Discovery of services by mobile communication devices using a service registry indexed by wireless beacons

摘要

A method of wirelessly accessing services of a server computer by a mobile communication device. The method comprises receiving a short-range radio beacon signal associated with a server computer, sending a request for information about services provided by the server computer associated with the beacon to a service registry via a long-range wireless communication link. The method further comprises, in response to receiving information about the services provided by the server computer, connecting to the server computer, accessing a service provided by the server computer. The method further comprises receiving a second beacon signal, determining that the second beacon's identity is not identified in the white list, and, in response to determining that the second beacon identity is not white listed, not attempting to access a second server computer associated with the second beacon.

主权项

1. A method of wirelessly accessing services of a server computer, comprising:
wirelessly receiving, by a mobile communication device, a universal beacon that is universally known to a set of devices to which the mobile communication device belongs, wherein beacons are short-range radio frequency signals that have a maximum effective range of less than 20 meters; determining a universal beacon identity based on the universal beacon; responsive to determining the universal beacon identity wirelessly sending a request from the mobile communication device to a spatial server for a locating beacon list comprising at least one locating beacon identity corresponding to at least one locating beacon proximate to the mobile communication device, wherein the request comprises the universal beacon identity; wirelessly receiving, by the mobile communication device, the locating beacon list from the spatial server; determining the one or more locating beacons identified by the locating beacon list which the mobile communication device is capable of receiving; determining a signal strength of the one or more locating beacons identified by the locating beacon list which the mobile communication device is capable of receiving; responsive to determining the signal strength, wirelessly sending a request comprising the signal strength from the mobile communication device to the spatial server for an approved beacon list comprising approved beacon identities of approved beacons determined to be proximate to the mobile communication device according to the signal strength; wirelessly receiving, by the mobile communication device, the approved beacon list from the spatial server; adding the approved beacon identities included in the approved beacon list to a white list comprising approved beacon identities and stored in the mobile communication device; receiving, by the mobile communication device, an approved beacon having an approved beacon identity on the white list; responsive to receiving the approved beacon identified on the white list, wirelessly sending, by the mobile communication device, a request comprising the approved beacon identity of the received approved beacon identified on the white list to a service registry, wherein the approved beacon identity is indexed into the service registry to determine services provided by the server computer that is associated with the received approved beacon identified on the white list; based on indexing the approved beacon identity into the service registry, receiving wirelessly, by the mobile communication device from the service registry, information about the services provided by the server computer associated with the received approved beacon identified on the white list; responsive to receiving the information from the service registry about the services provided by the server computer, installing at least one of a widget or an icon to a screen of the mobile communication device, wherein the at least one widget or icon corresponds to one or more of the services provided by the server computer; establishing, by the mobile communication device, a communication link with the server computer based on a selection of the at least one widget or icon; and requesting, by the mobile communication device from the server computer, a service corresponding to the at least one widget or icon.