As an example, BLUETOOTH operates in "piconets" having a normal range of ten (10) meters and a maximum range of approximately one-hundred (100) meters.
解答例
Accordingly, short-range radio communication links lack the deficiencies of both infrared and cellular technologies which have limited the distribution of electronic services such as applications and data over wireless communications links.
[0009] The present invention provides a system and method for providing electronic services such as applications and data to wireless devices in a personal area network (PAN) via a kiosk.
The invention incorporates service discovery protocols and short-range radio communications to allow wireless devices entering the PAN to identify the kiosk and request therefrom selected electronic services.
In consequence, electronic services can be delivered to a wide variety of wireless devices without consuming substantial system resources and network bandwidth.
Additionally, heretofore single-purpose existing kiosks, such as payphones, ticket counters and gasoline station islands, can be extended to offer new electronic services thereby adding value to these existing kiosks.
[0010] A method for providing kiosk service offerings can include several steps.
First, a kiosk can be configured to provide electronic services over short-range radio communications links to wireless devices in a personal area network (PAN).
In particular, in one aspect of the present invention, the configuring step can include retrofitting an existing kiosk both with a short-range radio frequency communications system, and with a host computing device for selectively retrieving electronic services over the existing physical communications link medium, and for delivering selected electronic services to the wireless devices in the PAN.
The kiosk also can be configured to communicate over an existing physical communications link medium.
For instance, the existing physical communications link medium can be one of a telephone network communications link and a data communications link.
Second, a short-range radio communications link can be established with a wireless device in the PAN.
In one aspect of the invention, the short-range radio communications link can be a BLUETOOTH-based communications link.
Third, selected electronic services can be retrieved over the existing physical communications link medium.
Finally, the retrieved selected electronic services can be delivered to the wireless device in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link.
[0011] The step of retrieving specified electronic services over the existing communications network can include retrieving electronic messages from an electronic mail server communicatively linked to the kiosk over the existing physical communications link medium.
In consequence, the step of delivering the retrieved specified electronic services to the wireless device in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link can include delivering the retrieved electronic mail to an electronic mail client in the wireless device.
By comparison, the step of retrieving specified electronic services over the existing physical communications link medium can include retrieving an application from an application service provider (ASP) communicatively linked to the kiosk over the existing physical communications link medium.
Accordingly, the step of delivering the retrieved specified electronic services to the wireless device in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link can include delivering the retrieved application for execution in the wireless device.
[0012] Importantly, the method of the invention can additionally include the steps of determining if the specified electronic services wholly reside in the kiosk; and, if it is determined that the specified electronic services wholly reside in the kiosk, delivering the specified electronic services to the wireless device in the PAN without retrieving the specified electronic services over the existing physical communications link medium.
Also, it can be determined if components of the specified electronic services reside in the kiosk.
Subsequently, the components determined to reside in the kiosk can be delivered to the wireless device while components not residing in the kiosk can be retrieved from over the existing physical communications link medium.
Advantageously, the step of delivering the retrieved specified electronic services to the wireless device in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link can include delivering retrieved components of the specified electronic services to the wireless device while retrieving remaining components of the specified electronic services.
[0013] A kiosk for distributing electronic services to wireless devices in a PAN can include a kiosk configured to communicate with a communications network over an existing physical communications link medium; a network communications client for communicating with servers in the communications network; a short-range radio communications system for communicating with wireless devices in the PAN; and, a list of electronic services which can be distributed to wireless devices in the PAN, the electronics services in the list residing locally in the kiosk and remotely in the servers in the communications network.
Notably, the short-range radio communications system can include a short-range radio communications system configured in accordance with BLUETOOTH specifications.
In addition, the kiosk can be a public telephone, a gasoline station island, an airline check-in desk, a ticketing booth, a retail check-out counter, a toll booth, or an automatic teller machine.
The physical communications link medium can be a telephone network communications link or a data communications link.
Moreover, the server can be an application server.
Finally, the communications network can be an Internet.
[0014] A method for delivering electronic services in a personal area network (PAN) can include providing a kiosk in a publicly traversable area.
