Information terminal

• US 8,239,484 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takayama, Hisashi, Kawaguchi, Kyoko, Nakanishi, Yoshiaki, Sasaki, Osamu, Ando, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US12/610,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/230, 709/246, 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/556.2, 455/517
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides mobile terminals with various types of services such as electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service. User applications required for the electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service are respectively configured as service objects each having a server facility, and further a local gateway is provided, whereby various types of services can be used through a browser.

Claims

1. An information processing method at a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

using a communication unit of the mobile terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server;

using a browser of the mobile terminal to request, via the communication unit, retrieval of data from the external server, and receive the data from the external server, and interpret and display the received data;

using the browser to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) which identifies an information processing of a service object from a plurality of service objects, each service object including an internal server having a facility for providing information processing, and requests, via a local gateway in the mobile terminal, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

using a local gateway manager of the local gateway to control the local gateway;

using a service object manager of the local gateway to hold information regarding a status of availability of said plurality of service objects;

using the local gateway to route the browser'"'"'s request for the information processing to the service object to provide the information processing identified by the URI;

providing the requested information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

using a local gateway manager of the local gateway, in response to the request from the browser, to return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI; and

using the browser to interpret and display the information written in the mark-up description language returned from the local gateway.

2. An information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the service object manager of the local gateway to collect information about the service objects currently available to provide information processing; and

using the local gateway manager of the local gateway to ask for a list of usable services;

using the service object manager of the local gateway to create a list of the service objects currently available to provide information processing written in markup languages from the collected information; and

using the local gateway manager of the local gateway to return, to the browser, the list of the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing.

5. An information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using an ML creating part, included in each of the plurality of service objects, to create information written in the mark-up description language.

7. An information processing method according to claim 2, further comprising:

using an ML creating part, included in the local gateway, to create a mark-up description of the list of available service objects, and using the browser to receive and display the mark-up description of the list of available service objects.

3. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in a mobile terminal, said computer executable program causing data to be displayed on a display device of the mobile terminal, said computer executable program comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause a communication unit in the mobile terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server,

computer executable program code operable to cause a browser of the mobile terminal to request, via the communication unit, retrieval of data from the external server, and receive the data from the external server, and interpret and display the received data;

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) which identifies an information processing of a service object from a plurality of service objects, each service object including an internal server having a facility for providing information processing, and request, via a local gateway of the mobile terminal, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

computer executable program code operable to cause a local gateway manager of the local gateway to control the local gateway;

computer executable program code operable to cause a service object manager of the local gateway to hold information regarding a status of an availability of said plurality of service objects;

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway to route the browser'"'"'s request for the information processing to the service object to provide the information processing identified by the URI;

computer executable program code operable cause the requested information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway, in response to the request from the browser, to return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to interpret and display, on the display device, the information written in the mark-up description language returned from the local gateway.

4. A computer executable program stored embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway to collect information about the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway manager of the local gateway to ask for a list of usable services;

computer executable program code operable to cause the service object manager of the local gateway to create a list of the service objects currently available to provide information processing written in markup languages from the collected information; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway to return, to the browser, the list of the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing.

6. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause an ML creating part, included in each of the plurality of service objects, to create information written in the mark-up description language.

8. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 4, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause an ML creating part, included in the local gateway, to create a mark-up description of the list of available service objects; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to receive and display the mark-up description of the list of available service objects.

9. An information processing method using an information processing terminal, the information processing terminal comprising:

a memory unit for storing application programs;

a Central Processing Unit operable to execute the application programs stored in said memory unit, and

a communication unit operable to enable said information processing terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server;

the application programs including;

a plurality of service objects, each service object including an internal server having a facility for providing information processing;

a local gateway operable to communicate with the service objects; and

a browser operable to request retrieval of data from the external server via said communication unit and operable to request the information processing of the internal server, via said local gateway, from a service object selected from said plurality of service objects;

wherein said browser is operable to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) identifying an information processing of a service object from said plurality of service objects, and request, via said local gateway, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI and interpret and display information written in a mark-up description language returned as a response to the request; and

said local gateway is operable to serve as an interface between said browser and each of said plurality of service objects, route the browser'"'"'s request for the information processing to the service object to provide the information processing identified by the URI, and in response to the request from the browser, return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

said local gateway comprising;

a service object manager operable to hold information regarding a status of an availability of said plurality of service objects;

wherein said internal server corresponding to the selected service object is operable to execute the information processing specified by the request from the browser and the selected service object is operable to return local data to the browser, as a result of the information processing; and

said browser is operable to receive data retrieved from the external server for display on said information processing terminal and is operable to receive the local data retrieved from the selected service object for display on said information processing terminal, the method comprising;

using a browser to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) which identifies an information processing of a service object from said plurality of service objects, and request, via a local gateway, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

providing the requested information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

using the local gateway, in response to the request from the browser, to return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI; and

using the browser to interpret and display the information written in the mark-up description language returned from the local gateway.

10. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

using the local gateway to collect information about the service objects currently available to provide information processing; and

using the local gateway to return, to the browser, a list of the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing.

13. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

using an ML creating part, included in each of the plurality of service objects, to create information written in the mark-up description language.

15. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

using an ML creating part, included in the local gateway, to create a mark-up description of the list of available service objects, and using the browser to receive and display the mark-up description of the list of available service objects.

11. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, said computer executable program causing an information processing terminal to operate and data to be displayed on a display device,

the information processing terminal comprising:

a memory unit for storing application programs;

a Central Processing Unit operable to execute the application programs stored in said memory unit, and

a communication unit operable to enable said information processing terminal to connect to an internet for accessing an external server;

the application programs including;

a plurality of service objects, each service object including an internal server having a facility for providing information processing;

a local gateway operable to communicate with the service objects; and

a browser operable to request retrieval of data from the external server via said communication unit and operable to request the information processing of the internal server, via said local gateway, from a service object selected from said plurality of service objects;

wherein said browser is operable to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) identifying an information processing of a service object from said plurality of service objects, and request, via said local gateway, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI and interpret and display information written in a mark-up description language returned as a response to the request; and

said local gateway is operable to serve as an interface between said browser and each of said plurality of service objects, route the browser'"'"'s request for the information processing to the service object to provide the information processing identified by the URI, and in response to the request from the browser, return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

said local gateway comprising;

a service object manager operable to hold information regarding a status of an availability of said plurality of service objects;

wherein said internal server corresponding to the selected service object is operable to execute the information processing specified by the request from the browser and the selected service object is operable to return local data to the browser, as a result of the information processing; and

said browser is operable to receive data retrieved from the external server for display on said information processing terminal and is operable to receive the local data retrieved from the selected service object for display on said information processing terminal,

said computer executable program comprising;

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to interpret a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) which identifies an information processing of a service object from a plurality of service objects, and request, via a local gateway, the information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

computer executable program code operable cause the requested information processing of the service object identified by the URI;

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway, in response to the request from the browser, to return information written in a mark-up description language to the browser as a result of the information processing of the service object identified by the URI; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to interpret and display, on the display device, the information written in the mark-up description language returned from the local gateway.

12. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway to collect information about the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the local gateway to return, to the browser, a list of the service objects which are currently available to provide information processing.

14. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause an ML creating part, included in each of the plurality of service objects, to create information written in the mark-up description language.

16. A computer executable program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 12, further comprising:

computer executable program code operable to cause an ML creating part, included in the local gateway, to create a mark-up description of the list of available service objects; and

computer executable program code operable to cause the browser to receive and display the mark-up description of the list of available service objects.