Providing kiosk service offerings in a personal area network

(54) PROVIDING KIOSK SERVICE OFFERINGS IN A PERSONAL AREA NETWORK

(75) Inventors: Victor S. Moore, Boynton Beach, FL (US); Edith H. Stern, Yorktown Heights, NY (US); Berry E. Willner,

Briarcliff Manor, NY (US)

Correspondence Address:

Gregory A. Nelson

Akerman Senterfltt

222 Lakeview Avenue, Fourth Floor

P.O. Box 3188

West Palm Beach, FL 33402-3188 (US)

(73) Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY

(21) Appl. No.: 09/803,256

(22) Filed: Mar. 9, 2001

Publication Classification

(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 15/16

(52) U.S. CI 709/249; 709/201; 709/217

(57) ABSTRACT

A method for delivering electronic services in a personal area network (PAN) can include providing a kiosk in a publicly traversable area. The kiosk can be configured to deliver electronic services over short-range radio communications links to wireless devices in a personal area network (PAN). The kiosk also can be configured to communicate over an existing physical communications link medium. A PAN can be established in the publicly traversable area. Electronic services can be selectably retrieved through the existing physical communications link medium into the kiosk. Finally, the retrieved selected electronic services can be delivered to wireless devices in the PAN over the short-range radio communications link. Notably, the step of establishing a PAN in the publicly traversable area can include establishing a BLUETOOTH-based PAN with wireless devices in the publicly traversable area. In addition, the step of providing a kiosk first can include retrofitting an existing kiosk both with a short-range radio frequency communications system, and with a host computing device for selectively retrieving electronic services over the existing physical communications link medium, and for delivering selected electronic services to the wireless devices in the PAN. Second, the retrofitted kiosk can be activated in the publicly traversable area.