METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100235430A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bruce Kim
• Original Assignee: Bruce Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US12/404,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235430A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services

Abstract

Methods and Systems to provide services to a mobile device are explained herein. A system receives a request from a supplemental service library that is embedded in a client application program in a mobile device. The supplemental service library is a standard software component that is included in the client application program. The client application program is distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device. Next the system identifies a supplemental service from multiple supplemental services based on the request. Finally, the system communicates a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request. Further, a system includes a stand-alone client application program that may work in conjunction with a supplemental service program or a thin client program. Finally, supplemental service interfaces are stored on a computer readable medium for execution on a mobile device in conjunction with a supplemental service library.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing supplemental services to a mobile device, the method comprising:

utilizing one or more processors to execute instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions causing the computer to perform;

receiving a request from a supplemental service library that is embedded in a client application program in a mobile device, the supplemental service library being a standard software component that is included in the client application program, the client application program being distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device;

identifying a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request; and

communicating a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental service library includes a user interface module.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including communicating a notice to the mobile device via a notification server.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including:

receiving an advertisement from an advertisement server prior to the receiving the request; and

storing the advertisement on a data storage device prior to the receiving the request, and wherein the communicating the response includes retrieving the advertisement from a data storage device and communicating an advertisement response information that includes the advertisement to a user interface module that is included in the supplemental service library on the mobile device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the communicating the response includes communicating advertisement retrieval information to a user interface module that is included in the supplemental service library on the mobile device.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the supplemental service further includes identifying the client application program from a plurality of client application programs based on a client application program identifier that is received in the request and wherein the identifying of the supplemental service further includes identifying the mobile device from a plurality of mobile devices based on a mobile device identifier that is received in the request and wherein the identifying of the supplemental service further includes automatically identifying a user of the mobile device based on the mobile device identifier.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including:

associating the mobile device to a user that is actively utilizing the client application program;

identifying a plurality of other users who are friends of the user and are actively using the client application program; and

generating a friend listing interface that identifies the plurality of friends that are actively utilizing the client application program.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the friend listing interface further identifies a plurality of friends that are not actively utilizing the client application program.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including receiving diagnostic information from a second supplemental service module that is embedded in the client application program in the mobile device.

10. A system to provide supplemental services to a mobile device, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the one or more processors interacting with the computer-readable medium to execute;

a receiving module to receive a request from a supplemental service library that is embedded in a client application program in a mobile device, the supplemental service library is a standard software component that is included in the client application program, the client application program distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device; and

a processing module to identify a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request and communicate a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the request includes a request for a user interface and wherein the user interface is selected from a group of user interfaces consisting of a home user interface, a user profile user interface, a user settings user interface, a message listing user interface, a message display user interface, a blog listing user interface, a topic listing user interface, and a friend listing user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the home user interface includes a user interface element that is selectable to display at least one announcement that is communicated to the mobile device from a publisher of the client application program.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user profile interface includes a picture associated with a user of the client application program.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user settings interface includes a user interface element that receives parameter information that is utilized to configure the client application program.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the user settings interface includes user configurable settings to configure the client application program.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the message listing interface includes a plurality of messages that have been respectively communicated to the mobile device from a plurality of mobile devices that store the client application program.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the blog listing interface includes an input box that receives at least one keyword that is used to search a plurality of blogs that are accessible over a network.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the topic listing interface includes an input box that receives at least one keyword that is used to search a plurality of topics that are respectively presented on a plurality of blogs that are accessible over a network.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the message display user interface includes a message that is associated with a second client application program on the mobile device.

20. Using one or more processors to execute instructions retained in machine readable media to perform at least some of the following steps:

receiving a request from a supplemental service library that is embedded in a client application program in a mobile device, the supplemental service library being a standard software component that is included in the client application program, the client application program being distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device;

identifying a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request; and

communicating a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request.

21. A computer implemented method for providing supplemental services to a mobile device, the method comprising:

utilizing one or more processors to execute instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions causing the computer to perform;

receiving a request from a supplemental service library in a mobile device that receives the request from a stand-alone client application program in the mobile device, the supplemental service library being a standard software component that is utilized by the stand-alone client application program, the supplemental service library and the stand-alone client application program being independently distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device;

identifying a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request; and

communicating a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein the supplemental service library is embedded in a supplemental service program that executes as a stand-alone program on the mobile device.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein the supplemental service library is embedded in a thin client program that executes in conjunction with a web browser that executes on the mobile device.

24. A system to provide supplemental services to a mobile device, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the one or more processors interacting with the computer-readable medium to execute;

a receiving module to receive a request from a supplemental service library in a mobile device that receives the request from a stand-alone client application program in the mobile device, the supplemental service library being a standard software component that is utilized by the stand-alone client application program, the supplemental service library and the stand-alone client application program are independently distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device; and

a processing module to identify a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request and to communicate a response to the mobile device responsive to receipt of the request.

25. Using one or more processors to execute instructions retained in machine readable media to perform at least some of the following steps:

receiving a request from a supplemental service library that is embedded in a client application program in a mobile device, the supplemental service library being a standard software component that is built into the client application program, the client application program being distributed over a network and stored on the mobile device;

identifying a supplemental service from a plurality of supplemental services based on the request; and

communicating a response to the mobile device responsive to receiving the request.

26. A plurality of supplemental service interfaces stored on a computer readable medium for execution on a mobile device in conjunction with a supplemental service library, the plurality of supplemental service interfaces are utilized to provide supplemental service for a client application program on the mobile device, the plurality of supplemental service interfaces comprising:

a first interface that receives a request from the client application program; and

a second interface that communicates the request to a supplemental service server, the request including a mobile device identifier that identifies the mobile device from a plurality of mobile devices and a client application program identifier that identifies the client application program from a plurality of client application programs.

27. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the supplemental service library is embedded in the client application program.

28. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the second interface receives a selection of a user interface element that causes an exit and return to the client application program.

29. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, further including a third interface that receives a mobile device identifier.

30. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 29, wherein the third interface retrieves the mobile device identifier from the mobile device.

31. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 29, wherein the third interface appends the mobile device identifier to the request.

32. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the supplemental service library is embedded in a supplemental service program that communicates with the client application program.

33. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the request includes the client application program identifier.

34. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the supplemental service library is embedded in a thin client program that communicates with the client application program.

35. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, further including a fourth interface that receives diagnostic information from the client application program and communicates the diagnostic information to the supplemental service server.

36. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the second interface retrieves an advertisement from an advertisement server.

37. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, further including a fifth interface that receives a notice from a notification server and communicates the notice to the client application program.

38. The plurality of supplemental service interfaces of claim 26, wherein the second interface receives a second request from the client application program and further including a sixth interface that communicates the second request to the supplemental service server and further including a seventh interface that receives a second response from the supplemental service server and communicates the second response to the client application program.