Mobile computing and communication

• US 9,924,305 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ACK Ventures Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: ACK Ventures Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Eskin, Eleazar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/974,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,813 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412- 413, 4554142, 4554261, 4554563, 4555521, 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

An application development platform enables applications to be created easily for, e.g., mobile devices that have short-range wireless communication capability. The development platform exposes a carefully chosen core set of services through an API. Each of the applications can broadcast its services to local and remote devices. Message delivery between devices is guaranteed even for messages that cannot be delivered directly by local short-range wireless transmission. Message delivery through other channels, including the Internet, can occur transparently to the user. Each device can be associated with an “owner”, which can be a person or a entity. Services can be customized to the owner based on stored information that maps owners to devices. Information associated with each of the owners of devices can be stored centrally and used in connection with providing the services at each of the mobile devices. Virtual GPS capabilities can be provided for mobile devices that do not have GPS chips.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and customizing communication with a mobile device, the method comprising:

identifying automatically through the use of a short-range wireless communication protocol, with an electronic device, the presence of a short-range wireless device within a particular geographic area, the electronic device including a first interface supporting short-range wireless communication and a second interface supporting communication over a network;

requesting with the electronic device, based on the identifying, data about an individual in possession of the short-range wireless device from a remotely located commonly accessible database over the network using the second interface, the remotely located commonly accessible database holding information about a plurality of individuals;

receiving the data about an individual in possession of the short-range wireless device at the electronic device from the remotely located database via the second interface;

identifying a facility within a predefined distance from the electronic device based on the received data, a second electronic device disposed at the facility; and

transmitting an indication of the identifying of the short-range wireless device and the received data from the electronic device to the second electronic device disposed at the facility, the second electronic device equipped with a communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication,

wherein the second electronic device communicates with the short-range wireless device via its communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication based on the received data.

2. The method of claim 1 in which access to the data about the individual in possession of the short-range wireless device in the commonly accessible database is contingent on permission of the individual.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the individual in possession of the short-range wireless device to access and modify the data in the commonly accessible database using the short-range wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the information sent to the short-range wireless device includes promotional material for the facility.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

allowing the individual in possession of the short-range wireless device to obtain information about an entity associated with the electronic device from the commonly accessible database using the short-range wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 in which recognizing that the short-range wireless device is within the particular geographic area is based on receipt of a message from the short-range wireless device, the message including an identification code mapped to the individual.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the data about the individual in possession of the short-range wireless device includes personal preferences of the entity.

8. An electronic device for identifying and customizing communication with mobile wireless devices, comprising:

a first short-range wireless communication interface; and

a second interface supporting communication over a network, the electronic device configured to;

identify automatically through the use of a short-range wireless communication protocol the presence of a short-range wireless device within a particular geographic area near the electronic device;

request data about an individual in possession of the short-range wireless device based on the identifying from a remotely located commonly accessible database over the network using the second interface, the remotely located commonly accessible database holding information about a plurality of individuals;

receive at the electronic device the data about the individual in possession of the short-range wireless device from the remotely located database via the second interface;

identify a facility within a predefined distance from the electronic device based on the received data, a second electronic device disposed at the facility; and

transmit an indication of the identifying of the short-range wireless device and the received data from the electronic device to the second electronic device disposed at the facility, the second electronic device equipped with a communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication,

wherein the second electronic device communicates with the short-range wireless device via its communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication based on the received data.

9. A system for identifying and customizing communication with a mobile device, comprising:

a commonly accessible database holding data about a plurality of individuals in possession of respective short-range wireless devices, the commonly accessible database accessible over a network; and

an electronic device that includes a first short-range wireless communication interface that enables communication with one or more of the plurality of short-range wireless devices and a second communication interface that enables communication over the network with the commonly accessible database, the electronic device configured to;

identify automatically through the use of a short-range wireless communication protocol the presence of one of the plurality of short-range wireless devices within a particular geographic area near the electronic device;

request data about an individual in possession of the one of the plurality of short-range wireless devices, based on the identifying, from the commonly accessible database over the network using the second interface, the remotely located commonly accessible database holding information about a plurality of individuals;

receive at the electronic device the data about the individual in possession of the one of the plurality of short-range wireless devices from the remotely located database via the second interface;

identify a facility within a predefined distance from the electronic device based on the received data, a second electronic device disposed at the facility; and

transmit an indication of the identifying of the short-range wireless device and the received data from the electronic device to the second electronic device disposed at the facility, the second electronic device equipped with a communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication,

wherein the second electronic device communicates with the short-range wireless device via its communication interface supporting short-range wireless communication based on the received data.