Patent · US Expired

Virtual beacon system

US7231441B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
6References
46Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 10, 2002
Grant dateJun 12, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F16/95
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for providing information about physical entities to users includes an information server accessible to a plurality of user-held receivers. An exemplary server has access to characteristic accessibility data for candidate physical entities. The server receives a user's request for information about physical entities of interest (which may be mobile), including the user's search domain relative to the user's location (the user may also be mobile). The search domain does not necessarily require the user to provide a network address of, or perform a keyword search for the networked data pages of, the physical entities of interest. The server determines which (if any) of said candidate physical entities satisfy the request, and reports to the user at the receiver over an electronic network.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.