Method and system for generating a permanent record of a service provided to a mobile device

• US 7,747,699 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Senshin Capital LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Prueitt, James K., Bernier, Kevin F., Lynton, Todd M., Wicker, Scott D., Pineau, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart; Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US09/870,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,317 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 705/1, 705/64, 705/14, 705/7, 4554141-4143, 455/555, 455/556.1, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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

System and methods are disclosed that provide users of mobile digital devices the opportunity to obtain a permanent record of the service rendered at the mobile device for all modes of web based services, location based services, services originating at the mobile device and not related to the location of the device, services originating via a voice portal, web based services originating via voice communication. Services include location independent services, such as tickets and coupons, and location based services, such as obtaining directions/or and maps to the nearest store or hotel or to a given location, obtaining traffic information, and receiving location-based coupons at the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of generating a permanent record of a service provided to a user at a location of a mobile device of the user, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a permanent record of a service and information identifying a specific printer on which the permanent record is to be printed, wherein the specific printer is located at the location of the mobile device of the user, and wherein the request for the permanent record and the information identifying a specific printer are received from the mobile device of the user;

processing the received request for the permanent record, wherein the processing includes generating data for printout of the permanent record, the data for printout comprising a digital image, the digital image comprising a plurality of pixels; and

transmitting the generated data to a print server, wherein the print server is configured to modify the data for the printout based on the characteristics of the specific printer and transmit the modified data for the printout to the mobile device of the user, wherein the modification of the data comprises utilizing an adaptive halftone method;

wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate the modified data for the printout of the permanent record to the specific printer;

wherein the adaptive halftone method comprises performing the following for each pixel in the plurality of pixels;

determining an input value of the pixel;

determining a filtered value of the pixel based on a filter of the digital image;

obtaining a difference value of the pixel, the difference value being the difference between the input value and the filtered value; and

generating the output value for the pixel based on a relationship of the difference value to a threshold value, the threshold value based on a difference value and a filtered value of another pixel from the plurality of pixels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

completing a transaction with a transaction server prior to transmitting the generated data to a print server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the mobile device is determined by the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the requested service is a location-based service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message to the mobile device after transmitting the generated data to a print server, wherein the message comprises a confirmation that the request for the permanent record has been filled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested service is an event ticket.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested service is a coupon.

8. A system for generating a permanent record of a service provided to a user at a location of a mobile device of the user, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request for a permanent record of a service and information identifying a specific printer on which the permanent record is to be printed, wherein the specific printer is located at the location of the mobile device of the user, and wherein the request for the permanent record and the information identifying a specific printer are received from the mobile device of the user;

a processor configured to process the received request for the permanent record, wherein the processing includes generating data for printout of the permanent record, the data for printout comprising a digital image, the digital image comprising a plurality of pixels; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the generated data to a print server, wherein the print server is configured to modify the data for the printout based on the characteristics of the specific printer and transmit the modified data for the printout to the mobile device of the user, wherein the modification of the data comprises utilizing an adaptive halftone method;

wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate the modified data for the printout of the permanent record to the specific printer;

wherein the adaptive halftone method comprises performing the following for each pixel in the plurality of pixels;

determining an input value of the pixel;

determining a filtered value of the pixel based on a filter of the digital image;

obtaining a difference value of the pixel, the difference value being the difference between the input value and the filtered value; and

generating the output value for the pixel based on a relationship of the difference value to a threshold value, the threshold value based on a difference value and a filtered value of another pixel from the plurality of pixels.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a communication mechanism configured to communicate with a transaction server prior to transmitting the generated data to a print server.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive data relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the mobile device is determined by the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the requested service is a location-based service.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a message to the mobile device of the user after transmitting the generated data to a print server, wherein the message comprises a confirmation that the request for the permanent record has been filled.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the requested service is an event ticket.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the requested service is a coupon.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for generating a permanent record of a service provided to a user at a location of a mobile device of the user, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a request for a permanent record of a service and information identifying a specific printer on which the permanent record is to be printed, wherein the specific printer is located at the location of the mobile device of the user, and wherein the request for the permanent record and the information identifying a specific printer are transmitted from the mobile device of the user;

instructions for processing the received request for the permanent record, wherein the processing includes generating data for printout of the permanent record, the data for printout comprising a digital image, the digital image comprising a plurality of pixels; and

instructions for transmitting the generated data to a print server, wherein the print server is configured to modify the data for the printout based on the characteristics of the specific printer and transmit the modified data for the printout to the mobile device of the user, wherein the modification of the data comprises utilizing an adaptive halftone method;

wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate the modified data for the printout of the permanent record to the specific printer;

wherein the adaptive halftone method comprises performing the following for each pixel in the plurality of pixels;

determining an input value of the pixel;

determining a filtered value of the pixel based on a filter of the digital image;

obtaining a difference value of the pixel, the difference value being the difference between the input value and the filtered value; and

generating the output value for the pixel based on a relationship of the difference value to a threshold value, the threshold value based on a difference value and a filtered value of another pixel from the plurality of pixels.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for completing a transaction with a transaction server prior to transmitting the generated data to a print server.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for receiving data relating to the location of the mobile device, wherein the location of the mobile device is determined by the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for transmitting a message to the mobile device of the user after transmitting the generated data to a print server, wherein the message comprises a confirmation that the request for the permanent record has been filled.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the requested service is an event ticket.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the requested service is a coupon.