Method Of Providing Proximity-Based Quality For Multimedia Content Based On Aggregate Profiles Of Mobile Devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing proximity-based quality for multimedia content, including: transmitting multimedia content, and intentionally controlling a quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content based on geographic proximity of a user to a particular location including intentionally controlling the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content in accordance to a defined quality level for each of a plurality of geographic proximity zones associated with the particular location with at least one first one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones having a first defined quality level that is higher than a second defined quality level of at least one second one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones and the multimedia content in each of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is based on the aggregate of the profiles of mobile devices within the geographic proximity zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing proximity-based quality for multimedia content, comprising:
 transmitting the multimedia content; and   intentionally controlling a quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content based on geographic proximity of a user to a particular location including intentionally controlling the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content in accordance to a defined quality level for each of a plurality of geographic proximity zones associated with the particular location with at least one first one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones having a first defined quality level that is higher than a second defined quality level of at least one second one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones and the multimedia content for mobile devices in each of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is based on the profiles of users of the mobile devices within the geographic proximity zone,   wherein a degree of controlling of the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content is reduced as the user moves closer to the particular location, with the user receiving a full quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content at the particular location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is a first floor of a building and the at least one second one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is floors above the first floor of the building. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the multimedia content is music and wherein intentionally controlling the quality level is conducted with respect to at least one of a sampling rate, a duration of the same provided musical tracks, a frequency response, a length of advertisement insertions, and a rate of advertisement insertions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a degree of controlling of the quality of the multimedia content is increased with the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content being degraded within at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones as the mobile device moves further from the particular location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a rate of advertisement insertions increases as the mobile device moves further from the particular location. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the intentional controlling of the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content includes creating a dead zone wherein the multimedia content is completely blocked from the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the dead zone represents an area surrounding a competitor's place of commercial business. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the dead zone represents an area of a building where offices are located. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the multimedia content is a content stream which is streamed to the user depending on an encryption key to which the user has access and which is directly tied to the user's actual physical location. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the multimedia content for mobile devices in each of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is based on an aggregate of the profiles of users of the mobile devices within the geographic proximity zone. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the multimedia content for each mobile device in at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is personalized for at least one mobile device in the at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones based on preferences of the user of the at least one mobile device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content is provided by a content server at the center of the plurality of geographic proximity zones. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content is provided by a content server at a location other than the center of the plurality of geographic proximity zones. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, at a content server associated with the plurality of geographic proximity zones, a content request from a mobile device; and 
 determining, by the content server, an appropriate proximity zone for the mobile device, wherein the transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level for the mobile device is provided by the content server in response to receiving the content request. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of geographic proximity zones comprise a first polarity of geographic proximity zones centered at a first location and a second polarity of geographic proximity zones centered at a second location. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing an indication to the user mobile device that a user will receive a benefit when the user moves closer to the location of origin. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the indication is at least one of an audio or a visible indication on the user mobile device that moving to a particular proximity zone which is closer to the location of origin increases the benefit. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the multimedia content comprises a digital signal carrying the multimedia content and the benefit is an increased access to at least one of a kind or size of a media library. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software for instructing a system to:
 transmit the multimedia content; and   intentionally control a quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content based on geographic proximity of a user to a particular location including intentionally controlling the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content in accordance to a defined quality level for each of a plurality of geographic proximity zones associated with the particular location with at least one first one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones having a first defined quality level that is higher than a second defined quality level of at least one second one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones and the multimedia content in each of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is based on the profiles of users of mobile devices within the geographic proximity zone,   wherein a degree of controlling of the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content is reduced as the user moves closer to the particular location, with the user receiving a full quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content at the particular location.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein intentionally controlling the quality level is conducted with respect to at least one of a sampling rate, a duration of the same provided musical tracks, a frequency response, a length of advertisement insertions, and a rate of advertisement insertions. 
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the intentional controlling of the quality level of the presentation of the multimedia content includes creating a dead zone wherein the multimedia content is completely blocked from the user. 
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  wherein the dead zone represents at least one of an area surrounding a competitor's place of commercial business and an area of a building where offices are located. 
     
     
         23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the software is further operative to instruct the system to customize a proximity zone for receiving the multimedia content to establish a personalized proximity zone for each particular user. 
     
     
         24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the multimedia content is a content stream which is streamed to the user depending on an encryption key to which the user has access and which is directly tied to the user's actual physical location. 
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the multimedia content for mobile devices in each of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is based on an aggregate of the profiles of users of the mobile devices within the geographic proximity zone. 
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the multimedia content for each mobile device in at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones is personalized for at least one mobile device in the at least one of the plurality of geographic proximity zones based on preferences of the user of the at least one mobile device. 
     
     
         27 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content is provided by a content server at the center of the plurality of geographic proximity zones. 
     
     
         28 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level of a presentation of the multimedia content is provided by a content server at a location other than the center of the plurality of geographic proximity zones. 
     
     
         29 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19  wherein the software further instructs the system to:
 receive, at a content server associated with the plurality of geographic proximity zones, a content request from a mobile device; and 
 determine, by the content server, an appropriate proximity zone for the mobile device, wherein the transmitting of the multimedia content and intentionally controlling the quality level for the mobile device is provided by the content server in response to receiving the content request. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of geographic proximity zones comprise a first polarity of geographic proximity zones centered at a first location and a second polarity of geographic proximity zones centered at a second location.