Mobile valet

• US 8,180,364 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E., Kurth, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US11/250,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.4, 455/450, 455/456.1, 455/517, 709/202, 709/229, 709/217, 709/225, 709/226, 715/748, 715/962, 370/259, 370/401, 370/465
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 Operator interface for marketing or sales

Abstract

Enhanced delivery of services are provided through a wireless mobile device and one or more location service channels, preferably at the direction of the user of the mobile device requesting the desired service through common context-based user interfaces. The mobile device communicates with local and remote service providers. The context is determined by accessing information in the user profile, by sensors on the mobile device identifying items of interest, or by identifying the location of the mobile device. An aggregator server maintains a registry of location service channels and manages the access to the channels by the mobile device users and the service providers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device and by a hardware server that is located inside a store, location data identifying a geographic location of the mobile device within the store, product data identifying a product within the store, and a request to display detailed information relating to the identified product on a display of a kiosk that is located in a fixed position inside the store;

in response to receiving the request;

accessing, by the server, the detailed information based on the product data, and

selecting, by the server, a particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, from among multiple kiosks located in fixed positions inside the store, based on the location data; and

transmitting, by the server, the detailed information to the particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, for display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device and by the server, a menu request for a location-based menu;

in response to the menu request for the location-based menu, accessing, by the server, menu information that, when invoked by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to display the location-based menu; and

transmitting, by the server, the menu information to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location-based menu includes a control that, when selected by a user of the mobile device, requests and provides the detailed information for display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device requires use of a communication network associated with the store to communicate with the particular kiosk.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the detailed information is capable of being displayed by a display of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further includes information that identifies a user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device and by the server, a signal instructing the server to scroll the detailed information; and

in response to receiving the signal, transmitting, by the server, an instruction to the particular kiosk to scroll the detailed information.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a mobile device and by a server that is located inside a store, location data identifying a geographic location of the mobile device within the store, product data identifying a product within the store, and a request to display detailed information relating to the identified product on a display of a kiosk that is located in a fixed position inside the store,

in response to receiving the request;

accessing, by the server, the detailed information based on the product data, and

selecting, by the server, a particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, from among multiple kiosks located in fixed positions inside the store, based on the location data, and

transmitting, by the server, the detailed information to the particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, for display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the mobile device and by the server, a menu request for a location-based menu;

in response to the menu request for the location-based menu, accessing, by the server, menu information that, when invoked by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to display the location-based menu; and

transmitting, by the server, the menu information to the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the location-based menu includes a control that, when selected by a user of the mobile device, requests and provides the detailed information for display.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile device requires use of a communication network associated with the store to communicate with the particular kiosk.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the detailed information is capable of being displayed by a display of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the request further includes information that identifies a user of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the mobile device and by the server, a signal instructing the server to scroll the detailed information; and

in response to receiving the signal, transmitting, by the server, an instruction to the particular kiosk to scroll the detailed information.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device and by a server that is located inside a store, location data identifying a geographic location of the mobile device within the store, product data identifying a product within the store, and a request to display detailed information relating to the identified product on a display of a kiosk that is located in a fixed position inside the store;

in response to receiving the request;

accessing, by the server, the detailed information based on the product data, and

selecting, by the server, a particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, from among multiple kiosks located in fixed positions inside the store, based on the location data; and

transmitting, by the server, the detailed information to the particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device, for display.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the mobile device and by the server, a menu request for a location-based menu;

in response to the menu request for the location-based menu, accessing, by the server, menu information that, when invoked by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to display the location-based menu; and

transmitting, by the server, the menu information to the mobile device.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device and by a hardware server that is located inside a store, product data identifying a product within the store, and a request to display detailed information relating to the identified product on a display of a kiosk that is located in a fixed position inside the store;

in response to receiving the request;

accessing, by the server, the detailed information based on the product data, and

obtaining, by the server, information identifying a particular kiosk, from among multiple kiosks located in fixed positions inside the store; and

transmitting, by the server, the detailed information to the particular kiosk for display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining information identifying a particular kiosk further comprises receiving, from the mobile device, information identifying a user-selected kiosk.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining information identifying a particular kiosk further comprises receiving, from the mobile device, information identifying a particular kiosk selected at the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining information identifying a particular kiosk further comprises determining, by the mobile device, a particular kiosk that is located closest to the mobile device in the store.