Method and apparatus for enabling a mobile device to subscribe and acquire services, and the mobile device

• US 20070123297A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chan, Ming, Lam, Lai
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Provided is a method for enabling a mobile device to subscribe and acquire services, including the steps of: detecting available services/connections or service/location tags which are selectable by the mobile device within the short-to-medium range from the mobile device; triggering the mobile device to connect to a corresponding service/connection provider and/or to issue related commands thereto based on the detected result; performing other actions required to be triggered to acquire services in the mobile device, so as to acquire services from the service/connection providers. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for enabling a mobile service to subscribe to and acquire services, and a mobile device capable of subscribing and acquiring services.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a mobile device to subscribe and acquire services, comprising the steps of:

detecting available services/connections or service/location tags which are selectable by the mobile device within a short-to-medium range from the mobile device;

triggering the mobile device to connect to a corresponding service/connection provider and/or to issue related commands thereto based on the detected result; and

performing other actions required to be triggered to acquire services in the mobile device, so as to acquire services from the service/connection provider.

2. The method according to claim 1, before the step of triggering the mobile device, further comprising the steps of:

when the available services/connections are detected,

connecting to the corresponding service/connection provider and retrieving service information therefrom; and

selecting a service expected by the user from said detected available services/connections, by referring to the service information based on rules set by a user of the mobile device.

3. The method according to claim 2, before the step of triggering the mobile device, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not automatic service selection is set by the user; and

if the automatic service selection is not set by the user, prompting to the user the service selected according to the rules set by the user so that the user can confirm whether or not he/she wants to acquire the service.

4. The method according to claim 3, before the step of triggering the mobile device, further comprising the steps of:

confirming whether or not the service is a qualified service; and

if the service is not qualified, then authenticating the user.

5. The method according to claim 2, comprising the step of selecting the service expected by the user from said detected available services/connections comprising the steps of:

calculating weighted values of the service quality of individual services by referring to the service information based on the rules set by the user;

comparing the calculated weighted values;

determining whether or not the difference between the highest weighted value and the second place weighted value is higher than a predetermined threshold; and

if the difference is higher than the predetermined threshold, then selecting the service with the highest weighted value.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of storing the rules for selecting services, which are preset by the user according to requirements or the user'"'"'s preference.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of updating the list of available service/location tags when a new available service/location tag is detected or when an original available service/location tag is detected to be unavailable.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking service status of the mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of triggering an alert and/or disconnecting from the service provider of the service when it is tracked that the service status of the mobile device has reached a certain setting condition.

10. An apparatus for enabling a mobile device to subscribe and acquire services automatically, comprising:

a short range sensing module for detecting available services/connections or service/location tags which are selectable by the mobile device within the short-to-medium range from the mobile device;

a trigger module for triggering the mobile device to connect to a corresponding service/connection provider and/or to issue related commands thereto based on the detected result of the short range sensing module; and

a service acquiring module for performing other actions required to be triggered to acquire services, so as to acquire services from the service/connection provider.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a service selection module, in the case where the available services/connections are detected, for connecting to the corresponding service/connection provider and retrieving service information therefrom, and selecting the service expected by the user from said detected available services/connections by referring to the service information based on rules set by a user of the mobile device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the service selection module is further used to determine whether or not automatic service selection is set by the user, and when the automatic service selection is not set by the user, prompt to the user the service selected according to the rules set by the user so that the user can confirm whether or not he/she wants to acquire the service.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the service selection module is further used to confirm whether or not the service is a qualified service and authenticate the user when the service is not qualified.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said service selection module is used to calculate weighted values of the service quality of individual services by referring to the service information based on the rules set by the user, compare said calculated weighted values, determine whether or not the difference between the highest weighted value and the second place weighted value is higher than a predetermined threshold, and when said difference is higher than the predetermined threshold, select the service with the highest weighted value.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a service/rule repository for storing the rules for selecting services, which are preset by the user according to requirements or the user'"'"'s preference.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a registration module and a list of available service/location tags, wherein the registration module registers the available service/location tags detected by the short range sensing module into the list of available service/location tags.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the registration module updates the list of available service/location tags when a new available service/location tag is detected by the short range sensing module or when an original available service/location tag is detected to be unavailable by the short range sensing module.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a service status management module for tracking service status of the mobile device.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the service status management module triggers an alert and/or disconnects from the service provider of the service when it tracks that the service status of the mobile device has reached a certain setting condition.

20. A computer readable medium having thereon a computer readable method for enabling a mobile device to subscribe and acquire services, comprising the steps of:

detecting available services/connections or service/location tags which are selectable by the mobile device within a short-to-medium range from the mobile device;

triggering the mobile device to connect to a corresponding service/connection provider and/or to issue related commands thereto based on the detected result; and

performing other actions required to be triggered to acquire services in the mobile device, so as to acquire services from the service/connection provider.