Locating a service device for a portable communication device

• US 7,945,251 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, William O. Jr., Jendbro, Magnus, Pantalone, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US11/424,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20070224975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/458, 455/466, 455/552.1, 455/456.1, 370/346, 370/352, 370/399, 370/252, 370/328, 370/458, 340/573.1, 705/14, 709/219, 709/226, 709/104, 709/203, 709/220, 709/224, 710/48, 710/7, 379/93.02, 379/201.01, 703/21
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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

Abstract

A portable communication device (10) may send a service device locating request (42) including a position associated with the portable communication device to a service device locating device (12). The service device locating device (12) may determine at least one service device located close to the indicated position and respond to the request by sending a response (46) including at least one network identifier of a service device (16) capable of handling the desired service. The portable communication device may then directly contact (48) the service device (16).

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a portable communications device, of obtaining a network identifier of a serving device for the portable communication device to obtain a desired service according to a certain type from the serving device, comprising:

sending, from the portable communication device, a service device locating request including a position or location associated with the portable communication device,

receiving at least one response including at least one network identifier of a service device capable of handling the desired service, the service device being selected based on its physical proximity to the location of the portable communication device, wherein the at least one response provides more than one network identifier and types of services provided through each network identifier, where each network identifier is associated with a service device that provides a different type of service and is closest to the location of the portable communication device, and

selecting network identifier of the service device providing the desired service to be used in contacting this service device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising contacting the service device using the network identifier for obtaining service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service request includes a type of service indication.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the type of service indication is provided through indicating or providing an object to be handled by the service.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the type of service indication is provided through naming the desired service.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the service request is a name query including the position, where the name of the query is the desired service.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a single response provides a list of network identifiers and corresponding services.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location is a current position of the portable communication device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location is a future expected position of the portable communication device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service request is sent periodically from the portable communication device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the location associated with the portable communication device to be used for sending a service device locating request.

12. A portable communication device provided for obtaining a network identifier of a serving device for the portable communication device to obtain a desired service according to a certain type from the serving device, comprising:

at least one radio communication unit, and

a control unit configured to;

provide a service device locating request including a position associated with the portable communication device,

order the radio communication unit to send said service device locating request, and,

receive at least one response including at least one network identifier of a service device capable of handling the desired service, the service device being physically closer to the location of the portable communication device than other service devices capable of handling the desired service,

wherein the at least one response provides more than one network identifier and types of services provided through each network identifier, where each network identifier is associated with a service device that provides a different type of service and that is closest to the location of the portable communication device with respect to other service devices, and where the control unit is further configured to select network identifier of the service device providing the desired service to be used in contacting this service device.

13. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit is further configured to order the radio communication unit to contact the service device using the network identifier for obtaining service.

14. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the service request includes a type of service indication.

15. The portable communication device according to claim 14, wherein the type of service indication is provided through indicating or providing an object to be handled by the service.

16. The portable communication device according to claim 14, wherein the type of service indication is provided through naming the desired service.

17. The portable communication device according to claim 16, wherein the service request is a name query including the position and where the name of the query is the desired service.

18. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein a single response, of the at least one response,-provides a list of network identifiers and corresponding services.

19. The portable communication device according to claim 12, further comprising a position obtaining unit configured to provide said location associated with the portable communication device to the control unit.

20. The portable communication device according to claim 19, wherein the location is a current position of the portable communication device.

21. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the location is a future expected position of the portable communication device.

22. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the service request is ordered to be sent periodically from the portable communication device.

23. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the portable communication device comprises a cellular phone.

24. A portable communication device provided for obtaining a network identifier of a serving device for the portable communication device in order to obtain a desired service according to a certain type from the serving device, comprising:

means for sending, from the portable communication device, a service device locating request including a position associated with the portable communication device, and

means for receiving at least one response including at least one network identifier of a service device capable of handling the desired service, where the service device is selected based on its physically proximity to the position of the portable communication device,

wherein the at least one response provides more than one network identifier and types of services provided through each network identifier, where each network identifier is associated with a service device that provides a different type of service and that is located closer to the position than other service devices, and further comprising means for selecting network identifier of the service device providing the desired service to be used in contacting this service device.

25. The portable communication device according to claim 24, further comprising means for contacting the service device using the network identifier for obtaining service.

26. The portable communication device according to claim 24, further comprising means for determining the position associated with the portable communication device to be used for sending a service device locating request.

27. A non-transient computer readable medium for storing a computer program code for obtaining a network identifier of a serving device for a portable communication device to obtain a desired service according to a certain type from the serving device, the computer program code for execution by the portable communication device, when said program code is loaded in the portable communication device, to cause the portable communication device to:

provide a service device locating request including a position associated with the portable communication device,

order a radio communication unit to send said service device locating request, and,

receive at least one response including at least one network identifier of a service device capable of handling the desired service and that is physically closest to the position of the portable communication device,

wherein the at least one response provides more than one network identifier and types of services provided through each network identifier, where each network identifier is associated with a service device that provides a different type of service and is closest to the location of the portable communication device, and

wherein the program code, when loaded in the portable communication device, further causes the portable communication device to select a network identifier of the service device providing the desired service to be used in contacting this service device.