Arrangement with beacon for providing information service

• US 20020132614A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Marshall, Christopher Brian, Rankin, Paul John, Vanluijt, Balthasar Antonius Gerardus
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A beacon (120) adapted for use in an arrangement (100) for providing an information service, comprising a storage (225) for storing data related to the information service, local communication means (220, 221, 222) for establishing a short range communication link (125) with a mobile device (130), and a processor (224) adapted for autonomously performing the service based on the data in the storage (225) with the mobile device (130) using the short range communication link (125). The arrangement (100) preferably further comprises a server (101) arranged to receive data to be used in the information service from a terminal (230) and to forward the received data to the beacon (120) over the long range communication link (127).

Claims

1. A beacon (120) adapted for providing an information service, comprising a storage (225) for storing data related to the information service, local communication means (220, 221, 222) for establishing a short range communication link (125) with a mobile device (130), and a processor (224) adapted for autonomously performing the service based on the data in the storage (225) with the mobile device (130) using the short range communication link (125).

2. The beacon (120) of claim 1, further comprising long range communication means (223, 226, 227) for establishing a wireless long range communication link (127) to a server (101), the processor (224) being arranged for exchanging data with the server (101) over the long range communication link (127).

3. The beacon (120) of claim 2, in which the processor (224) is arranged to record statistical data regarding the information service and to periodically report the recorded information to the server (101).

4. The beacon (120) of claim 3, in which the statistical data at least identifies frequently requested data related to the information service, and the processor (224) is further arranged to pre-fetch the frequently requested data from the server (101).

5. The beacon (120) of claim 2, in which the storage (225) is arranged to be loaded with data received from the server (01) over the long range communication link (127).

6. The beacon (120) of claim 2, in which the remote communication means (223, 226, 227) are arranged to establish the long range communication link (127) automatically after the short range communication link (125) has been established.

7. The beacon (120) of claim 2, in which the processor (224) is arranged to retransmit information received over the long range communication link (127) to the mobile device (130) over the short range communication link (125).

8. The beacon (120) of claim 1, in which the processor (224) is arranged to periodically broadcast data related to the information service.

9. An arrangement (100) for providing an information service, comprising a beacon (120) as claimed in claim 2, and a server (101) arranged to receive data to be used in the information service from a terminal (230) and to forward the received data to the beacon (120) over the long range communication link (127).

10. The arrangement (100) of claim 9, in which personal data regarding a user of the information service is stored at the server (101) and the server (101) is arranged to supply at least a portion of the personal data regarding the user to a proprietor of the location where the information service is provided in response to receiving an identifier for the user from the beacon (120) over the long range communication link (127).