Integrating contextual information into mobile enterprise applications

• US 7,020,494 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Vogler, Hartmut, Spriestersbach, Axel, Ziegert, Thomas, Lehmann, Falk
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/134,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/550.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A location context-aware mobile system determines the location of a mobile device and updates a user interface based on the location of the device. By using the location of the mobile device to reduce the amount of information required to be entered by a user in a business process application, the system increases the feasibility of providing business process applications on mobile devices such as mobile telephones.

Claims

1. A location context-aware system comprising:

a location identifier device;

a mobile device operable to receive a location identifier from the location identifier device, the location identifier indicative of the location of the mobile device;

a mobile application server coupled to the mobile device providing a business process application, the business process application including a user interface displayed on the mobile device, the user interface including a user input field that may be populated by a user of the user interface after the user interface is displayed on the mobile device; and

a backend enterprise server coupled to the mobile application server, the backend enterprise server including business process data;

wherein the mobile application server populates the user input field based on the location of the mobile device and the business process data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the location identifier device is a beacon.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the beacon emits an infrared signal identifying the location of the beacon.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the beacon emits a radio-frequency signal indicative of the location of the beacon.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the location identifier device is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device receives the location identifier from the location identifier device through a conductive data signal-carrying cable.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device includes a sensor;

and wherein the mobile device receives the location identifier from the location identifier device using the sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the sensor receives radio-frequency signals.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the sensor receives infrared signals.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the backend enterprise server includes a customer resource management application, and wherein the business process data includes customer data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile application server populates the user input field by setting the value of the user input field using the business process data.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user input field is hidden from the user.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the user input field is displayed with the corresponding value of the user input field set by the mobile application server.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile application server populates the user input field by providing a selection of possible values using the business process data.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone.

17. A method of modifying a user interface using location context information, the method comprising:

identifying the location of a mobile device;

retrieving information corresponding to the location of the mobile device;

populating a user input field of a user interface associated with a business process application operating on the mobile device using the retrieved information, the user input field being populated by a user of the user interface after the user interface is displayed; and

displaying the user interface with the populated user interface field on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein identifying the location of a mobile device includes receiving a location identifier from a location identifier device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the location identifier specifies a physical location.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the information regarding the location of the mobile device is retrieved from a backend enterprise server.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein populating the user input field comprises setting the value of the user input field using the retrieved information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the user input field is hidden from display.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the user input field and set value are displayed.

24. A computer program for providing a location context-aware user interface on a mobile device, the computer program comprising:

a location identification code segment to determine the location of the mobile device;

an information dispatch code segment to retrieve information corresponding to the location of the mobile device;

a user interface generation code segment to populate a user input field of a user interface associated with a business process application operating on the mobile device based on the location of the mobile device, the user input field being populated by a user of the user interface after the user interface is displayed; and

a user interface display code segment to display the user interface with the populated user interface field on the mobile device.

25. A method of modifying a user interface using context information, the method comprising:

identifying contextual information associated with a mobile device;

populating a user input filed of a user interface associated with an application operating on the mobile device using the identified contextual information, the user input field being populated by a user of the user interface after the user interface is displayed; and

displaying the user interface with the populated user interface field on the mobile device.

26. A method for modifying a user interface using location context information, the method comprising:

identifying a location of a mobile device;

retrieving information corresponding to the location of the mobile device for inclusion in a user interface to be presented on the mobile device, the user interface including a user input field that may be populated by a user of the user interface after the user interface is displayed on the mobile device;

populating the user input field based on the retrieved information; and

presenting the user interface with the populated user input field on the mobile device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein populating the user input field comprises setting a value of the user input field based on the retrieved information.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein populating the user input field with the retrieved information comprises selecting an option provided by the user input field based on the retrieved information.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein presenting the user interface with the populated user input field comprises presenting the user interface such that the populated user interface field is not visible.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein presenting the user interface with the populated user input field comprises presenting the user interface such that the populated user input field and information populating the populated user input field are visible.

31. A location context-aware system comprising:

a location identifier device;

a mobile device operable to receive a location identifier from the location identifier device, the location identifier indicative of a location of the mobile device; and

an application operating on the mobile device, the application including a user interface presented on the mobile device, the user interface including a user input field that may be populated by a user of the mobile device after the user interface is presented,

wherein the application populates the user input field based on the location identifier.

32. The system of claim 31 further comprising a server from which data corresponding to the location of the mobile device may be retrieved by the application.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the application populates the user input field by setting the value of the user input field using the data retrieved from the server.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the application populates the user input field by selecting an option provided by the user input field using the data retrieved from the server.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the user interface with the populated user input field is presented on the mobile device such that the populated user interface field is not visible.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the user interface with the populated user input field is presented on the mobile device such that the populated user input field and information populating the populated user input field are visible.