Method for providing mobile service using code-pattern

• US 8,910,874 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coding Technologies, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Jun, Shin, Young-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US13/970,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20130344853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/462.05, 235/462.08, 235/462.09, 235/462.1, 235/462.11, 235/462.24, 235/462.41, 235/462.43, 235/462.45
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/91 : Bar code or optical character reader with telephone

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a mobile service with the use of a code pattern is disclosed In one embodiment, the method comprising: taking a photograph of a code pattern image, decoding the photographed code pattern image so as to obtain code information, extracting uniform resourse locator (URL) information corresponding to the code information, transmitting a content information request message to a service provider server corresponding to the URL information, and receiving content information corresponding to the URL information from the service provider server. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide various and convenient mobile services to mobile terminal users using a mobile terminal, having a camera, and a code pattern containing the URL information.

Claims

1. A method of calling a transportation service identified via a code pattern, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a user terminal, an image of the code pattern associated with a transportation service provider server, wherein the code pattern represents code information;

generating a transportation call message including the code information by the user terminal, wherein the code information is readable from the code pattern at a specific region, and wherein the code pattern includes a service identifier for indicating a service type and location information of a specific region;

obtaining, by decoding the code pattern with a processor, the service identifier and the location information regarding the specific region from the code information;

contacting the transportation service provider server corresponding to the service identifier by transmitting the transportation call message, including the location information for the specific region, to the transportation service provider server, wherein the transportation call message allows the transportation service provider server, based on geographic location information of transportation vehicles, to identify a location of the user terminal to one or more transportation vehicles adjacent to the specific region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transportation service provider server is one of a plurality of transportation service provider servers; and

the method further comprising receiving, by the user terminal, a transportation call acknowledgement message from one of the plurality of transportation service provider servers, and transmitting a transportation call cancel message to the remaining ones of the plurality of transportation service provider servers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

initiating a billing process of predetermined fees to the one of the plurality of transportation service provider servers transmitting the call acknowledgement message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the code pattern further comprises information regarding the transportation service provider server; and

the transmitting comprises transmitting the transportation call message, corresponding to the transportation service provider server information obtained from the code pattern, to the transportation service provider server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the transportation service provider server is a website address of the transportation service provider server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the code pattern is contained in a tourist guidebook or located at a regional transportation guideboard.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transportation call acknowledgement message comprises scheduled arrival time information.

8. A user terminal of calling a transportation service identified via a code pattern, the user terminal comprising:

a camera configured to obtain, at a specific region, an image of the code pattern associated with the transportation service;

a processor configured to

decode the code pattern to obtain code information including a service identifier for indicating a service type and location information of the specific region, and to

generate a transportation call message including the code information; and

a transceiver configured to

contact a transportation service provider server corresponding to the service identifier by transmitting the transportation call message, including the location information for the specific region, to the transportation service provider server,

wherein the transportation call message allows the transportation service provider server, based on geographic location information of transportation vehicles, to identify a location of the user terminal to one or more transportation vehicles adjacent to the specific region.

9. The user terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the transportation service provider server is one of a plurality of transportation service provider servers associated with the transportation service; and

the transceiver is configured to receive a transportation call acknowledgement message from one of the plurality of transportation service provider servers and to transmit a transportation call cancel message to the remaining ones of the plurality of transportation service provider servers.

10. The user terminal of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:

initiate a billing process of predetermined fees to the one of the plurality of transportation service provider servers transmitting the call acknowledgement message.

11. The user terminal of claim 8, wherein:

the code pattern further comprises information regarding the transportation service provider server; and

the transceiver is configured to transmit the transportation call message, corresponding to the transportation service provider server information obtained from the code pattern, to the transportation provider server.

12. The user terminal of claim 8, wherein the information regarding the transportation service provider server is a website address of the transportation service provider server.

13. The user terminal of claim 8, wherein the code pattern is contained in a tourist guidebook or located at a regional transportation guide board.

14. The user terminal of claim 13, wherein the transportation call acknowledgement message comprises scheduled arrival time information.

15. A method of providing a transportation service, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user terminal and at a server of a transportation service provider, a transportation call message that includes code information from a code pattern;

obtaining, from the transportation call message, location information of a specific region associated with the code pattern; and

identifying one or more transportation vehicles that are proximate to the specific region based at least in part on geographic location information of the one or more transportation vehicles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the code pattern includes a service identifier associated with at least the transportation service provider.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising

transmitting the transportation call message to at least one of the one or more identified transportation vehicles.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting an acknowledgement message to the user terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a scheduled arrival time of at least one of the one or more identified transportation vehicles.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a predetermined fee from the user terminal.

21. A device to facilitate provision of a transportation service, the device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive, from a user terminal, a transportation call message that includes code information from a code pattern; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to;

obtain, from the transportation call message, location information of a specific region associated with the code pattern; and

identify one or more transportation vehicles that are proximate to the specific region based at least in part on geographic location information of the one or more transportation vehicles.

22. A method of contacting a transportation service provider, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a user terminal, a code pattern associated with a transportation service provider server, wherein the code pattern includes code information;

extracting, by the user terminal, the code information from the code pattern, wherein the code information includes a service identifier and location information that indicates a specific region;

generating, by the user terminal, a transportation call message that includes the code information;

transmitting the transportation call message to the transportation service provider; and

receiving, by the user terminal, an acknowledgement message in response to the transportation call message, wherein the acknowledgement message indicates that a transportation service request has been made, and wherein the transportation service request is based at least in part on the location information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the service identifier corresponds to a plurality of transportation service providers, wherein the acknowledgement message originates from one of the plurality of transportation service providers, and further comprising transmitting a cancel message to one or more transportation service providers in the plurality of transportation service providers from which the acknowledgement message was not received.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising initiating a billing process to facilitate payment of a predetermined fee to the transportation service provider from which the acknowledgement message was received.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the service identifier is specific to a single transportation service provider.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the service identifier includes a website address of the transportation service provider.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the code pattern is contained in a tourist guidebook or located at a regional transportation guideboard.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a scheduled arrival time.

29. A user terminal comprising:

a camera configured to obtain an image of a code pattern associated with a transportation service provider;

a processor operatively coupled to the camera and configured to;

decode the code pattern to obtain code information, wherein the code information includes a service identifier and location information that indicates a specific region; and

generate a transportation call message that includes the code information; and

a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to;

transmit the transportation call message to the transportation service provider; and

receive an acknowledgement message in response to the transportation call message, wherein the acknowledgement message indicates that a transportation service request has been made, and wherein the transportation service request is based at least in part on the location information.

30. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the service identifier corresponds to a plurality of transportation service providers, wherein the acknowledgement message originates from one of the plurality of transportation service providers, and wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a cancel message to one or more transportation service providers in the plurality of transportation service providers from which the acknowledgement message was not received.

31. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to initiate a billing process to facilitate payment of a predetermined fee to the transportation service provider from which the acknowledgement message was received.

32. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the service identifier is specific to a single transportation service provider.

33. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the service identifier includes a website address of the transportation service provider.

34. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the code pattern is contained in a tourist guidebook or located at a regional transportation guide board.

35. The user terminal of claim 29, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a scheduled arrival time.