The kiosk can be configured to deliver electronic services over short-range radio communications links to wireless devices in a personal area network (PAN).
解答例
The kiosk also can be configured to communicate over an existing physical communications link medium.
A PAN can be established in the publicly traversable area.
Electronic services can be selectably retrieved through the existing physical communications link medium into the kiosk.
Finally, the retrieved selected electronic services can be delivered to wireless devices in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link.
Notably, the step of establishing a PAN in the publicly traversable area can include establishing a BLUETOOTH-based PAN with wireless devices in the publicly traversable area.
In addition, the step of providing a kiosk first can include retrofitting an existing kiosk both with a short-range radio frequency communications system, and with a host computing device for selectively retrieving electronic services over the existing physical communications link medium, and for delivering selected electronic services to the wireless devices in the PAN.
Second, the retrofitted kiosk can be activated in the publicly traversable area.
The present invention is a system and method for handling location information.
The goal of the present invention is to allow users to collect and evaluate information from multiple sources, and thus make proper use of all available location information.
Location sources for the present invention include mobile electronic devices such as mobile telephones, cell phones, hand-held computers, personal digital assistants, pagers, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, and other pervasive computing devices.
Satellite-based or network-based positioning technologies make it possible to determine the geographic location of these wireless electronic devices and their users (e.g. location-based services for users of mobile telephones use such positioning technologies).
Location sources for the present invention also include computer-based models, schedules or calendars that give a person's expected location depending on the date and time.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for handling location information.
Another aspect of the present invention is a system for executing the method of the present invention.
A third aspect of the present invention is as a set of instructions on a computer-usable medium, or resident in a computer system, for executing the method of the present invention.
[0001] The present application is related to a co-pending application entitled System and Method for Aggregating Information to Determine Users' Locations, Ser. No. ______, filed on even date herewith, assigned to the assignee of the present application, and herein incorporated by reference.
[0002] The present invention relates generally to information handling systems and more particularly to methods and systems for handling location information.
[0003] Mobile, wireless electronic devices such as mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, have become very popular, and their use has become very common.
It is common for one person to use two or more of these devices.
These mobile devices are a subset of a group of devices that are sometimes called "pervasive computing" devices.
The term "pervasive computing" is used because systems with microprocessors are now found in an array of devices that previously were largely untouched by computer technology.
These pervasive computing devices include mobile devices such as cell phones and automobile components.
Pervasive computing devices often include a microprocessor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, input means, output means, and interfaces, such as a network interface or modem, providing a link to other computing devices.
[0004] These pervasive computing devices are information handling systems, designed to give independent computing power to a single user, or a group of users in the case of networked pervasive computing devices.
Pervasive computing devices may also include one or more input/output devices which are coupled to the microprocessor and which perform specialized functions (e.g. modems, sound and video devices, or specialized communication devices).
Pervasive computing devices are often linked to computing systems and other pervasive computing devices using a network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the Internet.
[0005] Satellite-based or network-based positioning technologies make it possible to determine the geographic location of mobile pervasive computing devices (e.g. location-based services for users of mobile telephones use such positioning technologies).
One problem is that location information from one source may be inconsistent with information from another source.
For example, a husband and wife may share a tracking device that is embedded in their car.
