Adaptable wireless proximity networking

• US 6,931,429 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Left Gate Property Holding, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Left Gate Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferris, William Joseph, Gouge, David Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/844,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/225, 455/463, 455/422.1, 455/435.1, 455/434
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

System and method for dynamic delivery of services and applications from a server to mobile computing devices in a wireless proximity framework. This wireless proximity framework allows users of mobile computing devices to dynamically access services and applications available in a given geographic area without preinstalling software for each service or application. Further, the wireless proximity framework allows developers to more quickly and easily adapt existing non-wireless services for use by heterogeneous mobile computing devices. Still further, the wireless proximity framework allows for services and applications to be delivered in a customized manner to each mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically delivering service applications to a user of a mobile computing device, comprising:

a proximity networking server having an associated proximity zone, the

proximity networking server comprising;

an access module for communicating wireless within the associated proximity zone,

a registry of one or more service applications, each service application having one or more associated graphic user interface components, wherein the graphic user interface components are configured to be executable one a mobile computing device;

wherein the proximity networking server is configured to expose said one or more service applications to a mobile computing devices within the associated proximity zone

a client application executable on a mobile computing device,

wherein the client application is operable to establish a wireless connection between the proximity and the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is located within the proximity zone,

wherein the client application is configured to retrieve a list of exposed services from the proximity networking server, and

wherein the client application is configured to automatically download and execute the associated graphic user interface component of an exposed service application in response to a request by the user to access said exposed service application, and

wherein the exposed service application is executed on the proximity networking server, but is accessible to the user through the associated graphic user interface component executing on the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless connection utilizes the universal plug and play protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the associated graphic user interface component allows the user to utilize the exposed service application by using remote procedure calls sent from the client application to the proximity networking server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the proximity networking server further comprises a translation module for translating remote procedure calls received from the client application into the appropriate format for use by the exposed service application, and to translate results from the exposed service application into an output format readable by the associated client graphic user interface component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein all downloaded graphic user interface components are deleted from the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device leave said associated proximity zone.

6. A method for dynamically providing service applications to mobile computing devices in a proximity networking framework, the proximity networking framework comprising:

a proximity networking server having an associated proximity zone, the proximity networking server operable to establish a wireless data connection with a mobile computing device located within said associated proximity zone, the method comprising the steps of;

registering a service application with the proximity networking server, referred to hereinafter as registered service application, wherein the step of registering the service application with the proximity networking server further comprises;

registering an execution component of a service application with the proximity networking server, the execution component operable to be executed by the proximity networking server to provide the functionality of the service application,

registering at least one associated graphic user interface component of said registered service application with the proximity networking sever, the graphic user interface component configured to be executed by the mobile computing device to provide a user interface to the execution component, and

exposing said registered service application to said mobile computing device coming into said associated proximity zone, referred to hereinafter as the exposed service application;

providing to said mobile computing device the user interface component of the exposed service application;

executing the execution component of the exposed service application on the proximity networking server; and

permitting the mobile computing device to utilize the executing exposed service application through the graphic user interface component executing on the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises registering an associated access profile of said registered service application with the proximity networking server, and wherein said associated access profile is used to determine whether said registered service application should be exposed to said mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising retrieving information about mobile computing device or the user of the mobile computing device, referred to hereinafter as retrieved information and using said retrieved information to determine whether said registered service application should be exposed to said mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising retrieving information about mobile computing device or the user of the mobile computing device, referred to hereinafter as retrieved information and using said retrieved information to customize said exposed service application to said mobile computing device.