US20160286361A1

US20160286361A1 - Media content delivery system and method

Info

Publication number: US20160286361A1
Application number: US15/048,543
Authority: US
Inventors: Brendan Ciecko
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-23
Filing date: 2016-02-19
Publication date: 2016-09-29
Also published as: US20180035261A1; US10034142B1

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.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §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

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

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.
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.
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.
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

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing several wireless networks that support connectivity between a mobile communication device and a server.

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.

FIG. 3 is a diagram that is similar to FIG. 2A, but showing partial local wireless network coverage.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing wireless network coverage limited to a lobby area and with active beacons.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing no indoor wireless network coverage with less than 100% active beacon coverage.

FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate the different types of media content that can be delivered to a mobile communication device for display.

FIG. 7A is a diagram showing functional blocks comprising of a server 26.

FIG. 7B is diagram illustrating the structure of an object location map 71.

FIG. 7C is a diagram showing the functional blocks comprising a device locator function 72.

FIG. 7D is a diagram showing the functional blocks comprising a device movement function 73.

FIG. 7E is a diagram showing the functional blocks comprising a content store and selection module 75.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the functional blocks comprising a mobile communication device 27.

FIG. 9 illustrates the format of and information comprising an instance of content.

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FIGS. 6A to 6 d 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.

Claims

I claim:

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.