Method for providing services of various service providers, and central, computer-based platform for implementing such a method

• US 20060088028A1
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Karge, Ralf, Leiber, Thomas, Boehm, Andreas
• Application Number:
  US11/200,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• 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 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and central computer-based platform for providing services of various service providers to one or more subscribers who can be assigned to different communications systems are provided. The method and system involve the provision of location-based services of various service providers to subscribers of various communications systems which can be easily and flexibly controlled. A plurality of subscribers, who can belong to different communications systems, are logged onto a central device to which various service provider(s) are assigned. Authorization data of at least one subscriber, which authorizes the service provider(s) to make one or more services available to the at least one subscriber, are subsequently stored in the central device. Localization data of the logged-on subscribers are transmitted to the central device and stored there. The authorized service providers make services available to the subscribers as a function of the subscriber-based localization data.

Claims

1. A method for providing services of various service providers to at least one subscriber as a function of the location of the at least one subscriber, comprising:

logging a plurality of subscribers onto a central device;

assigning at least one service provider to the central device;

storing authorization data of at least one subscriber of the plurality of subscribers in the central device, the authorization data authorizing the at least one service provider to make at least one service available to the at least one subscriber;

transmitting localization data of each respective subscriber of the plurality of subscribers which are logged on the central device to the central device;

storing the localization data in the central device,

wherein respective authorized service providers of the at least one service provider makes at least one service available to the respective subscriber as a function of the respective subscriber-based localization data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective subscriber of the plurality of subscribers belonging to a respective communication system, wherein each respective communication system associated with each respective subscriber is different from each other.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the respective subscriber-based localization data from at least one of the respective subscriber and the respective communication system to the central device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the respective subscriber-based localization data by the at least one service provider from the central device; and

transmitting the respective subscriber-based localization data to only respective authorized service providers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

informing at least one respective authorized service provider by the central device about a state of the respective subscriber, as a function of the authorization data, the respective subscriber-based localization data and any predetermined rule.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective subscriber authorization data includes time-based information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein upon log-on of the respective subscriber at the central device, respective subscriber-specific identification parameter is stored.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of subscribers include at least one mobile subscriber, and further comprising updating the respective localization data of the logged-on respective subscriber.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising calculating respective individual movement profiles from the stored respective localization data of the at least one mobile subscriber.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising calculating the respective future location of each respective mobile subscriber from the respective individual movement profile.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising collecting accounting-relevant data in the central device for each logged-on respective subscriber.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication systems include wireless and/or wire-bound communication networks based on different transmission technologies.

13. A central, computer-based platform comprising:

at least one first interface for communicating with at least one server belonging to at least one service provider;

at least one second interface for communicating with at least one of a communication system and a subscriber assigned to the respective communication system;

a first storage device for storing identification parameter of a logged-on subscriber;

a second storage device for storing authorization data of the logged-on subscriber, which authorizes the at least one service provider to make at least one service available to the logged-on subscriber;

a third storage device for storing localization data of the logged-on subscriber;

a device for controlling the transmission of localization data to at least one server as a function of the stored identification parameter and authorization data.

14. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 13, further comprising an externally controllable device, wherein the externally controllable device is configured to define geographic zones, assign the geographic zones to at least one server, and define at least one rule with regard to the geographic zones.

15. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 14, further comprising a device for generating a notification for at least one server as a function of the subscriber-based localization data and the at least one rule.

16. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one first interface is a standardized interface, and the at least one second interface is a manufacturer-specific interface.

17. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 16, wherein the standardized interface is a World Wide Web interface.

18. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 13, further comprising a device for updating the localization data of logged-on subscriber.

19. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a computing device for calculating at least one of individual states of movement and individual movement profiles from the stored localization data of any mobile subscribers; and

a fourth storage device for storing individual movement profiles.

20. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 19, further comprising a prediction device for calculating future locations of the respective mobile subscribers from the individual movement profiles.

21. The central, computer-based platform as recited in claim 13, further comprising an accounting device.