Method and apparatus for providing precise location information through a communications network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for obtaining information about an object through interaction between a mobile station (MS) and a computer network such as the Internet, and communicating the information to the MS. A digital camera obtains an image of an object, such as a geographic region proximate the MS, which is then transmitted through the mobile communications system to the computer network. A converter server such as an Optical Character Reader (OCR) server interfaced with the global computer network converts the digital image to a text format which is then compared, along with a general location identifier of the MS to geographic data stored in a location database connected to the global computer network. Based on a comparison of the converted text data and the general location identifier of the MS to the geographic data stored in the location server, a precise location of the MS is determined and transmitted to the MS.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of obtaining a geographic location of a mobile station, comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a digital image of a geographic location proximate the mobile station;    wirelessly transmitting said digital image from said mobile station to a mobile communications network;    contacting a computer network through said mobile communications network;    obtaining a general location identifier of the mobile station from said mobile communications network; and    comparing the general location identifier and information corresponding to said digital image to pre-stored data accessible through said computer network to determine the geographic location of the mobile station.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising converting the digital image to a binary text format and wherein said information corresponding to said digital image comprises said binary text format.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the converting of the image from digital format to binary text format is performed using an optical character reader (OCR) in communication with the computer network.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mobile communications network comprises a GSM network and said step of obtaining a general location identifier of the mobile station comprises obtaining a Location Area Identity (LAI) associated with the mobile station.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said pre-stored data comprises area maps contained within the general location and wherein said comparing step further comprises comparing the binary text format and general location identifier to the area maps.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of obtaining a digital image further comprises the step of utilizing a digital camera capable of communicating with the mobile station.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the digital camera is integrally formed with the mobile station.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile station comprises a mobile telephone and wherein said computer network comprises a global computer network.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mobile communications network comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of transmitting the identified geographic location to the mobile station.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying the location of service providers utilizing the identified geographic location in response to a query transmitted by the mobile communications system to the computer network and transmitting identified service provider location information to the mobile station.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said service provider location information corresponds to service providers that are participants in a rewards program so that a user of the mobile station who is a member of the rewards program can solicit the service providers to acquire rewards points and to redeem rewards points.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for obtaining a geographic location of a mobile station comprising: 
 a digital camera capable of interfacing with the mobile station for obtaining a digital image of a geographic area proximate the mobile station and for conveying the digital image to the mobile station;    a mobile communications network for receiving the digital image from the mobile station, said network having means for determining a general location identifier of the mobile station;    a computer network in communication with said mobile communications network for receiving the digital image and the general location identifier of the mobile station from said mobile communications network;    a location server having access to a library of stored geographic location data; and    means for comparing the text data and general location identifier to the stored geographic location data to identify the geographic location of the mobile station.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a converter in communication with said computer network for converting the digital image into text data;  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile station is a mobile phone integrally formed with said digital camera.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said mobile communications network comprises a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said global communications network comprises a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM).  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the general location identifier comprises a Location Area Identity (LAI) of a base station in communication with the mobile station.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a service provider database in communication with said computer network for identifying service provider locations based on the identified geographic location of the mobile station.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising means for transmitting the identified geographic location to the mobile station.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising means for transmitting the identified geographic location and the identified service provider locations to the mobile station.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising means for identifying locations of service providers corresponding to service providers that are participants in a rewards program so that a user of the mobile station who is a member of the rewards program can solicit the service providers to acquire rewards points and to redeem rewards points.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said digital camera includes means for wirelessly communicating the digital image to the mobile station.  
     
     
         24 . A method of obtaining information using a mobile station, comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a digital image of an object proximate the mobile station;    wirelessly transmitting said digital image from said mobile station to a mobile communications network;    contacting a computer network through said mobile communications network;    analyzing the transmitted digital image to obtain desired information; and    transmitting the obtained desired information to the mobile station.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said mobile station is a mobile telephone.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said computer network is the Internet.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the object comprises a text symbol and wherein the transmitted obtained information comprises a translation of the text symbol and a pronunciation of the text symbol.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the transmitted obtained information comprises information relating to the object.