Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices having independent clocking arrangements. A task distribution device is to distribute tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices to perform tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to synchrony group members over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which synchrony group members are to execute the task. Each synchrony group member periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.

System and method for synchronizing operations among a plurality of independently clocked digital data processing devices

Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services. Integrated with the web service are enhanced location based services providing map solutions, alerts, sharing of novel services between users, and complete user control for managing heterogeneous device interoperability through the web service.

System and method for anonymous location based services

The present invention can be used to facilitate the integration of wireless capability provided by wireless access points into an enterprise computer network. A gateway server is interposed between wireless access points and protected networks to provide security and integration functions, for example, authentication, access control, link privacy, link integrity, and bandwidth metering in various embodiments. Use of such a gateway server allows substantial control to be gained over network access even with the use of relatively simple access points. In general, such a gateway server receives a request to access the protected network. An authentication subsystem of the gateway server authenticates the user, preferably by accessing an external authentication server and returns a role to the authenticated user. An access controller in the gateway server provides differential access to the protected network based on the user's assigned role. A multiple gateway servers can be connected together to form a mesh network architecture.

Method and system for managing data traffic in wireless networks

In a navigation device in accordance with the invention, user profiles may be stored and used to navigate a user who may be driving in a vehicle, on foot, or in other mode of transportation. Each user profile corresponds to one of the user's personae. For example, the user business profile corresponding to the user's business persona may be different from the user personal profile corresponding to the user's personal persona. For instance, the user business profile may include fine-dining type restaurants for business meetings while the user personal profile may instead include fast-food type restaurants for personal dining. The inventive navigation device provides the user with a navigated route, together with information concerning the favorite facilities and events surrounding the navigated route, which satisfy the preferences in a selected user profile. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, blockages may also be established using the device to avoid selected areas, e.g., high crime areas, in the navigated route, or to block transmission of selected information concerning, e.g., uninteresting facilities and events, to the inventive navigation device.

Technique for effective navigation based on user preferences

The invention is a method of facilitating shopping with a mobile device (12) to obtain a plurality of purchased goods and/or services from a group of vendors (14) located at a shopping location (16) The method of the invention includes communicating from the mobile device with at least one server a selection of the goods and/or services to be purchased by a user of the mobile device on or before the user shops at the shopping location; the at least one server, in response to information stored therein regarding vendors located at the shopping location and the goods or services offered by the vendors and the selection of the plurality of purchased goods and/or services to be purchased by the user, causes an identification of the vendors from which available selected goods or services may be purchased and the available selected goods or services to be transmitted to the mobile device; and the mobile device provides to the user an identification of the available selected goods and/or services to be purchased and an itinerary of the user setting forth at least a choice of an order in which the user visits the identified vendors to obtain the goods and/or services to be purchased which is a function of at least one profile of the user

Method and system of shopping with a mobile device to purchase goods and/or services

A system and method are provided that allow a user to perform information management tasks and access the Internet. The system includes a terminal that is part of a family and capable of wireless communication, a gateway, an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a server for authenticating the terminal, a global unit for providing the internet address of the server to the terminal, and browser logic stored in the terminal or the server. The method includes the steps of powering on the terminal, establishing a communication link with the gateway to obtain an internet address for the terminal relative to the internet address of the gateway, obtaining an internet address for the server, and establishing a family communication session between the terminal and the server to allow access to information management services, and launching a browser to provide an interface to the internet.

Network with mobile terminals as browsers having wireless access to the internet and method for using same

A user terminal, such as an eBook, with a bistable display wherein the terminal detects when a predetermined period of user inactivity with respect to loaded content has elapsed and, in response thereto, replaces the last displayed page of content with an advertisement. In one embodiment, advertisements are received from an advertisement server and stored locally in the user terminal at the time that the content is downloaded from a content server. In an alternate embodiment, the user terminal receives an advertisement from the advertisement server only after user inactivity with respect to previously downloaded content has been detected.

Advertising using an eBook with a bistable display

A personal trusted device is capable of communicating with a rendering machine such as an audio amplifier. Content to be played on the amplifier is selected by a user of the personal trusted device, the relevant permissions being negotiated between the device and the machine. Thus, it is possible for encrypted digital content to be rendered at a location and on a machine suited to the user's requirements.

Rendering of content

Method for addressing at least one service in a data communication system comprises at least one data transmission network (6, 12a, 12b, 15a, 15b, 16, 17) for transmitting information in at least one preferably MPEG data transmission stream (TS). In the method one or several service_providers transmits services to one or several data transmission networks (6, 12a, 12b, 15a, 15b, 16, 17). The service is assigned an identification (original_ network_id, transport_stream_id, service_id), wherein on basis of the identification (original_network_id, transport_stream_id, service_id), it is possible to retrieve the data transmission stream (TS) to be used and the location in the data transmission stream (TS). The service is assigned an identifying name (service_provider_name, service_name) and a relation between the name information and the identification data, wherein on the basis of the name information (service_provider_name, service_name) and the relation, it is possible to retrieve the service identification.

Kimmo Djupsjobacka

Papers

Method and system of shopping with a mobile device to purchase goods and/or services

Network with mobile terminals as browsers having wireless access to the internet and method for using same

Advertising using an eBook with a bistable display

Rendering of content

Method for addressing a service in digital video broadcasting