System and method for the transfer of digital data to a mobile device

• US 7,149,541 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rautila, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): EWART, JAMES D
• Application Number:
  US10/795,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/66.1, 455/422.1, 455/425, 455/434, 455/463, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/554.2, 455/555, 455/556, 455/569, 455/574, 455/575, 345/901, 702/26, 702/27
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• 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: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/204 UMTS; GPRS
• 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 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

A system, method and computer program for ordering, paying for and download digital products to a mobile device in a cost-effective manner. The mobile device includes a short range transceiver and a network transceiver. The mobile device accesses electronic shop server web sites which contain digital products for sale and hotspot network locations where these digital products may be downloaded to the mobile device via the short range transceiver. The hotspot network locations contain a hotspot device for transmitting the digital products to the mobile devices via the low power radio frequency signal of the short range transceivers when the mobile device has detected the low power radio frequency signal. Using this system, method and computer program, a user of a mobile device may download large amounts of digital data without incurring telephone or cellular phone charges.

Claims

1. A method of ordering and downloading digital products into a mobile device, comprising:

accessing an electronic shop server and ordering a digital product from the electronic shop server using the mobile device having cellular phone capability;

identifying a hotspot network location where the digital product may be downloaded into the mobile device using a short range transceiver embedded in the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device, a low power radio frequency signal generated by the hotspot network location; and

downloading the digital product into the mobile device by the hotspot network location transmitting the digital product using the low power radio frequency signal to the short range transceiver of the mobile device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device further comprises a network transceiver for receiving and transmitting cellular telephone signals.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the mobile device further comprises wireless access protocol capability or hypertext markup language capability for accessing web servers on an Internet.

4. The method recited in claim 2, wherein accessing an electronic shop server and ordering a digital product from the electronic shop server using the mobile device having cellular phone capability, further comprises:

accessing an Internet service provider using the mobile device;

logging onto the web

page of the electronic shop server;

browsing a menu of digital products offered by the electronic shop server; and

selecting a digital product for purchase from the menu of digital products from the electronic shop server.

5. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an estimated cost to download the digital product from the electronic shop server using the network transceiver embedded in the mobile device.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising:

selecting to download the digital product into the mobile device using the network transceiver.

7. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising:

selecting to download the digital product using the short range transceiver;

transmitting a list of hotspot network locations to the mobile device where the digital product may be downloaded into the mobile device using the short range transceiver;

detecting by the mobile the presence of a low power radio frequency generated by a hot spot location; and

downloading the digital product to the mobile device by the low power radio frequency through the short range transceiver.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein during the downloading of the digital product to the mobile device by the low power radio frequency signal through the short range transceiver at least one advertisement is transmitted to the mobile device for viewing by a user.

9. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the digital product is paid for by charging a price for the digital product to a credit card or a telephone account for the mobile device.

10. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the digital product is paid for by paying the electronic shop server or paying the hotspot network location.

11. A method of ordering and downloading into a mobile device a digital product for sale from a plurality of vendors located in a hotspot network location, said method comprising:

detecting by the mobile device the presence of a low power radio frequency signal generated by the hotspot network location;

selecting from a plurality of digital products available for sale at the hotspot network location a digital product for purchase using the mobile device;

transmitting to the mobile device from the hotspot network location a list of all vendors in the hotspot network location having the selected digital product for purchase;

selecting one of the vendors; and

downloading the selected digital product from the selected vendor into the mobile device using the low power radio frequency signal.

12. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising sorting the list of all vendors in the hotspot network location having the selected digital product for purchase by price.

13. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising showing the list of vendors on a display of the mobile device.

14. The method recited in claim 11, further comprising:

paying the hotspot network location for the digital product prior to downloading the digital product.

15. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising:

paying the vendor for the digital product after downloading the digital product.