METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SERVICE LOCALIZATION

• US 20100205305A1
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bajko, Gabor
• Application Number:
  US12/690,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method comprises building a list of services available from stations associated with a network, wherein the list of services includes an indicator of a location of the station associated with each service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

building a list of services available from stations associated with a network,

wherein the list of services includes an indicator of a location of the station associated with each service.

2. A method, comprising:

requesting a list of services from an access point of a network; and

receiving information related to one or more stations associated with the network offering services, the information including an indicator of a location of the station associated with each service.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory unit; and

a processor communicatively connected to the memory unit, said processor being configured to;

build a list of services available from stations associated with a network,

wherein the list of services includes an indicator of a location of the station associated with each service.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the indicator of the location indicates whether the location is fixed or mobile.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, if the location is fixed, the indicator further includes the location of the station.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, if the location is mobile, the indicator further includes an area of service of the station.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the indicator includes the location in geolocation coordinates.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the indicator includes the location in civic parameters.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the station is an access point of the network or functions as a soft access point

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory unit; and

a processor communicatively connected to the memory unit, said processor being configured to;

request a list of services from an access point of a network; and

receive information related to one or more stations associated with the network offering services, the information including an indicator of a location of the station associated with each service.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

search for networks offering the list of services prior to requesting the list of services.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiving information includes downloading the list of services.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the location of the station associated with each service on a map application.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the indicator of the location indicates whether the location is fixed or mobile.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, if the location is fixed, the indicator further includes the location of the station.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, if the location is mobile, the indicator further includes an area of service of the station.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indicator includes the location in geolocation coordinates.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indicator includes the location in civic parameters.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the station is an access point of the network or functions as a soft access point.