System and method for providing a handheld unit to a mobile position device
A method for facilitating a commercial transaction based on a current location of a mobile customer and a mobile merchant provides opportunity for commercial transaction not previously possible. In one application, the method establishes a wireless link between a server on a wide-area network and mobile customer, and obtains from the mobile customer a current location by reading automatically from a positioning device associated and located with said customer. Based on the current location so obtained, the server matches the mobile customer, as one party of the commercial transaction, with one or more business concern within a predetermined distance from the current location, so that the business concern can act as a counter-party to complete the commercial transaction. This and other location-relevant services can be delivered to the mobile person in a system including a positioning device mounted on a vehicle and an associated-handheld unit that the mobile person can carry around as he or she is outside the vehicle in its vicinity. The handheld unit communicates with the positioning device using a second wireless link (e.g., a local RF or infra-red link).
1. A system for providing location-relevant information from a server over a wide-area computer network, comprising:
a positioning device receiving ranging signals for determining a current position of said positioning device, said positioning device having a communication interface for communicating with said server over a wireless link in said wide-area computer network;
a wireless interface coupled to said positioning device; and
a handheld device coupled over a second wireless link to said wireless interface, said handheld device comprising an input device for providing data over said second wireless link and an output device for receiving data over said second wireless link;
wherein said positioning device being programmed to provide data received from said server to said handheld device through said wireless interface, and to provide data received from said wireless interface to said server.
2. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said handheld device comprises a cellular telephone.
3. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said handheld device comprises a personal digital assistant.
4. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless link comprises a local radio frequency communication link.
5. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said second wireless link comprises an infra-red communication link.
6. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said wireless interface is provided inside said positioning device.
7. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said wireless interface is provided in a docking station.
8. A system as in claim 7 , wherein said docking station and said handheld device are each provided a wired interface for communication with each other when said handheld device is docked in said docking station.
9. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said input device comprises a keyboard.
10. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said output device comprises a display device.
11. A system as in claim 2 , wherein said handheld device being programmed to provide a communication link outside of said positioning device with said server.
12. A system as in claim 11 , wherein stored in said handheld device is a value representing a current location of said positioning device at a previous time.
13. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said server provides location-relevant services.
14. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said handheld device is programmed to be capable of initiating communication with said server through said positioning device.
15. A system as in claim 1 , wherein said server is one of a plurality of servers sharing said current position.