Method and system for wireless distribution of local information

• US 20040171379A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appear Networks Systems AB
• Original Assignee: Appear Networks Systems AB
• Inventors: Andersson, Fredrik, Cabrera, Alex, Aubry, Xavier, Lei, Kimberly, Dahlstrand, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

In a system, called an application meneger, portable devices (1) can be connected in various kinds of local area networks (LANs). In the portable devices local browsers are run to find services by listening in the local area network to messages broadcast from a local information server (5) through some base unit (3). The local information server registers local services and provides, on automatic requests from the local browsers, address information of the local services. The address information is used by a local browser to obtain, through the Internet, general information of the services from an HTTP server (9), that contains information of applications, such as graphical information including icon files and short descriptions of the applications. After receiving the general information symbols of available services are shown on the display of the portable device. The user can then by a single click access a service and then the local browser automatically downloads the user part of the application the symbol of which has been clicked and starts to extcute the program of the application, the executing generally not requiring communication or information relevant to the current location of the user, such as timetable information for trains and air flights.

Claims

1. A system for locally providing information comprising a general service network and at least one portable device having a display and connected to the general service network, characterized in

that the portable device includes means for connecting to or establishing a local network,

that the system comprises at least one local information server connected to or arranged to establish a local network, the portable device and the local information server being capable of connecting to each other in the local network,

the local information server periodically emitting signals indicating the existence of the local information server,

the portable device arranged to listen to the signals and when the signals are detected, to connect to the local information server in a local network or to form a local network therewith, and to receive from the local information server address information of how to access information of available services,

the portable device arranged to connect, after having received the address information, to a storage information server connected in the general service network using said address information and to obtain from the storage information server information, in particular graphical information, of the available services,

the portable device arranged to graphically show on its display symbols derived from said obtained information, each symbol associated with an individual available service, and

the portable device arranged to obtain, after a user of the portable device has marked or indicated one of the symbols shown on the display, from the general service network the user part of the service with which the symbol is associated, the user part comprising an executable program, and to store the user part in a memory of the portable device and to start executing the executable program of the user part.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable device is arranged to continue, after detecting the signals emitted by a local information server and connecting to it, to listen to the signals emitted by the local information server, and to remove from the display, after a predetermined time period elapsed from a last time when the signals were detected, the symbol associated with at least one of the services said to be available in the information previously obtained from the storage information server and to remove from the memory the user part, if stored in the memory.

3. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said obtained information also includes descriptive information, in particular relatively short information, of the available services.

4. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the service information server includes storage means for storing said information, in particular graphical information and/or descriptive information, and the user parts of the available services.

5. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the local network is an IP-network and/or the general service network is the Internet.

6. A method of locally providing information to at least one portable device having a display and connected to a general service network, characterized-by the steps of:

periodically emitting signals from a local information server indicating the existence of the local information server,

the portable device listening all the time to signals emitted from the local information server,

the portable device connecting, after having detected the signals, in a local network to the local information server and obtaining therefrom address information of how to access available services,

the portable device connecting, after having received the address information, in the general service network to a storage information server, using said address information, and obtaining information, in particular graphical information, of the available services,

the portable device graphically showing on a display thereof symbols derived from said obtained information, each symbol associated with an individual available service, and

the portable device obtaining, after a user of the portable device has maked or indicated one of the symbols shown on the display, from the storage information server the user part of the service with which the symbol is associated, the user part comprising an executable program and storing it in a memory of the portable device, and starting to execute the executable program of the user part.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized by the further steps of

the portable device continuing, after having detected the signals emitted by a local information server and connected to it, to listen to the signals emitted by the local information server, and

the portable device removing from the display, after a predetermined time period having elapsed from a last time when the signals were detected, the symbol associated with at least one of the services said to be available in the information previously obtained from the local information server and if existing, the associated user part stored in the memory of the portable device.

8. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that in the step of the portable device obtaining said information, said information is obtained including descriptive information of the available services.

9. A method according to claim 6, further including the step of storing in the service information server connected in the general service network, information, in particular graphical information and/or descriptive information, and the user parts of the available services, the user parts each comprising an executable program, the portable device obtaining said information from the information stored in the service information server.