US20070294064A1 - Automatic location-specific content selection for portable information retrieval devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for anticipating a user's desired information using a PDA device connected to a computer network is provided. This method further comprises maintaining a database of user tendencies within the computer network, receiving sensor data from the user's physical environment via the PDA device, generating query strings using both tendency data and sensor data, retrieving data from external data sources using these generated query strings, organizing the retrieved data info electronic folders, and delivering this organized data to the user via the PDA device. In particular, a data management module anticipates the type of information a user desires by combining real time data taken from a sensor unit within a PDA and data regarding the history of that particular user's tendencies stored within the data management module.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/203,169, filed May 8, 2000, which application is specifically incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to applications pertaining to information retrieval devices (IRD's) connected to the internet. More specifically, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for anticipating a user's desired information and delivering this information to the user through an IRD device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA).
• 2. Description of Related Art
• Computers are currently being used as electronic encyclopedias, with searches becoming increasingly sophisticated and with larger amounts of data being available to the user. Computers suitable for performing such tasks are referred to herein as information retrieval devices (IRD's). A highly portable and particularly useful embodiment of an IRD is represented by personal digital assistants (PDA's). However, IRD's remain unable to perform even the most basic task of anticipating the needs of the user and gathering information related to those needs, without the user having to enter such needs.
• The market for IRD's has become increasingly popular over the past few years. For style-conscious users looking for the latest in electronic organization, PDA's are an attractive option because of their ability to provide users with a plethora of computing functions is a small, portable device. A PDA is defined here as a handheld device that performs various computing functions for the user. In this respect, a PDA is often referred to as a handheld personal computer, capable of performing such tasks as an address book, notepad, appointments diary, and phone list. With the growth of PDA technology, however, these capabilities began to include more demanding applications such as spreadsheets, word processors, databases, financial management software, and games. Today, the emergence of wireless web technology has provided PDA manufacturers with the additional feature of accessing the Internet to market their respective products.
• It should be appreciated that the Internet is defined here as a collection of interconnected (public and/or private) networks linked together by a set of standard protocols (such as TCP/IP and HTTP) to form a global, distributed network. While this term is intended to refer to what is now commonly known as the Internet, it is also intended to encompass variations which may be made in the future, including changes and additions to existing standard protocols.
• Although the ability to retrieve information from the Internet using PDA devices is generally known in the art, an automated procedure for retrieving anticipated information generated according to sensory data taken from the PDA does not exist. It would thus be advantageous to implement a method and apparatus which anticipates a user's desired information and delivers this information directly to the user through a PDA device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• In an embodiment of the invention, a method for anticipating a user's desired information using an information retrieval device (IRD) connected to a computer network is provided. This method further comprises maintaining a database of user tendencies within the computer network, receiving sensor data from the user's physical environment via the IRD, generating query strings using both tendency data and sensor data, retrieving data from external data sources using these generated query strings, organizing the retrieved data into electronic folders, and delivering this organized data to the user via the IRD. In particular, a data management module anticipates the type of information a user desires by combining real time data taken from a sensor unit within an IRD and data regarding the history of that particular user's tendencies stored within the data management module.
• In one such embodiment, an IRD sensor unit may be comprised of a “Dictation” setting enabling the user to dictate a conversation in real time. In this type of embodiment, a user may simply select a setting corresponding to “Dictation”. In other embodiments, more sophisticated “Dictation” settings may also be implemented. Such embodiments may include a textual analysis which launches certain applications whenever particular names are detected. For example, if the name “John doe” is detected, the IRD would relay any available information regarding “John Doe” to the user from the data management module. It should be appreciated that such information may include user-specific information obtained directly from the data management module (e.g., an address book, calendar, etc.) or information obtained from external data sources (e.g., an online database, search engine, etc.). It should further be appreciated that the device may use both user tendencies and data relating to the physical environment in order to choose between and prioritize multiple matching results, as for example picking the ten “John Doe” matches that live closest to the physical location of the user and organizing them by that proximity, or by returning the “John Doe” matches that are lawyers based upon the user's tendency to request further information on past matches who were lawyers.
• Another such embodiment may include a hybrid recording and transcription sensor setting. In this embodiment, the IRD may generate a running transcript which includes the locations of the speakers relative to the IRD in order to differentiate between different speakers in a conversation. In cases where the IRD is unable to convert a sound into a word, the sound is simply recorded and included in the transcript as a hyperlink. An additional feature to this embodiment may include a real time translator application which translates between languages.
• In another embodiment, the IRD sensor unit may include a GPS receiver that enables the IRD to retrieve information within the context of data received by the GPS receiver. For example, if the GPS signal indicates that the user is in Japan, the data management module may give weight to search results related to Japan.
• It should be appreciated that data ascertained from a GPS receiver may also be used to present information about a particular establishment or area the user is in. In this type of embodiment, a real estate broker, for example, may approach a home for sale and receive a list of information regarding that particular home. Such information may include the address of the home, the sale price of the home, and information regarding the neighborhood of the home organized in several electronic folders.
• In another embodiment, the IRD may be used to analyze ambient sounds detected by its sensor unit. In this embodiment, the IRD may, for example, identify the song and artist of music detected by the sensor unit through a spectral analysis of the sensor data. Similarly, the IRD may also be used to detect sounds from a telephone touch dial and determine the numbers being dialed. An added feature to this embodiment may include a reverse lookup of the phone number which would display information regarding the person on the receiving end of the call.
• A more complete understanding of a method and apparatus for delivering content via informational retrieval devices will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages and objects thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings which will first be described briefly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram demonstrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for users to access anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a sensor activation Web page according to an embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for generating anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a Web page with various electronic folders containing links to anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a Web page with various links to anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention; and
• FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a Web page displaying anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• The present invention is directed towards a method and apparatus for delivering content via informational retrieval devices. In particular, a data management module anticipates the type of information a user desires by combining real time data taken from a sensor unit connected to the IRD and data regarding the history of that particular user's tendencies stored within the data management module. In the detailed description that follows, it should be appreciated that like element numerals are used to describe like elements illustrated in one or more figures.
• Referring first toFIG. 1, a block diagram is illustrated of a wide area network employing a method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. It is anticipated that the present invention operates with a plurality of computers which are coupled together on a wide area network, such as the Internet20, or other communications network.FIG. 1 depicts such a network which includes an information retrieval device (IRD)10, adata management module30, and anexternal data source40. The IRD10 is further comprised of an applications processor13 coupled to a controller11, adisplay unit12, a Web browser14, acontext memory15, and adata memory16. Thecontext memory15 is shown connected to both asensor unit17 and to thedata memory16. Thesensor unit17 is also shown to be connected to an analog-to-digital (A/D)converter18 which is directly connected to thedata memory16.
• In a preferred embodiment, a user determines which sensors it wants to activate using the controller11 of theIRD10. These selections are then received by the applications processor13 where they are relayed to thecontext memory15. Thecontext memory15 includes a set of instructions that activate particular sensors comprising thesensor unit17 of theIRD10. The function of thecontext memory15 is thus analogous to an instruction cache for thesensor unit17. Analog sensor data is then passed from the sensor unit to the A/D converter where it is converted to digital data. This digital data is then compressed and temporarily stored in theIRD10data memory unit16 until it is ready to be sent to thedata management module30.
• As illustrated, theIRD10 communicates with thedata management module30 andexternal data sources40 via theInternet20. Thedata management module30 further comprised of a core processor coupled to aclient information database35, asearch string database39, asearch engine37, and aWeb server33 connected to an HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) documents database34.
• It should be appreciated that asearch engine37 typically incorporates a database engine, such as a SQL Server™ engine from Microsoft Corporation or Oracle™ database engine, as part of their architecture. Search engines typically perform searches by operating on a string of characters, known as a “query string”. A query string is coded according to a set of rules determined by the database engine and/or a user interface between the database engine and the user. As used herein, a “query” is broader than a “query string”, denoting both the query string and the search logic represented by the query string, whereas “query string” refers only to a string of characters, symbols, or codes used to define a query.
• It should be further appreciated thatWeb server33 accesses a plurality of Web pages, distributable applications, and other electronic files containing information various types stored in the HTML documents database34. As a result, Web pages may be viewed on various web-enabled computers in a given network, such as theinformation retrieval device10. For example, a particular Web page or other electronic file may be viewed through a suitable application program residing on theinformation retrieval device10 such as a browser14, or by a distributable application provided to theinformation retrieval device10, by theWeb server33. It should be appreciated that many different information retrieval devices, many different Web servers, and many different search servers of various types may be communicating with each other at the same time.
• As is generally known in the art, a user identifies a Web page it wishes to retrieve using theinformation retrieval device10 by communicating an HTTP (Hyper-Text Transport Protocol) request from the browser application14. The HTTP request includes the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the desired Web page, which may correspond to an HTML document stored in the HTML documents database34. The HTTP request is then routed to theWeb server33 via theInternet20. TheWeb server33 then retrieves the HTML document identified by the URL, and communicates the HTML document across theInternet20 to the browser application14. The HTML document may be communicated in the form of plural message packets as defined by standard protocols, such as the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
• In a preferred embodiment of the invention, theIRD10 provides users with information received from adata management module30. In particular, adata management module30 anticipates the type of information a user desires through real time data taken from thesensor unit17 of theIRD10. It should, however, be appreciated that users may have the option of retrieving information by compiling a query which combines this sensor data with data regarding the history of that particular user's “tendencies” stored in theclient information database35. “Tendencies” are defined here as a topical measure of a user's information interests. Various methods may be used to determine a user's tendencies, such as, for example, providing a form or Web page for the user to designate topical areas of interest, analyzing the user's demographic and purchasing information to ascertain likely areas of interest, and analyzing a record or history of the user's prior queries. It may be particularly useful to rank user tendencies in priority order. For example, if tendencies are to be determined from a record of prior queries, the tendencies could be ranked according to factors such as, for example, the frequency with which the same or similar queries have been repeated the number of related queries in a topical area, and the length of time since the query was repeated. These and various other methods as known in the art may be used to determine a user's tendencies, and the invention is not limited by the method that the determination is made.
• InFIG. 2, a flow chart illustrating the steps for users to access such anticipated data according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The procedure begins with power being applied to theIRD10 atstep100. The user is then asked which particular sensors it would like to activate atstep105. An example of a sensor activation Web page displayed to the user according to an embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 3. As illustrated, theIRD10display unit12 is comprised of various fields. Such fields may comprise a plurality of sensor fields including a “Sensor One”field200, a “Sensor Two”field205, a “Sensor Three”field210, as well as all other sensor fields up to sensor field n215 (where n represents the total number of sensors available to the user). Other fields displayed to the user may invlude fields used to scroll through other sensors, not currently displayed, such as an “Additional Sensors” field220 and a “Previous Sensors”field225. If the user wishes to activate specific sensors atstep105, then these sensors are selected by the user atstep110 and activated by theIRD10 atstep120 by selecting the “Begin” field235 illustrate inFIG. 3; otherwise, the user selects the “Default Setting”field230 causing theIRD10 to select sensors specified by its default settings atstep115, and thus activating those default sensors corresponding to these settings atstep120.
• Once the appropriate sensors are activated atstep120, theIRD10 begins to scan its environment according to these sensor settings at step125. It should be appreciated that this scan procedure may include a plurality of sensors of various types. An exemplary embodiment of the invention may, therefore, include sensors such as a microphone and GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that respectively scan theIRD10 environment for sound and location. Within such embodiment, a user may choose to activate both the microphone and the GPS receiver in order to simultaneously ascertain data from both devices.
• Returning to the flow chart illustrated inFIG. 2, theIRD10 then receives analog data from its active sensors atstep130 and converts this data into digital data using the A/D converter18 atstep135. This digital data is then compressed and temporarily stored in the IRD'sdata memory unit16 at step140 until it is sent to thedata management module30 at step145 via theInternet20. The procedure then continues by having theIRD10 receive compressed feedback data from thedata management module30 atstep150. This data is then decompressed atstep155 and displayed to the user atstep160.
• InFIG. 4, a flow chart illustrating the steps for generating the feedback data received by theIRD10 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. This procedure begins with thedata management module30 receiving a data signal from theIRD10 atstep300. The received data is then decompressed atstep305 in order to generate primary search strings from data taken from theIRD10sensor unit17 atstep310. The primary search strings generated atstep310 may be viewed as simply query strings, found within thesearch string database39 usingsensor unit17 data, which may be used to ascertain information from conventional search engines available through theInternet20. Such primary search strings may, for example, include “restaurants in city y”, which would correspond to data received from both a sound sensor, sensing that the word “restaurant” was said, and from a GPS receiver sensor, sensing that the user is in “city y”.
• Returning to the flow chart illustrated inFIG. 4, the procedure continues with thedata management module30 determining the identity of the client atstep210. At step315, thedata management module30 then opens the appropriate customer file from theclient information database35 which optionally opens the client's profile of navigation tendencies. It should be appreciated that these navigation tendencies may be repeatedly calculated at user-defined rate from with thecore processor31 using an arbitrary statistical weighting system determined either by the user or theIRD10 manufacturer.
• In order to both narrow and customize these searches, an internalsearch string database39 may be used simultaneously with theclient information database35 to generate secondary search strings that directly correspond to the tendencies of the user. In particular, thecore processor31 searches for more specific search strings from within thesearch string database39 which more accurately reflect the anticipated information desired by the user according to tendency data stored in thecustomer information database35. These search strings are then combined with the primary search strings found atstep310 in order to generate secondary search strings atstep325.
• The procedure continues atstep330 with anexternal data source40 search being made according to the secondary search strings found atstep325. It should be appreciated that the type ofexternal data source40 used atstep330 may be provided by various embodiments. Thisexternal data source40 may, for example, be provided by a conventional search engine, an external database service provider, or any other data source available via theInternet20. Depending on the type of data thedata management module30 is attempting to extract from thesedata sources40, an internal weighting algorithm is again implemented in order to determine which returned search results best match the information desired by the user as anticipated by thedata management module30. Thedata management module30 then selects only those search results receiving a criterion score above some predetermined threshold at step335, and organizes these selected search results into various electronic folders atstep340. This data is then compressed by thedata management module30 atstep345, and finally sent to theIRD10 atstep350.
• An example of a Web page including such electronic folders displayed to the user according to an embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 5. Similar to the sensor activation Web page described with respect toFIG. 3, thePDA10display unit12 is again comprised of various fields. In this case, however, thedisplay unit12 may be comprised of a plurality of folder fields which include a “Folder One” field400, a “Folder Two”field405, a “Folder Three” field410 as well as all other folder fields up to folder field n415 (where n represents the total number of folders displayed to the user). Other fields displayed to the user may include fields used to scroll through other folders, not currently displayed, such as an “Additional Folders”field420 and a “Previous Folders”field425. If none of these folders include the user's desired search results, the user may enter its own search string in the field labeled “Search Field”435. It should be appreciated that any search string entered by the user via the “Search Field”, is used by thedata management module30 atstep330 of the flow chart illustrated inFIG. 4 in order to extract data from anexternal data source40 according to this particular search string. It should be further appreciated that, at any time, the user may exit the Web page illustrated inFIG. 5 by selecting the “Home” field430 in order to modify the active sensor settings. As a result of this selection, theIRD10 would redisplay the sensor activation Web page illustrated inFIG. 3 and thus return the user to step105 of the flow chart illustrated inFIG. 2.
• Once a user has selected a particular folder from the Web page illustrated inFIG. 5, another Web page is displayed to the user listing various links related to the selected folder. An example of a Web page including such links according to an embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 6. Similar to the aforementioned Web pages described inFIGS. 3 and 5, theIRD10display unit12 is again comprised of various fields. In this case, however, thedisplay unit12 may be comprised of a plurality of link fields which include a “Link One” field500, a “Link Two” field505, a “Link Three” field510 as well as all other link fields up to link field n515 (where n represents the total number of links displayed to the user). Other fields displayed to the user may include fields used to scroll through other links, not currently displayed, such as an “Additional Links”field520 and a “Previous Links” field525. If none of these links include the user's desired search results, the user may again enter its own search string in the field labeled “Search Field”535 where, similar to the electronic folder Web page described with respect toFIG. 5, this string is used by thedata management module30 atstep330 of the flow chart illustrated inFIG. 4. Also similar to the electronic folder Web page described with respect toFIG. 5, the user may exit the Web page illustrated inFIG. 6 by selecting the “Home” field530 in order to modify the active sensor settings at any time.
• Once a user has selected a particular link from the Web page illustrated inFIG. 6, another Web page containing various fields, including a field displaying the data corresponding to the selected link, is displayed to the user. An example of a Web page including such fields according to an embodiment of the invention is shown isFIG. 7. AS illustrated, thedisplay unit12 pertaining to this particular Web page may be comprised of a plurality of fields which include the aforementioned “Selected Data”field600 containing the data corresponding to the selected link. It should be appreciated that the data displayed to the user in the “Selected Data”field600 may be provided in various forms. In one embodiment, for example, an investor may wish to analyze the performance of a particular stock. Within this scenario, the investor may be presented with a set of links which may include links to graphs spreadsheets or news regarding that particular stock.
• Several other fields may also be included on the Web page illustrated inFIG. 7. One such field may include a “Related Folders”field605 which may be used in order to generate a Web page similar to the one illustrated inFIG. 5 based on a modified search which includes strings related to the data currently being displayed in the “Selected Data”field600. A “Back” and “Forward” field,610 and615 respectively, may also be included in order to navigate through the various Web pages selected by the user. Similar to the Web pages described above with respect toFIGS. 5 and 6, a “Home”field620 and a “Search Field”625 having the same functionality as previously described may be included as well.
• Within the context of the aforementioned flow charts, it should be appreciated that a plurality of embodiments which include several different types of sensor settings can be envisioned. In one such embodiment, anIRD10sensor unit17 may be comprised of a “Dictation” setting enabling the user to dictate a conversation in real time. In this type of embodiment, a user may simply select the setting corresponding to “Dictation”. In other embodiments, more sophisticated “Dictation” settings may also be implemented. such embodiments may include a textual analysis which launches certain applications whenever particular word patterns or words matching the user's tendency data are detected. For example, if the name “John Doe” is repeatedly detected, theIRD10 may relay any available information regarding “John Doe” to the user from thedata management module30. For further example, if “John Doe” is detected, and “John Doe” comprises an entry in the user's address book database, the address book and/or other information pertaining to “John Doe” may be retrieved and displayed. It should be appreciated that such information may include user-specific information obtained directly from the data management module30 (e.g., an address book, calendar, etc.) or information obtained from external data sources40 (e.g., an online database, search engine, etc.).
• Similarly, theIRD10 may retrieve data on selected terms within the context of other terms being used. Thus, for example, if the term “head end” is used repeatedly with the term “cable”, thedata management module30 may conduct a search for these two terms together instead of individually. As a result, thedata management module30 may return information describing the function of a “head end” in conjunction with a cable system.
• Another such embodiment may include a hybrid recording and transcription sensor setting which may be used in conjunction with information retrieval services or as a separate feature. In this embodiment, theIRD10 may generate a running transcript which includes the locations of the speakers relative to theIRD10 in order to differentiate between different speakers in a conversation. In cases where theIRD10 is unable to convert a sound into a word, the sound is simply recorded and included in the transcript as a hyperlink. An additional feature to this embodiment may include a real time translator application which translates between languages.
• It should be appreciated that theIRD10sensor unit17 may include a GPS receiver that enables theIRD10 to retrieve information within the context of data received by the GPS receiver. For example, if the GPS signal indicates that the user is in Japan, thedata management module30 may give weight to search results related to Japan. Thus, in the prior example, the terms “head end” and “cable” might also return information about Japanese cable television operators.
• It should be further appreciated that theIRD10 may also anticipate the user's needs by retrieving more specific GPS location data. For example, if the user is entering a video rental store, theIRD10 may retrieve a list of the most popular rental videos for that week, together with movies being shown on the user's local cable system. Similarly, a user entering a hardware store might be presented with the hardware store's current advertised specials, together with links for reviews of those items. Furthermore, a user may ask a salesperson a question regarding “washers” from which theIRD10 may distinguish the user's request as being one for plumbing device “washers”. as opposed to home appliance “washers”, because the user is located in a hardware store. In this respect, thedata management module30 would conduct its search accordingly.
• It should also be appreciated that data ascertained from a GPS receiver may also be used to present information about a particular establishment or area the user is in. In this type of embodiment, a real estate broker, for example, may approach a home for sale and receive a list of information regarding that particular home. Such information may include the address of the home, the sale price of the home, and information regarding the neighborhood of the home organized in several electronic folders.
• In another embodiment, theIRD10 may be used to analyze ambient sounds detected by itssensor unit17. In this embodiment, theIRD10 may, for example, identify the song and artist of music detected by thesensor unit17 through a spectral analysis of the sensor data. Similarly, theIRD10 may also be used to detect sounds from a telephone touch dial and determine the numbers being dialed. An added feature to this embodiment may include a reverse lookup of the phone number which would display information regarding the person on the receiving end of the call.
• Having thus described several embodiments of a method and apparatus for delivering content via information retrieval devices, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain advantages of the within system have been achieved. It should also be appreciated that various modifications, adaptations, and alternative embodiments thereof may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The invention is further defined by the following claims.

Claims (31)

1-23. (canceled)

24. A method for anticipating a user's desired information using a portable information retrieval device (IRD), comprising:

receiving real-time data via a computer network from a portable IRD connected wirelessly thereto, wherein the real-time data originates from a location sensor in communication with the portable IRD and indicates a present location of the portable IRD;

automatically generating a query for search result data relevant to the present location indicated by the real-time data;

retrieving the search result data from an external data source by directing the query to the external data source via the computer network;

selecting results from the search result data to prepare selected location-related data; and

transmitting the selected location-related data to the portable IRD via the computer network.

25. The method ofclaim 24, wherein the generating step further comprises automatically generating the query for data relevant both to the present location and to user interests associated with a registered user of the portable IRD.

26. The method ofclaim 25, further comprising maintaining user information indicating the user interests of the registered user.

27. The method ofclaim 26, further comprising processing the search result data using a weighting algorithm to determine relevancy of particular search results to the user interests.

28. The method ofclaim 27, further comprising processing the search result data to determine relevancy of particular search results to the present location

29. The method ofclaim 24, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the real-time data comprising data from a GPS device connected to the portable IRD.

29. The method ofclaim 24, wherin the generating step further comprises building the query from predefined query strings stored in a database

30. The method ofclaim 24, further comprising organizing the selected location-related data into categories, prior to transmitting the selected location-related data to the portable IRD.

31. A method for anticipating a user's desired information using a portable information retrieval device (IRD), comprising:

receiving present location data at a IRD connected wirelessly to a computer network from a location sensor, the present location data indicating a present location of the IRD;

transmitting the present location data from the IRD to a remote data management module configured for automatically generating a query for results relevant to the present location data;

receiving location-related search results from the remote data management module in response to transmitting the present location data; and

outputting the location-related search results using an output device operatively associated with the IRD.

32. The method ofclaim 31, further comprising providing information to the data management module configured for use in selecting the location-related search results from results returned by the query.

33. The method ofclaim 32, wherein information provided to the data management module configured for use in selecting the location-related search results comprises information identifying user interests associated with a registered user of the IRD.

34. The method ofclaim 31, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the present location data from a GPS device connected to the IRD.

35. The method ofclaim 31, wherein outputting the selected location-related data further comprises displaying the location-related search results on a display screen to the IRD.

36. The method ofclaim 35, wherein outputting the selected location-related data further comprises outputting the location-related search results as audible output.

37. The method ofclaim 31, wherein outputting the selected location-related data further comprises outputting the location-related search results organized into categories.

38. A computer-readable media encoded with instructions for anticipating a user's desired information using a portable computing device, comprising encoded instructions for:

receiving sensor data via a computer network from a portable computing device connected wirelessly thereto, wherein the sensor data originates from a location sensor in communication with the portable computing device and indicates a sensed location of the portable computing device;

originating a search query relevant to the sensed location indicated by the real-time data;

retrieving results from the search query;

selecting a portion of the results to prepare processed location-related data; and

providing the processed location-related data to the portable computing device via the computer network.

39. The computer-readable media ofclaim 38, further comprising instruction for originating the query for data relevant both to the sensed location and to user interests associated with the portable computing device.

40. The computer-readable media ofclaim 39, further comprising instructions for determining user information indicating the user interests.

41. The computer-readable media ofclaim 40, further comprising instructions for ranking the results using a weighting algorithm to order relevancy of particular search results to the user interests.

42. The computer-readable media ofclaim 41, further comprising instructions for processing the results to order relevancy of particular search results to the sensed location.

43. The computer-readable media ofclaim 38, further comprising instructions for receiving the sensor data comprising data from a GPS locator connected to the portable computing device.

44. The computer-readable media ofclaim 38, further comprising instructions for assembling the query from predefined query strings.

45. The computer-readable media ofclaim 38, further comprising instructions for classifying the selected location-related data into categories, prior to transmitting the processed location-related data to the portable computing device.

46. A computer-readable media encoded with instructions for anticipating a user's desired information using a handheld computing device, comprising instructions configured for:

obtaining sensed location data using a handheld computing device connected to a location sensor, the sensed location data indicating a present location of the handheld computing device;

transmitting the sensed location data from the handheld computing device to a remote server via a wireless connection with a request for initiating a query relevant to the present location data;

receiving location-related search results from the remote server in response to transmitting the sensed location data; and

outputting the location-related search results using an output device operatively associated with the handheld computing device.

47. The computer-readable media ofclaim 46, further comprising instructions for providing information to the data management module configured for use in selecting the location-related search results from results returned by the query.

48. The computer-readable media ofclaim 47, further comprising instructions for providing the information to the data management module as information identifying user interests associated with a registered user of the handheld computing device.

49. The computer-readable media ofclaim 46, further comprising instructions for obtaining the present location data from a GPS locator in communication with the handheld computing device.

50. The computer-readable media ofclaim 46, further comprising instructions for outputting the location-related search results further to a display screen of the handheld computing device.

51. The computer-readable media ofclaim 46, further comprising instructions for outputting the location-related search results as audible output from the handheld computing device.

52. The computer-readable media ofclaim 46, further comprising instructions for outputting the location-related search results classified into categories.

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