Advanced system and method for dynamically discovering, provisioning and accessing host services on wireless data communication devices

• US 7,610,045 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dunk, Craig A., Little, Herbert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US10/474,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20040110497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/456.2, 455/417, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method for pushing a service book to a mobile device is provided. A service book includes a plurality of fields relating to a host service. At least one mobile device is identified that is to receive the service book. Wireless propagation information is provided that identifies an address for the mobile device to receive the service book. The service book is transmitted over a wireless network using the address for the mobile device, and is received by the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of pushing a service book to a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

providing the service book to a service registry, the service book including a plurality of fields relating to a host service;

identifying at least one mobile device to receive the service book;

providing wireless propagation information to the service registry from a service offering that identifies an address for the mobile device to receive the service book;

pushing the service book from the service registry over a wireless network using the address for the mobile device as an offer, to a user of the mobile device, to perform a service;

receiving an indication from the user of acceptance of the service; and

in response to receiving the acceptance of the service, downloading from the service registry, to the mobile device, an internet application that prompts the user for information needed to initiate the service at the host service;

the plurality of fields in the service book providing information to enable the mobile device to communicate with the host service via a wireless network;

wherein the host service and the service registry are separate entities at different network locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the address for the mobile device is an electronic mail address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the address for the mobile device is an identification number for the mobile device in a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless propagation information is one of the plurality of service book fields.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising the further steps of:

transmitting the service book from the host service to a service registry via a computer network; and

transmitting the service book from the service registry to the mobile device over the wireless network using the address for the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the service registry can be one or more UDDI registry nodes with a UDDI registry network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service book is transmitted from the host service to the mobile device via a close proximity link.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the close proximity link is an infrared (IR) transmission system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the close proximity link is a serial connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the close proximity link is a spread spectrum wireless transmission system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the close proximity link is a radio frequency (RF) transmission system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the service book fields includes an Internet link to one or more download computers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the service book fields include a wireless information field.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the service book fields include a provisioning information field.

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

storing the service book in a service book cache on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising the further steps of:

displaying the service book cache using a user interface (UI) executing on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising the further steps of:

providing a mobile device user an option to accept or reject the service book;

if the mobile device user accepts the service book, then storing the service book in a service book database on the mobile device; and

if the mobile device user rejects the service book, then deleting the service book from the service book cache.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the further step of:

notifying the mobile device user when the service book is received by the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising the additional step of:

providing the mobile device user an option to provision the service book; and

if the mobile device user chooses to provision the service book, then activating the host service on the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising the additional step of:

providing the mobile device user an option to defer provisioning.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising the further step of:

if the mobile device user chooses to provision the service book, then downloading a software application from the host service to the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the downloaded software application prompts the mobile device user for further provisioning information, and wherein the further provisioning information is transmitted from the mobile device to the host service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the further provisioning information includes credit information.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the software application is downloaded from one or more download computers having an address on a computer network.

26. The method of claim 20, comprising the further steps of:

if the mobile device user chooses to provision the service book, then contacting the host service via the wireless network; and

establishing payment terms for use of the host service by the mobile device.

27. The method of claim 1, comprising the additional steps of:

encrypting the service book before transmitting the service book over the wireless network; and

decrypting the service book with the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the service book is encrypted and decrypted using a public key infrastructure (PKI).

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the service book identifies other host services available for the mobile device.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the service book is transmitted using an electronic mail protocol.

31. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless information field is removed before the step of pushing the service book over a wireless network using the address for the mobile device.

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

selecting to keep or ignore the pushed service book on the mobile device.

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

removing the wireless propagation information prior to the step of pushing the service book over the wireless network using the address for the mobile device.

34. A method for provisioning a mobile communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving on the mobile communication device a pushed service book from a service offering with wireless propagation information that enables the mobile communication device to access a download server;

requesting a download from the download server based on information contained in the service book;

receiving the requested download on the mobile device from the download server;

collecting credit, personal, and device information on the mobile communication device and transmitting it to the service offering;

receiving credit confirmation on the mobile communication device from the service offering;

initiating full two-way communication between the mobile communication device and the service offering; and

wherein the download server and the service offering are separate entities at different network locations.

35. A method comprising:

providing, by a host service to a service registry, a service book that includes the type of service offered and contact information that mobile devices can use to communicate with the host service over a wireless network;

identifying, by the host service, a mobile device to receive the service book;

providing, by the host service to the service registry, the mobile device'"'"'s address;

pushing, by the service registry, the service book over a wireless network to the mobile device'"'"'s address, as an offer to perform a service;

sending, by the mobile device using the contact information, acceptance of the offer to the service registry; and

in response to receiving the acceptance of the offer, downloading from the service registry, to the mobile device, an internet application that prompts the user for information needed to initiate the service with the host service;

wherein the host service and the service registry are separate entities at different network locations.