Mobile computing and communication
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An application development platform enables applications to be created easily for, e.g., mobile devices that have short-range wireless communication capability. The development platform exposes a carefully chosen core set of services through an API. Each of the applications can broadcast its services to local and remote devices. Message delivery between devices is guaranteed even for messages that cannot be delivered directly by local short-range wireless transmission. Message delivery through other channels, including the Internet, can occur transparently to the user. Each device can be associated with an “owner”, which can be a person or a entity. Services can be customized to the owner based on stored information that maps owners to devices. Information associated with each of the owners of devices can be stored centrally and used in connection with providing the services at each of the mobile devices. Virtual GPS capabilities can be provided for mobile devices that do not have GPS chips.
95 Citations
92 Claims
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1-13. -13. (canceled)
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14. A method comprising:
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maintaining in a handheld wireless device a list of location-specific informational or transactional applications capable of receiving information and processing transactions specific to a given location;
on the device, making the applications available for use by entities other than the device; and
through a wireless communication channel, broadcasting information from the device indicative of the available applications. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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17. Apparatus comprising:
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a handheld wireless device containing a list of location-specific informational or transactional applications capable of receiving information and processing transactions specific to a given location; and
a medium storing a program that configures the wireless device to make the applications available for use by entities other than the device and to broadcast information over a wireless communication channel from the device about the available applications.
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18-71. -71. (canceled)
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78. A method comprising:
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electronically storing, on a commonly accessible server, information about a user of a mobile device having short-range wireless communication capability, providing a first client module on the device and a second client module at a fixed location, the first and second client modules and the server cooperating to enable a commercial transaction between the user and an operator of the second client module based on the electronically stored information. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. An apparatus comprising:
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a mobile device having a short-range wireless communication capability and a first client module, the first client module being configured to cooperate with a second client module on an electronic device at a fixed location and a publicly accessible database including information about a user of the mobile device, to enable a commercial transaction between the user and an operator of the second client module based on the information. - View Dependent Claims (89)
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90. An apparatus comprising:
an electronic device at a fixed location having a first client module, the first client module being configured to cooperate with a second client module on a mobile device having a short-range wireless communication capability and a publicly database including information about a user of the mobile device, and to enable a commercial transaction between the user and an operator of the second client module based on the information. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92)
Specification