Mobile computing and communication

• US 20020101993A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACK Ventures Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: ACK Ventures Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Eskin, Eleazar
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• 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 comprising

running client modules on mobile devices,

running a server module on a server that is accessible through a communication network, and

running link modules on link devices that have communication channels to the mobile devices and are capable of accessing the server through the communication network,

the client, server, and link modules providing core services through application programming interfaces to applications running on the mobile devices, the server, and the link devices.

2. The method of claim 1 in which service applications also run on the client modules to enable users of the mobile devices to manage the core services.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the core services include interaction with short-range wireless transceivers in the mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1 in which a mobile device operating system is also running on the mobile devices and the client modules use services of the operating system.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the mobile devices include personal digital assistants or mobile phones.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the core services include at least one of the following:

broadcast of information about real-world services;

interaction with a wireless transceiver in the mobile device;

guaranteed message delivery; and

encryption.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the mobile devices include personal digital assistants or mobile phones.

7. Apparatus comprising

mobile devices including client modules configured to run on the devices,

a server including a server module that is configured to be accessible through a communication network, and

link devices including link modules that are configured to use communication channels to the mobile devices and to access the server through the communication network,

the client, server, and link modules being configured to provide core services through application programming interfaces to applications running on the mobile devices, the server, and the link devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the mobile devices include short-range wireless transceivers.

10. A method comprising

running client modules on wireless devices, the client modules providing core services through application programming interfaces to applications running on the devices, at least some of the applications being associated with real-world services that are provided by individuals or enterprises,

maintaining information identifying relationships between each of the real-world services and at least one of the devices through which the service is provided,

the core services providing a sharing among the devices of the information identifying the relationships between the real-world services and the devices.

11. The method of claim 10 in which information about the services available through each of the devices is broadcast by the core services to the other devices.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the real-world services associated with the devices are registered by the core services.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the real-world services include at least one of communication services, computational services, commercial services, or governmental services.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the information is broadcast periodically.

16. The method of claim 14 in which another wireless device that receives the broadcast information accesses one of the available real-world services.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the message is sent through the links and the server.

20. The method of claim 18 in which the client module running on the device from which the message is sent determines whether the target mobile device is within short-range wireless distance, and, if not, the client module forwards the message to one of the link modules.

21. The method of claim 20 in which the link module forwards the message to the server through the Internet.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the server module determines the location of the target mobile device and identifies a communication channel through which to forward the message to the other user.

24. The method of claim 23 in which, if the second device is included on the list, the message is transmitted to the second device over a short-range radio link, and if the second device is not included on the list, the message is transmitted to the second device using another communication medium.

25. The method of claim 23 in which, if the second device is not included on the list, the message is transmitted to the second device over either the Internet or by mobile telephony.

27. The method of claim 26 including:

storing information about the transmitted message in the first device after transmission; and

checking for a match between received confirmations and the transmitted message stored in the device.

28. The method of claim 27 including resending the transmitted message if a confirmation for the transmitted message is not received within a specified period.

29. The method of claim 27 including notifying a communications manager in the first device if the transmitted message is undeliverable.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the notifying includes providing an explanation of why the transmitted message was undeliverable.

31. The method of claim 29 also including removing the transmitted message from the device after it is confirmed that the transmitted message was received by the identified user of the other device.

32. The method of claim 27 in which the device from which the message is transmitted is responsible for guaranteeing the delivery.

14. A method comprising:

maintaining in a wireless device a list of real-world services that are available from a user of the device through an application running on the device; and

through a wireless communication channel, broadcasting information from the device indicative of the available real-world services.

17. Apparatus comprising:

a wireless device containing a list of real-world services that are available from a user of the device through an application running on the device; and

a medium storing a program that configures the wireless device to broadcast information over a wireless communication channel from the device about the available real-world services.

18. A method comprising

running client modules on mobile devices that are associated with identified users,

running a server module on a server that is accessible on a communication network,

running link modules on link devices that have communication links to the mobile devices and are capable of accessing the server through the communication network,

the client modules providing core services through application programming interfaces to applications running on the mobile devices,

receiving a message from a user of one of the mobile devices through one of the applications running on the device, the message being directed to another user of an application running on another one of the mobile devices, and

delivering the message to the other user through the Internet.

23. A method comprising:

maintaining a list of short-range wireless devices within range of a first short-range wireless device;

transmitting a message from an identified user of the first device to a second identified user of a second wireless device over a communication medium,

the communication medium being selected based at least in part on whether the second device is included on the list, the selection being transparent to the user of the first device.

26. A method comprising:

transmitting a message from an identified user of a short-range wireless device to an identified user of another device; and

automatically confirming to the identified user of the first device whether the transmitted message was received by the identified user of the other device.

33. A method comprising

running applications on devices that are associated with respective owning entities,

sending a message from an initiating owning entity to a target owning entity using one of the applications running on one of the devices associated with the initiating owning entity,

identifying one of the devices as being associated with the target owning entity and as being accessible by a communication link, and

forwarding the message to the device that is associated with the target owning entity through the communication link.

each of the devices running a client module that encrypts and decrypts the message using a public key associated with the owning entity of the device.

34. The method of claim 33 in which the public key is stored in the device and in a server through which the message passes.

35. The method of claim 33 in which the device comprises a mobile device.

36. The method of claim 35 in which the owning entity comprises a person.

37. The method of claim 33 in which the owning entity comprises an enterprise and the device comprises a stationary device.

39. The method of claim 38 also including

running client modules on the device,

running a server module on a server that is accessible on a communication network,

the client and server modules providing core services through application programming interfaces to applications running on the devices,

the core services including access to the information that is stored on the server and relates to real-world entities.

40. The method of claim 39 in which the stored information includes at least one of identification information, demographic information, and preference information.

38. A method comprising

in a server, storing information that identifies real-world entities and defines modes of interaction by the real-world entities through distributed devices, each of the real-world entities providing services to other real-world entities and using services of other real-world entities,

enabling any of the real-world entities using any arbitrary one or more of the distributed devices to log into the server,

loading portions of the stored information from the server to the device being used, and

regulating the interaction of the real-world entity using the device with other real-world entities based on the stored information, the interaction including the use of the services of the other real-world entities.

41. A method comprising

associating with each one of a number of different mobile devices that have a short-range wireless communication capability, a person who is a user of the device,

storing information about the association of devices and users and information about each of the users at a publicly accessible server, and

providing services at each of the mobile devices that depend on the information about the user of the device that is stored at the server.

42. The method of claim 41 in which the information about the users is communicated to the devices from the server for use in providing the functions.

43. The method of claim 41 in which the information about the users includes at least one of:

demographic information, identification information, preference information, or location information.

44. The method of claim 41 in which at least some of the information about the users is stored on the mobile devices associated with the users.

46. The method of claim 45 in which access to the data about the entity in the commonly accessible database is contingent on permission of the entity.

47. The method of claim 45 in which the entity can access and modify its data in the commonly accessible database using the wireless device.

49. The method of claim 47 in which the information sent to the first device includes promotional material for facilitating a transaction with an entity associated with the second device.

50. The method of claim 47 in which the entity obtains information about an entity associated with the second device from the commonly accessible database using the first device.

51. The method of claim 47 in which recognizing that the entity is within a particular geographic area is based on receipt of a message from the first device, the message including an identification code mapped to the entity.

45. A method comprising:

recognizing automatically that an entity in possession of a short-range wireless device is within a particular geographic area;

obtaining data about the entity from a commonly accessible database; and

sending information to the short-range wireless device, the information sent to the device depending on the data obtained from the database.

48. The method of 45 in which a second short-range wireless device recognizes that the entity is within the particular geographic area, obtains the data, and sends the information.

52. A method comprising:

electronically storing, in a publicly accessible location, information about real-world entities that are users of devices that have short-range wireless communication capability,

providing client modules on the devices and a server module at the publicly accessible location, the client modules and the server module cooperating to provide guaranteed messaging between users of any of the devices and to enable commercial transactions between users of the devices based on the electronically stored information.

53. The method of claim 52 in which

one of the two wireless devices is fixed and one of the two wireless devices is mobile.

54. The method of claim 52 in which

the user of one of the devices comprises a commercial entity.

55. The method of claim 52 in which

the user of one of the devices comprises a consumer.

56. The method of claim 52 in which

the transaction comprises delivery of marketing information from one of the two devices to the other.

57. The method of claim 52 in which the transaction comprises the use by one of the two devices of a service provided by means of the other of the two devices.

58. The method of claim 52 in which

the transaction comprises electronic messaging.

59. The method of claim 52 in which

the transaction occurs when the two devices are out of range of each other.

60. The method of claim 52 in which access to the stored information is under the control of the user to which it pertains.

61. The method of claim 52 in which the stored information comprises the location of the user.

62. The method of claim 52 in which the stored information comprises consumption preferences of a consumer.

63. The method of claim 52 in which each of the users is associated with more than one of the devices.

64. The method of claim 52 in which the transaction is effected between the two users through the server that is located out of range of the two devices.

65. The method of claim 52 in which the two devices are in range of each other and the transaction is effected between two users carrying the two devices.

66. The method of claim 52 in which the transaction comprises sending an electronic business card from one of the devices to another one of the devices and displaying the card on the other one of the devices.

67. The method of claim 52 in which the transaction comprises an electronic message communicated from one of the users to the other through at least one of the two devices and by a route that includes a mode of communication that is selected from among the Internet, mobile telephony, and short-range wireless communication, the selection being made without the user'"'"'s awareness.

69. The method of claim 68 in which the derived geographic location is updated to be the same as the actual geographic location of the second device.

70. The method of claim 68 in which the first device receives information over time from multiple other devices, the information representing the actual GPS geographic locations of the other devices, and

the derived geographic location is updated from time to time based on the information received over time from the other devices.

71. The method of claim 68 in which the first device is mobile and the second device is stationary.

68. A method comprising:

at a first device, receiving information from a second device through a short-range wireless communication channel, the information identifying an actual geographic location of the second device based on signals received from GPS sources, and

updating a derived geographic location stored at the first device based on the information received from second device.