Dynamic service binding providing transparent switching of information services having defined coverage regions

• US 7,428,418 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cole, Alan George, Munson, Jonathan Paul, Duri, Sastry S., Murdock, John S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US11/839,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 4554321-4323, 455433-434, 455436-451, 455/458, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/556.2, 455560-561, 455 301- 306, 455/62, 4554041-4042, 455/414.1, 455418-421, 455/422.1, 455/435.2, 4554521-4522, 455/464, 455/466, 455/509, 455524-525, 455/556.1, 370331-334, 370328-329, 370/338, 370/310, 370/350, 370400-401
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

It is determined whether a location of a mobile device is within a coverage region of a first information service. Communications for the first information service are redirected to a second information service when the location of the mobile device is not within a coverage region of the first information service. The second information service generally has a coverage region encompassing the location of the mobile device. Communications between a mobile device and a first information service are redirected to another information service when properties of the new information service are determined to meet predetermined criteria set by a user of the mobile device, by an application, or both. In yet another aspect of the invention, Replacement of information services can be “aggressive” or “non-aggressive.” Communications between a mobile device and an original information service are redirected to another information service when the original information service fails.

Claims

1. A method for switching information services, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a location of a mobile device is within a coverage region of a first information service;

redirecting one or more communications for the first information service to a second information service when the location of the mobile device is not within a coverage region of the first information service; and

creating a candidate list of information sources by using predetermined criteria, wherein the predetermined criteria comprise one or more of a user preferences defined by more than one compatibility sets, each compatibility set comprising a name and at least one value;

a coverage region;

one or more compatibility names;

one or more formats;

a cost;

one or more specialty preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting the second information service by selecting an information service from one or more information services having coverage regions encompassing the location of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the first information service has failed; and

redirecting the one or more communications for the first information service to the second information service when the first information service has failed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the location of the mobile device is within the coverage region of the first information service further comprises the step of periodically determining whether location of a mobile device is within the coverage region of the first information service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of periodically determining whether the location of the mobile device is within the coverage region of the first information service further comprises the step of periodically determining, by using predetermined criteria, said candidate list of information services.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises one or more preferences and wherein the candidate list is sorted in order of the one or more preferences.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of periodically determining, by using predetermined criteria, the candidate list of information services further comprises the step of selecting an information service having a highest value according to the predetermined criteria from the candidate list, and wherein the step of redirecting one or more communications further comprises redirecting the one or more communications for the first information service to the information service having the highest value in the candidate list when the first information service is not the information service having the highest value in the candidate list.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of periodically determining, by using predetermined criteria, the candidate list of information services further comprises the steps of determining whether the first information service is in the candidate list, and allowing the one or more communications to the first information service when the first information service is in the candidate list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device accesses an application bound to the first information service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences comprise one or more of the cost preference and a replacement preference, wherein the replacement preference comprises one of aggressive placement, no preference, and non-aggressive replacement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of redirecting the one or more communications further comprises the steps of instantiating a new service adapter and deleting an old service adapter.