Method and apparatus for enabling interaction between a mobile device and another device

• US 9,208,242 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kindberg, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US12/525,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,868 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 709/203, 709/204, 23546201-46249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices

Abstract

A user acquires a data item 36 in a mobile device 2, the data item representing, for example, the right to a digital asset. A web page 34 including bar code symbol 40 is displayed on the display 26 of a further device such as a PC 14. The bar code symbol codes a location of a resource. The mobile device 2 reads the bar code symbol 40 and sends data from the data item to the resource at the location coded by the bar code symbol. The further device 14 subsequently carries out an action using the data-item data received at the resource, or associated data; for example, the further device uses the data to fetch a related digital asset. In one embodiment the location coded by the bar code symbol is that of a database record uniquely associated with the symbol. In another embodiment, the location coded by the bar code symbol is the address on a local network of the further device 14.

Claims

1. A method of interacting between a mobile device and a second device,

comprising:

storing a data-item in the mobile device, wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices, and wherein the data-item represents a right to a digital asset;

reading, by the mobile device, a coding symbol displayed at a display of the second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application, wherein the coding symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device; and

transmitting a message from the mobile device to a server, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained from the coding symbol and the data-item, wherein transmission of the message updates a database to associate the identifier with the data-item, and wherein the second device uses the identifier included in the coding symbol to download the digital asset associated with the data-item to the second device using the web-based application after the message is transmitted from the mobile device to the server.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the coding symbol is displayed at the second device via a web page presented in the web-based application, and

wherein the second device loads a new web page in the web-based application to download the digital asset.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the web page and the coding symbol are created by the server in response to receiving request from the second device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coding symbol represents a uniform resource indicator (URI) including the identifier.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the second device runs a script that polls the database, using the identifier as a reference, to determine when the database has been updated, and

wherein the second device downloads the digital asset in response to a determination that the database has been updated.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the mobile device sends the message through a public mobile network.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an access code at the mobile device; and

providing the access code to the server to validate the access code, wherein the mobile device is prevented from updating the database if the access code is not valid.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coding symbol includes information that identifies an address of the second device on a local network.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the local network is a Bluetooth network.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device stores a plurality of data-items, wherein the coding symbol includes a data-item indicator, and wherein the mobile device uses the data-item indicator to determine which of the plurality of data-items to include in the message.

11. A method of operating a web server to supply content to a second device, comprising:

receiving a request for a web page from the second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application;

in response to receiving the request from the second device, supplying a web page to the second device, the web page including a bar code symbol and a script for polling the web server, wherein the bar code symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device, and wherein the script polls the web server using the identifier;

receiving, at the web server, a message from a mobile device, wherein the message includes the identifier and a data item stored at the mobile device, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, wherein the identifier included in the message is obtained by the mobile device from the bar code symbol, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices;

in response to receiving the message, updating, based on the message, a database to authorize the second device to access information associated with the data item;

determining, in response to being polled by the script with the identifier, whether the database has been updated by the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the database has been updated by the mobile device, providing the information associated with the data item to the second device, wherein the information enables the second device to download the digital asset to the second device using the web-based application.

12. A method of operating a web-based application on a computer, comprising:

transmitting a request for a web page from the computer to a server, wherein the computer includes the web-based application;

receiving, by the computer responsive to the request, a web page from the server, the web page including a bar code symbol representing an identifier uniquely associated with the computer and a script for polling the server with the identifier;

displaying the bar code symbol on a display of the computer, wherein a mobile device obtains the identifier from the bar code symbol and uses the identifier to provide information associated with a data item to a database accessible to the server, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, and wherein the mobile device and the computer are different devices;

polling, by the computer, the server using the script, wherein the script polls the server using the identifier to determine whether the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the information is stored at the database in association with the identifier; and

in response to a determination by the polling that the mobile device has provided the information to the database, downloading, by the computer, the digital asset to the computer using the web-based application based on the information stored at the database in association with the identifier.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

storing a data-item in a mobile device, wherein the data-item represents a right to a digital asset;

reading, by the mobile device, a coding symbol displayed at a display of a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application, wherein the coding symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices; and

transmitting a message from the mobile device to a server, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained from the coding symbol and the data-item, wherein transmission of the message updates a database to associate the identifier with the data-item, and wherein the second device uses the identifier included in the coding symbol to download the digital asset associated with the data-item to the second device using the web-based application after the message is transmitted from the mobile device to the server.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein the coding symbol is displayed at the second device via a web page presented in the web-based application, and

wherein the second device loads a new web page in the web-based application to download the digital asset.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the web page and the coding symbol are created by the server in response to receiving a request from the second device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the coding symbol represents a uniform resource indicator (URI) including the identifier.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 wherein:

transmission of the message updates the database to associate the identifier with the data-item,

the second device runs a script that polls the database, using the identifier as a reference, to determine when the database has been updated, and

the second device downloads the digital asset in response to a determination that the database has been updated.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the mobile device sends the message through a public mobile network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the operations include:

receiving an access code at the mobile device; and

providing the access code to the server to validate the access code, wherein the mobile device is prevented from updating the database if the access code is not valid.

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

store a data-item in a mobile device, wherein the data-item represents a right to a digital asset;

initiate, at the mobile device, reading of a coding symbol displayed at a display of a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application, wherein the coding symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices; and

initiate transmission of a message from the mobile device to a server, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained from the coding symbol and the data-item, wherein transmission of the message updates a database to associate the identifier with the data-item, and wherein the second device uses the identifier included in the coding symbol to download the digital asset associated with the data-item to the second device using the web-based application after the message is transmitted from the mobile device to the server; and

a memory coupled to the processor.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive an access code; and

provide the access code to the server to validate the access code, wherein the mobile device is prevented from updating a database if the access code is not valid, wherein the second device is prevented from downloaded the digital asset until the database is updated.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing a data-item in a mobile device, wherein the data-item represents a right to a digital asset;

means for reading, at the mobile device, a coding symbol displayed at a display of a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application, wherein the coding symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device, wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices; and

means for transmitting a message from the mobile device to a server, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained from the coding symbol and the data-item, wherein transmission of the message updates a database to associate the identifier with the data-item, and wherein the second device uses the identifier included in the coding symbol to download the digital asset associated with the data-item to the second device using the web-based application after the message is transmitted from the mobile device to the server.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a web server, a request for a web page from a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application;

supplying a web page to the second device responsive to the request, the web page including a bar code symbol and a script for polling the server, wherein the bar code symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device;

receiving, at the web server, a message from a mobile device, wherein the message includes the identifier and a data item stored at the mobile device, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained by the mobile device from the bar code symbol, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices;

in response to receiving the message, updating, based on the message, a database to authorize the second device to access information associated with the data item;

determining, in response to being polled by the script with the identifier, whether the database has been updated by the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the database has been updated by the mobile device, providing the information associated with the data item to the second device, wherein the information enables the second device to download the digital asset to the second device using the web-based application.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations include creating the web page and the coding symbol in response to receiving the request from the second device.

25. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, at a web server, a request for a web page from a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application;

supply a web page to the second device responsive to the request, the web page including a bar code symbol and a script for polling the server, wherein the bar code symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device;

receive, at the web server, a message from a mobile device, wherein the message includes the identifier and a data item stored at the mobile device, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained by the mobile device from the bar code symbol, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices;

in response to receiving the message, update, based on the message, a database to authorize the second device to access information associated with the data item;

determine, in response to being polled by the script with the identifier, whether the database has been updated by the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the database has been updated by the mobile device, provide the information associated with the data item to the second device, wherein the information enables the second device to download the digital asset to the second device using the web-based application; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a web page from a second device, wherein the second device includes a web-based application;

means for supplying a web page to the second device responsive to the request, the web page including a bar code symbol and a script for polling the server, wherein the bar code symbol includes an identifier uniquely associated with the second device;

means for receiving a message from a mobile device, wherein the message includes the identifier and a data item stored at the mobile device, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, wherein the message includes the identifier obtained by the mobile device from the bar code symbol, and wherein the mobile device and the second device are different devices;

means for updating a database based on the message, wherein the updating authorizes the second device to access information associated with the data item;

means for determining whether the database has been updated by the mobile device in response to being polled by the script with the identifier; and

means for providing the information associated with the data item to the second device in response to a determination that the database has been updated by the mobile device, wherein the information enables the second device to download the digital asset to the second device using the web-based application.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a request for a web page from a computer to a server, wherein the computer includes a web-based application;

receiving, by the computer, a web page from the server, the web page including a bar code symbol representing an identifier uniquely associated with the computer and a script for polling the server with the identifier;

displaying the bar code symbol on a display of the computer, wherein a mobile device obtains the identifier from the bar code symbol and uses the identifier to provide information associated with a data item to a database accessible to the server, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, and wherein the mobile device and the computer are different devices;

polling, by the computer, the server using the script, wherein the script polls the server using the identifier to determine whether the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the information is stored at the database in association with the identifier; and

in response to a determination by the polling that the mobile device has provided the information to the database, downloading, by the computer, the digital asset to the computer using the information stored at the database in association with the identifier using the web-based application.

28. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

transmit a request for a web page from a computer to a server, wherein the computer includes a web-based application;

receive a web page from the server responsive to the request, the web page including a bar code symbol representing an identifier uniquely associated with the computer and a script for polling the server with the identifier;

initiate display of the bar code symbol on a display of the computer, wherein a mobile device obtains the identifier from the bar code symbol and uses the identifier to provide information associated with a data item to a database accessible to the server, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, and wherein the mobile device and the computer are different devices;

poll, by the computer, the server using the script, wherein the script polls the server using the identifier to determine whether the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the information is stored at the database in association with the; and

download, by the computer, the digital asset to the computer using the web-based application in response to a determination by the polling that the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the digital asset is downloaded using the information stored at the database in association with the identifier; and

a memory coupled to the at least on processor.

29. An apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a request for a web page from a computer to a server, wherein the computer includes a web-based application;

means for receiving, at the computer responsive to the request, a web page from the server, the web page including a bar code symbol representing an identifier uniquely associated with the computer and a script for polling the server with the identifier;

means for displaying the bar code symbol on a display of the computer, wherein a mobile device obtains the identifier from the bar code symbol and uses the identifier to provide information associated with a data item to a database accessible to the server, wherein the data item represents a right to a digital asset, and wherein the mobile device and the computer are different devices;

means for polling, by the computer, the server using the script, wherein the script polls the server using the identifier to determine whether the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the information is stored at the database in association with the identifier; and

means for downloading, by the computer, the digital asset to the computer using the web-based application in response to a determination by the polling that the mobile device has provided the information to the database, wherein the digital asset is downloaded using the information stored at the database in association with the identifier, and wherein the means for downloading downloads the digital asset by loading a new web page in the web-based application.