U.S. patent application number 15/048543 was filed with the patent office on 2016-09-29 for media content delivery system and method.
The applicant listed for this patent is BRENDAN CIECKO. Invention is credited to BRENDAN CIECKO.
Application Number | 20160286361 15/048543 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56976115 |
Filed Date | 2016-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160286361 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CIECKO; BRENDAN |
September 29, 2016 |
MEDIA CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD
Abstract
One or more wireless networks operate to provide wireless
connectivity to a network server that runs an application that
operates to deliver content to a mobile communication device that
is either moving around a building interior or moving around in the
open air. The mobile communication device has functionality that
determines is rate of motion and functionality that allows it to
determine its geographic location. The rate of motion and the
geographic location can be sent to the application running on the
network server and used to determine what type of content is
appropriate to deliver to the mobile communication device.
Inventors: |
CIECKO; BRENDAN; (BOSTON,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CIECKO; BRENDAN |
BOSTON |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56976115 |
Appl. No.: |
15/048543 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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62136757 |
Mar 23, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/029 20180201 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/02 20060101
H04W004/02 |
Claims
1. A method of identifying an instance of media content to send to
a first mobile communication device, comprising: storing at a
network computer device a plurality of instances of media content;
receiving, over a network at the network computer device from the
first mobile communication device, information indicative of a
current rate of speed and a current location of the first mobile
communication device; identifying, based upon the current location
and the current rate of speed of the first mobile communication
device, at least one instance of media content among the plurality
of instances of the media content stored at the network computer
device; and sending over the network the at least one identified
instance of media content to the first mobile communication
device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending over the
network the at least one identified instance of media content to a
second mobile communication device.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second mobile communication
device can be in a same current location or a different current
location as the first mobile communication device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one identified
instance of media content comprises any one or more of an audio
content type, a video content type, a textual content type, and a
still image content type.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a quality level of the at least
one identified instance of media content sent to the first mobile
communication device is determined based on the current or past
history of the rate of speed of the first mobile communications
device.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the at least one
identified instance of media content sent to the first mobile
communication device is determined based upon the current or past
history of the rate of speed of the first mobile communication
device.
7. A method of identifying an instance of media content to send to
a first mobile communication device, comprising: sending, by the
first mobile communication device over a network to a network
computer device, information indicative of a current rate of speed
and a current location of the mobile communication device;
receiving, over the network at the first mobile communication
device from the network computer device, at least one instance of
media content identified by the network computer device among a
plurality of instances of media content stored at the network
computer device based upon the current rate of speed and location
of the first mobile communication device; and playing the received
at least one identified instance of media content by the first
mobile communication device.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, receiving, over the
network at a second mobile communication device from the network
computer device, the at least one identified instance of the
plurality of instances of media content stored at the network
computer device that is identified by the network computer device
based upon the current rate of speed and location of the first
mobile communication device, and playing the received at least one
identified instance of media content by the second mobile
communication device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second mobile communication
device can be in a same current location or a different current
location as the first mobile communication device.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one identified
instance of media content received at the first communication
device can comprise any one or more of an audio content type, a
video content type, a textual content type, and a still image
content type.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein a quality level of the at least
one identified instance of media content received at the first
mobile communication device is determined based on the current or
past history of the rate of speed of the first mobile
communications device.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the type of the at least one
identified instance of media content received at the first mobile
communication device is determined based upon the current of past
history of the rate of speed of the first mobile communication
device.
13. A method of identifying an instance of media content to send to
a mobile communication device, comprising: storing at a network
computer device a plurality of instances of media content;
receiving, over a network at the network computer device from the
mobile communication device, information indicative of a current
location of the mobile communication device, and anticipating,
based upon the current location and a recent pattern of mobile
communication device movement, that the mobile communication device
is moving to a location that does not provide connectivity to the
network, identifying at least one instance of media content among
the plurality of the instances of media content that is associated
with the location not having network connectivity, and sending the
at least one identified instance of media content to the mobile
communication device prior to the mobile communication device
losing connectivity with the network.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the mobile
communication device receiving the at least one identified instance
of media content sent by the network computer device and playing
the received at least one identified instance of media content when
the mobile communication device determines that it is proximate to
the location not having network connectivity.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one identified
instance of media content received at the communication device can
comprise any one or more of an audio content type, a video content
type, a textual content type, and a still image content type.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein a quality level of the at least
one identified instance of media content received at the first
mobile communication device is determined based on the current or
past history of the rate of speed of the first mobile
communications device.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the type of the at least one
identified instance of media content received at the first mobile
communication device is determined based upon the current of past
history of the rate of speed of the first mobile communication
device.
18. A media content delivery system, comprising: a mobile
communication device in communication over a network with a network
computer device, the network computer device storing a plurality of
instances of media content and operating to receive current
location and movement information from the mobile communication
device that the network computer device uses to identify at least
one instance of media content among the plurality of instances of
media content stored at the network computer device to send to the
mobile communication device.
19. The system of claim 18, further comprising an indoor
positioning system or an outdoor positioning system with which the
mobile communication device interacts to determine a current indoor
or outdoor location.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
62/136,757 entitled "Media Content Delivery System and Method",
filed Mar. 23, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated
by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the delivery of
media content based upon a location and movement of a mobile
communication device, and particularly to the delivery of content
in a location that does not have wireless network connectivity.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The nearly ubiquitous availability of wireless network
connectivity has revolutionized the manner in which information is
delivered to mobile communication devices. As a consequence,
information of interest can now be delivered in real-time to users
of mobile communication devices where and when it is most useful.
The current generation of mobile computer applications can operate
in conjunction with geographic positioning systems (GPS) to deliver
information or media content that is relevant to the current
location of a mobile communications device. Such mobile computer
applications can continually monitor the geographic position of the
mobile communication device on which it is running, send this
position information over a wireless connection to a networked
server which can then deliver information to the mobile
communication device that is relevant to the current geographic
position of the device and which may be of interest to the device
user.
[0004] Generally with reference to FIG. 1, different wireless
network technologies have been developed to fulfill different
needs. Wide area wireless network technology, such as cellular
technology, was developed to at first facilitate mobile voice
communication, and then later was extended to deliver data and
media information. Mobile access to cellular signals largely
depends on strategically positioning enough cellular antennas in a
geographic area to provide full coverage. While cellular signals
propagate freely outside buildings, they do not necessarily
propagate to the interior of certain types of buildings. So, in
order to provide wireless access to networks on the interior of a
building, local area wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi and DECT,
have been developed that can be used for voice and data
communication, and for the sending and receiving of various other
types of media content.
[0005] With the proliferation of wireless connectivity to networks
that permits access to information stored in association with
computational devices (i.e., servers) connected to these networks,
a very large number of applications (mobile applications) are being
developed that are compatible to run on mobile communication
devices. During the time that a mobile device is connected to a
wireless network, a user of the device is able to search for and
down-load information that they are interested in and which is
germane to their current geographic location. At some point,
network developers and mobile communication developers realized
that by implementing geographic positioning system (GPS)
functionality in a mobile communication device, they could easily
track the current location of a mobile device, and use this current
location as the basis for identifying information to be delivered
to the mobile device. Such location based information delivery
applications can be configured to request or pull location
dependent content from a network, or they can be configured to
automatically accept certain type of information that is of
interest to the device user. Regardless of the method, the delivery
of information to a mobile device based upon the current location
of that device was a step forward in the development of mobile
applications.
[0006] In addition to adding location tracking functionality to
mobile communication devices, wireless communication device
developers found it beneficial to implement functionality in these
devices that detects device motion and orientation. This
functionality is typically implemented with an accelerometer, and
the output of an accelerometer can be used to re-orient information
that is displayed on a mobile device screen so that the user is not
forced to re-orient the device in order to easily view the
information.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing several wireless networks that
support connectivity between a mobile communication device and a
server.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing elements comprising a local
wireless network with full interior building coverage and its
connection to a wide area network.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a diagram that is similar to FIG. 2A, but showing
partial local wireless network coverage.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing wireless network coverage
limited to a lobby area and with active beacons.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing no indoor wireless network
coverage with less than 100% active beacon coverage.
[0012] FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate the different types of media
content that can be delivered to a mobile communication device for
display.
[0013] FIG. 7A is a diagram showing functional blocks comprising of
a server 26.
[0014] FIG. 7B is diagram illustrating the structure of an object
location map 71.
[0015] FIG. 7C is a diagram showing the functional blocks
comprising a device locator function 72.
[0016] FIG. 7D is a diagram showing the functional blocks
comprising a device movement function 73.
[0017] FIG. 7E is a diagram showing the functional blocks
comprising a content store and selection module 75.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the functional blocks comprising
a mobile communication device 27.
[0019] FIG. 9 illustrates the format of and information comprising
an instance of content.
[0020] FIGS. 10A and 10B is a flow diagram illustrating the
operation of content delivery logic running on either or both of
the server 26 and the mobile communication device 27.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] While delivering information to a mobile computer
application (mobile application) running on a mobile communication
device (mobile device) based upon the current location of the
device is a convenient means for the device user to receive and
consume the information, delivering information in this manner does
not make any allowance for the wireless network environment in
which the mobile application is operating, and does not consider
the current or recent history of mobile device movement prior to
delivering the information. If a mobile device is currently located
in an environment or a location in which it is not able to connect
to a wireless network, this location is for all intents and
purposes an dead spot with respect to the delivery of information
of interest to the user, and as a consequence, the information is
not able to be delivered to the user for display in a timely manner
or at all. Further, current information delivery methods make no
allowance for the speed with which a mobile communication device
moves through its environment when delivering information. In the
event that a mobile device is moving rapidly, such as in a vehicle,
it is not convenient, or safe, for a user of the device to view
certain types of information, such as textual, still image, or
video type information. But under the same circumstances it may be
convenient (and safer) for audio information to be delivered to the
mobile application to be heard by the user. On the other hand, if a
user of a mobile communication device is walking, then it may be
convenient for them to receive information that is other than only
audio, such as still pictures or video type content.
[0022] While access to a wireless network is nearly ubiquitous
geographically, it is problematical to provide wireless
connectivity in certain types of environments. As described earlier
in the background section, this wireless coverage problem is
largely the result of the environment in which a wireless network
is operating.
[0023] In order to deliver information that both relates to a
particular subject and is of an appropriate type, and in order to
deliver this information to locations that do not have wireless
connectivity, it was discovered that if the current position of a
mobile communication device is known, or if a future geographic
position can be predicted, it is possible to control the subject
matter of the information that is delivered to a mobile
application, and it is also possible to control the type of
information that is delivered to the mobile application based upon
the rate of movement of the mobile communication device. Further,
in the event it is determined that, based upon a recent pattern of
movement, the mobile communication device will move into an area
that does not provide wireless network connectivity (dead zone),
information that is relevant to the area corresponding to the dead
zone can be delivered to the mobile application prior to loosing
wireless network connectivity, and this information can be
displayed by the mobile application to the user at a time during
which the device is proximate to a position that corresponds to a
subject matter that corresponds to at least some of the information
that is delivered. Hereinafter, the information that is delivered
to the mobile application is referred to as media content or simply
content, and the different types of formats of media content
(content) can be any combination of one or more of, but are not
limited to, audio content, still image content, video content,
textual content in varying quantities or amounts for delivery to
the mobile application over longer or shorter periods of time and
at higher or lower quality.
[0024] According to one embodiment, the mobile application
operating environment is the interior of a building, such as a
museum, but in other embodiments, the mobile application can
operate in an environment that is open to the air. The environment
in which the mobile application is running is not important to its
operation, it is only important that the rate of movement of the
mobile device on which the mobile application is running can be
determined, and that a current or past geographic location can be
determined. While the mobile application described herein operates
to deliver content associated with a guided museum tour, it should
be understood that the operation of the mobile application is not
limited to a guided tour or to a tour corresponding to subject
matter located in the interior of a building. But the mobile
application can be configured to deliver other than museum content
and it can be configured to deliver content based upon movement and
current location of the mobile device while it is open to the
air.
[0025] FIG. 2 generally illustrates a communication network
topology that can be used to deliver content to a mobile
application running on a mobile device 27 under the control of an
individual who is touring a Museum 24. A portion of the
communication network topology is located external to the Museum
and is comprised of a server 26 that is connected to two types of
wide area networks, one type of which is a wired network (Internet
20) and the other one of which is a wireless network (cellular
network 22). The interior of the Museum 24 is divided into a number
of separate rooms or galleries, Gallery A, Gallery B, Gallery C,
and Gallery D, and an individual with a mobile communication device
27 is illustrated to be walking around the Museum. The interior
space of the Museum is served by a wireless LAN network 23 (The
interior of the Museum can also be served by the cellular network
as well) that is connected to the Internet 20, and is comprised of
a router and four wireless access points, labeled AP.1-AP.4, one in
each gallery. Each gallery also has at least one beacon, and these
beacons are labeled B.1-B.4 for gallery A, B, C, and D
respectively. The wireless LAN can be implemented with any type of
suitable wireless network technology, such as Wi-Fi or DECT
technology, and the beacons are wireless devices that transmit a
low powered signal into their environment that uniquely identifies
each beacon. Each beacon can be configured to have a unique
identifier, and it can be placed in a known position in the Museum
and used as part of a system to determine a current position of the
mobile device 27. While each gallery in the Museum is shown to have
only one beacon, there can be more than one beacon placed in each
gallery which has the advantage of allowing an interior positioning
system to determine, with some degree of accuracy, the current
geographic position of a mobile communication device in the
interior of the Museum, and while each gallery is shown to have one
access point, there is no need to position an access point inside a
gallery, or inside each gallery, as these access points only need
to be located strategically in the interior of the museum to
provide full wireless connectivity. While the interior positioning
system described above employs a plurality of beacons to operate,
other interior GPS systems can also be employed.
[0026] Continuing to refer to FIG. 2, the mobile communication
device 27 is under control of the individual or user who is walking
around the Museum, and the device 27 is running a mobile
application (full application or thin client) that generally
operates to display content comprising subject matter relating to
each object on display in the Museum. The subject matter comprising
the content that is displayed to the user depends upon the current
position of the device 27 in the Museum, and this content can be
presented to the device 27 user in several different formats or
types, and the type of content displayed depends upon a current or
history of the device 27 movement through the Museum. As described
earlier, the different types of formats of media content (content)
can be any combination of one or more of, but are not limited to,
audio content, still image content, video content, textual content
in varying quantities or amounts for delivery to the mobile
application over longer or shorter periods of time and at higher or
lower quality. As the mobile device 27 moves to a position that is
proximate to an object in the Museum, content relevant to that
object can be delivered by a server 26 to the mobile device 27 via
an access point connected to the wireless LAN 23 or via the
cellular network 22, and the type of content that is delivered
depends upon the rate at which the device 27 moves through the
Museum. This rate of movement can be an instantaneous or current
rate of movement, it can represent a history of recent movement, or
a combination of current and historical movement. The history of a
first individual's movement through the Museum can be stored in the
server 26, and used to control the delivery of content to that
individual the next time they tour the Museum, or it can be used to
control the delivery of content to another, second individual, who
is friendly with the first individual, so that the second
individual can share in the first individual's museum
experience.
[0027] Typically, and provided that the mobile device 27 has
adequate connectivity to the LAN 23 or to the cellular network 22,
the server 26 is able to deliver the appropriate type of content to
the mobile application running on the device 27 as needed and in a
timely manner. However, in the case that the wireless LAN 23 or
cellular network 22 does not provide full coverage to one or more
galleries in the Museum, then it is not always possible to deliver
content to the device 27 in a timely manner. FIG. 3 illustrates the
same Museum 24 as described with reference to FIG. 2, with the same
galleries, same beacons and with access points in all of the
galleries except Gallery C. Under these circumstances, and provided
there is no connectivity to the cellular network, it is not
possible for the device 27 to receive content from the server 26
after it has entered Gallery C. However, and according to one
embodiment, the server 26 has functionality that can anticipate the
movement of the device into an area that is not served by a
wireless network, which in this case is Gallery C, and the
functionality can operate to deliver the content prior to the
device 27 entering Gallery C. So, for example, if the mobile device
is currently moving through Gallery B, and based upon this movement
the server 26 functionality determines that the mobile device will
probably move into Gallery C, then the server can deliver content
relating to objects on display in Gallery C while the mobile device
is still positioned in Gallery B. The content that is delivered can
be of one particular type, or it can be comprised of multiple
different types of content. In the case that the device 27 exhibits
a regular rate of movement between galleries and between paintings
in the galleries, it may only be necessary to deliver a type of
content that corresponds to this type of movement. But in the case
where the rate of movement is irregular, several different types of
content for each painting (or other object on display) may be
delivered to the mobile application. Then, the appropriate type of
content can be delivered according to the current rate of movement
of the mobile device 27.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 4, in the event that connectivity to a
wireless network (either LAN or cellular) is limited to a lobby
area located in a building's interior, or there is no availability
to wireless service, the server 26 can deliver all of the content
relating to objects on display as the mobile device 27 moves into
the Museum lobby, or the server 26 can deliver the content over a
cellular connection prior to the mobile device entering the Museum.
Regardless of the network used to deliver the content, the mobile
application running on the mobile device 27 can operate to display
the appropriate type of content depending upon the mobile device's
location in the Museum and the rate at which the mobile device is
moving about the Museum. Now, considering that the wireless LAN 23
topology in FIG. 5 is the same as in FIG. 4, but there are no
beacons in Gallery C, the mobile application running on the mobile
device 26 can operate to anticipate the movement of the mobile
device from Gallery B to Gallery C and display the appropriate
content at a time that a beacon signal in Gallery B falls below
some threshold signal strength.
[0029] As described earlier, regardless of the wireless network
over which the mobile device 27 receives media content, the subject
matter comprising the content that is delivered to the mobile
application running on the mobile device 27 depends upon the
currently known position or an anticipated future position of the
mobile device 27, and the type of content delivered depends upon
the current and/or history of the rate of movement of the mobile
device 27 through a building interior, such as the Museum 24, or
through an open air environment. The type of content that is
delivered to the mobile application can change from one gallery to
another, or it can change during time spent in one gallery, or the
type of content delivered may not change depending upon the current
rate of movement of the mobile device 27 or the past history of
movement of the device 27. For example, and referring back to FIG.
2, if an individual is walking from Gallery A to Gallery B at a
relatively low rate of speed, the type of content that can be
delivered to the mobile application as the individual enters
Gallery B can be of relatively high quality with respect to pixel
density, correctness of color, or some other criteria, and it can
be in a relatively long format (i.e., more text or audio,
better/larger image, etc.). On the other hand, if the individual is
walking from Gallery A to Gallery B at a relatively fast rate of
speed, then the type of content that can be delivered to the mobile
application as the individual enters Gallery B can be of relatively
lower quality. In this case, the content can be delivered in a
shortened form that can include audio content, no image, and no
text for instance.
[0030] Additionally, the rate of movement proximate to an object on
display at the Museum can determine what type of content can be
delivered to the mobile application. If it is determined that the
mobile device 27 spends more than some selected threshold period of
time (lingers) in a particular location, then the type of content
that is delivered can include more detail (more text, more audio,
more pictures, artist biography, etc.), and the content can
continue to be delivered to the mobile application for as long as
the device 27 lingers proximate to the location. The methods which
can be employed to determine lingering time, as well as any other
movement, will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 &
8.
[0031] FIGS. 6A to 6d illustrate the different types of content
that can be displayed by the mobile application on the mobile
device 27 screen. In this case, the mobile device 27 is currently
located in Museum ABC in Gallery A, and is proximate to a painting
by Rembrandt entitled "The Night Watch". FIG. 6A represents content
that can be delivered to the mobile application if it is determined
that the mobile device 27 is moving relatively slowly through the
Museum ABC. In the context of this description, a rate at which the
mobile device 27 is moving is only quantified as a relative value.
While an accelerometer operating in conjunction with the device 27
is able to measure an absolute rate of movement, and this measured,
absolute rate of movement can be used to determine if the device 27
is currently moving faster or slower than in the past, there may or
may not be any universal correspondence between an absolute,
measured rate of motion and the type of content that is delivered.
For example, an individual using the device 27 can be moving more
or less rapidly between paintings and spending quite a bit of time
lingering at each painting or not. The rate at which each
individual walks can be different, and the amount of time any
particular individual lingers at a painting varies. The mobile
application can learn the walking and lingering habits of each
individual, and adjust the rate of motion to coincide with the
delivery of a particular type of content. Prior to receiving the
content that is displayed in FIG. 6A, the mobile device 27 is
moving relatively slowly, both between galleries and between
paintings, and the individual using the device 27 is lingering for
a relatively long period of time at each painting. In this case, a
hi-quality, full size image of Rembrandt's painting is delivered to
the mobile application along with a long form text description of
the painting.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 6B, it can be seen that the mobile
application displays a relatively smaller image of similar quality
with respect to the image displayed in FIG. 6A. This image is
displayed along with a shorter form text description of the
painting with respect to the text displayed in FIG. 6A. In this
case, the mobile device 27 can be moving more rapidly between
galleries or between paintings in a gallery than with respect to
the movement detected in FIG. 6A, or they can be lingering at each
painting for a relatively shorter period of time with respect to
the lingering time detected in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C illustrates the
type of content delivered if it is determined that the mobile
device 27 is moving at a rate that is relatively faster and/or
lingering for a shorter period of time with respect to the movement
detected with reference to FIG. 6B. In this case, only textual
information is displayed with no image of the painting. Then, in
FIG. 6D, it can be seen that only audio type content is delivered
to be played by the mobile application. In this case, the device 27
is detected to be moving relatively rapidly and so a minimum amount
of content is being delivered.
[0033] FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating functional blocks
implemented in a content delivery module 70 comprising the server
26 described with reference to FIG. 2. This module 70 operates to
deliver content to a mobile application running on a mobile device,
such as the mobile device 27. The timing of and the type of content
delivered to the mobile device depends upon a current known or
predicted future location of the mobile device, the current rate of
movement or past history of movement of the mobile device, and it
depends upon whether or not the mobile device is able to establish
a network connection with to the server 26. The content delivery
module 70 maintains a Museum object location map 71 that relates a
listing of some or all of the of objects on display at the Museum
24 to physical locations in the Museum, it has a locator function
72 that is comprised of a GPS function, indoor positioning system
functionality, and a listing of mobile devices currently connected
to the server 26, it has a device movement function 73, it has a
network connectivity map 74, and it has a content storage and
selection module 75.
[0034] The museum object location map 71 includes a listing of the
identities of some or all of the objects on display in the museum
24, and it includes the identity of one or more beacons that are
located proximate to each object. According to one embodiment, one
beacon is positioned proximate to each object on display in the
Museum, and so the location of the object is determined by the
identity of that beacon. According to another embodiment, one or
more beacons are positioned proximate to each object, and so the
location of each object in the museum is determined by beacon
signal strength measurements. Signal strength measurements received
from one or more beacons proximate to each displayed object can be
recorded and entered into the map in association with that object.
As described earlier, each beacon is assigned a unique identifier
that each beacon periodically or continually transmits in a low
power signal. A device that is configured to receive a beacon
signal can determine the identity of each beacon using this unique
identifier, and by detecting a beacon signal strength is able to
determine how far the object is from each of one or more beacons.
This information is then stored in the map in association with the
object that is positioned proximate to the location in which the
beacon signal strength is recorded. It should be understood, that
while the embodiment described herein uses beacon technology as
means to determine an interior location, other interior location
systems can also be employed for this purpose.
[0035] Continuing to refer to FIG. 7A, the mobile device locator
function 72 operates to determine either or both of a current
interior location and a current exterior location of a mobile
device, such as the mobile device 27, and it detects and maintains
a listing of the mobile devices that are currently connected to the
server 26. Depending upon the correspondence of beacons to
displayed objects (one beacon proximate to one object or multiple
beacons proximate to one object), the function 72 can receive
information that uniquely identifies a particular beacon, or it can
received signal strength information corresponding to multiple
beacons as measured by a mobile device, such as the mobile device
27. The locator function 72 can use this beacon identity or signal
strength information to determine the current interior location of
the mobile device, and then store this location. The function 72
can also receive GPS location information from the mobile device
and store this information.
[0036] The device movement function 73 operates to receive
information generated by an accelerometer from a mobile device that
corresponds to a current rate of movement of the mobile device.
This current movement information can be stored and used by logic
comprising a content store module 75 to determine what type of
content to deliver to the mobile device. The movement function 73
can also receive information from the locator function 72 that
corresponds to how much time is spent at any particular location in
the museum, such as the time spend proximate to an object
(lingering time) on display. A Network connectivity map 74
maintains information relative to locations in the Museum at which
connectivity to a wireless network (either or both of a wireless
LAN or Cellular network) is available. In this regard, the
availability of connectivity to a wireless network can be
maintained relative to each gallery in the Museum, within each
gallery in the Museum, between galleries in the Museum or at any
level of granularity that facilitates the delivery of content to
the mobile application.
[0037] Continuing to refer to FIG. 7A, a content store and
selection module 75 maintains a plurality of instances of content,
and each instance of content is included in a separate file that
corresponds to information corresponding to a particular object on
display at the Museum. Each instance of content can be stored in
several different forms, each of which represents a different
content type. In addition to the instance of content, the content
store and selection module 75 has logic that selects, based upon
the current mobile device location, rate of movement and network
connectivity, an instance of content and an associated type of
content that is delivered to the mobile device.
[0038] FIGS. 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E illustrate in more detail the
elements comprising the object location map 71, the device locator
function 72, the device movement function 74, and the content store
and selection module 75. Turning now to a description of the object
location map 71 shown with reference to FIG. 7B, this map maintains
a listing of beacons in the Museum and the unique identity of each
beacon. According to one embodiment, a single beacon is positioned
proximate to one object on display in the Museum, and accordingly,
there is a unique correspondence in the map between one beacon and
one object on display. Information maintained in this map is used
by content selection logic comprising the content deliver module 75
(described later with reference to FIG. 7E) in order to determine
which displayed object a mobile device is proximate to.
[0039] FIG. 7C illustrates the functional elements comprising the
device locator function 72. The function 72 has a store of GPS
location information that the server 26 can receive from a mobile
device, it has a beacon module 78 that is comprised of a beacon
identity and signal strength detector, and a store of beacon
identities and associated detected signal strengths, and it has a
listing of the mobile devices that are currently connected to the
server 26. As a mobile device running a mobile application comes
into range of a signal transmitted by a particular beacon, the
mobile application detects a unique identity of the beacon that is
transmitting the signal, it detects a strength of the signal
transmitted by the beacon, and then sends this beacon identity
information and signal strength information to a device locator
function 72 operating in association with the content delivery
module 70 running on the server 26. In operation, the function 72
receives GPS information, beacon identities and signal strengths,
and the identities of mobile devices, and all of this information
can be transmitted to the server in signals generated by a mobile
application running on a mobile device 26. Location information
stored in function 72 can be accessed by the content selection
logic and used as a pointer into the map 71 for the purpose of
determining which object a mobile device is proximate to, and this
information can be used by the logic to identify which instance of
content can be selected for delivery to a mobile device.
[0040] FIG. 7D illustrates the functional elements comprising the
device movement function 73, which is comprised of a function that
operates to process accelerometer information and which operates to
store processed accelerometer information. This function 73
receives rate of movement information from a mobile device, and it
can receive current mobile device location information, and then
process this information in different ways. For instance, it can
calculate an average rate of movement of a mobile device over a
selected/configurable period of time in selected Museum locations,
it can calculate the period of time that a mobile device lingers
proximate to an object on display, it can calculate the varying
rates of movement through different galleries or between galleries
to name only a few of the different calculations possible given
mobile device movement and location information. Accelerometer
information stored by function 73 can be accessed by the content
selection logic and used to determine what type of content can be
delivered to a mobile device.
[0041] FIG. 7E illustrates functional elements comprising the
content storage and selection module 75. The module 75 has a map or
structure that relates each object on display in the Museum to the
identity of an instance of content, which content identity in turn
relates to the identity of one or more different types of content
that is stored in database structure (not shown). Each different
type of content associated with an instance of content can be
stored in a separate file, and each separate file can be labeled
Long-Form, Medium-Form, or Short-Form. An example of a Long-Form
type of content is illustrated with reference to FIG. 9. While only
three different types of content are described here, it should be
understood that fewer types or more types of content can be created
and stored in association with the module 75. Module 75 also has
logic that operates to select the appropriate instance of content
and content type for delivery to a mobile device depending upon
location and movement information associated with the mobile
device. This content selection logic operates on information stored
in the Museum object location map 71, the locator function 72, the
device movement function 73 and the network connectivity map 74 to
determine which instance of content and what type of content is to
be delivered to a mobile device. The operation of this logic is
described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B. The
content storage and selection module 75 also has a content
transmission module that operates to send content to the
appropriate mobile device at the appropriate time.
[0042] In one embodiment, a mobile device can connect to the server
26 regardless of its position in the Museum, in this case content
can be delivered by the server to the mobile device at the point
that the server determines that the mobile device is moving to be
proximate to an object on display in the Museum. In an alternative
embodiment in which the mobile device moves to a location in the
Museum where it is not able to connect to the server, then the
server 26 can operate to anticipate this movement into an area
without wireless connectivity to the server, and deliver the
appropriate content to the mobile device for storage before the
mobile device loses connectivity with the server. In the later
embodiment, the mobile application running on the mobile device can
determine the current location of the mobile device and display
content that is appropriate to that location. The mobile
application running on the mobile device 27 will now be described
with reference to FIG. 8.
[0043] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functional elements
comprising the mobile communication device 27 that has been
referred to earlier. Device 27 generally is comprised of the mobile
application referred to previously which is labeled here as mobile
application 80, and it is also comprised of application
functionality 86 that is native to the mobile device 26. This
native application functionality can include, but is not limited
to, a wireless transceiver or radio that operates to send and
receive wireless messages to and from a wireless network to which
it is connected. The mobile application 80 is comprised of a
position location module 81, a device movement function 84 and a
store of content 85, and it generally operates to receive
information from a GPS network or an indoor positioning system, and
to send this information to the server 26 which uses this
information to calculate a current position of the mobile device.
More specifically, the position location module 81 has a GPS module
82 that operates (generally when the mobile device is open to the
air) to receive signals from a GPS satellite, and use information
in this signal to calculate a current geographic position of the
mobile device. The position location module also has a beacon
module 83 that generally operates to receive beacon signals and
determine the identity of the beacon that sent the signal, and to
determine the current beacon signal strength, and the beacon ID and
signal strength can be sent to the server 26 that uses this
information to determine the current location of the mobile device.
Alternatively, if the mobile device is currently not connected to
the server 26 (due to no wireless network connectivity), then the
position location module 81 can use information it receives from a
beacon to calculate a current position of the mobile device.
[0044] Continuing to refer to FIG. 8, the device movement function
has an accelerometer, a movement processing function and a store of
movement history. The accelerometer generally operates to detect a
rate of movement or rate of change of movement of the mobile device
27 as it moves (is carried) around the Museum. Information
indicative of movement generated by the accelerometer is sent to
the server 26 where the information is used to calculate a current
rate of movement. Alternatively, in the event that the mobile
device is not currently connected to a wireless network, the
function 84 can process the accelerometer information to determine
a current rate of movement of the mobile device and store this
information in a movement history. The content store 85 generally
operates to receive content from the server 26, and this content
can then be displayed at an appropriate time depending upon the
current position of the mobile device. The content store 85 can
maintain one or more instances of content depending upon
information in the connectivity map 74 stored on the server 26 and
depending upon the current location of the mobile device. If the
server 26 determines from the current location of the mobile device
and from the recent history of movement that the mobile device is
moving from a Museum location that provides wireless connectivity
to another location that provides wireless connectivity, then it
can deliver content as it is needed to the device as it moves
through the galleries. On the other hand, if the server 26 can
predict that the mobile device is moving to a Museum location
(Gallery C for instance in FIG. 3 for instance) in which there is
no wireless connectivity, then the server can deliver content to
the mobile device in anticipation of this movement, and before the
mobile device loses connective with the server 26. In this case,
the mobile application 80 running on the mobile device 27 can
operate independently of the server 26 to display content of an
appropriate type according to the location of the mobile device in
Gallery C, and according to the current rate of movement of the
device (in this case, the server 26 can deliver multiple different
type of content relating to each single instance of content that is
delivered to the mobile device).
[0045] The operation of the content selection logic, described with
reference to FIG. 7E, will now be describe with reference to the
logical flow diagram illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Generally,
the content selection logic or simply selection logic implemented
in the selection module 75 described with reference to FIG. 7E
operates to determine which object on display in the Museum a
mobile device is proximate to, and then deliver the appropriate
content to the mobile device depending upon a current motion
characteristic (i.e., rate of motion) or a recent characteristic
motion history. According to one embodiment, the timing of the
delivery of the content is based upon knowledge of a wireless
network connectivity topology or map. In the case that the logic
determines that there is wireless connectivity in an area of the
Museum (Gallery A in FIG. 3 for example) that the mobile device is
moving towards, then it operates to cause the appropriate content
to be delivered to the mobile device on a just-in-time basis while
it is moving through Gallery A. On the other hand, if the logic
determines that there is no wireless network connectivity in an
area of the Museum (Gallery C in FIG. 3 for example) that the
mobile device is moving towards, then it operates to cause all of
the appropriate content associated with each of the objects on
display in Gallery C to be delivered to the mobile device before it
moves into Gallery C. Operating in this manner, this logic ensures
that a mobile device is always able to display content that is
appropriate to an object it is proximate to regardless of whether
the mobile device is able to connect to a wireless network or
not.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 10a, in Step 1 a mobile device, such as
the mobile device 27, enters the Museum 24 and attempts to connect
to a wireless network. If, in Step 2, the mobile device is able to
connect to a wireless network, the process proceeds to Step 3 and
the logic starts looking for a beacon identity and a beacon signal
strength stored in function 72 of the server 26. On the other hand,
if in Step 2 the mobile device is not able to connect to a wireless
network, the process loops on Step 2. If, in Step 3, if the logic
detects that at least a beacon identity (and optionally a signal
strength) are stored in the locator function 72, then the process
proceeds to Step 4, otherwise, the process loops on Step 3 until at
least a beacon ID is detected. In Step 4, the logic uses the
identity of the beacon (and optionally the signal strength
information) to determine the identity of an object on display that
corresponds to the beacon location. In this regard, the logic uses
the beacon ID as a pointer into the map 71 to identify the identity
of an object. So, for example, if the beacon ID is B.50, then the
logic enters the map or table 71 at B.50 and looks for an object
that relates to this beacon, which in this case is the object,
OBJ.100. After the logic retrieves the identity of the object, the
process proceeds to Step 5, and the logic determines whether or not
the mobile device is proximate to the object, OBJ.100, by
determining whether the beacon, B.50, signal strength value is
higher than some selected threshold value, and if so, then the
process proceeds to Step 7 in FIG. 10B. Otherwise the process
returns to Step 3.
[0047] Referring now to FIG. 10B, in Step 6 the logic uses the
identity of the object identified in Step 4, and the current
location, as determined in Step 5, and the current rate of movement
(stored in the device movement function 73) of the mobile device to
determine which instance of content and what type of content is
appropriate to be delivered to the mobile device. In this case the
instance of content associated with the object, OBJ.100, is
identified. Then, depending upon the current rate of movement of
the mobile device, the logic can select one or a short form, medium
form or long form type of content for delivery to the mobile
device. In Step 7, if the logic determines that the mobile device
is moving into an area that does not provide wireless network
connectivity, then in Step 8 the logic identifies the objects in
this area and in Step 9 delivers the appropriate content associated
with these objects to the mobile device. However, if in Step 7 the
logic determines that there is connectivity, then the process
proceeds to Step 10 and the content identified in Step 6 is
delivered to the mobile device, and the process can return to Step
2 in FIG. 10A.
[0048] The forgoing description, for purposes of explanation, used
specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the
invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art
that specific details are not required in order to practice the
invention. Thus, the forgoing descriptions of specific embodiments
of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and
description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise forms disclosed; obviously, many
modifications and variations are possible in view of the above
teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
best explain the principles of the invention and its practical
applications, they thereby enable others skilled in the art to best
utilize the invention and various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It
is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define
the scope of the invention.
* * * * *