Mobile valet

• US 6,957,393 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E., Kurth, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US10/101,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 345/747, 345/745, 345/864, 345/962, 345/733, 345/738, 345/741, 345/742, 345/743, 345/748, 345/765, 345/811, 345/812, 345/825, 345/822, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 701/201, 701/200, 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 709/201, 709/202, 709/218, 709/219, 709/217, 709/220, 709/203, 709/225, 709/227
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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]
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 Operator interface for marketing or sales

Abstract

Enhanced delivery of services are provided through a wireless mobile device and one or more location service channels, preferably at the direction of the user of the mobile device requesting the desired service through common context-based user interfaces. The mobile device communicates with local and remote service providers. The context is determined by accessing information in the user profile, by sensors on the mobile device identifying items of interest, or by identifying the location of the mobile device. An aggregator server maintains a registry of location service channels and manages the access to the channels by the mobile device users and the service providers.

Claims

1. A method of using a mobile device to provide enhanced delivery of services available at a location, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface on a mobile device service channel;

identifying a plurality of location service channels associated with the location for delivery of services to a mobile device user;

accessing the profile of the mobile device user;

determining the availability of at least one of the plurality of location service channels for delivering services to the user, wherein said location service channel availability determination is based on the user profile; and

delivering service to the user through at least one of the available location service channels or the mobile device service channel.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining services associated with the location, and displaying the available services associated with the location on the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising receiving a user selection of one or more of the services displayed on the user interface.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the location service channels are identified in response to the user selection of one of the services displayed on the user interface.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising establishing the task of the user based on the user'"'"'s current location and a user profile;

and providing a list of available services on the user interface relevant to the established task.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising presenting on the mobile device service channel a query for selection of a location service channel desired by the user, and in response to user selection of a location service channel, delivering the service on an output device associated with the selected location service channel.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising delivering service to the user through the output device associated with the location service channel and through the user interface of the mobile device service channel.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising receiving a user selection from the mobile device, and in response to the user selection shifting the delivery of the service between the location service channel and the mobile device service channel.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising querying the user of the mobile device to input a selection of an alternate service channel, receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the alternate service channel, and delivering the service through the selected alternate service channel.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining the location of the mobile device service channel;

establishing a context for the services based on the determined location; and

determining the service channels available for the services associated with the context; and

delivering at least one of the services through at least one of the available channels.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising:

establishing a request for second services;

determining the channels available for the second services; and

delivering the second services through a second available service channel.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the second services are delivered concurrently with the first services.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein establishing a context for the services comprises identifying an item or a task of interest to a user of the mobile device, and identifying the services associated with said item or task desired by a user of the mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein identifying an item of interest includes receiving a transmission from the mobile device containing an identification of an object proximate to the mobile device, said object being remotely sensed by the mobile device.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein identifying a task of interest includes receiving a signal from the mobile device initiated by a user'"'"'s input to the mobile device.

16. The method according to claim 1 further comprising presenting a context-based user interface template on the mobile device service channel, said user interface template based on said location and said personal profile.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising

obtaining an identification of one or more tasks of interest to the user based on the user'"'"'s selection from the template;

providing the services associated with the identification of one or more tasks.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting a request to a local service provider for ancillary services based on user profile and context of the identified task.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said service is provided by a local service provider or a remote service provider, and said provider receives information from the user profile.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising redirecting the delivery of the service from the first location service channel to a second location service channel.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein said redirecting is in response to a request received from the mobile device.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the said redirecting is in response to physical relocation of the mobile device to a position of closer proximity to the second location service channel.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein said redirecting is in response to a request received from location-based personnel.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said location service channel comprises a mobile device in the possession of a location-based personnel.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a request to location-based personnel to provide service to the user.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the request is received from a service provider.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein said location-based personnel are equipped with a mobile device having access to a profile of the user.

28. A system for using a mobile device to provide enhanced delivery of services available at a location comprising:

a mobile device having a display, said device being in wireless communication with a network,

a plurality of context-based user interface templates capable of being displayed on the mobile device, wherein each context-based user interface includes a selection of services available at the location from one or more of a local service provider and a remote service provider;

one or more location service channels having an output device for penetrating a humanly readable output, the location service channels being in communication with the network;

wherein the services available at said location are deliverable through the mobile device and the output device of the one or more location service channels;

a database for storing a user profile, the user profile containing an identification of relationships between a user of the mobile device and one or more of local service providers and remote service providers, and

a component for dynamically identifying appropriate local or remote service providers based on relationships between a user of the mobile device and the one or more of local and remote service providers stored in the user profile and relevant to an identified task and the location, and dynamically identifying an available location service channel based on the user profile.

29. The system according to claim 28 further comprising an automatic location identifying system, and a processor programmed with logic stored on computer-readable medium that selects the appropriate user interface for the mobile device based on the location identified.

30. The system according to claim 28 wherein the selection of services on the user interface is based on the user profile.

31. The system according to claim 28 wherein the selection of services on the user interface are those services commonly used in support of an identified task.

32. The system according to claim 28 further comprising

a computer-readable medium for storing computer executable instructions thereon, wherein the instructions provide for the method of identifying one or more location service channels associated with the location through which services can be provided to the user;

the mobile device further includes sensors to provide for remote identification of physical objects proximate to the mobile device; and

the user interface further includes templates for permitting the user to select a physical object detected by the sensors, to select tasks that may be accomplished at the location by utilizing one or more of the location service channels and the mobile device service channel, and to coordinate the delivery of services through one or more of the location service channels and the mobile device service channel.

33. The system according to claim 28 further comprising

one or more location service channel identifiers for identifying to the mobile device the location service channels available at the location.

34. A method of using a mobile device to provide enhanced delivery of services available at a location, the method comprising:

storing the identification of a plurality of locations on an aggregation system;

storing the identification of the location service channels associated with the plurality of locations;

identifying a request for services to be delivered to a user of a mobile device at a location;

identifying the user of the mobile device;

accessing a stored profile of the user;

determining the availability of at least one of the location service channels proximate the user to a remote service provider, wherein said determining the availability of a location service channel is based on the user profile; and

delivering services from the remote service provider through an output device on at least one available location service channel in a humanly readable format.

35. The method according to claim 34 further comprising

assigning levels of privacy to different categories of information in the stored user profile;

and

providing the remote service provider with access to categories of information in the user profile having predetermined levels of privacy.

36. The method according to claim 34 wherein said determining the availability of a location service channel is further based on a profile of the location.

37. The method according to claim 34 wherein the remote service provider is charged a fee for delivering the service through the location service channel.

38. The method according to claim 34 wherein a plurality of remote service providers may bid for delivery of services through a location service channel.

39. The method according to claim 34 wherein a plurality of remote service providers bid for delivery of services through a plurality of location service channels, and the location service channels are assigned to the remote service providers in a manner to maximize the total fees paid by the remote service providers to deliver services through the assigned location service channels.

40. The method according to claim 39 wherein the bids may be based on characteristics of the user profile and a profile of the location service channel, and the location.

41. The method according to claim 34 wherein the user is charged a fee for having the service delivered through the location service channel.

42. The method according to claim 34 further comprising sending a request for location-based personnel to provide service to the user, wherein the request is based on one or more of a request transmitted from the mobile device, a request transmitted from the remote service provider, a request based on a combination of the user profile and the user history of services delivered through the locations service channels, and service preferences stored on the user profile.

43. The method according to claim 34 further comprising

determining a context of the mobile device user, and transmitting the context to the remote service provider.

44. The method according to claim 34 further comprising

tracking requests for services for the users at the locations;

tracking services provided to the users by local service providers;

tracking purchase transactions made by the user at the locations; and

when the purchase transactions at one location are associated with at least one of said services provided at a second location, compensating the local service provider associated with the second location.

46. The system according to claim 35 further comprising

a user profile storage node including a memory storage device for storing profiles of mobile device node users, the user profile node providing access to one level of information in the stored profile to the remote service provider nodes, and access to a second level of information in the stored profile to the aggregator node.

45. A system for using a mobile device to provide enhanced delivery of services available at a location comprising:

a mobile user node having a browser program in communication with said network, said mobile user node providing requests for information on a network,

a plurality of location service channel nodes in communication with the network, said channel nodes capable of displaying services on associated output devices in response to requests by the mobile user node;

a remote service provider server node responsive to requests for information from said mobile user node, said remote service provider node providing services to the location service channel nodes and the mobile user node;

an aggregator server node in communication with the network, said aggregator server node configured for selecting an available location service channel node and coordinating the delivery of services from the remote service provider node to the selected location service channel;

wherein the aggregator server node is configured to determine whether a location service channel node is available based on a profile of the mobile users, stored profiles of the remote service providers, and stored profiles of the location channel nodes.