Information link service system, electronic equipment, mobile terminal, authentication apparatus and communication method

• US 7,636,564 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Funato, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US11/212,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 713/200, 713/168, 705/8, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

An internet service server transmits an information link mail to a cellular phone through a cellular phone mail server. If the received e-mail is an information link mail, the cellular phone transfers it, for example, to a navigation apparatus. Upon receipt of the information link mail, the navigation apparatus starts a predetermined application and provides a service to a user. The cellular phone may start a predetermined application and store predetermined information in the cellular phone. The cellular phone can communicate with an authentication apparatus through a wireless tag reader. The authentication apparatus checks predetermined information and performs authentication as a result of the check.

Claims

1. An information link service system comprising:

a server;

a mobile terminal which can receive an e-mail from the server, where the mobile terminal is configured to be carried by a user; and

electronic equipment which is communicable with the mobile terminal over a predetermined local network;

a table in the server configured to include information relating to the mobile terminal, and which is associated with information relating to the electronic equipment, wherein;

the server transmits to the mobile terminal an information link mail as a type of e-mail in a PUSH-type service format, where the information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail and a description for executing a predetermined application in the electronic equipment, the server referring to the table to facilitate transmission of the e-mail;

the mobile terminal has a mail discriminating portion for discriminating whether a received e-mail is an information link mail or not by referring to the identifying information and a mail transferring portion for, if the e-mail is an information link mail, transferring the information link mail to the electronic equipment;

the electronic equipment has an application executing portion for executing a predetermined application based on the described information in the information link mail transferred from the mobile terminal;

the application executing portion is configured to facilitate automatic updating of the predetermined application if the described information in the information link mail indicates an update version; and

the server updates the information in the table after the predetermined application is executed.

2. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein the mail discriminating portion discriminates whether a received e-mail is an information link mail with reference to predetermined tag information in the e-mail.

3. The information link service system according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication apparatus communicable with the mobile terminal and the server over a predetermined network, the authentication apparatus having a comparing portion for comparing predetermined information including an expiration date based on the information link mail received from the mobile terminal with information that the server has and an authenticating portion for performing authentication based on the result of the comparison.

4. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic equipment is vehicle-mounted equipment; and

the information relating to the electronic equipment includes information relating to an inspection of a vehicle having the electronic equipment.

5. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein the server transmits the information link mail at a predetermined timing.

6. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for executing an update of a program included in the electronic equipment.

7. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for sending predetermined information to a display portion included in the electronic equipment.

8. The information link service system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment has a navigation function.

9. Electronic equipment communicable over a predetermined local network with a mobile terminal, which is configured to:

be carried by a user, receive an e-mail based on a PUSH-type service format, discriminate whether a received e-mail is an information link mail or not by referring to identifying information included in the e-mail, and transfer an e-mail determined to be an information link mail to the electronic equipment, the electronic equipment comprising;

a receiving portion for receiving from the mobile terminal an information link mail, where an information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail and a description for executing a predetermined application;

an application executing portion for executing a predetermined application based on the described information in an information link mail received by the receiving portion, wherein the application executing portion is configured to facilitate automatic updating of the predetermined application if the described information in the information link mail indicates an update version; and

wherein

the mobile terminal communicates with a server to receive the e-mail, the server including a table in which information relating to the mobile terminal is associated with information relating to the electronic equipment, and wherein the server transmits the e-mail by reference to the table and updates information in the table after the predetermined application is executed.

10. The electronic equipment according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for executing an update of a program included in the electronic equipment.

11. The electronic equipment according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for sending predetermined information to a display portion included in the electronic equipment.

12. The electronic equipment according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for discriminating predetermined tag information within the information link mail and outputs, to a display portion, at least one of service information, positional information on service supply, and a display prompting whether or not a destination is to be defined, based on the predetermined tag information.

13. The electronic equipment according to claim 9, wherein:

the information link mail is an e-mail for providing notice of at least one of an inspection time, oil change time, and oil filter exchange time; and

the predetermined application is an application for providing the notice by e-mail to a user.

14. The electronic equipment according to claim 9, wherein:

the information link mail is an e-mail for providing notice of the existence of an update version of an application contained in the electronic equipment; and

the predetermined application is an application for downloading and installing the update version from a predetermined server.

15. A mobile terminal communicable over a predetermined local network with electronic equipment, which receives an information link mail and executes a predetermined application based on described information in the information link mail, the mobile terminal comprising:

a receiving portion for receiving an e-mail in a PUSH-type service format;

a mail discriminating portion for discriminating whether the e-mail received by the receiving portion is an information link mail as a type of e-mail, where an information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail and a description for executing a predetermined application, and configured to facilitate automatic updating of the predetermined application if the described information in the information link mail indicates an update version;

a transferring portion for, if the e-mail is an information link mail, transferring the information link mail to the electronic equipment;

a server configured to communicate with the mobile terminal and transmit the e-mail to the mobile terminal, the server including a table in which information relating to the mobile terminal is associated with information relating to the electronic equipment, the server updating the information in the table after the predetermined application is executed; and

wherein the mobile terminal is configured to be carried by a user.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein the mail discriminating portion discriminates whether a received e-mail is an information link mail by reference to predetermined tag information within the e-mail.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein the information link mail includes expiration date information.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, further comprising an application executing portion for executing a predetermined application based on information described in the information link mail.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined application includes a description for storing predetermined information described in the information link mail in the mobile terminal.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, further comprising a transmitting portion for transmitting predetermined information based on the information link mail to an authentication apparatus communicable with the mobile terminal over a predetermined network, the authentication apparatus having a comparing portion for comparing predetermined information based on the information link mail received from the mobile terminal with information that a server has and an authenticating portion for performing authentication based on the result of the comparison.

21. An authentication apparatus communicable with a mobile terminal which is configured to be carried by a user and receives an e-mail in a PUSH-type service format, discriminate whether or not a received e-mail is an information link mail as a type of e-mail, where an information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail, and start a predetermined application based on described information in an information link e-mail, the authentication apparatus comprising:

a comparing portion for comparing predetermined information received from the mobile terminal based on an information link mail with information stored in a memory included in the authentication apparatus;

an authenticating portion for performing authentication based on the result of the comparison;

an application executing portion configured to facilitate automatic updating of the predetermined application if the described information in the information link e-mail indicates an update version; and

wherein the mobile terminal communicates with a server to receive the e-mail, the server including a table in which information relating to the mobile terminal is associated with information relating to electronic equipment running the predetermined application, and wherein the server transmits the e-mail by reference to the table and updates information in the table after the predetermined application is executed.

22. The authentication apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

the predetermined information is expiration date information and discount authentication information; and

the authentication apparatus is provided at a cashier in a store, and the authentication apparatus checks expiration date information and discount authentication information and displays the authentication result based on the result of the check on a display portion included in the authentication apparatus.

23. An authentication apparatus communicable with a server and a mobile terminal which is configured to be carried by a user and receives an e-mail in a PUSH-type service format, discriminate whether or not a received e-mail is an information link mail as a type of e-mail, where an information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail, and start a predetermined application based on described information in an information link mail, the authentication apparatus comprising:

a comparing portion for comparing predetermined information received from the mobile terminal based on an information link mail with information received from the server;

an authenticating portion for performing authentication based on the result of the comparison;

an application executing portion configured to facilitate automatic updating of the predetermined application if the described information in the information link mail indicates an update version; and

wherein the mobile terminal communicates with the server to receive the e-mail, the server including a table in which information relating to the mobile terminal is associated with information relating to electronic equipment running the predetermined application, and wherein the server transmits the e-mail by reference to the table and updates information in the table after the predetermined application is executed.

24. The authentication apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:

the predetermined information is expiration date information and admission ticket authentication information;

the authentication apparatus is provided with an entrance gate, and the authentication apparatus checks the expiration date information and admission ticket information and controls the entrance gate based on the result of the check.

25. The authentication apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:

the predetermined information is expiration date information and rental reservation authentication information; and

the authentication apparatus is located in a rental shop, and the authentication apparatus checks expiration date information and rental reservation authentication information and displays the authentication result on a display portion included with the authentication apparatus based on the result of the check.

26. A communication method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a mobile terminal an e-mail transmitted from a server in a PUSH-type service format, where the mobile terminal is configured to be carried by a user;

discriminating at the mobile terminal whether or not an e-mail transmitted from the server is an information link mail as a type of e-mail, where an information link mail includes information identifying the e-mail as an information link mail and a description for executing a predetermined application in electronic equipment;

transferring, if the e-mail is an information link mail, the information link mail from the mobile terminal to the electronic equipment over a predetermined local network; and

executing, in the electronic equipment, a predetermined application based on the described information in an information link mail transferred from the mobile terminal, and automatically updating the predetermined application if the described information in the information link mail indicates an update version; and

wherein the mobile terminal communicates with the server to receive the e-mail, the server including a table in which information relating to the mobile terminal is associated with information relating to the electronic equipment, and wherein the server transmits the e-mail by reference to the table and updates information in the table after the predetermined application is executed.

27. The communication method according to claim 26, wherein the step of executing implements an update of a program included in the electronic equipment.

28. The communication method according to claim 26, wherein the step of executing sends predetermined information to a display portion included with the electronic equipment.

29. The communication method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

if the e-mail is an information link mail, executing, in the mobile terminal, a predetermined application based on information described in the information link mail;

transmitting, from the mobile terminal, predetermined information based on the information link mail to an authentication apparatus communicable with the mobile terminal over a predetermined network, the authentication apparatus having a comparing portion for comparing predetermined information based on the information link mail received from the mobile terminal and information that the server has and an authenticating portion for performing authentication based on the result of the comparison;

checking, in the authentication apparatus, predetermined information based on the information link mail received from the mobile terminal; and

performing, in the authentication apparatus, authentication based on the result of the check.

30. The communication method according to claim 29, wherein, in the mobile terminal, the step of executing includes storing predetermined information described in the information link mail in the mobile terminal.

31. The communication method according to claim 29, wherein the step of checking includes comparing predetermined information based on the information link mail and information that a memory included with the authentication apparatus has.

32. The communication method according to claim 29, wherein the step of checking includes that the authentication apparatus communicates with the server over a predetermined network and compares predetermined information based on the information link mail and information that the server has.