Method, apparatus and system for hosting a group of terminals

• US 7,352,997 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Torvinen, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D.
• Application Number:
  US10/641,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/59, 455/61, 455/11.1, 370/259, 370/260
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system allowing terminal hosted group activities is provided, whereby proximity and non-proximity connections between a hosting mobile terminal and participating terminals enables group hosting activity. The hosting mobile terminal guides information flow between itself, the participating terminals, and optionally, with network servers that may assist the hosting mobile terminal. The hosting mobile terminal provides group management, profiling, downloading, presence, gaming, payment/charging, and authentication functions either in terminal only mode, or alternatively in conjunction with server assistance.

Claims

1. A method of conducting group hosting functions using a mobile terminal, comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile terminal and a plurality of participating terminals;

receiving messages from the plurality of participating terminals that relate to a common activity between the plurality of participating terminals;

providing services to the plurality of participating terminals in response to the messages, wherein the mobile terminal facilitates the services provided; and

providing a starting page, hosted by the mobile terminal, containing markup content to the plurality of participating terminals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless connection includes a proximity connection.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the proximity connection is facilitated with a Bluetooth communication stack.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the starting page contains links to other markup content.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the other markup content is hosted by the mobile terminal.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the other markup content is hosted by an assistance server.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the mobile terminal facilitates browsing of the starting page and the other content by the participating terminals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the services are provided by a combination of the mobile terminal and an assistance server.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the services are provided by the mobile terminal.

10. A group hosting system, comprising:

a group of mobile terminals configured to be wirelessly coupled to provide communication relative to an activity common to the group of mobile terminals;

an assistance server configured to be wirelessly coupled to a host terminal to support services provided by the host terminal; and

a host terminal arranged to receive the communication from the group of mobile terminals, wherein services are provided to the group of mobile terminals by the host terminal to facilitate the activity and the host terminal is configured to mediate browsing conducted between the group of mobile terminals and the assistance server.

11. The group hosting system according to claim 10, wherein the communication between the group of mobile terminals and the host terminals includes a proximity connection enabled by a Bluetooth communication stack.

12. The group hosting system according to claim 11, wherein the communication includes content that is downloaded directly from the host terminal to the group of mobile terminals.

13. The group hosting system according to claim 12, wherein the content is adapted by the host terminal prior to downloading.

14. The group hosting system according to claim 10, wherein the host terminal interoperates with the assistance server to maintain presence information associated with the group of mobile terminals.

15. The group hosting system according to claim 10, wherein the host terminal interoperates with the assistance server to download content requested by the group of mobile terminals from the assistance server.

16. The group hosting system according to claim 15, wherein the host terminal adapts the content using capability parameters received from the assistance server.

17. A mobile terminal configured to be wirelessly coupled to a network which includes a group of mobile terminals configured to operate in accordance with a group activity, the mobile terminal comprising:

a memory capable of storing at least one of a protocol module and a hosting module;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured by the protocol module to enable message exchange with the group of mobile terminals; and

a transceiver configured to facilitate the message exchange with the group of mobile terminals, wherein the hosting module facilitates group related services and provides a starting page, hosted by the mobile terminal, containing markup content to the group of mobile terminals.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the transceiver facilitates content download from the mobile terminal to the group of mobile terminals.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to adapt the content prior to download according to capability parameters associated with the group of mobile terminals.

20. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a mobile terminal for providing group host services to a group of mobile terminals, the instructions configured to at least cause a mobile terminal to:

establish a wireless connection to the group of mobile terminals;

maintain a list of mobile terminals receiving the group host services; and

interact with the group of mobile terminals, wherein the interaction relates to a common activity shared by the group of mobile terminals and includes hosting a starting page containing markup content.

21. An assistance server configured to be coupled to a mobile group hosting terminal, the assistance server comprising:

means for establishing a wireless connection to the mobile group hosting terminal;

means for receiving support requests from the mobile group hosting terminal; and

means for providing assistance to the mobile group hosting terminal in response to the support requests, wherein providing assistance includes hosting markup content accessible via one or more links hosted by the mobile group hosting terminal.

22. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by an assistance server, the instructions configured to at least cause an assistance server to:

establish a wireless connection to a mobile group hosting terminal;

receive support requests from the mobile group hosting terminal; and

provide assistance to the mobile group hosting terminal in response to the support requests including hosting markup content accessible via one or more links hosted by the mobile group hosting terminal.