Methods, apparatus and computer program instructions for enhancing service discovery at a mobile terminal

• US 7,493,082 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Perttila, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addy; Anthony S
• Application Number:
  US10/844,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20050255839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/456.3, 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/558, 340/10.1, 340/505, 340/572.1, 709227-230
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention provides enhancements to service discovery procedures associated with short-range communication in mobile terminals. In particular, the present invention employs a layered service discovery decision-making process that relies on historical information stored in the mobile terminal and mobile terminal analysis of the information associated with tag to make decisions regarding service discovery. As such, the present invention provides efficient service discovery that limits unnecessary connections to external servers and, thereby accelerates the overall service discovery process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a short-range communication including content relating to a service;

accessing local memory to determine if the received content corresponds with stored service initiation instructions, wherein determining if the received content corresponds with stored service initiation instructions comprises analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to one or more locally stored bit patterns;

activating the service if it is determined that the received content has corresponding service initiation instructions; and

when a determination is made that the received content does not have corresponding service initiation instructions, analyzing the received content to determine if an association exists between the received content and stored service information, and utilizing the stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions from a remote service source determined based upon the association between the received content and stored service information when an association exists between the received content and stored service information

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the service based on service initiation instructions obtained from the remote service source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising accessing stored user profile data prior to activating the service to provide the user with a targeted service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source, if a determination is made that an association does not exist between the received content and stored service information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving from the one or more content provider sources information related to the service source.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising contacting the service source upon receipt of information related to the service source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving service initiation instructions from the service source; and

activating the service based upon the received service initiation instructions.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source further comprises determining the one or more content provider sources based on results of analyzing the received content of the communication to determine if an association exists between the received content and stored service information.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein sending an information request to one or more content provider sources further comprises sending an information request to a first predefined content provider source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sending an information request to a first predefined content provider source further comprises sending an information request to a second predefined content provider source if the first content source is unsuccessful in determining service initiation instructions.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing stored user profile data prior to activating the service to provide the user with a targeted service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a short-range communication including content relating to a service further comprises receiving a short-range communication chosen from the group consisting of Radio Frequency Identification (REID), Infrared (IR), bar code, two-dimensional symbology and three-dimensional symbology.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon activation of the service, storing, in local memory, information related to the service and the service initiation instructions.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating stored service information stored in local memory to one or more remote devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein communicating stored service information is further defined as being performed automatically.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein communicating stored service information is further defined as being performed at the bequest of a local user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving service information from a service source; and

storing the received service information in local memory.

18. An apparatus comprising:

service discovery logic that, based upon a received short range communication including content relating to a service, is configured to determine service initiation instructions related to the service, wherein the service discovery logic includes;

recognition logic configured to determine if received content corresponds with locally stored service initiation instructions by analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to one or more locally store bit patterns,

association logic configured to determine if an association exists between the received content and locally stored service information, and utilize the locally stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions from a remote service source determined based upon the association between the received content and the locally stored service information when an association exists between the received content and the locally stored service information, wherein the association logic is implemented in response to the recognition logic determining that the received content has no stored service initiation instructions, and

output generation logic configured to activate the service based on the locally stored service initiation instructions or the obtained service initiation instructions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises analyzation logic configured to determine if the short-range communication has recognizable sequences for further association logic processing.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprises a memory module configured to store service information associated with short-range communication that have been processed by the service discovery logic.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises dedicated update logic configured to receive communications that include information related to services and store the information in a related database.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the dedicated update logic is further configured to receive communications that include information related to services from a member of the group consisting of a local device user, a dedicated service provider and a remote computing device.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a user profile database that is accessed prior to activating the service to customize the service based upon the user profile.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied in the medium and executable by a computing device, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

first instructions for receiving a short-range communication including content relating to a service;

second instructions for accessing local memory to determine if the received content corresponds with stored service initiation instructions, wherein determining if the received content corresponds with stored service initiation instructions comprises analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to one or more locally stored bit patterns;

third instructions for activating the service if it is determined that the received content has corresponding service initiation instructions;

fourth instructions for determining, when a determination is made that the service does not have stored service initiation instructions, if an association exists between the content of the short-range communication and stored service information; and

fifth instructions for utilizing the stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions from a remote service source determined based upon the association between the received content and stored service information.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising sixth instructions further provide for activating the service if a determination is made that an association exists between the received content and stored service information.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising sixth instructions for sending an information request to one or more content provider sources to determine the service source, if a determination is made that an association does not exist between the content and stored service information.

27. A system comprising:

a local content source configured to transmit content related to a service; and

a device configured to receive the content transmitted from the local content source and including a processor configured to implement service discovery logic configured to determine service initiation for the service, the service discovery logic including;

recognition logic configured to determine if received content corresponds with locally stored service initiation instructions by analyzing a bit pattern of the short-range communication and comparing the bit pattern to one or more locally stored bit patterns,

association logic configured to determine if an association exists between the received content and locally stored service information, and utilize the locally stored service information to obtain service initiation instructions from a remote service source determined based upon the association between the received content and the locally stored service information when an association exists between the received content and the locally stored service information, wherein the association logic is implemented in response to the recognition logic determining that the received content has no stored service initiation instructions, and

output generation logic configured to activate the service based on the locally stored service initiation instructions or the obtained service initiation instructions.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises analyzation logic configured to determine if the short-range communication has recognizable sequences for further association logic processing.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the device further includes a memory module configured to store service information associated with short-range communications that have been processed by the service discovery logic.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the service discovery logic further comprises dedicated update logic configured to receive communications that include information related to services and store the information in a related database.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the dedicated update logic is further configured to receive communications that include information related to services from a member of the group consisting of the device user, a dedicated service provider and a remote computing device.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the device further includes a user profile database that is accessed prior to activating the service to customize the service based on user profile information stored in the user profile database.