System and method for accessing computer services via a wireless network

• US 20030144008A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rehkopf, Thomas W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Server access is provided to a wireless apparatus via a wireless network. A message is received containing a service request. The service and sever capable of servicing the service request is determined. The service is requested from the server and a reply is received. The reply is formatted for communication over the wireless network and sent. Location dependent information may also be requested with a wireless apparatus including a global positioning device and a two-way wireless communication device. Such an apparatus can “know” its global location and therefore can request information dependent on that location. The apparatus receives signals from a global positioning system and calculates a location. The calculated location is included in the service request sent over the wireless network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for accessing a computer application via a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a global positioning device; and

a two-way wireless communication device in communication with the global positioning device.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the two-way wireless communication device comprises a Mobitex compatible device.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the two-way wireless communication device comprises a radio modem.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the two-way wireless communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with the global positioning device and in communication with the two-way wireless communication device.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising a user interface in communication with the processor.

7. A method for requesting location dependent information, comprising:

receiving signals from a global positioning system;

calculating a location based upon the received signals;

receiving an indication of a service request from a user interface;

formatting the service request indication as a message for communication over a wireless network; and

sending the formatted service request message over the wireless network.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein receiving signals from a global positioning system comprises receiving signals from at least three satellites.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein calculating a location comprises calculating a latitude and longitude.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a service request comprises:

displaying a menu containing a plurality of service request indications; and

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of service request indications.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein formatting the service request indication comprises formatting the service request indication in an e-mail message.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein formatting the service request indication further comprises appending the calculated location to the e-mail message.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising receiving a reply message from the wireless network, the reply message containing location dependent information.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

parsing the location dependent information from the message; and

displaying the location dependent information in a graphical form.

21. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein requesting the service from the server comprises requesting the service from a middleware component.

22. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining a server capable of servicing the service request comprises mapping from the service request to a server capable of servicing the service request.

15. A method for providing server access to a wireless communication device that communicates over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a message from a wireless network, the message containing a service request indication;

parsing the service request indication from the message;

determining a service request based upon the service request indication;

determining a server capable of servicing the service request;

requesting the service from the server;

receiving a reply from the server in response to requesting the service;

formatting the reply as a message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the formatted reply message to the wireless communication device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein receiving a message comprises receiving an e-mail message.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the received message further contains a location indication.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising parsing the location indication from the message.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising determining a location based upon the parsed location indication.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein requesting the service from the server further comprises sending the location to the server.

23. A method for sending location dependent information to a wireless communication apparatus that communicates over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving the location of the wireless communication apparatus;

determining information based on the received location;

formatting the information as a message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the formatted message to the wireless communication apparatus via the wireless network.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein formatting the information as a message comprises formatting the information as an e-mail message for communication over the wireless network.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising requesting the location of the wireless communication apparatus at intervals.

26. A method for providing location dependent information to a wireless communication device that communicates over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a message from the wireless communication device, the message containing an indication of a service request and an indication of the location of the wireless communication device;

generating a reply based on the service request indication and the location indication;

formatting the reply as a second message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the second message to the wireless communication device.

27. A system for accessing a computer application from a wireless communication apparatus via a wireless communication network, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless communications ports that receive signals from the wireless communication network and convert the signals to a message containing an indication of a service request for the computer application; and

an integration application in communication with the plurality of wireless communication ports, the integration application determines a server capable of servicing the indicated service request, requests the service from the server, receives a reply from the server, formats the reply as a second message for communication over the wireless network, and sends the formatted message to the wireless communication apparatus.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the message further contains an indication of the location of the wireless communication apparatus.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the integration application further requests location dependent information from the server and the received reply contains location dependent information.

30. A method of providing services to wireless communication apparatus users comprising:

receiving an e-mail message that contains a request for a service;

providing the service requested; and

charging a fee for the service provided.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising:

determining a sending pager of the e-mail message;

performing an authentication check of the sending pager; and

forwarding the e-mail message and the results of the authorization check to the server.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein performing an authentication check of the sending pager comprises:

determining an electronic signature of the sending pager;

receiving a password; and

determining if the sending pager is authorized to access the requested service based on the electronic signature and the password.

33. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein providing the service requested comprises determining a server capable of servicing the service request.

34. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for requesting location dependent information, the instructions, when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving signals from a global positioning system;

calculating a location based upon the received signals;

receiving an indication of a service request from a user interface;

formatting the service request indication as a message for communication over a wireless network based; and

sending the formatted service request message over the wireless network.

35. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein calculating a location comprises calculating a latitude and longitude.

36. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein formatting the service request indication comprises formatting the service request indication in an e-mail message.

37. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein formatting the service request indication further comprises appending the calculated location to the e-mail message.

38. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform receiving a reply message from the wireless network, the reply message containing location dependent information.

39. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for providing server access to a wireless communication device that communicates over a wireless network, the instructions when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving a message from a wireless network, the message containing a service request indication;

parsing the service request indication from the message;

determining a service request based upon the service request indication;

determining a server capable of servicing the service request;

requesting the service from the server;

receiving a reply from the server in response to requesting the service;

formatting the reply as a message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the formatted reply message to the wireless communication device.

40. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 39, wherein receiving a message comprises receiving an e-mail message.

41. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 39, wherein the received message further contains a location indication and the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

parsing the location indication from the message; and

determining a location based upon the parsed location indication.

42. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 41, wherein requesting the service from the server further comprises sending the location to the server.

43. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for sending location dependent information to a wireless communication apparatus that communicates over a wireless network, the instructions when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving the location of the wireless communication apparatus;

determining information based on the received location;

formatting the information as a message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the formatted message to the wireless communication apparatus via the wireless network.

44. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein formatting the information as a message comprises formatting the information as an e-mail message for communication over the wireless network.

45. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for providing location dependent information to a wireless communication device that communicates over a wireless network, the instructions when executed on a processor causing the processor to perform:

receiving a message from the wireless communication device, the message containing an indication of a service request and an indication of the location of the wireless communication device;

generating a reply based on the service request indication and the location indication;

formatting the reply as a second message for communication over the wireless network; and

sending the second message to the wireless communication device.