Method and system for transmitting informational content data

id="REI-00001" date="20130820"

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

id="REI-00001"

0001More than one reissue application has been filed. On Jul. 23, 2012 a continuation reissue application was filed and assigned U.S. Ser. No. 13/555,956.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

0002The present invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting informational content data to a plurality of terminals.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

0003It is believed that information is increasingly provided in a multimedia manner in the form of text, image, speech, music, video, etc. by information providers. With the aid of the page description language HTML, information prepared in a multimedia manner may be provided on the world-wide Internet (WWW world wide web) as linked multimedia documents. The individual pages or documents of the provider are typically transmitted point to point, i.e., from the information provider directly to the terminal. To obtain information interesting to him/her, the user of a terminal, e.g., of a computer or a mobile telephone, may establish the connection to the information provider and request the desired information. If, for example, a user residing in the region of Munich would like to receive traffic reports about the Munich area, he/she must request this information from the information provider by establishing a connection to the information provider by a telecommunications network. After establishing a transmission channel to the information provider and the terminal of the user, the desired information is then transmitted to the terminal, e.g., a mobile telephone, as informational content data.

0004It may be difficult and time-consuming for the user of the terminal to establish the connection to the information provider. Moreover, the connection is established and the informational content data is transmitted at the request of the user of the terminal, often at times when it may be costly to transmit informational content data.

0005It is believed that a further disadvantage is that the user of the terminal may not be interested in all of the information provided by the information provider, but only in information relevant to him/her. To obtain the information relevant to him/her, the user of the terminal may select the information provided by the information provider. This selection or choice may also be complicated and time-consuming for the user of the terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0006It is believed that an exemplary method and exemplary system according to the present invention for transmitting informational content data have the advantage that the user of the terminal receives the information relevant to him/her in a simple and convenient manner.

0007Furthermore, the information relevant to the user of the terminal may be transmitted to him/her in a cost-effective manner.

0008Relevant information may be automatically provided to the user of the terminal by a central information transmission stations without the user of the terminal having to request the information from the information provider.

0009According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the transmitted informational data block is tested in the terminal by an informational data description block for its relevance for the terminal.

0010In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the relevant informational data transmission block is stored in an intermediate memory of the terminal and may be retrieved for the user.

0011According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational data description block receives informational data values regarding the geographic region of validity, the valid time interval, the data format, the coding type, as well as the mannercontent¹and type of transmitted informational content data. ¹Translated from the German “Art”. The translation to “manner” is not conceded to be the proper translation.

0012It is believed that this provides the advantage that the informational data blocks transmitted to the user of the terminal may be filtered according to different criteria.

0013In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the informational content data and the informational description data from the information providers are loaded by the central transmission station as a function of a request signal transmitted from the central transmission station to the information provider.

0014According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational content data and the informational description data from the information provider are automatically loaded by the central transmission station at regular, adjustable intervals.

0015In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the informational data blocks are automatically transmitted from the information transmission station to the plurality of terminals at regular, adjustable intervals.

0016According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational data blocks are simultaneously transmitted from the information transmission station to a plurality of terminals by a distributor network.

0017Another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention provides for the informational data blocks to be transmitted from the information transmission station to the terminals in an encrypted manner.

0018It is believed that this has the advantage that third parties may access the transmitted content data in a desired manner.

0019According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational data description blocks transmitted from the transmission station to the terminals include encryption description data indicating the type of encryption of the transmitted informational data blocks.

0020It is believed that this has the advantage that the user of the terminal is able to request the corresponding decryption program from the information provider.

0021According to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the decryption data for decrypting the informational data blocks is transmitted by the information provider in response to a request at the provider's terminal.

0022According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational content data and the informational description data from the information provider are loaded by the central information transmission station by a first transmission network, and the informational data blocks are transmitted by the central information transmission station to the terminals by a second transmission network.

0023According to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the informational data blocks are transmitted by a radio communications network to a plurality of mobile terminals.

0024It is believed that this provides the advantage that the terminals need not be permanently networked in an expensive manner to the central information transmission station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0025<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic representation explaining the transmission system of the invention for transmitting informational content data to a plurality of terminals.

0026<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a flow chart of an exemplary method according to the present invention for transmitting informational content data to a plurality of terminals.

0027<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a flow chart of a terminal's receiving operation of the transmitted data in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0028<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> shows a schematic representation of the information transmission system of the invention for transmitting informational content data from information providers to terminals by a central information transmission station.

0029Two information provider stations <b>1</b>, <b>2</b> are shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The information provider stations are connected by connection leads <b>3</b>, <b>4</b> to a first transmission network <b>5</b>. A central information transmission station <b>7</b> is connected by a connection lead <b>6</b> to first transmission network <b>5</b>. Central information transmission station <b>7</b> is connected by a connection lead <b>8</b> to a second transmission network <b>9</b>. A plurality of terminals <b>15</b>, <b>16</b>, <b>17</b>, <b>18</b>, <b>19</b> are connected by leads <b>10</b>, <b>11</b>, <b>12</b>, <b>13</b>, <b>14</b> to second transmission network <b>9</b>.

0030Both transmission networks <b>5</b>, <b>9</b> may be any transmission network for transmitting data, second transmission network <b>9</b> may be, for example, a radio communications network for transmitting data to mobile terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>.

0031In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the first transmission network is a fixed network, such as, for example, the Internet.

0032Information for the user of terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> is stored in information provider stations <b>1</b>, <b>2</b> in internal storage devices or databases. The first information provider may be a provider of informational traffic data, for example. The second information provider may provide nationwide train schedules, for example. The number of information providers and, thus, the number of information provider stations connected to first transmission network <b>5</b> may be as high as desired. The informational data stored in the storage devices of the information provider are loaded by central information transmission station <b>7</b> into an internal memory of the information transmission station. The information may be loaded into the internal memory of central information transmission station <b>7</b> as a function of a request signal transmitted over transmission network <b>5</b> or at regular intervals by information provider stations <b>1</b>, <b>2</b>. Second transmission network <b>9</b> may permit the simultaneous transmission of information to a plurality of terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>, for example, by broadcast channels. In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, second transmission network <b>9</b> is a cellular network. In this exemplary embodiment, terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> may be mobile radio communication stations or mobile telephones.

0033<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a flow chart of an exemplary method according to the present invention for transmitting informational content data to a plurality of terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>.

0034In a step S<b>1</b>, informational content data and informational description data are made available in a memory of at least one information provider station <b>1</b>, <b>2</b>.

0035In a step S<b>2</b>, the informational content data, e.g. the informational traffic data or the schedule data, as well as the informational description data are loaded into a memory of central information transmission station <b>7</b>. The informational description data is provided by the information providers and indicates which information is involved.

0036For example, the informational description data may indicate that the information pertains to schedule data for the German Federal Railway's summer or winter schedule.

0037In a step S<b>3</b>, informational data blocks based on the loaded informational content data and informational data description blocks based on the loaded informational description data are generated by a calculation device of central information transmission station <b>7</b>.

0038In a step S<b>4</b>, the particular informational content data block and the corresponding informational data description block are linked together to a data transmission block by the calculation device of central information transmission station <b>7</b>.

0039In a step S<b>5</b>, information transmission station <b>7</b> transmits the linked data transmission block by second transmission network <b>9</b> to the plurality of terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>.

0040In an exemplary method according to the present invention, the informational content data and the informational description data are loaded by central information transmission station <b>7</b> in step S<b>2</b> as a function of a request signal transmitted by central transmission station <b>7</b> by first transmission network <b>5</b> to information provider station <b>2</b>. Alternatively, information provider stations <b>1</b>, <b>2</b> load the informational content data and the informational description data automatically and at regular, settable intervals in step S<b>2</b>.

0041The data transmission block transmitted in step S<b>5</b> by central information transmission station <b>7</b> to devices <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> includes an informational data description block. This informational data description block may have a plurality of informational data records indicating the geographic region of validity, the temporal validity or the valid time period, the data format, the manner in which the data is encoded, and the typecontent²of the transmitted informational content data. The transmitted geographic region of validity indicates in which geographic region the transmitted information is valid or relevant. In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the data record indicating the geographic region of validity has a hierarchical structure, i.e., the transmitted informational content data is declared valid, e.g., on a nation-wide, city-wide, or cell-wide basis. The geographic regions of validity indicated in the informational data records may also overlap. Several geographic regions of validity may be indicated for the transmitted informational content data. ²Translated from the German “Art”. The translation to “type” is not conceded to be the proper translation.

0042The informational data description block indicates the typecontent³of the transmitted informational content data, i.e., whether it is a traffic announcement, city information, etc., and the type of transmitted informational content data, i.e., whether it is text data, video data, voice data, or audio data. ³See FN 2.

0043<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a flow chart depicting the reception of transmitted data blocks by terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>.

0044In a step S<b>6</b>, the relevance or the validity of the transmitted informational data block or content data block is tested by the particular terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> using the transmitted informational data description block. For example, terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> checks whether the transmitted information is valid with respect to time. If the terminal detects that the transmitted data block is valid, it is stored in an intermediate memory of the terminal in a step S<b>7</b>.

0045In a step S<b>8</b>, the user of the terminal retrieves the informational content data blocks stored in the intermediate memory to use them. In an another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the transmitted data blocks trigger events or processes in terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>. For example, content data or documents may be shown on a display of terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> daily at a certain time without the user of the terminal having to retrieve the transmitted informational content data block. The user of the terminal may set the time as well as the typecontent⁴of the document to be displayed by a keyboard of terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>. ⁴See FN 2.

0046Data blocks stored temporarily may be automatically deleted from the intermediate memories of terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> when they lose their temporal or local validity. If terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> is a mobile telephone, for example, and is moving from a first network cell to a second network cell, those informational content data blocks that are only relevant for the first network cell may be deleted.

0047The data blocks transmitted by central transmission station <b>7</b> by second transmission network <b>9</b> to terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> may be transmitted in an encrypted manner. In this context, the transmitted informational data description block includes encryption description data informing the user of the terminal of the type of encryption of the transmitted data blocks. The user of the terminal may receive a decryption program for decrypting the data blocks transmitted over transmission network <b>9</b> from the appropriate information provider by a third transmission network.

0048If terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> are mobile telephones, the decryption data of the decryption programs may be transmitted to terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> by information provider stations <b>1</b>, <b>2</b>, such as, for example, as SMS messages in a device-dependent manner, i.e., as a function of the SIM card ID. The decryption data may be renewed at regular intervals.

0049With regard to the encryption, the user of the terminal may send his/her SIM card to the licensing service provider. The user may receive a key from the service provider. This key together with the SIM card to which the decryption program in the terminal has direct access permits the decoding or decryption of the data provided by the service provider.

0050In another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, central transmission station <b>7</b> constantly receives information regarding the current time as well as the regions in which mobile terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> are currently located.

0051In still another exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, events linked to specific transmitted data blocks are processed by so-called plug-ins. It is believed that plug-ins have the advantage that they may be precisely adjusted to the needs of the user of the terminal, thereby saving memory space and loading time.

0052An exemplary method and an exemplary system for transmitting informational content data according to the present invention may have many different uses. Examples of applications are providing local information, e.g., city guides, maps, hotel guides, restaurant guides, traffic information, calendar of events, sightseeing tours, bus and train schedules, movie schedules, etc.

0053Events may be initiated or triggered in the terminals by the transmitted data blocks. This results in additional possible uses, e.g. news, stock market ticker with current information, pop-up messages for the end of summer sale, storm warnings, reports of traffic jams on the highway, bypass recommendations, etc. The information may be displayed to the user in terminals <b>15</b>-<b>19</b> or communicated acoustically.

0054Central information transmission station <b>7</b> may be connected to a plurality of different information providers by different transmission networks. An Internet connection results in further possible uses, e.g., references in the city guide to the web sites of different restaurants or references to taxi web sites with ordering capabilities or references to pizza delivery services. If an event is linked to the data block transmitted by transmission network <b>9</b> to terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>, an applications such as, for example, an Internet browsers may be activated in terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>. The browser may then access the informational content data stored in the intermediate memory of terminal <b>15</b>-<b>19</b>.