search result based upon the location data received from the server.

10. The system of Claim 7, wherein the circuitry further: determines a MSISDN for the mobile telephone; positions the mobile telephone based on the MSISDN of the mobile station; and provides the position of the MSISDN as the location data.

11. The system of Claim 7, wherein the circuitry further: translates an IP number of a computer containing the http-client into a

MSISDN of the mobile telephone.

12. The system of Claim 7 , wherein the circuitry determines the MSISDN via an HTTP header in a cookie.

13. The system of Claim 7 , wherein the computer network comprises the

Internet.

14. A method for generating a search on a computer network, comprising the steps of: generating a search request from an http-client in a selected location; determining location data for a mobile telephone positioned at the selected location; forwarding the search request and the location data to a server for performance of the search; and receiving results of the search from the server.

15. The method of Claim 14, further including the step of performing a search at the server responsive to the search request and the location data.

16. The method of Claim 14, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of: determining a MSISDN for the mobile telephone; positioning the mobile telephone based on the MSISDN of the mobile station; and providing the position of the MSISDN as the location data.

17. The method of Claim 16, wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises translating an IP number of a computer containing the http-client into a MSISDN of the mobile telephone.

18. The method of Claim 16, wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises determining the MSISDN via an HTTP header in a cookie.

19. The method of Claim 14, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

20. A method for generating a search on a computer network, comprising the step of: receiving a search request at a server from an http-client positioned at a selected location; determining location data for a mobile telephone positioned at the selected location; performing the search at the server responsive to the search request and the location data to generate a search result; and forwarding the search result from the server to the http-client.

21. The method of Claim 20, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of: determining a MSISDN for the mobile telephone; positioning the mobile telephone based on the MSISDN of the mobile station; and providing the position of the MSISDN as the location data.

22. The method of Claim 21 , wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises translating an IP number of a computer containing the http-client into a MSISDN of the mobile telephone.

23. The method of Claim 21 , wherein the step of determining a MSISDN further comprises determining the MSISDN via an HTTP header in a cookie.

24. The method of Claim 20, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.