Methods, apparatus and computer program instructions for enhancing service discovery at a mobile terminal

• US 20050255839A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Perttila, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention provides enhancements to service discovery procedures associated with short-range communication in mobile terminals. In particular, the present invention employs a layered service discovery decision-making process that relies on historical information stored in the mobile terminal and mobile terminal analysis of the information associated with tag to make decisions regarding service discovery. As such, the present invention provides efficient service discovery that limits unnecessary connections to external servers and, thereby accelerates the overall service discovery process.

Claims

1. A method for service discovery in a mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a short-range communication from a local content source including content relating to a service;

accessing mobile terminal memory to determine if the received content corresponds with stored service initiation instructions;

activating the service if the mobile terminal determines that the received content has corresponding service initiation instructions; and

if a determination is made that the received content does not have corresponding service initiation instructions, analyzing the content of the communication to determine if an association exists between the content and stored service information, and, if so, utilizing the stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of contacting a service source if a determination is made that an association exists between the content and stored service information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of activating the service once the mobile terminal has contacted the service source based on service initiation instructions obtained from the service source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source, if a determination is made that an association does not exist between the content and stored service information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving from the one or more content provider sources information related to the service source.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of contacting the service source upon receipt of information related to the service source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising activating the service once the mobile terminal has contacted the service source and received service initiation instructions therefrom.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source further comprises the step of determining the one or more content provider sources based on results of the step of analyzing the content of the communication to determine if an association exists between the content and stored service information.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of sending an information request to one or more content provider sources further comprises sending an information request to a first predefined content provider source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of sending an information request to a first predefined content provider source further comprises sending an information request to a second predefined content provider source if the first content source is unsuccessful in determining service initiation instructions.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing stored mobile terminal user profile data prior to activating the service to provide the user with a targeted service.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of accessing stored mobile terminal user profile data prior to activating the service to provide the user with a targeted service.

13. The method of claim 1, the step of receiving a short-range communication from a local content source including content relating to a service further comprises receiving a short-range communication chosen from the group consisting of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared (IR), bar code, two-dimensional symbology and three-dimensional symbology.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of upon activation of the service, storing, at the mobile terminal, information related to the service and the service initiation instructions.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating, from the mobile terminal to one or more remote mobile terminals, stored service information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating, from the mobile terminal to one or more remote mobile terminals, stored service information is further defined as being performed automatically by the mobile terminal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating, from the mobile terminal to one or more remote mobile terminals, stored service information is further defined as being performed at the bequest of the mobile terminal user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating, from a service source to the mobile terminal, service information that is subsequently stored at the mobile terminal.

19. A mobile terminal device capable of short-range communication, the device comprising:

a short-range transceiver that is capable of receiving a short-range communication from a local content source including content relating to a service;

a processor that receives the short-range communication from the transceiver; and

service discovery logic that is in communication with the processor and is capable of determining service initiation instructions related to the service, wherein the service discovery logic includes;

recognition logic for determining if the received content corresponds with mobile terminal-stored service initiation instructions,

association logic for determining if an association exists between the received content and mobile terminal-stored service information, and, if so, utilizing the stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions, and

output generation logic that activates the service based on the service initiation instructions.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the association logic is implemented if the recognition logic determines that the service has no stored service initiation instructions.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises analyzation logic that determines if the short-range communication has recognizable sequences for further association logic processing.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the recognition logic determines if the service has mobile-terminal-stored service initiation instructions by analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to mobile terminal-stored bit patterns.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 19, further comprises a memory module that stores service information associated with short-range communication that have been processed by the service discovery logic.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 19, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises dedicated update logic that receives communications that include information related services and stores the information in a related database.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein the dedicated update logic receives communications that include information related to services from a member of the group consisting of the mobile terminal user, a dedicated service provider and a remote mobile terminal.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 19, further comprising a user profile database that is accessed prior to activating the service to customize the service based upon the user profile.

31. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising fourth instructions for sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source, if a determination is made that an association does not exist between the content and stored service information.

27. A computer program product, executed in a mobile terminal, for providing short-range communication service discovery, the application comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

first instructions for determining if a service related to a short-range communication has service initiation instructions stored in mobile terminal memory;

second instructions for determining, if a determination is made that the service does not have stored service initiation instructions, if an association exists between the content of the short-range communication and stored service information.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the second instructions further provide for contacting a service source if a determination is made that an association exists between the content and stored service information.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising third instructions for activating the service once the determination is made that the service has stored service initiation instructions.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the third instructions further provide for activating the service if a determination is made that an association exists between the content and stored service information.

32. A system for short-range communication enhancement of service discovery, the system comprising:

a local content source capable of transmitting content related to a service; and

a mobile terminal capable of receiving the content transmitted from the local content source and including a processor that implements service discovery logic capable of determining service initiation for the service, the service discovery logic including;

recognition logic for determining if the received content corresponds with mobile terminal-stored service initiation instructions,

association logic for determining if an association exists between the received content and mobile terminal-stored service information, and, if so, utilizing the stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions, and

output generation logic that activates the service based on the service initiation instructions.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal association logic is implemented if the recognition logic determines that the service has no stored service initiation instructions.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal service discovery logic further comprises analyzation logic that determines if the short-range communication has recognizable sequences for further association logic processing.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal recognition logic determines if the service has mobile-terminal-stored service initiation instructions by analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to mobile terminal-stored bit patterns.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal further includes a memory module that stores service information associated with short-range communication that have been processed by the service discovery logic.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal service discovery logic further comprises dedicated update logic that receives communications that include information related services and stores the information in a related database.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the dedicated update logic receives communications that include information related to services from a member of the group consisting of the mobile terminal user, a dedicated service provider and a remote mobile terminal.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the mobile terminal further includes a user profile database that is accessed prior to activating the service to customize the service based