Mobile micro portal

• US 6,782,253 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shteyn, Yevgeniy Eugene, Turner, Simon Royce, Rankin, Paul John
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/635,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/41, 455/456.1, 455/414, 455/458, 455/550, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/414.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A geographic region has a network of beacons. Each beacon transmits a short-range facilitation signal for receipt on a user'"'"'s mobile communication device. The facilitation signal initiates associating the facilitation signal with a service and conditionally alerts the user to the service via the device dependent on a user profile. The user-profile and the association between facilitation signal and service are user-programmable.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, service offering information;

comparing at least a portion of the service offering information to at least a portion of each of a plurality of look-up table entries;

generating at least one user alert if there is at least one match found during the comparing;

retrieving communication target information from the look-up table; and

initiating a communication based on the received service offering information and the communication target information;

wherein prior to comparing, the method further comprises determining, within the mobile device, whether to perform the comparing locally or remotely, and transferring the comparing to a remote computer if the determination is to perform the comparing remotely.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service offering information is wirelessly received at the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing is performed within the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing is performed external to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transferring operation is accomplished by the mobile device initiating a communication that propagates via at least the Internet.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein communication target information comprises a telephone number.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein communication target information comprises a URL.