On-demand information retrieval using wireless communication devices

• US 8,780,741 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Doganata, Yurdaer N., Tantawi, Asser N.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEFCHECK, GREGORY B
• Application Number:
  US12/819,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• 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 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method, information processing system, and computer program product provide on-demand information captured from wireless devices. An information request is received from an electronic device. At least one wireless communication device is identified from a set of wireless communication devices that is available to satisfy the information request. The information request is sent to the at least one wireless communication device in response to identifying the at least one wireless communication device. A set of information is received from the at least one wireless communication device that satisfies the information request. The set of information that has been received is sent to the electronic device. The information request comprises a request for a set of information of at least one information type and from a given geographical location.

Claims

1. A method, executing on an information processing system, for providing on-demand information captured from wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving an information request from an electronic device, wherein the information request comprises a request for a set of information of at least one information type associated with a geographical location to be captured from the geographical location, wherein the set of information is external to the electronic device;

analyzing, based on receiving the information request, information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device in a plurality of wireless communication devices;

identifying, based on analyzing the information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device, at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of wireless communication devices that is available to satisfy the information request by capturing the set of information external to the at least one wireless communication device from the geographical location, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is identified independent from a location of the electronic device;

sending, based on the identifying, a demand request to the at least one wireless communication device, the demand request notifying the at least one wireless communication device that the electronic device is requesting the at least one wireless communication device to capture the set of information from the geographical location;

receiving, from the at least one wireless communication device based on the sending, the set of information captured external to the at least one wireless communication device at a given geographical location that satisfies the information request, and wherein the set of information is captured by the at least one wireless communication device only after receiving the demand request; and

sending the set of information that has been received to the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises:

determining, based on the analyzing, that the at least one wireless communication device comprises a set of information capturing devices that capture information of a type associated with the information request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending is based on:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified;

notifying the electronic device of a suggested price for satisfying the request determined by the information processing system; and

receiving a selection from the wireless communication device of the at least one wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information request is sent to the at least one wireless communication device based on receiving the selection from the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the notifying further comprises:

notifying the electronic device of a price for satisfying the request as set by the at least one wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication devices is anyone of:

a cordless phone;

a two-way radio;

a cellular telephone;

a mobile phone;

a smartphone;

a two-way pager;

a wireless messaging device;

a laptop/computer;

automotive gateway; and

a residential gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified; and

receiving, from one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device, a transaction price associated with the at least one wireless communication device satisfying the information request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device the transaction price that has been received;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device has rejected the transaction price;

receiving at least one new transaction price from the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that has rejected the transaction price;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that rejected the transaction price accepted the at least one new transaction price; and

instructing, based on the determining, the at least one wireless communication device to satisfy the information request.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device the transaction price that has been received;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device has accepted the transaction price; and

instructing, based on the determining, the at least one wireless communication device to satisfy the information request.

10. An information processing system for providing on-demand information captured from wireless devices, the information system comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a request handler communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the request handler is configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving an information request from an electronic device, wherein the information request comprises a request for a set of information of at least one information type associated with a geographical location to be captured from the geographical location, wherein the set of information is external to the electronic device;

analyzing, based on receiving the information request, information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device in a plurality of wireless communication devices;

identifying, based on analyzing information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device, at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of wireless communication devices that is available to satisfy the information request by capturing the set of information external to the at least one wireless communication device from the geographical location, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is identified independent from a location of the electronic device;

sending, based on the identifying, a demand request to the at least one wireless communication device, the demand request notifying the at least one wireless communication device that the electronic device is requesting the at least one wireless communication device to capture the set of information from the geographical location;

receiving, from the at least one wireless communication device based on the sending, the set of information captured from an environment external to the at least one wireless communication device and at the given geographical location that satisfies the information request, and wherein the set of information is captured by the at least one wireless communication device only after receiving the demand request; and

sending the set of information that has been received to the electronic device.

11. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the identifying further comprises:

determining, based on the analyzing, that the at least one wireless communication device comprises a set of information capturing devices that capture information of a type associated with the information request.

12. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the sending is based on:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified; and

receiving a selection from the wireless communication device of the at least one wireless communication device.

13. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified; and

receiving, from one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device, a transaction price associated with the at least one wireless communication device satisfying the information request.

14. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

sending the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device the transaction price that has been received;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device has rejected the transaction price;

receiving at least one new transaction price from the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that has rejected the transaction price;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that rejected the transaction price accepted the at least one new transaction price; and

instructing, based on the determining, the at least one wireless communication device to satisfy the information request.

15. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

sending the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device the transaction price that has been received;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device has accepted the transaction price; and

instructing, based on the determining, the at least one wireless communication device to satisfy the information request.

16. A computer program product for providing on-demand information captured from wireless devices, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving an information request from an electronic device, wherein the information request comprises a request for a set of information of at least one information type associated with a geographical location to be captured from the geographical location, wherein the set of information is external to the electronic device;

analyzing, based on receiving the information request, a set of information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device in a plurality of wireless communication devices;

identifying, based on analyzing the information capturing capabilities of each wireless communication device, at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of wireless communication devices that is available to satisfy the information request by capturing the set of information external to the at least one wireless communication device from the geographical location, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is identified independent from a location of the electronic device;

sending, based on the identifying, a demand information request to the at least one wireless communication device, the demand request notifying the at least one wireless communication device that the electronic device is requesting the at least one wireless communication device to capture the set of information from the geographical location;

receiving, from the at least one wireless communication device, the set of information captured external to the at least one wireless communication device at a given geographical location that satisfies the information request, and wherein the set of information is captured by the at least one wireless communication device only after receiving the demand request; and

sending the set of information that has been received to the electronic device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the identifying further comprises:

determining, based on the analyzing that the at least one wireless communication device comprises a set of information capturing devices that capture information of a type associated with the information request.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the sending is based on:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified; and

receiving a selection from the wireless communication device of the at least one wireless communication device.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

notifying the electronic device of the at least one wireless communication device that has been identified; and

receiving, from one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device, a transaction price associated with the at least one wireless communication device satisfying the information request.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

sending the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device the transaction price that has been received;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device has rejected the transaction price;

receiving at least one new transaction price from the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that has rejected the transaction price;

determining that the one of the electronic device and the at least one wireless communication device that rejected the transaction price accepted the at least one new transaction price; and

instructing, based on the determining, the at least one wireless communication device to satisfy the information request.