FI115815B - Detection of terminals by wireless short-range connection - Google Patents

Description

115815 Detection of Terminals by Wireless Short Range

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the detection of terminals, in particular the detection of terminals by wireless short-range connection.

Background of the Invention

Positioning technology is currently used in many different industrial sectors. In recent years, positioning technologies have been increasingly applied, especially to wireless terminals, such as mobile phones and laptops, with the proliferation and development of terminals. It is expected that as the positioning technologies continue to evolve, the range of services and security applications they will provide will increase dramatically.

Positioning techniques such as GPS can be used to determine, for example, the position of a wireless terminal with a given accuracy. The most common ways to determine the location of a terminal are satellite positioning systems, foreground coverage of base stations in a wireless cellular network, and positioning from known base station proximity data.

Communication and communication between portable terminals is generally accomplished by wireless communication technologies. Bluetooth is pretty jv. 20 new short - range wireless communication technologies,. ·: ·. for example applications such as mobile phones and laptops ·,; the. Other technologies used for wireless communication include * HomeRF and WLAN 802.11.

'' Current technologies based on positioning and wireless short-range connectivity have enabled service models that are characterized by the use of * ··· 'terminal geographic or absolute location information to provide services or as part of service content. Current service location models based on absolute location information are interactions between a single user and a service provider that do not involve other users.

30 The relative proximity of the terminals in this context means that the terminals are substantially close to each other such that the maximum distance is a few times the range of the wireless short-range connection. Services that require their terminals to be relatively close to each other are referred to herein as proximity services.

115815 2 Providing proximity services using absolute location information is very difficult, since the detection of another terminal that is substantially in proximity to a single user generally requires the location information of all terminals within the area to be determined. This is a computationally difficult and thus very slow operation if a system such as a mobile communication system has a large number of users.

The known solutions of WO 00/22860, WO 01/33429 and EP 1 176 840 are based on the determination of absolute position information. In addition, EP 1,176,840 discloses tracking only predefined users within the same wireless short range connection. The systems described in US 2001/0001239 and WO 01/37597, in turn, are based on the use of fixed access points (AP), so that the systems do not collect location information directly from the user terminals, but from base stations whose absolute location information is known.

The problem with the arrangements described above is that they are not able to quickly and easily retrieve inter-terminal location information for proximity service models. This limits the provision of proximity services and the use of proximity services. A further problem is that positioning technologies, such as GPS technology, often perform poorly indoors. However, getting information from inside buildings is crucial for Mo-20 services. In addition, location services based on cells and base stations of operators' mobile networks are, at least for the time being, very inaccurate and also work better outdoors than indoors. Mobile terminals with positioning technology are still scarce and they ·: <; 25 are expensive.

Brief Description of the Invention

It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus implementing the method so that the disadvantages of the above problems can be reduced. and thus enable proximity services, at a minimal cost to 30 users. The objects of the invention are achieved. preferably by a method and system characterized by what- is disclosed in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention 'i' are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention is based on the fact that the system 35 according to the invention comprises at least two wireless terminals arranged to establish a wireless short-range connection and a server on which at least one of said terminals is arranged to connect 115815 3. The server comprises proximity service functionality that processes and transmits proximity information to entities providing the services. The terminal is part of the proximity service system when the proximity service functionality belonging to the terminal is installed in said terminal and the terminal thus obtains a unique proximity service identifier or ID. At least one terminal belonging to said proximity service system detects another terminal via a wireless short-range connection. If the detected terminal also has a unique ID of the proximity service system, then one of said terminal 10 transmits its own ID via said wireless short-range connection to the other said terminal. The terminal receiving the ID of the second terminal sends both its own ID and the received ID or information to a server, which stores in its memory information that said terminals are within the range of the same wireless short bearer, i.e. so-called proximity information.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the proximity service system includes a service server which receives terminal proximity information directly from a server or unit of interest arranged to filter the proximity information of the server based on the parameters provided to it. The service server checks the profiles of said terminals, which have been pre-created based on user input. If the parameters contained in the ί '*': profiles of the said users match, a second message is sent to said users! for terminals in their close proximity to each other; ; syydestä.

,.: 25 Terminals A and B are interpreted to be located in close proximity to each other; if at least one of the terminals A or B detects that the other terminal / terminal B or A is within the same short range wireless connection range. The terminals A and B are interpreted to be substantially adjacent to one another if the terminals A and B are either located in close proximity to each other or are connected to each other through a continuous chain of units.

., According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the server is · arranged to interpret the proximity information transiently so that despite the fact that neither of the terminals A or B detect each other, they are: 35 substantially adjacent if one or a plurality of terminals Cj such that at least one terminal, for example Ci, is in the immediate vicinity of terminal A and at least one terminal, for example Cn, is in the immediate vicinity of terminal B such that a continuous chain of terminals A to terminal B is uninterrupted.

The method and system of the invention provide significant advantages. The method and system of the invention enable the proximity information of two terminals that are close to each other to be determined and maintained easily and quickly, since proximity information does not need to be determined by absolute location information of all users of a system such as a mobile communication system. Thus, one advantage of the invention is that the finished information produced by the observation based on the wireless short-range connection of the terminals reduces the amount of computing required in the system. Another advantage of the invention is that the proximity of the terminals can be interpreted transitively. A further advantage of the invention is the low telecommunication and other costs of operating and operating the information system 15 of the invention, whereby the service provider is able to keep the costs of the users extremely low, so that the services can be marketed as mass everyday services. It is also an advantage of the invention that the services can operate unobtrusively in the background run of the terminal communicating with the user 20 according to his or her own interests and desires. A further advantage of the invention is that it is possible to determine the absolute position using the base stations using essential positioning services or using traditional positioning techniques: '·': provided that they add value to the system of the invention. ': Relative to the positioning procedure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments. 1, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a prior art Bluetooth network; Figure 2 is a simplified view of a method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; ', Fig. 3a illustrates, by way of example, a message sequence diagram of a method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3b close-up; · 'Autumn graph and Figure 3c physical world.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described by way of example on the basis of Bluetooth technology, but the invention is not limited to this technology. In addition to Bluetooth, the invention can be used in any system employing short-range radio frequency links to connect various electronic devices. In addition to Bluetooth, such technologies include HomeRF and WLAN 802.11.

The invention may be applied in particular, but not limited to, mobile stations. The mobile stations utilized in the invention may be based on any known mobile communications technology as long as they comprise means for establishing a data connection between the terminal and the server comprising the proximity service. Said data connection may be, for example, GPRS, HSCSD, SMS, USSD or any other circuit switched or packet data connection.

15 Bluetooth is a wireless ad hoc network system that allows electronic devices to dynamically connect to and separate from each other. The connection is made using a short-range radio transmitter, which has a default range of about 10 meters with a transmission power of 1 mW, but which can be increased up to 100 meters by increasing the proximity power.

The data transfer capacity of the Bluetooth system is as high as 723.5 kbps in asynchronous mode.

: The Bluetooth device can use the Inquiry procedure described in the standard to find out the device identifiers of other Blue-V: tooth devices in its vicinity.

:.: After discovering a set of tags, said Bluetooth device can connect to another:: ··· 25 Bluetooth devices using the Page procedure described in the standard.

. . : Before connecting to another Bluetooth device, the mentioned Bluetooth device is in standby mode and when connected, the Bluetooth device state is in Connection mode. When Bluetooth devices are connected, they can. . You can use the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) to determine each other's supported services and attributes. Service attributes include, but are not limited to, the type and class of service and the mechanism or protocol required; 'To use the service.

. ···. The Bluetooth network operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial- t Medical-Scientific band) free band. In Europe, the ISM range is 83.5 MHz and is located between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz. Bluetooth transmission utilizes spread-frequency interleaving technology based on spread-spectrum technology, or 115815 6 hair hopping. (frequency hopping) The transmission band is typically divided into 79 openings, typically approximately 1 MHz apart. During a radio connection, each subband is used only for a short period of time, so the carrier frequency changes very rapidly. Since the signals are spread over a wide bands the effect of interference in the subbands is reduced.

Interleaving in this context means that the packets to be transmitted include part of the previous packet and part of the incoming packet. The protocol used by Bluetooth is a combination of circuit-switched and packet-switched data transfer based on hair-hopping. In packet switched data transmission, the channel is Time Division Duplex (TDD), whereby one time slot is 625 ps according to the Bluetooth standard. One data packet is transmitted during one time slot. This is then switched to another subband and another packet is transmitted. Since the slot length is 625 ps, the frequency 15 changes 1600 times per second. However, a constant number of time slots per unit of time can be reserved for synchronous data, whereby the connection functions like circuit switched data.

Each message generally begins with a 72-bit Access Code (AC) obtained from the host device identifier. The piconet receiver 20 compares the incoming signal and the access code, and if they are not identical, the received packet is discarded. In addition to packet recognition, the unlock code is also used for • synchronization and offset voltage compensation. Unlock code; ; generates a 54-bit header (Header, H), which contains everything needed to identify the recipient of the message and the type of message (e.g., synchronous / asynchronous). The heading also includes flow control, acknowledgment, and serial number information. The header is followed by a payload that contains the actual message. The payload can generally vary in different messages from empty message to 2745 bits.

The operation of the Bluetooth network will be further explained with reference to the following; ; 30, which illustrates a Bluetooth network comprising two piconets (Piconet). A piconet refers to two or more Bluetooth devices:! a network entity within the range of the Bluetooth radio transmitter. All Bluetooth devices are equivalent within a network, but the device that first transmits information on the network assumes the role of Master, I 35, and other devices on the network act as slaves on the network. The system is called Master-Slave Architecture. However, the host and slave 115815 7 can switch roles, but only one device can be the master at a time. The slave clock frequencies are synchronized with the master clock. Because the master controls the slaves, there is less interference between the devices.

In the Bluetooth network of Figure 1, the first piconet (P1) comprises a first mobile station (MS1), a wireless headset / microphone combination (HS) and an access point (AP) for further communication with, for example, local area network (LAN) to other telecommunication networks such various telephone and mobile networks. Thus, for example, cellular telephone connections can be arranged to be handled within the range of the Bluetooth network such that the mobile station (MS1) establishes a Bluetooth connection to an access point (AP) through which a connection to, for example, a fixed network is established. The mobile station (MS1) can thus be left in place, for example, on a desktop charger, and the call can also be forwarded to the headset / microphone combination (HS) which is carried by the user over a Bluetooth connection. Thus, the mobile station (MS1) acts as a host on the piconet (P1), which is composed of an access point (AP) and a headset / microphone combination (HS). If the headset / microphone combination (HS) comprises means for initiating a call set-up, the roles in the network can be switched so that the headset / microphone combination becomes 20 new hosts when making a call. Similarly, in the case of an incoming call, the access point (AP) can also act as a host. This allows the user of a mobile • device to move freely, for example, in the office area, only hearing. ke / microphone combination (HS) and still be able to connect to the mobile network.

'! The second piconet (P2) of Figure 1 also comprises an access point. (AP) and two mobile stations (MS2 and MS3). The device may thus be part of the use-; to the piconet at the same time, such as an access point (AP) in this case.

* 'Each device is on the same piconet with only the necessary devices so that transmission rates can be increased within each piconet. Such a Bluetooth network of 30 piconets is called Scatternet.

With reference to Figure 2, the following will be described by way of example; a method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The server (S) comprises a proximity service to which the terminals (A and B) ':' are pre-joined, each terminal comprising a proximity service identifying: ':: 35 its unique ID.

115815 8 Terminals (A and B) are in standby mode before establishing a Blue-tooth connection. In this case, each terminal (A and B) searches for other Bluetooth terminals using the Inquiry procedure according to the Bluetooth standard. For each detected terminal, a connection is established and a service inquiry according to the SDP protocol is performed to determine if the detected terminal supports the proximity service. If this is the case, in this case the detected terminal (A) obtains the proximity service identifier of the detected terminal (B) by an ID request (Obtain1D (B)) via Bluetooth. In response, the terminal B sends its own ID, or ID (B), to the terminal A.

10 After the wireless connection is established, at least one of the terminal devices (A or B) connects to the server (S), for example a GPRS wireless Internet connection, and transmits to the server (S) that the terminals (A and B) are within the same wireless short range within range of the connection. Based on this so-called proximity information P (A, B), the server (S) updates the proximity information stored in its memory.

The proximity information of said terminals can be filtered in a so-called interest unit (I). The interest unit (I) is arranged to filter the proximity information comprised by the server (S) so as to form so-called proximity sets based on the parameters 20 provided to the interest unit (I). The determination of the proximity set will be explained in more detail later.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the proximity set information formed by the interest unit (I) is forwarded to the service. a server (SS) that checks the proximity set of terminals • · · '; Profiles of 25 users (Ua and UB) pre-created using, for example, a web or WAP '' interface based on their own information. There are many ways to create a profile, such as answering a series of multiple-choice questions, providing numerical information about some features such as age, height, or weight, including free text or photos in the profile, or requesting the counterparty relationship. If the profiles of UEs and UBs belonging to a set of proxies match. If there is a terminal user according to the given criteria, information is sent to said terminals. This information can be transmitted, for example, via a GPRS wireless internet connection.

In this way, it is advantageous to determine substantially close terminals which are based solely on the relative proximity of the terminals. This determination of the relative proximity of the terminals, in turn, enables the implementation of various relative proximity services in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention.

The method of the invention may also determine the absolute location of the terminal using base stations, at locations relevant to services, or utilizing traditional positioning techniques. In some situations, determining absolute location information may add some value to the capabilities of the system itself, such as searching for a particular user of a large number of terminals.

Referring to the message sequence diagram of Figure 3a, the proximity graph of Figure 3b, and the physical world of Figure 3c, the operation of a method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described. The message sequence diagram illustrates information passing from one terminal to another. The proximity graph, in turn, illustrates the server's (S) perception of the proximity of terminals to each other.

Consider the situation with the example of the operation of four terminals (A, B, C and D) and one server (S). The terminals (A, B, C, and D) comprise software which, in its active mode, attempts to detect other proximity service terminals in its vicinity as previously described.

; ,. The terminal A sends an ID request (Obtain1D (B)) to the terminal B and receives as the return value the terminal ID (B) of the terminal B. After receiving ID (B):. the terminal A transmits to the server (S) both its own ID or ID (A) and; 25 to receive the ID (B) received or information to determine the ID (A) and ID (B). Server>. i * '(S) stores in its memory the proximity information P (A, B) of the terminals, i.e., the information that the terminals A and B are within the range of the same wireless short range connection. This is illustrated in the proximity graph of Fig. 3b with an arc (A, B) having a time stamp ti. To be added to proximity information P (A, B)! The 30 time stamp refers to the time when the server (S) was last reported to be in the immediate vicinity of each other. If the proximity graph has an arc corresponding to the proximity information, the time stamp of the arc is updated to the server (S) based on information from the terminals to match the new '···' observation. When an arc timestamp is interpreted as obsolete, the arc of $: 35 is removed from the proximity graph.

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According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the terminal device transmits information about the subsequent observation following the first observation to the server (S) only if the time elapsed since the previous observation exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Thus, in the arrangement according to the invention, it is sufficient to consider only one or more terminals in the range of the same wireless short-range connection. Because it is not necessary to determine proximity information for all users of the mobile communication system, and since the server receives predefined proximity information from the terminals, determining the relative proximity of the terminals and maintaining the proximity information is easy and quick.

While the terminals A and B are still within the same range of the wireless short range, the terminals C and D come within the same range of the same wireless short range, whereby the terminal D detects the terminal C. The terminal D sends the terminal C an ID request (Obtain1D (C)) and upon receiving the terminal C ID or ID (C), the terminal D sends the proximity information P (D, C) to the server (S). Thus, Figure 2b shows an arc (D, C) having a time stamp t2.

After some time, the value of the time stamp 20 ti of the arc A and B of the terminals A and B has exceeded a certain predetermined limit value, i.e. the time stamp ti has expired because it has not been renewed. In this case, the server (S) assumes that the terminals: ·. you make A and B no longer located in the coverage area of the same wireless short range connection, so the arc (A, B) is removed from the proximity graph (TimeOut (A, B)).

; . After a while, the terminal C establishes a wireless short-range connection with the terminal A, and thus also the terminal D is assumed to be relatively close to the terminal A, as proximity information is interpreted. i transitively. In this context, transmissivity means that, if: ...: for example, the terminals A and C are in relative proximity to each other, as well as the terminals C and D, then the terminals A:: 30: A and D are in relative proximity to each other. .

The terminal C sends the terminal A with an ID request (Obtain1D (A)), and. \ in response, terminal C receives the terminal A ID, or ID (A). The terminal C sends the proximity information P (C, A) to the server (S), which is stored in the memory of the server (S); 'Yes. The new arc of the proximity graph (C, A) receives a time stamp t3.

: '·! 35 Now the software comprised by the server (S) is capable of transitive; the conclusion that since terminals C and D are in close proximity to each other, 4 115815 11 (arc P (C, D)), as well as terminals A and C (arc P (C, A)), so do the terminals A and D are substantially close to each other.

In addition to the functionality of the proximity system described above, wireless client devices, such as mobile stations, can also use client applications of the services of the 5 proximity service models with which the service servers communicate when the services require it. The client applications of the terminal services can also advantageously establish a direct connection with the client applications of the other terminals, the terminals being within the same range of the wireless short-range connection.

The above describes a method for detecting proximity between terminals via wireless short-range communication. With respect to terminals, functionality may be provided by software configured in accordance with the invention to detect other terminals by wireless short-range connection, in its active mode by wireless short-range connection to query whether other terminals in the proximity service system are within range of said wireless short range. such terminals are detected, so as to determine the IDs of the detected terminals in the proximity system. Additionally, said software is arranged to send detected proximity information to a server (S).

; ·, The software (S) is installed on the server (S) to identify the users of the terminal devices in the proximity service. Said software is arranged according to the invention to receive proximity service identifiers or information used to determine proximity information transmitted by terminals belonging to the proximity system and to maintain in the server (S) memory information on the proximity of the terminals. In addition, the server software transmits proximity information to the service server (SS) or to the unit of interest (I).

* 30 The system may also include other servers, such as / ··; a second server operatively connected to the server (S), whereby establishing a connection for transmitting proximity information from the terminals may take place to: a first server (S) from which the information is forwarded to the second server comprising the actual proximity service.

: '· 35 As described above, the system may additionally include one or more * units of interest (I) arranged to provide proximity information maintained by server (S) 115815 12 to service servers (SS). The interest unit (I) interprets the proximity information maintained by the server (S) and generates proximity sets based on the parameters provided to it. The parameters may include, for example, a plurality of users of interest, an information expiration time that defines a maximum value for the difference between the current or previous and most recent time stamp. When the interest unit uses server (S) proximity data, the terminals are interpreted to be in proximity to each other if there is an arc between said terminals in the proximity graph, and the arc age defined by the arc time stamp does not exceed the value given to the interest unit. The interest unit (I) forms proximity sets such that the same proximity set includes all devices that are either in close proximity to or substantially in proximity to each other. Proximity is thus interpreted transitively, which means that the same proximity set includes terminals in the vicinity of each other.

The system may further comprise one or more service servers (SS) arranged to receive information from terminal users or user sets within the same wireless short range connection from one of the interest units (I) or directly from the server (S).

For example, a service server (SS) may obtain notifications of certain types of proximity information changes. For both the proximity information query and the notification of proximity information, the service server (SS) is arranged to provide \ 'the desired information with criteria to be sent to the interest unit (I) or service *; [lime (S), and based on which the unit of interest (I) or server (S) forms it: · 25. In the Proximity Information Query, the criterion is defined based on current Proximity: information, whereas the Criteria for informing Proximity Information changes are *. '· Criteria defined by previous or older and current Proximity Information; ] based on which changes can be detected. The query criteria can, for example, define all sets of proximity greater than a given number, that is to say, each other:. . 30 sets of users in the vicinity, or any ··· proximity sets to which some interesting users belong. Information Criteria • »" * can define, for example, all proximity sets that have i new users added, users who have joined a proximity set,: united proximity sets, proximity sets that have changed, proximity sets: 35 sets that have left or become at least two users in total ·!

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According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the potential interest of terminal users in the service server (SS) towards one another can be calculated based on proximity information and profiles. These profiles are pre-created based on user input.

The system based on the invention provides various inexpensive services such as encounters, collaboration, information, auction services and games.

In particular, the Service Server (SS) may be a meeting server designed to bring together potentially interested users. When a user signs up for a meeting service, the meeting server adds him or her to his or her user database. Potential interest is calculated based on proximity information and profiles created for users, in this case, meeting service profiles. Dating service profiles contain at least standard information about the user and his / her wishes for the user to be encountered (eg, gender, age, physical characteristics). One or more compatibility acceptance limits can also be entered in a meeting service profile, which describes how well another user's meeting service profile must meet the user's wishes in order to be potentially interesting. Additionally, the rendezvous service profile may contain, among other things, free-form fields or images.

The meeting server is arranged to register its users to its dedicated, dedicated unit of interest (I) or directly to the server (S). Thus, the set of users as a parameter of the interest unit * '(I) is typically the same as the set of meeting [server users]. The encounter server is arranged to request from the lift unit (I) or the server (S) information about the proximity sets formed. Upon receipt of such information, the encounter server is arranged to match new user pairs based on the encounter service profiles found in the resulting sets.

When the predetermined parameters 1, 30 of the meeting service profiles exceed the acceptance limits of both users, information about the other user of potential interest is transmitted to the user terminals. The information may include, for example, certain standard fields for another user's meeting service ;, i; or a self-defined information for either or both of them. The message may already contain a connection. *! : 35 or credentials, or they can only be sent if both users' later declare their interest in the encounter server. As contact information, I t 115815 14 can be sent, for example, a telephone number, an opportunity to call another anonymously, an opportunity to send another text message, e-mail, etc. For example, a photo can be sent as identification information. For example, a user of a meeting service in a nightclub may receive information about other users in the vicinity 5 who are compatible with him based on the meeting service profiles.

A service server (SS) can also be a collaboration server designed to bring together users of terminals with potentially similar operational needs. The need for action may include, for example, obtaining a common taxi ride for users located substantially in proximity to each other and with destinations in the same direction. The profiles of the users of the terminals in need of transportation, i.e., in this case the collaboration service profiles, include, for example, personal data, the neighborhoods to be transported, the desired time of transportation, the wishes of the travel company, etc.

The method and system according to the invention enable everyday mass services, since the operation and use of the arrangement entails relatively low communication costs, so it is possible for the service provider to keep the costs of the users very low. Low cost makes the services 20 attractive. For example, users can keep the services running in the background of the terminal so that the user can activate the service according to their own interests and desires.

It should be noted that the functional elements of the above-described terminal devices and server (S) according to the invention can advantageously be implemented as ··· software, a March solution or a combination of the two. The methods of the invention are particularly well suited for implementation as a computer software comprising instructions in computer readable form for executing the functional steps of the invention. The operation of the terminal and the server (S) can advantageously be implemented on a storage medium stored in a software code; / 30 dina, which can be performed on a computer-like device, such as a 'mobile station, to provide detection on that device.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, ·. This basic idea can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments, *, are thus not limited to the examples described above, but may vary from * * *; : 35 la within the scope of the claims.

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Claims (20)

A method for detecting at least three terminals (A, B, C), said terminals (A, B, C) comprising means for forming a short range wireless connection which terminals (A, B, C) have in advance is connected to a proximity service and comprises a proximity service identifier (ID (A), ID (B), ID (C)), and of which terminals (A, B, C) are at least one arranged to form a connection to a server (S) comprising the proximity service, characterized in that, in the process, a first short-range wireless connection is formed between the first (A) and the second (B) terminal, and a second short-range wireless connection between the first (A) and the third (C) terminal, is transmitted from at least one of said connection terminals (A, B; A, C) of said short-range treeless connections to a second of said connection (A, B; A, C) proximity service identifiers (ID (A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)) or your information used to determine proximity information using the short range wireless connection is transmitted from at least one terminal (A, B; A, C), which received said proximity service identifier (ID (A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)) or information used to determine proximity information, of both said short range wireless connections both the received terminal (A, B; A, C) of the received terminal (A, B; A, C) proximity service identifier (ID (A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)) or information used to determine: proximity information to said server (S), • »I '! the essential proximity of said terminals (A, B, C) is determined transiently in relation to each other, such that said second (B) and third (C) terminal are located substantially adjacent to each other in response to said first terminal (A) having formed a short-range treeless connection to said second (B) and third (C) terminal, and; information is stored in said server (S) that said first (A), second (B) and third (C) terminal are in substantial proximity to each other. . ;. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that information is transmitted from said server (S) to a service server (SS); 'that said terminals (A, B, C) are in substantially close proximity to each other. : We 3. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the service server (SS) being transmitted by an interest unit (I) filtered proximity information about the users or user groups of the terminals. 4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized from said service server (SS), the profiles of the users of said terminals (A, B, C) are checked, and in response to the mutual correspondence of said profiles of said profiles is sent to at least two said terminals (A, B, C) information about each other's proximity. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one said terminal (A, B; A, C) of both said short range wireless connections is periodically sent to said server (S) said terminals (A, B; A, C) are substantially adjacent to each other, and the information on said server (S) is updated so that said first (A), second (B) and third (C) terminal are located. be in close proximity to each other, so that the information is added to the information a timestamp corresponding to the new update. Method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that information from the at least one said terminal (A, B; A, C) of both said short-range wireless connections is transmitted about the terminals (A, i ·] : B; A, C) proximity information later than a first information indicating: T: the substantial proximity of the terminals (A, B; A, C) to said server (S) in response to the time elapsed since the terminals (A , B; A, C) prior proximity information exceeds a predetermined threshold, and; the information on said server (S) is updated so that said first (A), second (B) and third (C) terminal are in substantial proximity to each other so that to the information is added a timestamp corresponding to the new update which response to the information being sent to the server (S), ii in 7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that *: on said server (S), said terminals (A, B, C) have been interrupted. ! "· [Located away from each other's substantial proximity in response to the time elapsed since the terminating proximity information of the terminals (A, B, C) exceeds a predetermined limit value." I 115815 22 A system comprising at least three terminals (A, B, C), comprising means for forming a short range wireless connection which is arranged to be connected in advance to a proximity service and comprises a proximity service identifier (ID (A) ), ID (B), ID (C)), and at least one server (S) to which at least one of said terminals (A, B, C) is arranged to form a connection, and which server (S) comprises the proximity service, characterized in that at least the first (A) and the second (B) terminal are arranged to form a first short range wireless connection to each other, and at least the first (A) and the third (C) terminal are arranged to form a second short range wireless connection to each other, at least one of said short range wireless terminals (A, B; A, C) is arranged to transmit to a second of said connection's terminals (A, B; A, C) mentioned proximity service identifiers (ID (A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)) or information used to determine proximity information by means of the short range wireless connection, at least one of said terminals (A, B; A, C), which received said proximity service identifier (ID ( A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)), or information used to determine proximity information, of both said short-range tree-free connections is provided to transmit both its own (A, B; A, C) and the connection's other terminals (A, B; A, C) proximity service identifier (ID (A), ID (B); ID (A), ID (C)) or information used to process; : track proximity information to said server (S), said server (S) is arranged to determine the essential proximity of said terminals (A, B, C) in relation to each other transitively, such that said second (B) and third (C) ) terminal is substantially adjacent to each other in response to said first terminal (A) forming a tree short-range connection to said second (B) and third (C) terminal, and said server (S) is arranged to store information that said: in first (A), second (B) and third ( C) terminal is in substantially close proximity to each other. System according to claim 8, characterized in that - said server (S) is arranged to send to a service server (SS) "Information that said terminals (A, B, C) are in substantial proximity: of each other System according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the system further comprises an interest unit (I) arranged to filter proximity information of the users (A, B, C) of the terminals (A, B, C), which filtered proximity information is arranged to be transmitted to the the service server (SS). System according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said service server (SS) is arranged to control the profiles of the users of said terminals (A, B, C) and also in response to the mutual correspondence of said profiles of at least two of said profiles. terminals (A, B, C) information about each other's proximity. System according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that at least one of said terminals (A, B; A, C) of both said short-range treeless connections is arranged to transmit periodically to said server (S) information about said terminals (A, B; A, C) being substantially adjacent to each other, and said server (S) being arranged to update the information that said terminals (A, B, C) are substantially adjacent to each other; say that the tili information is added to a timestamp corresponding to the new update. System according to any of the preceding claims 8-12, characterized in that the [[said server (S) is arranged to interpret that said terminals (A,: B, C) have moved away from each other's immediate proximity in response to each other. that the time elapsed since the previous update exceeds a predetermined limit value. _; System according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized by a second server, which in functional communication with said server (S), is arranged to provide said proximity service. 15. A system according to any one of claims 8-14, characterized in that at least two of the following functionalities are arranged to be implemented | > '* On the same server: * I - proximity service 35. functionality of the service server (SS): ,,,: - the functionality of the interest unit (I). 24 16. Wireless terminal, which is arranged to form a short-range wireless connection to a second wireless terminal, which terminals support a proximity service so as to include a proximity service identifier (ID), notable that said terminal is provided receiving said second terminal proximity service identifier (ID) or information used to determine proximity information by means of said short range wireless connection, and said terminal being arranged to transmit to a server (S) comprising said proximity service information about said proximity service second terminal is in substantial proximity to said terminal. Terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that said terminal is arranged to transmit periodically to said server (S) Information that said second terminal is located in substantial proximity to said terminal. The terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that said terminal is arranged to transmit information on a subsequent observation following a first observation to said server (S) in response to the time taken from the previous observation exceeding a predetermined limit. 19. Terminal according to claims 16-18, characterized in that [: said short range wireless connection is any of the following: -Bluetooth. -HomeRF * · 25 -WLAN 802.11. • f; Terminal according to any of claims 16-19, characterized in that the terminal is a mobile station. . · »» *