Information terminal

• US 20070250599A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takayama, Hisashi, Sasaki, Osamu, Kawaguchi, Kyoko, Ando, Atsushi, Nakanishi, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides mobile terminals with various types of services such as electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service. User applications required for the electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service are respectively configured as service objects each having a server facility, and further a local gateway is provided, whereby various types of services can be used through a browser.

Claims

1. A mobile user terminal comprising:

a communication unit operable to enable said mobile user terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server;

a plurality of service objects, each service object including an internal server having a facility for providing information processing;

a browser operable to request retrieval of data from the external server via said communication unit and operable to request the information processing of the internal server, via a local gateway, from a service object selected from said plurality of service objects; and

said local gateway operable to serve as an interface between said browser and each of said plurality of service objects, operable to select an appropriate service object from said plurality of service objects based on the request from said browser and operable to route the request to the selected service object;

said local gateway comprising;

a service object manager operable to hold information regarding a status of an availability of said plurality of service objects;

wherein;

said internal server corresponding to the selected service object is operable to execute the information processing specified by the request and the selected service object is operable to return local data as a result of the information processing; and

said browser is operable to receive data retrieved from the external server for display on said mobile user terminal and is operable to receive the local data retrieved from the selected service object for display on said mobile user terminal.

2. A mobile user terminal according to claim 1, wherein said internal server includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part operable to create a document of the local data in a markup language.

3. A mobile user terminal according to claim 1, wherein said local gateway includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part is operable to create a markup description indicating a list of usable service objects based on the status of each of the service objects managed by the service object manager.

said browser is further operable to receive said markup description retrieved from the local gateway for display on said mobile user terminal.

4. A mobile user terminal according to claim 3, wherein said internal server includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part operable to create a document of the local data in a markup language.

5. A mobile user terminal comprising:

a communication unit operable to enable said mobile user terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server;

a plurality of service objects, each service object connected to a computer-readable device having an internal server, said internal server having a facility for providing information processing;

a browser operable to request retrieval of data from the external server via said communication unit and operable to request the information processing of the internal server, via a local gateway, from a service object selected from said plurality of service objects; and

said local gateway operable to serve as an interface between said browser and each of said plurality of service objects, operable to select an appropriate service object from said plurality of service objects based on the request from said browser and operable to route the request to the selected service object;

said local gateway comprising;

a service object manager operable to hold information regarding a status of an availability of said plurality of service objects;

wherein;

said internal server corresponding to the selected service object is operable to execute the information processing specified by the request and the selected service object is operable to return local data as a result of the information processing; and

said browser is operable to receive data retrieved from the external server for display on said mobile user terminal and is operable to receive the local data retrieved from the selected service object for display on said mobile user terminal.

6. A mobile user terminal according to claim 5, wherein said internal server includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part operable to create a document of the local data in a markup language.

7. A mobile user terminal according to claim 5, wherein said local gateway includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part is operable to create a markup description indicating a list of usable service objects based on the status of each of the service objects managed by the service object manager.

said browser is further operable to receive said markup description retrieved from the local gateway for display on said mobile user terminal.

8. A mobile user terminal according to claim 7, wherein said internal server includes a ML creating part, said ML creating part operable to create a document of the local data in a markup language.