WO2012075528A1

WO2012075528A1 - Mobile service ordering system

Info

Publication number: WO2012075528A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiun Chang Lai; Yun Chian Lai
Original assignee: Jiun Chang Lai; Yun Chian Lai
Priority date: 2010-12-06
Filing date: 2011-12-06
Publication date: 2012-06-14
Also published as: AU2011340791B2; EP2649817A1; EP2649817A4; CN103262581B; AU2011340791A1; MY162305A; CN103262581A

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server (106) mobile customer terminals (115) and mobile supplier terminals (107) communicating over a mobile network (121), the method comprising the steps of (a) receiving (404) from a mobile customer terminal a request for provision of the service (b), storing on the server said request, (c) receiving (504) from a supplier terminal a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service, (d) communicating (505) by the server locations of active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal, (e) selecting (507) by the mobile supplier terminal one of the active terminals, (f) establishing (508) a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected active terminal, and (g) directing (509) the server to delete the stored location and request of the selected active terminal.

Description

MOBILE SERVICE ORDERING SYSTEM

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to mobile businesses and, in particular, to systems by which customers can identify and order services from these mobile businesses.

Background

Many businesses, referred to as mobile businesses in this specification, offer their services while on the move. Thus for example mobile car maintenance and service companies have for some time enabled people to have their motor vehicles serviced in their own garages, without the need to take the vehicle to a service station for the service. This is an example of a mobile business in which the service provider (referred to as the mobile supplier) is mobile and the customer is fixed. Taxi cabs (also referred to simply as "cabs") are an example of a business in which both the mobile supplier and the customer are mobile (the customer being referred to as a mobile customer in this case).

Mobile customers wishing to arrange for provision of a service by a mobile supplier are often frustrated by the delays which are encountered as a result of the ordering and scheduling systems typically used in such businesses.

Summary

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.

Disclosed are arrangements, referred to as Localized Location and Ordering (ie LLO) arrangements, which seek to ameliorate the disadvantages of present systems by enabling a customer to post a request for service on a server, wherein mobile suppliers can view postings for their localized area that have been recorded on the server, and wherein a supplier who selects a particular posted request then communicates directly with the requesting customer to establish the agreement for provision of the service, this deleting the posted request on the server. Optionally, the localized area and the associated date and time may be either the present time and the area in which the customer and supplier are presently located (this arrangement handling "immediate" requests for service), or alternately may relate to a specified future date and time, and a corresponding area in which the customer and supplier both plan to be at some future specified time (this arrangement handling "advance" requests for service).

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, performed by a mobile customer terminal, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, wherein the server receives, from a supplier terminal, a specified time and location, a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted by the supplier terminal, and a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said specified customer terminals being referred to as active terminals; and wherein the server communicates locations of said active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, from the mobile customer terminal, (i) a specified time and location, and (ii) a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location;

(b) storing, on the server, said request; and

(c) establishing a communication connection between the mobile customer terminal, being an active terminal, and a mobile supplier terminal that has selected said mobile customer terminal for provision of the service, said server deleting the stored location and request of the selected active terminal consequent to establishment .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, performed by a mobile supplier terminal, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, wherein the server receives, from a mobile customer terminal, a specified time and location, and a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location; wherein the server stores, on the server, said request; the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving, from a supplier terminal, (i) a specified time and location, (ii) a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted, and (iii) a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said customer terminals being referred to as active terminals;

(b) communicating, by the server, locations of said active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal;

(c) selecting, by the mobile supplier terminal, of one of the active terminals;

(d) establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected active terminal, said server deleting the stored location and request of the selected active terminal consequent to establishment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, performed by a server, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising the server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network; wherein a mobile customer terminal communicates a specified time and location, and a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location; and wherein a supplier terminal communicates a specified time and location, a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted, and a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said customer terminal being referred to as active terminals; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing said request;

(b) specifying customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at the matching specified time and location within said matching active distance, said customer terminal being referred to as active terminals; and

(c) communicating locations of said active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal, said mobile supplier terminal selecting one of the active terminals and establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected active terminal; and

(d) deleting the stored location and request of the selected active terminal consequent to said communication being established.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, the method comprising:

(a) communicating a request for provision of the service and a location of the mobile customer terminal to the server;

(b) storing said request and said location on the server; (c) communicating, to the server, (a) a location of the mobile supplier terminal, (b) an active distance within which the mobile supplier terminal will consider requests for provision of the service, and (c) a request to identify customer terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service;

(d) communicating locations of said mobile customer terminals to the mobile supplier terminal;

(e) selecting, by the mobile supplier terminal, one of the identified mobile customer terminals;

(f) establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected mobile customer terminal; and

(g) directing the server to delete the stored location and request of the selected mobile customer terminal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for implementing any one of the aforementioned methods.

Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

At least one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings and appendices, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a functional block diagram of an example of an LLO system;

Figs. 2A and 2B collectively form a schematic block diagram of a general purpose computer system upon which the various LLO arrangements described can be practiced; Fig. 3 depicts a multi-entity process flow description of how the LLO system as applied to a cab service provision example operates in relation to immediate requests for service;

Fig. 4 shows a process flow chart for an example of a method used by a customer in the aforementioned LLO example in relation to an immediate request for service;

Fig. 5 shows a process by which a supplier operates in accordance with the described LLO arrangement of the cab provision service in relation to the immediate request for service depicted in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 depicts a process whereby customers and/or suppliers can download LLO applications;

Fig. 7 shows how a supplier can firstly view the various customers requesting a cab within the active area before actually selecting one of the customers;

Fig. 8 shows how the LLO arrangement can provide feedback to the customer during the service provision process;

Fig. 9 shows an advantageous display arrangement for the LLO supply terminal;

Fig. 10 shows an advantageous display arrangement for the LLO customer terminal;

Fig. 11 depicts a multi-entity process flow description of how the LLO system as applied to a cab service provision example operates in relation to advance requests for service;

Fig. 12 shows a process flow chart for an example of a method used by a customer in the aforementioned LLO example in relation to an advance request for service; and Fig. 13 shows a process by which a supplier operates in accordance with the described LLO arrangement of the cab provision service in relation to the advance request for service depicted in Fig. 12.

Detailed Description including Best Mode

Where reference is made in any one or more of the accompanying drawings to steps and/or features, which have the same reference numerals, those steps and/or features have for the purposes of this description the same function(s) or operation(s), unless the contrary intention appears.

It is to be noted that the discussions contained in the "Background" section and that above relating to prior art arrangements relate to discussions of devices which may form public knowledge through their use. Such discussions should not be interpreted as a representation by the present inventor(s) or the patent applicant that such documents or devices in any way form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Fig. 1 shows a functional block diagram of an example of an LLO system, which for the purposes of illustration is directed to a cab service provision example. It is to be understood that this is merely to simplify the example, and that the LLO arrangements are not limited to this particular application.

In the example in Fig. 1 a person having a mobile customer terminal 115 on their person wishes to order a cab.

The customer may wish to order the cab either immediately at his present location, or for some future specified time at a specified location at which the customer plans to be at that time. In the present description, the term "immediate" in the aforementioned context means any time from the present to a time 15 minutes hence. The term "some future time" thus encompasses any specified time in the future, from 15 minutes time onwards. This is clearly an arbitrary demarcation, and is for illustration only. Other suitable definitions of the terms may also be used depending, among other factors, upon the particular service in question. Thus for example, the 15 minute specification for the present example is consistent with the time which a customer will typically be prepared to wait for a cab which is "on its way to the customer".

Following on from the previous definitions, jobs that are to be performed immediately are referred to as "immediate jobs". Jobs that are to be performed at some future time are referred to as "advance jobs". If not explicitly stated, this description refers to either immediate or advance jobs.

Although advanced mobile terminals are to be preferred in the LLO arrangements, for both the suppliers and the customers, older legacy mobile terminals may also be used. A cab driver having a mobile supply terminal 111 on hand has defined an active distance 123 which describes an active area 126 within a circle 122, the circle 122 depicting a localized area within which the cab driver is prepared to accept jobs.

Considering immediate jobs, from the cab driver's perspective these are jobs of opportunity, ie jobs that happen to be available in the location in which the cab driver presently finds himself (ie the active area within the circle 122), and which the cab driver may wish to service at the present time. From the customer's perspective, immediate jobs reflect the fact that the customer, being presently located in the active area within the circle 122, wishes to order a cab as soon as possible, not having booked one in advance. Referring to Fig. 1 in regard to immediate jobs, the cab driver 111 is thus presently within the active area within the circle 122, and is looking for jobs within the active area that are to be serviced immediately (ie within 15 minutes). The customer 115 or 1 19 is presently within the active area within the circle 122, and is looking for a cab immediately. Considering advance jobs, from the cab driver's perspective, these are jobs that the driver has arranged, or wishes to arrange, in advance with respect to an active area such as the one within the circle 122 within which he plans to be at some specified future date, time and location. Although the specific active area depicted in Fig. 1 is referred to here, clearly the disclosed LLO arrangements apply to any active area that has been specified as such by both the customer and the supplier, either with respect to immediate or advance jobs. In other words, an advance job is a job that has been booked in advance by a customer who intends to be in an active area at a specified location at the noted date and time. This is a job that has been agreed to by the cab driver who intends to be in the active area at the same specified location at the same noted date and time, and in regard to which the cab driver has made advance arrangements with the respective customer to provide the customer with a cab service at the time and place the customer has specified.

In relation to advance jobs, the future location, date and time specified by a customer are said to "match" a future location, date and time specified by a supplier if the corresponding parameters (eg location, time and date) differ from each other by less than corresponding predetermined variances. Other methods for determining a match may also be used.

Consider an example in which the specified request, location, date and time specified by a customer for provision of a cab service are "eight customers, one of whom requires wheelchair access service, pick-up from the main entrance of the Empire State Building on 1 January 2010 at 10:00AM". A set of parameters specified by a cab driver being "a special Maxi Wheelchair accessible cab for eight people, at a location having an active area encompassing the Empire State Building on 1 January 2010 at 9:30AM" matches the customer specifications if the allowed variance in the time is 1 hour. The set of parameters specified by the cab driver would not match if the allowed variance in the time is 15 minutes.

As will be described in more detail in regard to Figs. 3-8 and 11-13, the user of the customer terminal 1 15 is able to quickly and effectively request the cab driver having the supply terminal 11 1 to provide a cab service using the describe LLO arrangement. The LLO arrangement uses a server 106 as part of the LLO system.

A customer terminal 101 falling outside the circle 122 described by the active distance 123 is unable to request provision of a cab service by the person having the supply terminal 111 using the disclosed LLO system. This is because the LLO system has been arranged so that provision of cab services, in the example described, is limited to people having customer terminals falling inside the circle 122. Therefore, people having customer terminals 115 and 119 can avail themselves of cab services by the person having the supply terminal 111, however the person having the customer terminal 101 cannot do so.

As will be described below, the size of the circle 122 is defined by using the supplier terminal 111, and there is no inherent limit on the size of this circle. From a practical commercial perspective however, the service supplier will, through experience, learn to adjust the size of the circle 122 to encompass sufficient potential customers to provide a high probability of being able to select a suitable fare, without becoming unnecessarily cluttered with too many potential customers.

Before moving on to operation of the LLO system, the other aspects of Fig. 1 will now be described in more detail. The mobile customer terminals 101 , 115 and 119, the mobile supply terminals 107 and 111, and the server 106 communicate over a network 121. Wireless communications form the basis of the described LLO system in Fig. 1, and accordingly the customer terminal 101 communicates using a wireless link 102 with a base station 103, which is in turn connected as depicted by a connection 104 to the network 121. The server 106 is connected to the network 121 as depicted by a connection 105. The customer terminals 115 and 119 are connected to a base station 117 by respective wireless links 1 16 and 120. The base station 1 17 is connected, as depicted by a connection 118, to the network 121. The supply terminal 1 11 is connected by a wireless link 112 to a base station 113 which is connected, as depicted by a connection 1 14, to the network 121. Another supply terminal 107 is connected by a wireless link 108 to a base station 109, which is connected as depicted by a connection 110 to the network 121.

Figs. 2A and 2B collectively form a schematic block diagram of a general purpose computer system 200, upon which the various LLO arrangements described can be practiced. The description below provides structural and functional detail for the server 106. It is noted however that the mobile terminals 101, 115, 119, 107 and 111 have many similar functional attributes to the server 106 from a computation and communication perspective. Furthermore, the mobile terminals 101 , 115, 119, 107 and 111 have, in addition, structural and functional elements relating to wireless communication, which the server 106 may have but does not typically require in the LLO arrangements.

As seen in Fig. 2A, the computer system 200 is formed by a computer module acting as the server 106, input devices such as a keyboard 202, a mouse pointer device 203, a scanner 226, a camera 227, and a microphone 280, and output devices including a printer 215, a display device 214 and loudspeakers 217. An external Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 216 may be used by the server 106 for communicating to and from the mobile terminals 101, 1 15, 1 19, 107 and 1 1 1 via the communications network 121, a connection 221 and wireless connections 269. The mobile terminals 101, 1 15, 1 19, 107 and 111 may also communicate with each other via the communications network 121. The network 121 may be a wide-area network (WAN), such as the Internet or a private WAN or may form part of, or use, the public network. Where the connection 221 is a telephone line, the modem 216 may be a traditional "dial-up" modem. Alternatively, where the connection 221 is a high capacity (eg: cable) connection, the modem 216 may be a broadband modem. A wireless modem may also be used for wireless connection to the network 121.

The server 106 typically includes at least one processor unit 205, and a memory unit 206 for example formed from semiconductor random access memory (RAM) and semiconductor read only memory (ROM). The server 106 also includes an number of input/output (I O) interfaces including an audio-video interface 207 that couples to the video display 214, loudspeakers 217 and microphone 280, an I/O interface 213 for the keyboard 202, mouse 203, scanner 226, camera 227 and optionally a joystick (not illustrated), and an interface 208 for the external modem 216 and printer 215. In some implementations, the modem 216 may be incorporated within the computer server 106, for example within the interface 208. The computer server 106 also has a local network interface 211 which, via a connection 223, permits coupling of the computer system 200 to a local computer network 222, known as a Local Area Network (LAN). As also illustrated, the local network 222 may also couple to the wide network 121 via a connection 224, which would typically include a so-called "firewall" device or device of similar functionality. The interface 211 may be formed by an Ethernet™ circuit card, a Bluetooth™ wireless arrangement or an IEEE 802.1 1 wireless arrangement.

The interfaces 208 and 213 may afford either or both of serial and parallel connectivity, the former typically being implemented according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards and having corresponding USB connectors (not illustrated). Storage devices 209 are provided and typically include a hard disk drive (HDD) 210. Other storage devices such as a floppy disk drive and a magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) may also be used. An optical disk drive 212 is typically provided to act as a non- volatile source of data. Portable memory devices, such optical disks (eg: CD-ROM, DVD), USB-RAM, and floppy disks for example may then be used as appropriate sources of data to the system 200.

The components 205 to 213 of the computer server 106 typically communicate via an interconnected bus 204 and in a manner which results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 200 known to those in the relevant art. Examples of computers on which the described arrangements can be practised include IBM-PC's and compatibles, Sun Sparcstations, Apple Mac™ or alike computer systems evolved therefrom.

The LLO method may be implemented using the computer system 200 wherein the processes of Figs. 3-8 and 11-13, to be described, may be implemented as one or more software application programs 233 running on the server 106, associated software applications (not shown) running on the mobile supplier terminals 107, 1 1 1 , and associated software applications (not shown) running on the mobile customer terminals 101, 1 15, 119, all the aforementioned software applications being executable within the computer system 200.

In the remainder of this specification, unless otherwise stated and without loss of generality, reference to the one or more software application programs 233 is to be understood to be a reference to the software application programs running on the server, the mobile supplier terminals, and the mobile customer terminals, collectively or individually as the context dictates. In particular, the steps of the LLO method are effected by instructions 231 in the software 233 that are carried out within the computer system 200. The software instructions 231 may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also, in addition to being distributed between the server and the mobile terminals, be functionally divided into two separate logical parts, in which a first part and the corresponding code modules performs the LLO methods and a second part and the corresponding code modules manage a user interface between the first part and the respective users of the various platforms.

The software 233 is generally loaded into the computer system 200 from a computer readable medium such as 225, and is then typically stored in the HDD 210, as illustrated in Fig. 2A, or the memory 206, after which the software 233 can be executed by the computer system 200. In some instances, particularly in regard to the server 106, the application programs 233 may be supplied to the user encoded on one or more CD- ROM 225 and read via the corresponding drive 212 prior to storage in the memory 210 or 206. Alternatively, particularly in regard to the mobile terminals, the software 233 may be read by the computer system 200 from the networks 121 or 222 or loaded into the computer system 200 from other computer readable media.

Computer readable storage media refers to any storage medium that participates in providing instructions and/or data to the computer system 200 for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD- ROM, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, a magneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the server 106. Examples of computer readable transmission media that may also participate in the provision of software, application programs, instructions and/or data to the server 106 and/or the mobile terminals include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like.

The second part of the application programs 233 and the corresponding code modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise represented upon the display 214 and displays on the various terminals (eg see 901 in Fig. 9 in relation to a display terminal on a supplier terminal and 1003 in Fig. 10 in relation to a display terminal on a customer terminal). In relation to the server 106 through manipulation of typically the keyboard 202 and the mouse 203, and in relation to the mobile terminals through manipulation of the touch screen display such as 901 , 1003 or keypad 906, 1004 (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 10), a user of the computer system 200 and the LLO application may manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner to provide controlling commands and or input to the applications associated with the GUI(s). Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audio interface utilizing speech prompts output via the loudspeakers 217, 907 and 1006 and user voice commands input via the microphones 280, 908 and 1007.

Fig. 2B is a detailed schematic block diagram of the processor 205 and a

"memory" 234. The memory 234 represents a logical aggregation of all the memory devices (including the HDD 210 and semiconductor memory 206) that can be accessed by the server 106 in Fig. 2 A. The description below provides structural and functional detail for the server 106. It is noted however that the mobile terminals 101 , 1 15, 119, 107 and 111 have many similar functional attributes to the server 106 from a computation and communication perspective.

When the server 106 is initially powered up, a power-on self-test (POST) program 250 executes. The POST program 250 is typically stored in a ROM 249 of the semiconductor memory 206. A program permanently stored in a hardware device such as the ROM 249 is sometimes referred to as firmware. The POST program 250 examines hardware within the server 106 to ensure proper functioning, and typically checks the processor 205, the memory (209, 206), and a basic input-output systems software (BIOS) module 251, also typically stored in the ROM 249, for correct operation. Once the POST program 250 has run successfully, the BIOS 251 activates the hard disk drive 210. Activation of the hard disk drive 210 causes a bootstrap loader program 252 that is resident on the hard disk drive 210 to execute via the processor 205. This loads an operating system 253 into the RAM memory 206 upon which the operating system 253 commences operation. The operating system 253 is a system level application, executable by the processor 205, to fulfil various high level functions, including processor management, memory management, device management, storage management, software application interface, and generic user interface.

The operating system 253 manages the memory (209, 206) in order to ensure that each process or application running on the server 106 has sufficient memory in which to execute without colliding with memory allocated to another process. Furthermore, the different types of memory available in the system 200 must be used properly so that each process can run effectively. Accordingly, the aggregated memory 234 is not intended to illustrate how particular segments of memory are allocated (unless otherwise stated), but rather to provide a general view of the memory accessible by the computer system 200 and how such is used.

The processor 205 includes a number of functional modules including a control unit 239, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 240, and a local or internal memory 248, sometimes called a cache memory. The cache memory 248 typically includes a number of storage registers 244 - 246 in a register section. One or more internal buses 241 functionally interconnect these functional modules. The processor 205 typically also has one or more interfaces 242 for communicating with external devices via the system bus 204, using a connection 218.

The LLO application program 233 includes a sequence of instructions 231 that may include conditional branch and loop instructions. The program 233 may also include data 232 which is used in execution of the program 233. The instructions 231 and the data 232 are stored in memory locations 228-230 and 235-237 respectively. Depending upon the relative size of the instructions 231 and the memory locations 228-230, a particular instruction may be stored in a single memory location as depicted by the instruction shown in the memory location 230. Alternately, an instruction may be segmented into a number of parts each of which is stored in a separate memory location, as depicted by the instruction segments shown in the memory locations 228-229.

In general, the processor 205 is given a set of instructions which are executed therein. The processor 205 then waits for a subsequent input, to which it reacts to by executing another set of instructions. Each input may be provided from one or more of a number of sources, including data generated by one or more of the input devices 202, 203, data received from an external source across one of the networks 121, 222, data retrieved from one of the storage devices 206, 209 or data retrieved from a storage medium 225 inserted into the corresponding reader 212. The execution of a set of the instructions may in some cases result in output of data. Execution may also involve storing data or variables to the memory 234.

The disclosed LLO arrangements use input variables 254 that are stored in the memory 234 in corresponding memory locations 255-258. The LLO arrangements produce output variables 261 that are stored in the memory 234 in corresponding memory locations 262-265. Intermediate variables 268 may be stored in memory locations 259, 260, 266 and 267.

Examples of input variables to a mobile supplier terminal include the following:

• job request command;

• job type specification:

o if the job is "immediate" the job type specification may include the current date and the time that the service is to be provided (the time may be from now through to 15 minutes time);

o if the job is "advance" the job type specification may include a future date and time that the service is to be provided (may be from 15 minutes hence onwards;

• active distance;

• job location (for "advance" jobs this is the centre of the active area in one arrangement);

• command selecting specific displayed mobile customer terminal;

Examples of intermediate variables in a mobile supplier terminal include the following: • locations and other information about mobile customer terminals located within the active distance (the active distance and the mobile customer terminal information may relate to either immediate or advance jobs);

Examples of output variables from a mobile supplier terminal include the following:

• mobile supplier terminal geographic location;

• active distance;

• job request (to server);

• summary of job information (e.g. elapsed time since the mobile customers request);

• command(s) establishing two way communication with selected mobile customer terminal;

• command directing server to accept and complete request and other information from selected mobile customer terminal;

Examples of input variables to the server include the following:

• service request from mobile customer terminal;

• service type specification (immediate or advance) from mobile customer terminal;

• mobile customer terminal geographic location (immediate or advance);

• mobile supplier terminal geographic location (immediate or advance);

• active distance for mobile supplier terminal;

• job request from mobile supplier terminal;

• job type specification (immediate or advance) from mobile supplier terminal;

Examples of intermediate variables in the server include the following: • suitability of particular mobile customer terminal service requests for particular mobile supplier terminal based upon conformance to active distance, job type and specified locations;

Examples of output variables from the server include the following:

• locations and other information about mobile customer terminals located within active distance specified by mobile supplier terminals;

Examples of input variables to a mobile customer terminal include the following:

• service request command;

• command(s) establishing two way communication with mobile supplier terminal bidding for job;

• timeout period at the step 409;

Examples of intermediate variables in a mobile customer terminal include the following:

• time since service request; and

• number of suppliers that have viewed the job;

Examples of output variables from a mobile customer terminal include the following:

• service request;

• mobile customer terminal geographic location;

The register section 244-246, the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 240, and the control unit 239 of the processor 205 work together to perform sequences of micro-operations needed to perform "fetch, decode, and execute" cycles for every instruction in the instruction set making up the program 233. Each fetch, decode, and execute cycle comprises: (a) a fetch operation, which fetches or reads an instruction 231 from a memory location 228;

(b) a decode operation in which the control unit 239 determines which instruction has been fetched; and

(c) an execute operation in which the control unit 239 and/or the ALU 240 execute the instruction.

Thereafter, a further fetch, decode, and execute cycle for the next instruction may be executed. Similarly, a store cycle may be performed by which the control unit 239 stores or writes a value to a memory location 232.

Each step or sub-process in the processes of Figs. 3-8, and 11-13 is associated with one or more segments of the program 233, and is performed, in relation to the server 106, by the register section 244-246, the ALU 240, and the control unit 239 in the processor 205 working together to perform the fetch, decode, and execute cycles for every instruction in the instruction set for the noted segments of the program 233. Similar functionality is to be found in the various mobile terminals as previously noted.

The LLO method may alternatively be implemented in dedicated hardware such as one or more gate arrays and/or integrated circuits performing the LLO functions or sub functions. Such dedicated hardware may also include graphic processors, digital signal processors, or one or more microprocessors and associated memories. If gate arrays are used, the process flow charts in Figs. 3-8, and 11-13 are converted to Hardware Description Language (HDL) form. This HDL description is converted to a device level netlist which is used by a Place and Route (P&L) tool to produce a file which is downloaded to the gate array to program it with the design specified in the HDL description. Fig. 3 depicts a multi-entity process flow 300 of how the LLO system as applied to the cab service provision example operates in relation to immediate requests for service. The entities described in Fig 3 are the mobile supply terminal 11 1 , the server 106 and the mobile customer terminal 115. Clearly the other mobile terminals could also be included however these have been omitted to simplify the description. In a first step 1 the person using the mobile customer terminal 115 enters a service request command through the keypad 1004 or the touch sensitive display 1003, upon which the mobile customer terminal 115 determines its own location, using either the Global Positioning System (GPS) infrastructure, or other equivalent infrastructures such as triangulation using the base stations 103, 1 17, 109 and 113 in Fig. 1. Alternately, the customer can manually enter the location of the customer terminal 115 using the user interface of the customer terminal.

The mobile customer terminal 115 then communicates in a step 2 with the server 106 in order to communicate the terminals location as well as a request for provision of the cab service. In a step 3 the server 106 stores the aforementioned request for provision of the cab service as well as the location of the customer terminal 1 15. The steps 1, 2 and 3 take place above a dashed line 301, indicating that these steps are associated with a "customer request" phase of the present example.

The following steps, which are depicted between dashed lines 301 and 302, relate to a "supplier" phase of the example.

In a step 4 the person using the mobile supplier terminal 111 enters a job request command through the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive display 901 upon which the supplier terminal 1 11 determines its geographic location using the GPS infrastructure or other equivalent infrastructures as noted above. The person using the mobile supplier terminal 111 defines an active distance such as 123 (see Fig. 1) using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive display 901, this active distance 123 being the distance from the supplier terminal 11 1 within which the supplier will consider request for provision of a cab service in the present example. In a following step 5 the mobile supplier terminal 1 11 communicates, to the server 106, the location of the mobile supplier terminal 111, the active distance 123, and a request for information identifying all customer terminals lying within the active distance (i.e. within the circle 122) which have requested provision of a cab service. Fig. 1 shows that the customer terminals 1 15 and 1 19 both lie within the circle 122, and in that example two customer terminals would be identified by the server in a following step 6, this information being communicated to the mobile supplier terminal 111 in a following step 7, provided of course, that both terminals have requested provision of a cab service.

In a following step 8 the mobile supplier terminal 111 depicts (i.e. displays) the presence of the identified mobile customer tenninals on the display 901 in Fig. 9 of the supplier terminal 111. Various means of presenting the presence of mobile customer terminals within the circle 122 can be used, however one particularly advantageous way is shown and described in regard to Fig. 9.

In the step 8 the supplier terminal 11 1 also selects one of the mobile customer terminals depicted on the display, after which in a step 9 the supplier terminal 1 11 establishes two way communications with the customer terminal 1 15. In the present LLO example a step 10 occurs in conjunction with the step 9, the step 10 directing the server 106 to delete, in a step 11, the stored request for provision of service by the customer terminal 115. The step 11 thus deletes the information stored in the step 3, as depicted by a dotted bilateral arrow 303. While the two way communication between the supplier terminal 11 1 and the customer terminal 115 (set up in the step 9) is active, the cab driver associated with the supplier terminal 111 and the customer associated with the customer terminal 115 can exchange sufficient details for the cab driver to find the customer. This is important in circumstances where the customer terminal 1 15 is used by a user in a crowded area where it may not otherwise be immediately obvious to the cab driver who the customer is. Under these circumstances the customer would typically describe himself to the cab driver in sufficient detail so that the cab driver can find the customer without difficulty.

Fig. 4 shows a process flow chart for an example of a method 400 used by the customer and the customer terminal 115 in the aforementioned LLO example in relation to immediate requests for service. The process 400 commences with a start step 401 (performed by the person using the mobile customer tenninal 115) that determines whether the customer requires a cab. If this is not the case, the process 400 follows a NO arrow looping around step 401 in an indefinite loop. If, on the other hand, a cab service is required, this resulting from the customer giving a service request command using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901 (see Fig. 9) then the process 400 follows a YES arrow from the step 401 to a step 402. In the step 402 the person using the mobile customer terminal enters a service request command, using the touch sensitive display 1003 or the keypad 1004, after which the customer terminal 1 15 determines its own geographic location, using for example the GPS infrastructure. Thereafter, in a step 403, the customer, using the customer terminal 115, specifies the service required, being a cab in the present example, using, for example, the key pad 1004 of the customer terminal 115.

In a following step 404 the customer terminal 1 15 communicates the location determined in the step 402 as well as the specification of the service required in the step 403 to the server 106. Having communicated the above-noted information in the step 404 the process 400 is directed to a testing step 405 in which the terminal 115 determines whether a supplier, in the present example a cab driver, has responded to the customer's request. As long as no response is received by the customer terminal, indicated for example by a "N" at 1005 in Fig. 10, or merely by the fact that the terminal 1 15 has not yet received a confirmatory call (see the step 9 in Fig. 3) from a cab driver accepting the job, the process 400 follows a NO arrow to a step 409 which determines if a timeout period for the present job has expired. If the timeout period has not expired then the process 400 follows a NO arrow from the step 409 to the step 405. Returning to the step 409 if the timeout period has expired then the process 400 follows a YES arrow from the step 409 to a step 410. The step 410 cancels the job ordered by the customer by both deleting the associated information in the customer terminal 115, and by communicating the cancellation request to the server 106. The process 400 then follows an arrow 411 back to the step 401. Returning to the step 405, once a response is received from a supplier terminal at the customer terminal 115, indicated for example by a "Y" at 1005 in Fig. 10, or by the fact that the terminal 1 15 receives a confirmatory call (see the step 9 in Fig. 3) from a cab driver accepting the job, the process 400 follows a YES arrow from the step 405 to a step 406 in which the two way communication referred to in the step 9 of Fig. 3 is established.

In a following testing step 407, performed by the customer using the customer terminal 115, if the customer still has information to give to the cab driver or vice versa the process 400 follows a NO arrow back to the step 406 and the two way communication depicted in the step 9 of Fig. 3 continues until all information has been both given and received by both parties. Once this is completed, i.e. once the transaction is completed in the step 407, then in accordance with a command from the user of the customer terminal 1 15, performed for example by the customer terminating the two way communication at the step 9 in Fig. 3 using the touch sensitive display 1003 or the keypad 1004 in Fig. 10, the process 400 follows a YES arrow 408 back to the step 401 , and the customer terminal is ready for the next service request.

Fig. 5 shows a process flow chart for an example of a method 500 by which the supplier tenninal 111 operates in accordance with the described LLO arrangement of the cab provision service in relation to the immediate request for service depicted in Fig. 4. The process 500 commences with a testing step 501, performed by the supplier using the supplier terminal 11 1, which determines whether the cab driver wishes to provide a service, i.e. whether the cab driver in question is looking for a cab job at this time. If this is not the case, then the process 500 follows a NO arrow looping indefinitely around the step 501. If the cab driver does wish to receive a job, indicated by the cab driver giving a job request command using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901 for example, then the process 500 follows a YES arrow to a step 502. In the step 502 the supply terminal 11 1 determines its own location, using the GPS infrastructure or equivalent. In a subsequent step 503 the cab driver defines the active distance 123 using the key pad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901 of the supply terminal 111. Thereafter, in a step 504 the supply terminal 111 communicates, to the server 106, the location of the supply terminal 111, the specified active distance 123, and a request for information on active customers within the circle 122. Active customers are those customers using the LLO arrangement falling within the circle 122 who have requested a cab service.

In a following step 505 the supply terminal 11 1 receives, from the server 106, information on the locations of the active customers (ie those customers who have recorded requests for service on the server 106) within the active distance, i.e. within the circle 122. In a following step 506 the supply terminal 111 displays the active customer on a presentation device, which in the case of the supply terminal 11 1 is typically a visual graphic display 901 which may also be touch sensitive for receiving inputs from the user of the terminal 111 (see Fig. 9). The process 500 then follows an arrow 514 from the step 506 to a decision step 511 in which the supplier terminal 1 1 1 asks the cab driver if, based upon the information displayed in thee step 506, the driver wishes to provide the service. If the driver indicates that he does wish to provide the service, either using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901, then the process 500 follows a YES arrow from the step 511 to a following step 507 in which the cab driver selects, using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901, one of the active customers displayed on the display 901. Returning to the step 51 1, if the driver indicates that he does not wish to provide the service, perhaps because the job is not suitable, or for some other reason, then the process 500 follows a NO arrow from the step 511 to a step 512 which cancels the process by initialising the supplier terminal 111 and advising the server 106 accordingly.

After the step 507 two processes take place in parallel in the present example. It is noted that this parallel operation is merely an example of how the LLO process 500 can operate, and other sequential or parallel operations can be used.

In the present example, in the step 508 the cab driver using the supply terminal 111 establishes the two way connection with the customer terminal 1 15 as depicted by the step 9 in Fig. 3. The cab driver and the customer then discuss with each other the various details required for the cab driver to find the customer as previously described. In a parallel step 509, the supply terminal 111 directs the server 106 to delete the information provided by the customer terminal 115 when requesting the present cab job. This relates to the step 10 in Fig. 3. The process 500 is then directed, according to an arrow 510, back to the step 501.

The LLO arrangement, as described in the above-noted cab example, can be practiced by customers and service providers using a variety of mobile communication devices. Modern devices such as third generation cell phones "3G" such as those depicted in Figs. 9 and 10 have large displays which may also be touch sensitive, and simply support download of third party software applications from web sites, thus enabling the LLO arrangement to be made available to a very wide population of suppliers and customers. The LLO arrangements may also be practiced on older mobile terminals, albeit with less convenience for users.

Fig. 6 depicts a process 600 whereby customers and/or suppliers can download LLO applications to their respective terminals 1 15, 111. The process 600 in Fig. 6 can be used equally by a supplier of services or a customer for services, and accordingly the description will relate to a customer only, noting that the process for suppliers is similar. The process 600 commences with a start step 601 after which the customer, using the keypad 1004 and/or the touch sensitive display 1003 of the terminal 1 15 logs on to a web site hosted by the provider of the LLO arrangements. Thereafter, in a step 604, the web site gives the customer terminal 115 the option of selecting either a single of multi-purpose LLO application for downloading to the customer terminal 115. A single purpose application might, for example, be directed purely to ordering cabs as in the example described above. A multi-purpose application could include a variety of service request options, such as requesting service from a cab driver, a plumber, a locksmith, or other suppliers of services appropriate for use in the mobile environment of the LLO arrangement. If the customer using the customer terminal 115 elects a single-purpose application download, then the process 600 follows a "single" arrow to a step 603 in which the customer using the customer terminal selects the desired LLO application. Thereafter, in a step 607 the customer using the customer terminal 115 effects a download of the LLO application to the mobile terminal 1 15, the application is installed in a following step 608, and the process 600 terminates with a stop step 609.

Returning to the testing step 604, if the customer using the customer terminal 115 selects a multi-purpose LLO application download, then the process 600 follows a "multi" arrow to a step 605. In the step 605 the customer, using the key pad 1004 or the touch sensitive display 1003 of the user terminal 1 15, selects the desired application after which in a step 606 the customer customizes the application selecting only those services in which he or she is interested. Thus, for example, the customer in question might be interested in provision of services by cab and locksmiths but not by plumbers. Having customized the application in the step 606, the process 600 then is directed to the step 607 after which the remainder of the process has already been described above.

The LLO arrangement described in regard to Fig. 5, i.e. the process used by the services supplier, can be expanded as shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 7 shows how the supply terminal 11 1 can firstly "view" the various mobile customer terminals requesting a cab within the active area in the circle 122 before actually selecting one of the customers. This is pertinent in circumstances, for example, where customers do not provide sufficient information for the cab driver to determine whether he actually wants the job. For example customers sometimes do not provide the desired destination with their request. The cab driver may not wish to accept requests for a cab which do not provide him with a sufficient distance to travel. The arrangement in Fig. 7 can be used in this circumstance.

Fig. 7 shows the steps 506 and 507 from Fig. 5 in dashed format, these steps having the same function as in Fig. 5. However, in Fig. 7 after the step 506 the process 500 is directed to a step 701 in which the supplier using the supplier terminal 1 1 1 is able to view an active customer shown on the display 901 of the supply terminal 111 without actually selecting that customer for provision of service. This viewing operation would be communicated to the customer terminal 115, for example, and indicated at 1002. In a following step 702 the supply terminal 111 is able to review the customer information associated with the particular request in order to decide whether the supplier wishes to proceed. In a following testing step 703, the supplier using the supply terminal 111 decides whether (a) to continue with the viewed job in regard to the presently viewed customer, or (b) not to take the job requested by the particular customer but to nonetheless look for another one of the customers presently displayed, or (c) to exit the process altogether, perhaps because the cab driver suddenly remembers that he has to attend to some other business immediately. If the supply terminal decides not to proceed with the presently viewed job but to seek another customer from the presently displayed active customers, then the process 700 follows a "Present View" arrow back to the step 506 in which the cab driver will again review the various customers in the active area in the circle 122, without having selected the customer which he viewed in the step 701 and 702.

Returning to the testing step 703 if the cab driver decides to accept the job that he has viewed in the step 701 and 702 then the process 700 follows a "Present Customer" arrow to the step 507 that has already been described in regard to Fig. 5. Returning to the testing step 703 if the cab driver decides to exit the process altogether then the process follows a "Quit" arrow back to the step 501 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows how the LLO arrangement as described in regard to Fig. 4 can be expanded from the customer's perspective to provide feedback to the customer during the service provision process. The steps 403, 404 and 405 are shown in dashed form to indicate that they fulfil the same functions as described in regard to Fig. 4. After the step 404 the (expanded) process 800 is directed to a step 801 in which the server 106 provides feedback, depicted at 1002 in Fig. 10, on (potential) suppliers viewing the customers' requests, to the customer terminal 115. In the LLO arrangement depicted in Fig. 10, this feedback can take the form of a real-time indicator of how many cab drivers have viewed the customers request but have not accepted it (i.e. cases in which the process 700 has followed one of the "present view" or "quit" arrows from the step 703 back to the step 506 or 501 respectively).

In a following testing step 802 the customer decides whether to resubmit an amended version of his service request, perhaps by putting in additional information such as the required destination, or resetting the timeout associated with the step 409 in Fig. 4. If the customer decides to follow this course, then the process 800 follows a YES arrow from the step 802 back to the step 403. In one LLO arrangement, submission of an amended request by the customer would automatically erase the previous request from the customer presently stored on the server 106.

If, on the other hand, returning to the step 802 the customer not to amend his service request, then the process 800 follows a NO arrow back to the step 405. In the process 800 while no supplier has responded the process 800 follows a NO arrow back to the step 801. Fig. 9 shows an advantageous display arrangement 900 for the supply terminal 111 having, among other modules, a speaker 907 and a microphone 908. A display 901, which may be touch sensitive, on the terminal 111 shows a set of concentric ellipses such as 905 around a centre point 904 that depicts the location of the terminal 1 1 1. Each of the concentric ellipses 905 represents a distance from the supply terminal 1 1 1, proportional to a fraction of the active distance 123 defined by the supplier in the step 503 in Fig. 5. In the example of Fig. 9 the outermost ellipse 905 represents the circle 122 and smaller concentric ellipses provide the cab driver with information on how far various customers within the circle 122 are located. Thus, for example, a customer at 903 lies at an angular bearing depicted by the inclination of a dashed line 902 from the horizontal, and at a distance from the supplier close to the outermost ellipse 905. This display in Fig. 9, particularly if the display 901 is touch sensitive, enables the user of the supply terminal to simply and easily select customers either for viewing or in order to select the particular job request. Ancillary information can be shown next to the position locations such as 903 in order to provide the supplier with additional information on each customer request.

Fig. 10 shows an advantageous display arrangement 1000 for the customer terminal 115 having, among other modules, a speaker 1006 and a microphone 1007. A display 1003, which may be touch sensitive, on the terminal 115 shows a "Time Since Request" field 1001, a "Viewers" field 1002, and an "Accepted" field 1005. The aforementioned information would be displayed, for example, when the customer indicates a job request at the step 401 in Fig. 4. The "Time Since Request" field indicated how much time has elapsed, showing 14 minutes and 34 seconds in the depicted example, since the customer communicated his request for service to the server 106 in the step 404 in Fig. 4. The "Viewers" field indicates, if feedback is provided according to the LLO arrangement depicted in Figs. 6 and 7, how many supplier have viewed, but not yet accepted, the customers job request. In the depicted example 5 suppliers have reviewed the job request. The "Accepted" field indicates if a supplier has accepted the job. The present example shows an "N" at 1005, indicating that no supplier has yet accepted the job. The "Accepted" field is displayed, in the described LLO examples, after the supplier accepts the job according to the step 507 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 depicts a multi-entity process flow description of how the LLO system as applied to a cab service provision example operates in relation to advance requests for service. The entities described in Fig 3 are the mobile supply terminal 11 1 , the server 106 and the mobile customer terminal 115. Clearly the other mobile terminals could also be included however these have been omitted to simplify the description. In a first step 1 the person using the mobile customer terminal 115 enters a service request command through the keypad 1004 or the touch sensitive display 1003. Since this relates to an advance request for service, the customer manually enters the specified future date and time as well as the planned future location of the customer terminal 1 15 using the user interface of the customer terminal. These specified parameters define where and when a cab service is desired. Thus for example, the mobile customer terminal 11 1 may presently be located at a location A, however the request for advance service indicates that the customer wishes to order a cab at a location B at 7:30PM in ten days time.

The mobile customer terminal 115 then communicates in a step 2 with the server

106 in order to communicate the aforementioned specified date, time and location as well as a request for provision of the cab service. In a step 3 the server 106 stores the aforementioned request for provision of the cab service as well as the date and time that the service is to be provided, and the specified location of the customer terminal 115 at that date and time. The steps 1, 2 and 3 take place above a dashed line 1 101, indicating that these steps are associated with a "customer request" phase of the present example.

The following steps, which are depicted between dashed lines 1 101 and 1102, relate to a "supplier" phase of the example.

In a step 4 the person using the mobile supplier terminal 111 enters a job request command through the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive display 901 upon which the supplier terminal 111 specifies a future location, as well as a date and time. This information indicates that the cab driver, in the present example, intends to be looking for jobs at the specified location and at the specified date and time. The person using the mobile supplier terminal 111 defines an active distance such as 123 (see Fig. 1) using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive display 901, this active distance 123 being the distance from the supplier terminal 111, at the aforementioned specified future date, time and location, within which the supplier will consider request for provision of a cab service. In a following step 5 the mobile supplier terminal 111 communicates, to the server 106, the specified future intended location, date and time, active distance, and a request for information identifying all customer terminals which have registered service requests at the aforementioned location, at the aforementioned date and time, lying within the specified intended active distance, which have requested provision of a cab service. Fig. 1, relating to advance service provision in this example, shows that the customer terminals 115 and 119 both have indicated that they will be located within the circle 122 at the specified future date and time, having regard for the allowable variances in the various parameters associated with a "match" between the customers parameters and the suppliers parameters. The aforementioned variances may be predefined in the server 106 on a per-service type basis, or may be provided by the supplier terminal 111 in the step 5. Two customer terminals would be identified by the server in a following step 6, this information being communicated to the mobile supplier terminal 11 1 in a following step 7, provided of course, that both terminals have requested provision of a cab service. This means that the customer terminals 115 and 119 have, prior to the supplier terminal communicating a job request in the step 4, both made respective service requests for service provision in corresponding steps 1-3. Accordingly, the supplier terminal 11 1 is able to look ahead to a specific date/time/location, for previously registered service requests at that specific date/time/location.

In a following step 8 the mobile supplier terminal 111 depicts (i.e. displays) the planned presence, at the specific date/time/location, of the identified mobile customer terminals on the display 901 in Fig. 9 of the supplier terminal 1 11. Various means of presenting the presence of mobile customer terminals within the circle 122 can be used however one particularly advantageous way is shown and described in regard to Fig, 9.

In the step 8 the supplier terminal 111 selects one of the mobile customer terminals depicted on the display, after which in a step 9 the supplier terminal 111 establishes two way communications with the customer terminal 115. In the present LLO example a step 10 occurs in conjunction with the step 9, the step 10 directing the server 106 to delete, in a step 11, the stored request for provision of service by the customer terminal 115. The step 11 thus deletes the information stored in the step 3, as depicted by a dotted bilateral arrow 1103.

While the two way communication between the supplier terminal 1 1 1 and the customer terminal 115 (set up in the step 9) is active, the cab driver associated with the supplier terminal 111 and the customer associated with the customer terminal 1 15 can exchange sufficient details for the cab driver to find the customer at the specified specific date time/location. This is important in circumstances where the customer terminal 115 is used by a user in a crowded area where it may not otherwise be immediately obvious to the cab driver who the customer is. Under these circumstances the customer would typically describe himself to the cab driver in sufficient detail so that the cab driver can find the customer without difficulty.

In a final step 12 the supplier terminal 1 11 enters the job onto a queue in the supplier terminal 111, the queue being stored in a suitable data structure by the LLO software application 233. In one arrangement the software application 233 presents a calendar on the display 901 each morning to remind the cab driver which jobs have been prior booked in the queue.

Fig. 12 shows a process flow chart for an example of a method used by a customer in the aforementioned LLO example in relation to an advance request for service. The process 1200 commences with a start step 1201 (performed by the person using the mobile customer terminal 115) that determines whether the customer requires a cab at some future date and time, at some specified location. If this is not the case, the process 1200 follows a NO arrow looping around step 1201 in an indefinite loop. If, on the other hand, if a cab service is required as noted above, this resulting from the customer giving a service request command using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901 (see Fig. 9) then the process 1200 follows a YES arrow from the step 1201 to a step 1202. In the step 1202 die person using the mobile customer terminal enters a desired date, time and location for provision of the advance service, ie when and where the service is desired, using the touch sensitive display 1003 or the keypad 1004. In a following step 1203 the customer terminal 115 specifies the service required, being a cab in the present example, using, for example, the key pad 1004 of the customer terminal 115. In a following step 1204 the customer terminal 1 15 communicates the particular service required as well as the specified date, time and location for the desired service to the server 106. Having communicated the above-noted information in the step 1204 the process 1200 is directed to a testing step 1205 in which the terminal 115 determines whether a supplier, in the present example a cab driver, has responded to the customer's request.

As long as no response is received by the customer terminal, indicated for example by a ^,fN" at 1005 in Fig. 10, or merely by the fact that the terminal 1 15 has not yet received a confirmatory call (see the step 9 in Fig. 11) from a cab driver accepting the job, the process 1200 follows a NO arrow to a step 1209 which determines if a timeout period for the present job has expired. If the timeout period has not expired then the process 1200 follows a NO arrow from the step 1209 to the step 1205.

Returning to the step 1209 if the timeout period has expired then the process 1200 follows a YES arrow from the step 1209 to a step 1210. The step 1210 cancels the job ordered by the customer by both deleting the associated information in the customer terminal 115, and by communicating the cancellation request to the server. The process

1200 then follows an arrow 121 1 back to the step 1201.

Considering the timeout period, it is noted that the process 1200 which is directed to a request for an advance service differs from the process 400 which relates to a request for immediate service in a number of ways. One difference is that in the advance service provision case, the desired provision of the service is at some specified future time (ie date and time) and at some specified location, rather than at the present time, and at the present location of the customer terminal 1 15. Another difference is that in the "immediate" case, a customer wants immediate provision of the service, and accordingly, if no response is received by the customer terminal within say 15 minutes, indicated for example by a "N" at 1005 in Fig. 10, or merely by the fact that the terminal 115 has not yet received a confirmatory call (see the step 9 in Fig. 11), then it is possible (and even likely) that the customer is not going to receive the desired service within the desired time. In the "immediate" case the timeout period is typically set to a time of approximately 15 minutes or in general to some time period which is a reasonable measure of the time at which the desired service is unlikely to be provided in time.

However, if the customer orders an "advance" service, say one week in advance, then even if no response is received by the customer terminal during the entire week, even within say an hour of the desired time on the specified date/time and at the desired location, there is still a possibility that the desired service will yet be provided within that last hour. Accordingly, the timeout period is typically set in such a manner that the step 1210 comes into effect say one hour before the predefined date/time.

Returning to the step 1205, once a response is received from a supplier terminal, at the customer terminal 115, indicated for example by a "Y" at 1005 in Fig. 10, or by the fact that the terminal 115 receives a confirmatory call (see the step 9 in Fig. 11) from a cab driver accepting the job, the process 1200 follows a YES arrow from the step 1205 to a step 1206 in which the two way communication referred to in the step 9 of Fig. 11 is established.

In a following testing step 1207, performed by the customer using the customer terminal 115, if the customer still has information to give to the cab driver or vice versa the process 1200 follows a NO arrow back to the step 1206 and the two way communication depicted in the step 9 of Fig. 11 continues until all information has been both given and received by both parties. Once this is completed, i.e. once the transaction is completed in the step 1207, then in accordance with a command from the user of the customer terminal 115, performed for example by the customer terminating the two way communication at the step 9 in Fig. 11 using the touch sensitive display 1003 or the keypad 1004 in Fig. 10, the process 1200 follows a YES arrow 1208 back to the step 1201 , and the customer terminal is ready for the next service request.

It is noted that the customer terminal 115 can make successive service requests by using the process 1200 as many times as desired. Thus for example, if the customer wishes to book a cab for the coming three Friday evenings in succession, all the bookings to be at 8PM, but the three booking to be at three different locations, the process 1200 may be used three times with the appropriate parameters in order to post the succession of service requests on the server 106.

Fig. 13 shows a process by which a supplier operates in accordance with the described LLO arrangement of the cab provision service in relation to the advance request for service depicted in Fig. 12. The process 1300 commences with a testing step 1301 , performed by the supplier using the supplier terminal 11 1, which determines whether the cab driver wishes to provide a service, i.e. whether the cab driver in question is looking for a cab job at some future time and location. If this is not the case, then the process 1300 follows a NO arrow looping indefinitely around the step 1301. If the cab driver does wish to receive a job, indicated by the cab driver giving a job request command using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901 for example, then the process 1300 follows a YES arrow to a step 1302. In the step 1302 the supply terminal 11 1 specifies a future date, time and location at which the supplier wishes to provide a service, this being provision of a cab service in the present example. In a subsequent step 1303 the cab driver defines the active distance 123 which is to apply to the jobs to be sought at the aforementioned future date and time using the key pad 906 of the supply terminal 1 1 1. In regard to the allowed variances in the parameters of location, date, time and active area, these may also be input to the supplier terminal 111 at this point, or alternately, these allowed variances may be predefined in the server 1 11 on a per-service and/or per-supplier basis.

Thereafter, in a step 1304 the supply terminal 11 1 communicates, to the server 106, the aforementioned future date, time, and location of the supply terminal 1 11 , the specified active distance 123 to apply at that time and place, and a request for information on active customers who have registered service requests at that date/time/location within the specified active distance. Active customers are those customers using the LLO arrangement who have, prior to the supply terminal 111 performing the step 1302, registered service requests using the process 1200 for provision of a service at the specified date/time/location and within the specified active distance, ie customers whose specified parameters match those of the supply terminal 111 in question.

In a following step 1305 the supply terminal 1 1 1 receives, from the server 106, information on the "active customers" ie those customers who have registered service requests using the process 1200 for provision of a service at the specified date/time/location and within the specified active distance whose specified parameters match those of the supply terminal 1 11 in question. It is noted that the term "active customer" in the "immediate service provision" case refers to customer terminals such as 115 which are presently within the active distance, and the LLO arrangement displays their location within the active area as depicted, for example, by 903 in Fig. 9. In the "advance service provision" case, the term active customer refers to customer terminals such as 1 15 which have registered service requests using the process 1200 for provision of a service at the specified date/time/location and within the specified active distance, being customer terminals whose specified parameters match those of the supply terminal 1 1 1 in question. In this advance case the LLO arrangement displays their planned location at the planned date/time, within the planned active area, also depicted, for example, by 903 in Fig. 9.

In a following step 1306 the supply terminal 1 1 1 displays the active customer on a presentation device, which in the case of the supply terminal 11 1 is typically the visual graphic display 901 which may also be touch sensitive for receiving inputs from the user of the terminal 111 (see Fig. 9). The process 1300 then follows an arrow 1316 from the step 1306 to a decision step 1311 in which the supplier terminal 11 1 asks the cab driver if, based upon the information displayed in the step 1306, the driver wishes to provide a service. If the driver indicates that he does wish to provide the service, either using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901, then the process 1300 follows a YES arrow from the step 1311 to a following step 1307 in which the cab driver selects, using the keypad 906 or the touch sensitive screen 901, one of the active customers displayed on the display 901. Returning to the step 1311, if the driver indicates that he does not wish to provide the service, perhaps because there is no suitable job or for some other reason, then the process 1300 follows a NO arrow from the step 131 1 to a step 1312 which cancels the process by initialising the supplier terminal 11 1 and advising the server 106 accordingly. The server would retain information for the previously displayed active customers on the server in this event. After the step 1307 two processes take place in parallel in the present example. It is noted that this parallel operation is merely an example of how the LLO process 1300 can operate, and other sequential or parallel operations can be used.

In the present example, in the step 1308 the cab driver using the supply terminal 1 11 establishes the two way connection with the customer terminal 1 15 as depicted by the step 9 in Fig. 11. The cab driver and the customer then discuss with each other the various details required for the cab driver to find the customer as previously described, at the specified future date/time/location. In a parallel step 1309, the supply terminal 11 1 directs the server 106 to delete the information provided by the customer terminal 1 15 when requesting the present cab job. This relates to the step 10 in Fig. 11. The process 1300 is then directed, according to an arrow 1314, to a step 1313 which inserts the job into a queue in the supplier terminal 1 11, the queue being stored in a suitable data structure by the LLO software application 233. In one arrangement the software application 233 presents a calendar on the display 901 each morning to remind the cab driver which jobs have been prior booked in the queue. The process 1300 then follows an arrow 1310 back to the step 1301.

It is noted that the supplier terminal 1 1 1 can make successive job requests by using the process 1300 as many times as desired. Thus for example, if the supplier wishes to seek cab jobs for the coming three Friday evenings at 8PM but at three different locations, the process 1300 may be used three times with the appropriate parameters.

The LLO arrangement, as described in the above-noted cab example, can be practiced by customers and service providers using a variety of mobile communication devices. Modern devices such as third generation cell phones "3G" such as those depicted in Figs. 9 and 10 have large displays which may also be touch sensitive. Such devices can easily support download of third party software applications from web sites, thus enabling the LLO arrangement to be made available to a very wide population of suppliers and customers. Such advanced terminals may rely solely on touch sensitive displays and "soft keys" ie icons displayed on the display which are intended to be used instead of the "hard" keys shown, for example, at 906 and 1004. The LLO arrangements may also be practiced on older mobile terminals, albeit with less convenience for users.

Industrial Applicability

The arrangements described are applicable to the mobile service provision industries, such as mobile provision of cabs, plumbing services, locksmiths and the like.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention, and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, from a mobile customer terminal, (i) a specified time and location, and (ii) a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location;

(b) storing, on the server, said request;

(c) receiving, from a supplier terminal, (i) a specified time and location, (ii) a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted, and (iii) a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said customer terminal being referred to as active terminals;

(d) communicating, by the server, locations of said active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal;

(e) selecting, by the mobile supplier terminal, of one of the active terminals;

(f) establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected active terminal; and

(g) directing the server to delete the stored location and request of the selected active terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the time and location specified by the mobile customer terminal and the time and location specified by the mobile supplier terminal relate to the present time and to the location at which both the mobile customer terminal and the mobile supplier terminal are presently located.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the time and location specified by the mobile customer terminal and the time and location specified by the mobile supplier terminal relate to a future time and to a location at which both the mobile customer terminal and the mobile supplier terminal plan to be located at said future time.

4. A method, performed by a mobile customer terminal, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, wherein the server receives, from a supplier terminal, a specified time and location, a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted by the supplier terminal, and a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said specified customer terminals being referred to as active terminals; and wherein the server communicates locations of said active terminals to the mobile supplier terminal; the method comprising the steps of:

(b) storing, on the server, said request; and (c) establishing a communication connection between the mobile customer terminal, being an active terminal, and a mobile supplier terminal that has selected said mobile customer terminal for provision of the service, said server deleting the stored location and request of the selected active terminal consequent to establishment .

5. A method, performed by a mobile supplier terminal, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, wherein the server receives, from a mobile customer terminal, a specified time and location, and a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location; wherein the server stores, on the server, said request; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, from a supplier terminal, (i) a specified time and location, (ii) a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted, and (Hi) a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said customer terminals being referred to as active terminals;

(c) selecting, by the mobile supplier terminal, of one of the active terminals;

6. A method, performed by a server, for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising the server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network; wherein a mobile customer terminal communicates a specified time and location, and a request for provision of the service at said specified time and location; and wherein a supplier terminal communicates a specified time and location, a specified active distance within which requests for provision of the service at the specified time and location will be accepted, and a request to specify customer terminals that have requested provision of the service at a matching specified time and location within a matching said specified active distance, said customer terminal being referred to as active terminals; the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing said request;

7. A method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request for provision of the service and a location of the mobile customer terminal to the server;

(b) storing said request and said location on the server;

(c) receiving, at the server, (i) a location of the mobile supplier terminal, (ii) an active distance within which the mobile supplier terminal will consider requests for provision of the service, and (iii) a request to identify customer terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service;

(e) receiving selection, by the mobile supplier terminal, of one of the identified mobile customer terminals;

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein between the steps (d) and (e) the method comprises the further steps of:

(h) viewing, by the mobile supplier terminal, one or more of the identified mobile customer terminals in order to review information about the associated requests for provision of the service; and

(i) proceeding to the selecting step (e) if the reviewed information is acceptable.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein, prior to the step (i), the method comprises the further steps of:

(j) receiving feedback, by the mobile customer terminal, about mobile supplier terminals viewing the request.

10. A method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service between a mobile customer terminal and a mobile supplier terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

the mobile customer terminal performing the steps of:

determining the location of the mobile customer terminal; communicating, to the server over a mobile communications network, the determined location and a request for provision of the service;

the server performing the steps of:

storing the request for provision of the service and the location of the mobile customer terminal; and

the mobile supplier terminal performing the steps of:

determining the location of the mobile supplier terminal; defining an active distance from the mobile supplier terminal within which the mobile supplier terminal will consider requests for provision of the service;

communicating, to the server, (a) the location of the mobile supplier terminal, (b) the active distance, and (c) a request for information identifying customer terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service;

the server performing the steps of: communicating, to the mobile supplier terminal, locations of mobile supplier terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service; and

the mobile supplier terminal performing the steps of:

depicting the presence of the identified mobile customer terminals on the associated presentation device; and

selecting one of the mobile customer terminals depicted on the presentation device; and

establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected mobile customer terminal; and

directing the server to delete the stored request from the selected mobile customer terminal for provision of the service.

1 1. A system for establishing an agreement for provision of a service between a mobile customer terminal and a mobile supplier terminal; the system comprising:

a plurality of said mobile supplier terminals; a plurality of said mobile customer terminals; and a server; wherein the supplier terminals, the customer terminals and the server communicate over a mobile communications network; and wherein

the mobile supplier terminals and. the mobile customer terminals each comprise a locator for determining the location of the respective mobile terminal, a user interface, a data presentation device, and a communicator; and wherein

a said mobile customer terminal is configured, dependent upon at least one command received by the associated user interface, to determine the location of the mobile customer terminal, and to communicate to the server (a) the determined location and (b) a request for provision of the service; and wherein

the server is configured to store the request for provision of the service and the location of the mobile customer terminal; and wherein

a said mobile supplier terminal is configured, dependent upon at least one command received by the associated user interface, to (a) determine the location of the mobile supplier terminal, (b) define an active distance from the mobile supplier terminal within which the mobile supplier terminal will consider requests for provision of the service, (c) communicate, to the server, the location of the terminal, the active distance and a request for information identifying customer terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service, (d) depict the presence of the identified mobile customer terminals on the associated presentation device, and (e) select one of the mobile customer terminals depicted on the presentation device; and wherein

said selection by the mobile supplier terminal of one of the mobile customer terminals depicted on the presentation device of the mobile supplier terminal establishes a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected mobile customer terminal, and directs the server to delete the stored request for provision of the service and the location of the selected mobile customer terminal.

12. A computer readable storage medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the program being executable by a computer apparatus to make the computer perform a method for establishing an agreement for provision of a service in a system comprising a server, a plurality of mobile customer terminals and a plurality of mobile supplier terminals communicating over a mobile network, the program comprising: (a) code for communicating a request for provision of the service and a location of the mobile customer terminal to the server;

(b) code for storing said request and said location on the server;

(c) code for communicating, to the server, (a) a location of the mobile supplier terminal, (b) an active distance within which the mobile supplier terminal will consider requests for provision of the service, and (c) a request to identify customer terminals within said active distance that have requested provision of the service;

(d) code for communicating locations of said mobile customer terminals to the mobile supplier terminal;

(e) code for selecting, by the mobile supplier terminal, one of the identified mobile customer terminals;

(f) code for establishing a communication connection between the mobile supplier terminal and the selected mobile customer terminal; and

(g) code for directing the server to delete the stored location and request of the selected mobile customer terminal.