Mobile guide communications system

• US 20030110216A1
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Evers, Bjorn, Colmsio, Jonas, Althin, Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile guide communications system. A visitor at an exhibition may use the system to obtain information associated with a specific object and to display the information on a portable terminal. In an implementation, the system includes at least one portable device, a plurality of object servers and at least one central server. The portable device may include a display means, an infra-red (IR) communication unit and a wireless communication unit. Each object server may include an IR communication unit, and the central server may include a wireless communication unit.

Claims

1. A mobile guide communications system comprising:

at least one portable device including at least one display means, an infra-red (IR) communication unit and a wireless communication unit;

a plurality of object servers, each object server associated with an object and including an IR communication unit configured to communicate with the portable devices; and

at least one central server including a memory and a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with the portable devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display means is capable of displaying at least one of a multimedia presentation, a text display, a graphics display and an audio presentation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises an internet connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device further comprises processing circuitry configured to obtain an object identification code from an object server, to transmit the object identification code to the central server and obtain information concerning an object, and to present the information to a user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object server further comprises a memory including an object identification code associated to a specific object, and software code means for causing the object server to transfer the object identification code when requested by a portable device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the object server operates in a wait mode until communications are established with a portable device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the object server is located within a predetermined distance from its associated specific object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server includes:

a wireless communications unit;

a database including information associated with different objects at an exhibition; and

a unique object identification code for each object.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the central server further comprises software for causing the central server to receive a request for information concerning a specific object, wherein the request includes an object identification code.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the central server is capable of accessing the Internet, the terminal further comprising software adapted for causing a terminal client to:

obtain an object identity code from the specific object server, when the terminal is in range of an IR communications unit of the object server;

obtain requested object information from the central server; and

present the obtained information.

11. A method in a mobile guide system comprising:

establishing an IR connection between a mobile terminal and a specific object server associated with a specific object;

transferring a specific object identity code from a memory of the specific object server to the terminal over the IR connection;

establishing a wireless connection between the terminal and a central server;

transferring the object identity code to the central server;

retrieving requested information from a database of the central server based on the object identity code;

transferring the retrieved information to the terminal; and

presenting the information on a display of the terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information presented is at least one of an Internet link, a multimedia display, a text display, a graphics display and an audio presentation.

13. A machine-accessible medium, which when accessed causes a machine to:

obtain an object identification code from an object server;

transmit the object identification code to a central server;

receive information concerning an object associated with the object identification code; and

display the information for a user of the portable device.

14. The medium of claim 13, which further causes the portable device to display the information as one of a multimedia presentation, a graphics presentation, a text display, and an audio presentation.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon at least one sequence of instructions for causing a digital processing system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an object identification code from an object server;

transmitting the object identification code to a central server;

receiving information concerning an object associated with the object identification code; and

displaying the information for a user of the portable device.

16. The medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions to cause the portable device to display the information as one of a multimedia presentation, a graphics presentation, a text display, and an audio presentation.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the object identification code is obtained from the object server over an infra-red link.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the object identification code is transmitted over a wireless link to the central server.