Location based data acquisition
View Patent ↗A method, apparatus, and system for providing information related to a geographic location of a user of a mobile device are disclosed. In some embodiments, a location of the mobile device is determined. Information related to the location is also determined. The related information is provided to a user of the mobile device via the mobile device. In some embodiments, an image sensor nearby the mobile device is identified and an image captured by the image sensor is displayed via the mobile device. In some embodiments, the mobile device can be used to control the direction, focus, and aperture of the image sensor.
1. A method of providing information related to a geographic location of a user of a mobile device, the method comprising:
determining a location by the mobile device;
receiving, by the computer server, a category selection based on user input;
determining, by the computer server, links to information concerning sites proximate the location based on the selected category; and
causing to display, by the computer server, at least one of the links and data corresponding to the links to the user via the mobile device;
causing to show by the computer server an image captured by an image sensor proximate the location of the mobile device on a display of the mobile device;
remotely controlling the image sensor via the mobile device and the computer server that receives the location of the mobile device;
wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes at least one of video information, audio information, text information, and a hyperlink to a website concerning the location.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising showing an image captured by an image sensor proximate the location of the mobile device on a display of the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising remotely controlling the image sensor via the mobile device.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising remotely controlling the image sensor via a server that receives the location of the mobile device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes at least one of video information, audio information, text information, and a hyperlink to a website concerning the location.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes information concerning one of a historical site, a museum, an art gallery, a retail establishment, a dining establishment, and an entertainment establishment.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes information concerning species indigenous to the location.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes user readable material, the user readable material including a downloadable brochure.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the information concerning the dining establishment includes music selected by dining establishment personnel.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring, by the mobile device, the information concerning sites proximate the location to a remote computer.
11. A server for providing information related to a remote geographic location of a user of a mobile device, the server comprising:
a memory, the memory:
storing location-specific information organized by location and by category; and
storing a location of at least one image sensor controllable by the mobile device;
a receiver, the receiver:
receiving a location of the mobile device from the mobile device; and
receiving a category from the mobile device based on user input;
receiving image data from an image sensor proximate the location of the mobile device;
a processor in communication with the memory and the receiver, the processor accessing the location-specific information, the location-specific information based on the received category; and
providing instructions to show an image captured by an image sensor proximate the location of the mobile device on a display of the mobile device;
remotely controlling the image sensor that receives the location of the mobile device;
wherein the information concerning sites proximate the location includes at least one of video information, audio information, text information, and a hyperlink to a website concerning the location;
a transmitter in communication with the processor, the transmitter transmitting the location-specific information to the mobile device.
12. The server of claim 11 , wherein the location-specific information includes at least one of a video file, an audio file, a text file, a multimedia file and a link to a website.
13. The server of claim 12 , wherein the server communicates the location-specific information to a computer of the user.
14. The method of claim 2 , further comprising automatically redirecting the image sensor to turn to the mobile device.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising causing the image sensor to zoom in on the mobile device.
16. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling an imaging feature of the image sensor, the imaging feature being one of a thermal imaging feature and an infrared imaging feature.
17. The method of claim 2 , further comprising transmitting information gathered by the mobile device to a central computer in real time for later analysis.
18. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining a location of the mobile device includes sensing a presence of the mobile device.