Communication system for location sensitive information and method therefor

Abstract

A portable device ( 100 ) communicates with a short range wireless local area network ( 114 ) and a wide area communication system ( 116 ). The portable device ( 100 ) receives a location data from the short range wireless local area network ( 114 ). The portable device ( 100 ) generates a location sensitive information request to the wide area communication system ( 116 ) including the location data received from the short range wireless local area network ( 114 ).

1 . Within a portable device capable of simultaneous communication within two different networks, a method for acquiring a location sensitive information comprising: 
 receiving a location data from a first network, wherein the first network comprises a short range wireless local area network; and    in response to the receiving step, obtaining the location sensitive information from a second network, wherein the second network comprises a wide area communication system,    wherein the location sensitive information obtained from the second network is associated with the location data received from the first network.    
   
   
       2 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the location data is received from a smart network access point within the short range wireless local area network.  
   
   
       3 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the location data is received automatically from the smart network access point.  
   
   
       4 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 comparing the location data received from the first network to an actual location of the portable device prior to the obtaining step.    
   
   
       5 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising prior to the obtaining step: 
 notifying a user of the portable device of the location data when the actual location of the portable device is different from the location data in the comparing step; and    receiving an acceptance from the user of the portable device of the location data.    
   
   
       6 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the obtaining step, the steps of: 
 generating a location sensitive information request, wherein the location sensitive information request includes the location data received from the first network; and    requesting the location sensitive information from the second network.    
   
   
       7 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the location sensitive information request includes a time differential between the receiving step and the generating step.  
   
   
       8 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the location sensitive information request includes a surrounding area.  
   
   
       9 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the surrounding area is proportional to the time differential.  
   
   
       10 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising prior to the generating step: 
 modifying the location data in proportion to the time differential.    
   
   
       11 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising prior to the generating step: 
 modifying the location data to comprise a geographic area characterized by a zip code.    
   
   
       12 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the second network uses the received time differential to determine the location sensitive information in response to receiving the location sensitive information request from the portable device.  
   
   
       13 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the location sensitive information request includes an elapsed time from a previous location.  
   
   
       14 . The method for acquiring a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 13 , 
 wherein the second network uses the received elapsed time from the previous location to determine the location sensitive information in response to receiving the location sensitive information request from the portable device.    
   
   
       15 . Within a communication system including a short range wireless local area network and a wide area communication system, and a portable device capable of simultaneous communication within the short range wireless local area network and the wide area communication system, a method for communicating a location sensitive information comprising: 
 storing a location data in a smart network access point of the short range wireless local area network;    sending the location data from the smart network access point to the portable device; and    obtaining the location sensitive information from the wide area communication system by the portable device in response to receipt of the location data from the short range wireless local area network,    wherein the location sensitive information obtained from the wide area communication system is associated with the location data received from the short range wireless local area network.    
   
   
       16 . The method for communicating a location sensitive information as recited in  claim 15  further comprising, prior to the obtaining step, the steps of: 
 generating a location sensitive information request by the portable device, wherein the location sensitive information request includes the location data; and    requesting the location sensitive information from the wide area communication system by the portable device.