WO2008135080A1

WO2008135080A1 - A system for handling data

Info

Publication number: WO2008135080A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/054291
Authority: WO
Inventors: Srdjan Krco
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 2007-05-03
Filing date: 2007-05-03
Publication date: 2008-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-03

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for handling service data comprising a plurality of local service data providing means (30') and a number of service data requesting user stations (201'; 202'). It comprises a central service data collecting and providing arrangement (10'), which comprises registering means (H' ) adapted to, for one or more local service data providing means (30' ), register one or more service data providing units (401', 402', 403') and to provide registration and identification information indicating that they are available for providing service data. Said local service data providing means (30') are adapted to provide service data providing unit related or decriptive information to said central arrangement (10'), which comprises analyzing and decision means (15') adapted to analyze a request received from a service data requesting user station (20') and to select from which service data providing units (401', 402') service data is to be requested for the received request using said descriptive information, and to request service data from said selected service data providing units (401', 402') using a mobile communication network.

Description

Title:

A SYSTEM FOR HANDLING DATA

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system for handling service data comprising a plurality of local service data providing means and a number of service data requesting user stations. The invention also relates to a method for providing end user stations, requesting service data, with service data.

BACKGROUND

Service data can be provided to end users in different manners. Mobile networks can be used to provide services. Such mobile network services are provided by mobile network operators or by third party companies having appropriate agreements and contracts with the operators. In order to set up a service, a quite complex environment has to be in place and the exact format and content of the service has to be known in advance. The users have to be informed about the service content and in order to use services, potential users first have to learn about the service. Today various media such as radio, TV, newspapers etc. are used for marketing services. Such solutions are suitable for continuous provision of predefined services from a central location and by companies with service provision as a core business.

In the society of today sensing or detecting devices are used to a large extent. Sensors are used for various reasons, for example to measure temperature, humidity, air pollution, traffic congestion and environmental parameters in general. There are also sensors of other types, such as burglary sensors, cameras for monitoring areas in and around companies, office buildings, institutions etc. The information provided by such sensors is however only accessible by those "subscribing" to the service, or owning the sensors, and the information that is provided is restricted to special interested groups. Some information provided by such sensors will be of private nature and of interest for their owners only, for example health care sensors. However, environmental information such as information about temperature, humidity, air pollution, UV index, environmental information in general, as well as traffic information etc. is, to its nature, normally not confidential information and could actually be of interest to far more users than those having access to it, it could even be of public interest.

However, the data provided by for example privately owned sensors or sensors provided and owned by a company or an institution for example for monitoring traffic, environment etc. is not available. Particularly the information provided by private sensors is generally not available at all for public use or external use. If for example individual sensor owners were to provide data from their private sensors, the owners would be required to participate in a complex definition of a complete service chain and ratify all service related agreements. This actually excludes the availability to the information provided by any sensors owned by private individuals or companies etc.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to improve and facilitate provisioning of service data, most particularly data from sensing or detecting means, to end users. Particularly it has been realized that in the society of today there is an enormous amount of sensors or similar measuring or detecting environmental features such as temperature, humidity, strengths of wind, geologically interesting features for example indications of earth quakes, exhausts from traffic, etc. but also information about for example traffic conditions that actually could be used and of interest to end users, but although actually existing, their data is not available to interested end users or to the public. It is therefore particularly an object of the present invention to make service data available to interested end users or to the public. Particularly it is an object to increase the availability of data, which is not confidential, to the public and to enable and provide a possibility to take advantage of already existing equipment without having to, in order to provide the same extent of service data, organize for the provisioning of sensor or detecting arrangements at a large number of locations where they already are in place but for private use. Most particularly it is an object to make it possible to use the already existing unexploited resources of valuable information that actually is or can be collected. It is a general object to in an easy and uncomplicated manner provide information to end users. It is also an object to make provisioning and delivery of information to interested parties flexible, and easy to control. It is also an object of the invention to provide an incentive for making data available. A most particular object of the invention is to make it attractive for owners of devices capable of providing service data, such as for example companies or individuals owning sensors to share their information with others. It is also a specific object to, in a cheaper and easier manner than hitherto, provide service data to interested parties.

In addition to being an object of the invention to provide a system through which one or more of the above mentioned objects can be achieved, it is also an object to provide arrangements through which it is enabled that of one or more of the above mentioned objects can be achieved. It is also a particular object to provide a method for collecting service data and to distribute these data to interested parties, requesting users, and generally to provide a method through which one or more of the objects discussed above can be fullfilled. Particularly it is an object to, not only make use of and take advantage of or more fully exploit actually available service data, but also to make it possible to, and providing means for, in an easier manner than hitherto known, collect and provide service data, such as data from sensors, detectors etc.

Therefore a system as initially referred to is provided which comprises a central service data collecting and providing arrangement and a number of local service data providing means. The central arrangement can also be said to be a top level, in a hierarchical system, service data collecting and providing arrangement. Said central arrangement for collecting and providing service data, (in the following also simply denoted central arrangement) , comprises registering means adapted to , for one or more local service data providing means, register one or more service data providing units and to provide registration and identification information indicating that said service data providing units are available for providing service data. Said local service data providing means are further adapted to provide service data providing unit related or descriptive information to said central arrangement, i.e. to provide data describing the service data providing units. The central arrangement is adapted to request service data from selected service data providing units by means of a mobile communications network upon request from a service data requesting user station. The central arrangement comprises analyzing and decision means adapted to, depending on a received request from a user station and descriptive information about the service data providing units and/or related to the service data they may collect, select from which service data providing units service data is to be requested. It is further adapted to use the, or a, mobile communication network for providing the data from the selected service data providing units to the requesting user station. Particularly the same mobile communication network is used for requesting service data from the selected service data providing units, possibly via the local service data providing means or directly, for the provisioning of the service data to the requesting user stations. Alternatively different communication networks are used. Most advantageously, at least for the requesting and provisioning of service data from a local or lower level service data providing means or service data providing unit, a mobile communication network is used. This means that data can be requested from mobile service data providing units in addition to from stationary arranged service data providing units.

A central service data collecting and providing arrangement able to provide service data to service data requesting user stations is also provided. It comprises a registering means adapted to register a plurality of service data providing units which have provided, directly or indirectly, registration and/or identification information indicating that they are available to act as service data providing units. The central arrangement also comprises storing means for receiving and holding service data related information and service data providing unit related information, i.e. descriptive information about registered service data providing units. It also comprises analyzing and decision means adapted to, upon request from a service data requesting user station over a communication network, which may be mobile, analyze the request, and select, using the stored information, service data providing units from which service data is to be collected, and to request service data from said selected service data providing units. It is adapted to provide service data from the selected units to the service data requesting user station.

Still further a local service data providing means adapted to collect and provide service data is provided. The local service data providing means are adapted to provide identification and/or registration information, for one or more service data providing units to a central service data collecting and providing arrangement to indicate that said service data providing units are available as service data providing units, i.e. for provisioning service data, using a mobile communications network.

The local service data providing means is, hierarchically seen, arranged below a central arrangement in a layer which consists of a number of local arrangements in turn communicating with lower layer service data providing units.

The local service data providing means are adapted to provide descriptive information relating to service data providing units and service data collectable thereby to the central arrangement. Location or communication related information for each registered service data providing unit is also provided to the central arrangement by means of the use of the mobile communications network.

A method for providing an end user station with service data is also provided. It comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of local service data providing means adapted to communicate with a central service data collecting and providing arrangement over a mobile communication network wherein said local service data providing means comprise or communicate with a number of service data providing units; registering service data providing units to be available for provisioning of service data with the central arrangement; providing service data providing unit related (and service data related) , descriptive, information to the central arrangement; storing the descriptive information in storing means in or connected to the central arrangement; keeping current or updated information relating to the location of the registered service data providing units (or of corresponding local service data providing means handling it) in the central arrangement; at reception of a request for service data from a service data requesting user station with the central arrangement, using the descriptive information to determine and select from which service data providing units service data is to be collected; providing requests to the selected service data providing units for service data; receiving service data from the selected service data providing units over the mobile communication network; processing received service data in central arrangement to obtain service data fulfilling requirements given by the request from the end user station, and providing service data in agreement with the requirements of the requests to the service data requesting user station .

It is an advantage of the invention that service data that actually are available can be provided to a user needing it. It is an advantage that also data from private devices such as for example privately own sensors can be made available to end users, information which otherwise is not available to any one else than the actual private user. It is also an advantage that the owner of a service providing unit (e.g. a sensor), can determine whether the service data that is collected thereby should be confidential information and kept private or if it should be available to other users.

It is also an advantage of the invention that the user can determine if a device is to be made available for public interest or not, that the user can register one or more service providing units at any time and could also de-register them at any time. It is also an advantage of the invention that service data information can be provided in an easy and flexible, and also controllable, manner from a large number of service data collecting providing units to a large number of service data requesters. It is also most attractive that advantage can be taken of already available data without requiring individual service data providing units participating in any complex definition of a complete service chain and ratification of agreements etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will in the following be further described, in a non-limiting manner, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.l is a schematical block diagram of a system according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention schematically illustrating the messaging between means of the system in order to deliver requested service data,

Fig. 3 is a block diagram in some more detail describing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 4 is a flow diagram describing the procedure for, according to one implementation of the invention, registering a service data providing unit,

Fig. 5 is a flow diagram schematically describing one implementation for collecting, requesting, and providing service data according to a particular implementation of the invention, and

Fig. 6 is a flow diagram schematically describing a specific implementation of the inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a hierarchical service provision architecture in which a central service data collecting and providing arrangement, particularly implemented as a proxy service discovery and provision entity, will act as an intermediary and data aggregation point between end service users, i.e. service data requesting user stations, and information providers, for example individual subscribers with sensors attached to their mobile devices, or more generally service data providing units connected to, or under control of, local service data providing means.

Generally information only is of interest and the main purpose is not to provide communication with a designated service data providing unit, the main task of the central service data collecting and providing arrangement, CSDP, e.g. a proxy server, is to gather relevant service data providing unit (SDPU) responses based on requests received from requesting end user stations. During configuration of a new SDPU, e.g. a sensor, each end service provider or LSDP will decide if the information provided by that SDPU or sensor is strictly private and confidential or if it should be public. Description of each public SDPU will then be forwarded to the CSDP or a proxy that will map information to the concrete network communication parameters, for example sensor IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) or P-TMSI etc. The CSDP will then keep track of the location for each one of the SDPUs using information provided by the mobile network and will use this in combination with a description of the kind of data registered sensors provide and a description of the SDPUs (sensors) when deciding which sensors are to be contacted in order to fulfill the requirements of a particular end user station request for service data (SD) .

Most particularly the central collecting and providing arrangement (CSDP) comprises storing means for storing said service providing unit related information and particularly also service related data, i.e. information describing the service or the data provided by the unit. In a most particular embodiment the service data providing units comprise sensing or detecting means. According to different embodiment all sensing or detecting means can be mobile, some of them can be stationary arranged, for example around a building or in a building. It is also possible that one or more of said sensing or detecting means comprise or provide a network, i.e. a local service data providing means may provide or build a sensor network to provide specific information etc. In one implementation a number of sensing or detecting and/or actuating means are integrated in or connected to mobile telephones. Alternatively they are adapted to be connected to the mobile communications network by means of separate connections.

Most particularly, as referred to above, the central service data collecting and providing arrangement comprises a proxy server arrangement which will be adapted to be operated by an operator operating the mobile network or a service provider, also called a main service provider.

The proxy server arrangement may comprise mapping means adapted to map between identification registration information of registered sensing or detecting units and mobile network communication parameters. It is particularly adapted to, by means of the mobile communication network, hold updated and location related information concerning registered sensing or detecting units or at least local service data providing means if their mobile communication facility is used by the service data providing units instead of separate connections.

The analyzing and deciding means are particularly adapted to, at reception of a request for service data, whereby said request is defined by means of a number of specific service data parameters, use the location related information and the descriptive information to determine from which sensing or detecting means service data is to be collected, to select appropriate sensing or detecting units based thereon and to provide for requests being sent to such selected service data providing units. The analyzing and decision means may be implemented as an integrated means or as separate means in which case the analyzing means are adapted to analyze a request from a requesting end user station and the decision means are adapted to fetch stored descriptive data or location related data etc. and to base a decision about sensors to be selected thereon (in view of the analyzis) .

In a most particular implementation the central data collecting and providing arrangement comprises or is adapted to communicate with a transaction entity which is adapted to keep information about transactions relating to data delivered by each service data providing unit and requests from requesting user stations. It is further adapted to activate means for charging requesting user stations and crediting/awarding service data providing units according to the transactions.

Most particularly the transaction entity is adapted to charge/credit based on amount of delivered data and/or number of data delivery/reception events and/or time period for delivery/reception of service data. It should be clear that also other charging/credit based concepts can be implemented.

Particularly the service data providing units comprise or are adapted to provide information about one or more of outdoor temperature, humidity, air pollution, water pollution, traffic condition, UV index, radioactivity or any other environmental parameter. It can also comprise means for collecting surveillance information, for example from burglary sensors, any kind of camera or image monitor etc.

In an advantageous implementation the central collecting and providing arrangement comprises provider condition holding means for holding conditions relating to delivery of service data. The service data providing units and/or the local service data providing means have the option to provide delivery conditions, preferably also, at registration, or subsequent to registration, have the option to change conditions, terminate registration at any time etc. In one implementation the service data providing unit can also simultaneously act as a service data requesting user station. More generally a local service data providing means can act as both a local service data provider and a service data requesting user station. According to the invention also a central service data provider is provided which has one or more of the optional, advantageous features described above with respect to the system.

Local service data providing means are also provided having one or more of the optional features discussed above, as well as a service data providing unit.

The method may also comprise one or more of corresponding optional features in the form of method steps.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram describing a simplified implementation of part of a system according to the present invention. The figure shows two end user stations 20i, 2O₂ which represent service users. It may be an individual or an organization interested in specific information, such as for example any environmental parameter, traffic conditions etc. According to the invention no specific subscription is required in order to be able to access the service data, particularly a sensor service, which means that it is enough that a user is connected to the central service data providing arrangement CSDP 10 over a mobile network, most particularly a mobile network used in any case by the end user station. It may in one particular implementation also be a fixed communication network or a wireless network etc. According to the invention a number of local service data providing means LSDP 30i, 3O₂, 3O₃, 3O₄, 3O₅ are provided which actually are individual mobile subscribers which, in addition to a mobile telephone comprise, own and/or carry or are connected to, a number of service data providing units (SDPU) , particularly sensors, and are willing to, or at least have the option to, share information generated/collected by the sensors with one or more end users. Most particularly they may be credited, either for actually rendering the service, or based on an actual service data provided, number of providing events, amount of service data etc. as will be further discussed below.

A local service data providing unit can also act as a service user at the same time. One local service data providing unit, local SDP or LSDP, can have a number of sensors and a number of mobile subscriptions through which the sensors, or more generally SDPUs, can be reachead. An SDPU 40₅i, particularly a sensor, can be attached to an end users body contactable via the mobile telephone of the owner acting as a local SDP 3O₅, SDPUs 4O₄₃, 4O₄₂ can be built into a mobile phone acting as a local SDP 3O₄ in which case they are contactable via said mobile phone 3O₄. An SDPU 3O₂ can also be built into a car, using a separate mobile connection. An SDPU can also simultaneously act as a local SDP

(not shown) . An SDPU can also be located around a house etc. and have a separate mobile connection (not shown) . A local SDP can also provide a sensor network to provide specific information that may be of public interest. Local SDP 30i has the sensors SDPU 40ii, 40i2, 40i₃ connected to it and they may be fixed or mobile but here use the mobile subscription (indicated as communication means in Fig. 1) of the local SDP 30i . To local SDP 3O₃, which uses two mobile subscriptions, SDPUs 40_3i, 4O₃₂, 4O₃₃ are connected. It should be clear that SDPUs, for example sensors of different kinds, can be provided for in many different ways, for example local SDP 3O₄ here comprises a mobile phone or more generally a mobile station of any kind and comprises two built-in SDPUs 4O₄₂, 4O₄₃ and an external, for example stationary, SDPU 40_4i which may use the mobile subscription of the local SDP 3O₄ or a separate mobile subscription (not shown). Generally the mobile subscription (s) of the local SDP is/are used for registering and descriptive information providing purposes, i.e. an SDPU can use a mobile phone as a gateway. An SDPU can also have its own, e.g. a 3G, mobile subscription. The same subscription is used for registration and for delivery of service data.

The central SDP arrangement 10 can be seen as a proxy application of a main service provider, for example a mobile operator or other service provisioning organization interacting with service requesting user stations 20i, 2O₂ on one side and with local service data providers, here local SDPs 30i,..., 3O₅ (or SDPUs) on the other side. The communication means 19 can here be seen as the means needed for communication over the mobile communication network, and be of any conventional kind, and will therefore not be further described herein. The central SDP arrangement 10 is here described in a simplified manner and comprises analyzing means 15 for analyzing requests from end user stations for service data, handling means 12 for handling registrations from local SDPs registering SDPUs, store information about them and here including deciding means (not shown) for establishing which SDPUs should be requested to provide service data for a particular request based on the analyzis of the request. It also comprises service data requesting means 17 for sending requests to such selected SDPUs, or indirectly to SDPUs via their local SDPs. Thus, at reception of a service request from an end user station, the central SDP 10 translates the request into a required number of low level queries and forwards them to the appropriate SDPUs (directly or via their local SDPs) . When service data is received from the selected SDPUs, the responses are preferably aggregated and possibly further processed (not shown in Fig. 1) and then forwarded to a requesting end user station, here end user station 20i . MSU in the figure indicates mobile subscriptions. Fig. 2 shows one implementation of a part of a system according to the present invention. There are two service data requesting user stations 20i' , 2O₂' and in this specific case only one local service data provider LSDP 30' is illustrated which has the service data providing units Ui 40i', U₂ 4O₂' and U₃ 4O₃'. It also comprises a central service data collecting and providing arrangement CSDP 10'. CSDP' comprises a registering means 11' for registering SDPUs, here illustrated as SDPU₁ indicating the respective SDPUs to be registered as available for provisioning of service data to external user stations. It also comprises a SDPU₁ information storage 12' for holding descriptive information relating to the SDPUs and the data they may provide, possibly also conditional information indicating on which conditions the respective SDPU₁ is capable of or willing to provide information, and registration or identity related information. The CSDP 10' also comprises mapping means 13' for mapping information of the respective SDPUs and network communication parameters required for communication. It also comprises request analyzing and decision means 15' for receiving and analyzing requests from the requesting user station, and to, using information from information storage 12', select which SDPUs that are relevant for a specific request. It further comprises request generating means 17' for, based on the decision/selection made by the request analyzing and decision means 15' , sending requests to the selected SDPUs (directly or via the relevant LSDP 30'). Preferably it comprises processing means 18' for processing service data received from selected SDPUs before provisioning to a requesting user station. It should be clear that the invention also covers implementations in which the information is provided to a requesting user station without previously being processed although it is advantageous to perform a processing first, for example comprising filtering of the results, aggregating the results, averaging the data or do any appropriate processing to provide the desired data in the desired form.

An example of a procedure for registering and making SDPUs available and reacting to a request from a user station with provisioning of data to the requesting user station is schematically illustrated.

In order to make the system function, first a number of SDPUs have to be registered. An end user, by means of LSDP 30' (preferably after registering the mobile subscription number of LSDP 30' and downloading a sensor proxy application) provides for registering of desired SDPUs, 1. It is supposed that in this case Ui 40i' , U₂ 4O₂' and U₃ 4O₃' are to be registered. Information describing SPDUs 40i' , 4O₂' , 4O₃' , for example where they are located, type of SPDU, information format etc., is provided to, and stored in SDPU₁ information storage 12', 2. In mapping means 13' a mapping of the registration information of the respective SDPUs, the decriptive information is done to the particular mobile subscription communication details, 3. Then, at any time, it is supposed that user station 20i' sends a request for service data, 4, which is forwarded to request analyzing decision means 15' . The request is analyzed, information from the storage is used, 5, and appropriate SDPUs that could give valuable information with regard to a specific request are selected. Information about selected SDPUs is then provided to request generating means 17', 6. Here it is for example supposed that Ui 40i' and U₃ 40₃' have been selected and therefore requests are provided directly, 7' to U₃ mobile subscription, and indirectly, 7, via LSDP 30', to Ui. U₂ 40i' and U₃ 4O₃' then provide their respective service data SD to processing means 18' in CSDP 10', 8, 8' . It is supposed that the processing means 18' are in communication with the request analyzing and decision means 15' so that it can be determined what processing is needed. Subsequently the service data originating from Ui, U₃ is appropriately processed and provided to requesting user station

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in more detail. A central service data collecting and providing arrangement CSDP 1OA communicates using a mobile communication network by means of only schematically indicated communication means 50 with a requesting user station 2OA and, here, a local SDP 3OA which is supposed to have registered a SDPU 4OA collecting service data SD. It should be clear that of course there may be more local SDPs as well as each local SDP may have associated to it or comprise more than one SDPU. Of course also more user station can request service data over the mobile network. CSDP 1OA comprises a request handler 14' for handling requests from user stations. It communicates with request analyzing means 15 adapted to analyze the received requests and provide the outcome of an analyzis to decision or selection means 16. Information about available, registered SDPUs is held in storing means 12, here illustrated as comprising a storage for SDPU descriptions, particularly also a storage for SDPU conditions relating to conditions given by the local SDP concerning a specific SDPU concerning on which conditions it intends to deliver data. It should be clear that this is an optional function that can be implemented if more end provider control is desired. Here the storing means 12 are illustrated as including a storage for SDPU identification, or registration information HA. This storage can be arranged separately or included in the storing means 12 comprising a storage 12i or storing area for SDPU descriptive information, a storage 12₂ for SDPU location information and a storage 12₃ for conditions. The registration information is connected to the descriptive information, the conditional information and the SDP location information, which is updated by means of the communication means in a conventional manner and enabled through mapping means 13 provided for mapping between the information in the storing means 12 and mobile subscription communication details of the SDPU and/or the local SDP.

CSDP 1OA also comprises a local SDP registration means for registering the LSDP subscription information, of local SDP 3OA in this case. In decision means 16 communicating with the request analyzing means 15 and storing means 12 a selection of SDPUs is done and information about which SDPUs are selected is provided to SD requesting means 17 adapted to provide, here, a request to selected SDPU 4OA, directly if it has its own mobile subscription or indirectly via local SDP 3OA if the subscription thereof is used. Local SDP 3OA comprises means for holding SDPU information 34A, an interface 31 for user interaction, e.g. for indicating which SDPUs are to be available and an SDPU interface 32 for communication with respective SDPUs. It also comprises means 33 for holding SDPU registration or identification related information. It should be clear that these means only are shown conceptually in order to make the functions clear. Other features of a local SDP, for example if it is a mobile telephone, generally any mobile station, e.g. a Laptop, are not shown since their functioning as such is of no importance for the present invention.

When a request has been forwarded to for example SDPU, the requested service data is provided to SDCP processing means 18 for, using information from the request analyzing means 15, appropriately processing the received data, for example aggregation of data from several SDPUs, or averaging of the data received from several SDPUs, an averaging of data received covering a particular time period, from one SDPU or within given limits, etc. The processed service data is then forwarded to service data delivering means 19A for delivery to the requesting user station 2OA. It should be clear that the SD delivering means 19 can be seen as incorporated in the processing means 18 or in the communication means 50 since the functionality is merely to provide the data to the requesting user station, preferably over the mobile network. It should be clear that different networks can be used for communication between the SDCP 1OA and user stations, it may be a mobile network or a wired network. Between SDCP 1OA and local SDP and/or SDPUs the communication network is mobile.

The flow diagram in Fig. 4 schematically illustrates one implementation of a procedure when a mobile subscriber has the intention to become a local service data provider. The user intending to act as a local service data provider (LSDP) registers the mobile subscription with a main service provider, 100. Subsequently the user can download a service data proxy application, to act as a central SDP, 101. Using the proxy application the user of the local service provider defines public service data providing units (SDPU) which shall act as for example public sensors or which are to be publically available as far as data delivery is concerned and forwards registering information (to the main service provider) together with a description of each available SDPU using the proxy application, 102. This descriptive information may for example relate to the type, accuracy, information format etc. of a SDPU, which particularly may be a sensor.

In an optional step the user can define additional conditions, here called availability conditions, for a registered SDPU and/or LSDP, 103. The conditions for example indicate when/how the user is willing to provide service data (sensor information) , for example time of the day, number of service requests per day, mobile device level of battery under which service provision is to be suspended, allowed locations and/or not allowed locations etc. The CSDP records SDPU registration, description, possibly availability conditions and communication details in the storing means, for example implemented as a sensor database, 104. A mapping of SDPU identity to mobile subscription related information (of LSDP and/or SDPU) is also done so that, by means of the mobile communication network, the current location of each registered SDPU is kept up to date, 105. The order of the last steps does not have to be the order illustrated in this flow diagram, the steps can be performed in any appropriate order.

At any moment LSDP can cancel or suspend the complete service or a part of the service using the proxy application as referred to above, illustrated in the figure as a continued examination to see whether an SDPU should continue to be available, 106. If not, it is deregistered in CSDP, 107. It should be clear that this can be handled in any appropriate manner. Preferably a command can be used at any time (on the proxy application) to indicate availability conditions, or introduce new availability conditions, changing the associated descriptive information or simply cancelling a registration.

After reception of a first data request from a service user, a requesting end user station, the main service provider or the CSDP has to perform a number of operations as exemplified in Fig. 5. A request can in one embodiment be in form of Google like queries or it can be based on a number of choices an end user has made on the main service provider web site.

It is supposed that a request for service data is received from a requesting user station in a central service data providing arrangement, CSDP, 200. In CSDP the request is analyzed to determine requirements for parameters related to the service data and/or the service data providing unit in order to fulfill requirements of the request, 201. The user station request may for example be analyzed concerning required sensor types, accuracy, location, limits of parameters and other relevant parameters .

The storing means of the CSDP, for example a sensor database, is then queried using the, in the light of the request parameters, underlying certain conditions to determine or select sensor which are capable of providing the requested information, i.e. SDPUs are selected for which relevant parameters fulfill the requirements of the request, 202. SDPU or sensor specific requests or queries are forwarded to all selected and identified SDPUs (indirectly via corrensponding LSDP or directly depending on whether they have an own, separate, subscription or not) , 203.

When they have delivered the requested service data (SD) and it has been received in the CSDP, 2004, the CSDP advantageously processes the received SD, 2005. The processing may for example comprise aggregation of received information based on context information and sensor description, for example if an average of the outdoor temperature in a particular region is requested, readings from temperature sensors in that area is provided. It should be noted that sensors built into cars and temperature sensors built into mobile phones of a person walking in the same street as the car is driving, will provide entirely different readings, the processing has to involve some filtering, unless it is sorted out by means of the request requirements. The processing may also comprise aggregation of the received SD or the readings, it may comprise filtering of possibly noisy data, for example data from an air conditioned room, and/or it can also comprise averaging of data or in some particular way aggregation of parts of data etc.

Finally the processed SD is delivered to the requesting end user station, 206.

Fig. 6 is a flow diagram describing a specific implementation of the inventive concept.

In the first step an LSDP registers its mobile subscription number on an SP website, 300. The LSDP downloads a proxy application from the SP, the main service provider, 301. LSDP registers a number of SDPUs for example SDPUi,..., SDPU₄; in general designated SDPU₁ and the relevant mobile subscriptions, either of the LSDP and/or of respective SDPU₁ and stores them into a storage, 302, in or associated with the LSDP. LSDP also provides descriptive information of SDPUi,..., SDPU₄ and optionally also conditional availability information to CSDP, 303. CSDP maps descriptive and possibly conditional information to mobile subscription related information, for example subscriber identity of SDPU₁, LSDP, IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) of SDPU₁ or, in relevant cases, for LSDP, etc., 304. The mapped information is stored in CSDP storing means, e.g. a database, 305. In this advantageous implementation at this stage, or at an earlier stage, an account is registered for LSDP, 306, which may enable for separate inputs for each SDPU or groupwise for some SDPUs or for all SDPUs controlled by LSDP, 306. At reception of a request for service data from an end user station, the end user also is registered with an account in CSDP, unless there already is one, 307. Subsequently, when a request for service data is received in CSDP, the request is analyzed, 308, and, as discussed above, the appropriate SDPUs are selected to meet the requirements of the specific request,

309. SD requests or queries are provided to the selected SDPUs,

310, and service data is provided from the selected SDPUs to the CSDP, 311.

Then the account registered for an LSDP is credited for selected SDPUs having provided service data (or intending to provide service data), 312, which means that local service data providers, also called mini information providers, can be credited via their account for provided information. As discussed above the service data may also be processed, 313. It should be clear that the processing step can take place before any crediting etc. Processing may even be left out if it is not considered to be necessary or if a requesting end user station is interested in raw data only.

The service data is then provided to the requesting end user station, 314, and the end user station account is debited, 315. This means that the account of the service user is charged for the provided service. This can be done in different manners, already upon requesting data etc. or only after provisioning of the data or after verification that the data has been received etc .

Preferably, the CSDP or the proxy application provides charging information for example to a small transaction entity which will have responsibility for handling and maintaining records of all financial transactions, charging/crediting. In a particular embodiment an LSDP will have an account registered with the CSDP as soon as it admits a first registration or description of a SDPU to the proxy (to the CSDP) .

Thus service usage costs can be charged the mobile network account of each subscriber, pre-paid or post-paid.

The transaction entity can be provided in any appropriate manner as a separate entity or integrated with any of the means, e.g. in or connected to the storing means 12, 12', 12i, 12₂, 12₃, e.g. in communication with the location information storing means 12₂, directly and/or indirectly in communication with the communication means, or connected to/in the mapping means or any other means.

It should be clear that it is an advantage that it is provided a new business model for an emerging area, for example mobile SDPU, particularly sensor, network services which has a huge revenue potential. It is based on a distributed model service provision utilizing a large number and variety of SDPUs, for example sensors, that will be owned, and e.g. carried and worn by regular mobile subscribers as information providers, thus allowing service providers to offer an enormous variety and amount of information without having to deploy their own SDPUs or sensors. This significantly reduces the costs for service provisioning, and gives a benefit for providers. At the same time the actual number of mobile subscribers combined with multiple SDPUs will guarantee a good coverage and a variety of SDPU types, which in any other manner would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to achieve at all, for example if sensor providers were to deploy their own sensor networks. It should be clear that the invention is not limited to the specifically illlustrated embodiments but that it can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the appended claims and that features of any disclosed embodiment can be combined with any other embodiment in an optional manner.

Claims

1. A system for handling service data, said system comprising a plurality of local service data providing means

(30i, ... , 3O₅; 30 ' ; 30A) and a number of service data requesting user stations (20i, 2O₂; 2Oi ' , 2O₂ ' ; 20A) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises a central service data collecting and providing arrangement (10; 10 ' ; 10A) , said central arrangement

(10; 10 ';10A) comprising registering means (H'; 11, Hi) adapted to, for one or more local service data providing means

(30i, ... , 3O₅; 30 ' ; 30A) , register one or more service data providing units (40_n,i₂,i3, 3O₂, 4031,32, 33, 4041, 42, 43, 4051; 4O₂ ' , 4O₂ ' , 4O₃ ' ; 40A) and to provide registration and identification information indicating that they are available for providing service data, said local service data providing means (30i, ... , 3O₅; 30 ' ; 30A) further being adapted to provide service data providing unit related or descriptive information to said central arrangement, the central arrangement (10; 10'; 10A) comprising analyzing and decision means (12, 15; 15 '; 15, 16) adapted to analyze a request received from a service data requesting user station

(20i,20₂;20i' ,2O₂' ;20A) and to select from which service data providing units (40n,i₂,i₃, 3O₂, 40₃i,₃₂,₃₃, 40₄i,₄₂,₄₃, 40₅i; 4O₂ ' , 4O₂ ' , 4O₃ ' ; 40A) service data is to be requested for the received request using said descriptive information, and further to request service data from said selected service data providing units

(40_II,_I2,_I3,30₂,40_3I,₃₂,₃₃,40_4I,₄₂,₄₃,40_5I;40_I',40₂',40₃' ; 40A) using a mobile communication network.

2 . A system according to claim 1 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central collecting and providing arrangement (10; 10 '; 10A) comprises storing means (12 ; 12 ' ; 12i, 12₂, 12₃) for storing said service related descriptive data and provider unit related data.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the service data providing units (4On, 12,13, 3O₂, 40₃i, 32,33, 4O₄₁, ₄₂, ₄₃, 4O_5I,- 4Oi ', 4O₂ ', 4O₃ '; 40A) comprise sensing or detecting and/or actuating means.

4. A system according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that one, more or all of said sensing, detecting and/or actuating means are mobile.

5. A system according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that one or more of said sensing, detecting and/or actuating means are stationary.

6. A system according to any one of claims 3-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that one or more service data providing units comprise or provide a sensor network.

7. A system according to claim 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a number of service data providing units are integrated in (4O₄₂, 4O₄₃) or connected to (4On, 12,13, 40₃i,₃₂,₃₃, 40₄i, 40₅i; 4O₂ ' ; 40A) one or more mobile telephones each acting as a local service data providing means (30i; 3O₃, 3O₄, 3O₅; 30 ' ) .

8. A system according to any one of claims 3-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that one or more of the service data providing units (3O₂; 4O₃') are adapted to be connected to the mobile communication network by means of a respective, separate, own, connection.

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central service data collecting and providing arrangement (10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) comprises a proxy server arrangement.

10. A system according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the proxy server arrangement (10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) is adapted to be operated by an operator operating the mobile network or by a main service provider.

11. A system according to claim 9 or 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the proxy server arrangement (10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) comprises mapping means adapted to map between identification registration information of registered sensor or detecting arrangements and mobile network communication parameters.

12. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central data collecting and providing arrangement (10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) is adapted to, by means of the mobile communication network, obtain current updated location related information concerning registered sensing or detecting and/or actuating means .

13. A system according to claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the analyzing and deciding means (12, 15; 15 '; 15, 16) are adapted to, at reception of a request for service data, said request being defined by means of a number of specific service data parameters, use the location related information and the service description information to select from which service data providing unit service data is to be collected, and to provide or initiate provisioning of requests for service data to said service data providing unit/units.

14. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central data collecting and providing arrangement (10; 10 ';10A) comprises or is adapted to communicate with a transaction entity (12,12') adapted to keep information about transactions relating to data delivered by service data providing units and relating to requests from requesting user stations and for activating means for charging requesting user stations and crediting/awarding said service data providing units.

15. A system according to claim 14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the transaction entity (12; 12') is adapted to charge/credit based on amounts of delivered data and/or number of data delivery/reception events and/or time/time period for delivery/reception of service data.

16. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises service data providing units (4On,12,13, 3O₂, 4 O₃₁, ₃₂, ₃₃, 4 O₄₁, ₄₂, ₄₃, 4 O5₁; 4 Oi ' ,4O₂' ,4O₃' ; 40A) for providing information about one or more environmental parameters, e.g. outdoor temperature, humidity, air pollution, water pollution, traffic condition, UV index, radioactivity or surveillance information provided by burglary sensors, cameras, etc.

17. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central collecting and providing arrangement

(10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) comprises provider condition holding means (12₃) for holding conditions for delivery of service data and in that the local service data providing means (30i, ... , 3O₅; 30 ' ; 30A) are adapted to have the option to provide service data delivery conditions for service data units, at, or at any time after, registration, to change conditions or to terminate registration.

18. A central service data collecting and providing arrangement (10 ; 10 ' ; 10A) for providing service data to service data requesting user stations, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises registering means (11 ' ; 11; Hi) adapted to register a plurality of service data providing units by means of registration and identification information indicating that said service data providing units are available to act as service data providing units, storing means (12 ; 12 ' ; 12i, 12₂, 12₃) for receiving and holding service data related information and service data providing unit related information for registered service data providing units, that it comprises analyzing and decision means (15; 15 '; 15, 16) adapted to, upon reception of a request for service data from a service data requesting user station, for said specific request, select from which available service data providing units service data is to be collected, to request service data from said selected service data providing units, and to, using a mobile communication network, provide service data to said requesting user station.

19. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to claim 18, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises a proxy server arrangement running a service providing application operated by a mobile communications network or a main service provider.

20. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to any one of claims 18-19, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the analyzing and decision means comprise or communicate with the storing means.

21. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to claim 20, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the analyzing means are adapted to analyze a received request for service data, using the information in the storing means, to select or determine from which available, registered service data providing units is to be registered.

22. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to claim 21, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the analyzing and decision means are adapted to comprise or communicate with service data processing means (18',-18) adapted to process the data in agreement with the request, e.g. aggregate the, or parts of, collected service data for delivery to the requesting end user station in a manner corresponding to the request, take an average of data, provide a plurality of averaged results, apply parameter limits.

23. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to any one of claims 18-22, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises mapping means (13';: 13 ) adapted to map between identification or registration information of registered service data providing units and mobile network communication parameters and in that it is adapted to, via the mobile communication network, collect up -to date, current location information of the service data providing units.

24. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to any one of claims 18-23, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it is adapted to register service data providing units comprising sensing or detecting and/or actuating means being mobile and/or stationary arranged, connected to or integrated in a mobile telephone or connected by means of a separate specific connection .

25. A service data collecting and providing arrangement according to any one of claims 18-24, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises or is connected to a transaction entitiy (12; 12i ' ; 12₂) adapted to keep information about service data collecting and providing transactions and to activate or provide transaction information to means for charging requesting user stations and crediting/awarding service data providing units.

26. A service data provider according to any one of claims 18- 25, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it is adapted to collect and provide service data relating to one or more of temperature, humidity, air pollution, water pollution, or other environmental parameters, UV index, radioactivity, traffic conditions, surveillance information, e.g. form burglary detectors, camera data etc.

27. A local service data providing means (30i, ... , 3O₅; 30 ' ; 30A) adapted to collect and provide service data, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it is adapted to provide identification or registration information, for one or more service data providing units to a central service data collecting and providing arrangement, to indicate that said service data providing units are available as service data providing units using a mobile communications network, and in that it is adapted to provide service data, and service data providing unit related, descriptive information to the central service data collection and providing arrangement, location or communication related information concerning each service data providing unit being provided over the mobile communication network, that registered service data providing units are adapted to, upon reception of a request from the central service data collecting and providing arrangement, provide service data over the mobile communication network to said central service data collecting and providing arrangement.

28. A local service data providing means according to claim 27, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises a mobile station, with one or more service data providing units comprising sensing or detecting and/or actuating means incorporated therein or connected to it.

29. A local service data providing means according to claim 28, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that each service data providing unit is adapted to be registered by means of one or more proprietary mobile subscriptions in the mobile communiation network.

30. A local service data providing means according to claim 28, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises or is connected to a mobile telephone to which the local service data providing unit/units are connected or which they are incorporated and in that the registration information concerning the sensing or detecting means comprise the identification data of the mobile telephone, the sensing devices hence being contactable using the subscription of the mobile telephone.

31. A local service data providing means according to claim 29, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the service data providing units are stationary arranged or arranged in or connected to a mobile station, e.g. a car.

32. A local service data providing means according to any one of claims 27-31, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it supports a proxy application for configuration of service data providing units.

33. A local service data providing means according to claim 32, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises a user interface (31) allowing a user to provide, in addition to registration information and descriptive information, service data provisioning related conditions indicating conditions for controlling when/how service data is to be provided.

34. A method for providing end user stations with service data, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of local service data providing means communicating with a central service data collecting and providing arrangement over a mobile communication network, said local service data providing means comprising or communicating with a number of service data providing units, - registering service data providing units, which are to be available for provisioning of service data, with a central service data collecting and providing arrangement; providing service data providing unit related, descriptive information to the central arrangement; - storing the descriptive information in storing means in or connected to the central arrangement; keeping current or up-dated information relating to the location of the registered service data providing units in the central arrangement; - at reception of a request for service data from a service data requesting user station in the central arrangement; analyzing, in the central arrangement, the request to determine or select, using the descriptive information and location information, from which service data providing units service data is to be collected; providing requests to the selected service data providing units for service data; receiving service data from the selected service data providing units; - processing the received service data in the central arrangement to obtain service data fulfilling requirements given by the request from the end user station; providing the processed service data to the service data requesting user station.

35. A method according to claim 34, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the service data providing units comprise mobile and/or stationary sensing or detecting means.

36. A method according to claim 35, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises the steps of; downloading a proxy application to the local service data providing means, comprising said central arrangement, providing the descriptive information using said proxy application.

37. A method according to claim 34, 35 or 36, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises the step of: - providing conditions to control service provisioning from the service data units.

38. A method according to any one of claims 34-36, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it comprises the steps of: registering a account for each service data providing unit or local service providing means handling a number of units at registration of the service data providing unit; crediting the account for requests to the local service providing means/service providing unit; debiting each service data requesting user station at or after reception of a request in the central arrangement.