Systems and methods for providing mobile services using short-range radio communication devices

1. A method for providing a mobile service to a short-range radio communication (SRC) enabled mobile terminal over a mobile network, the method comprising:

receiving SRC device information from the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network, the SRC device information acquired by the SRC-enabled mobile terminal from an SRC device;

authenticating the SRC device information; and

in response to authenticating the SRC device information, providing the mobile service to the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the location of the SRC-enabled mobile terminal using the SRC device information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising programming the SRC device information into the SRC device, the SRC device information including information regarding the SRC device's identification.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SRC device information includes information regarding the SRC device's location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising pushing the SRC device information to the SRC device via a communication network, wherein the communication network is the mobile network, a telephone network, or a computer network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein authenticating the SRC device information comprises determining whether the SRC device information matches information stored in an SRC device information database.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SRC-enabled mobile terminal is a cellular phone, a Bluetooth enabled device, a WiFi enabled device, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a computer; and

wherein the SRC device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a Bluetooth transponder, or a WiFi transponder.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service provided is one of a set of services available, the set of services available determined at least in part based on the SRC device information.

9. A system for providing a mobile service to a short-range radio communication (SRC) enabled mobile terminal over a mobile network, the system comprising:

means for receiving SRC device information from the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network, the SRC device information acquired by the SRC-enabled mobile terminal from an SRC device;

an SRC device information server connected to the mobile network; and

an SRC device information database connected to the SRC device information server,

where the SRC device information server executes a process to authenticate the SRC device information and where, in response to authenticating the SRC device information, the mobile service is provided to the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising the SRC device being located within the mobile network, the SRC device including the SRC device information.

11. The system of claim 10 where the SRC device is fixed within the mobile network.

12. The system of claim 10 where the SRC device transits within the mobile network.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the SRC device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a Bluetooth transponder, or a WiFi transponder.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the SRC-enabled mobile terminal is a cellular phone, a Bluetooth enabled device, a WiFi enabled device, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a computer.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising a location server connected to the SRC device information server.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising a services server connected to the SRC device information server.

17. A method for receiving a mobile service over a mobile network, the method comprising:

acquiring an access code from a short range communication (SRC) device by using an SRC-enabled mobile terminal;

making a request to a mobile service provider over the mobile network to provide the mobile service;

providing the access code to the mobile service provider over the mobile network; and

receiving the mobile service over the mobile network.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the SRC-enabled mobile terminal is a cellular phone, a Bluetooth enabled device, a WiFi enabled device, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a computer; and

wherein the SRC device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a Bluetooth transponder, or a WiFi transponder.

19. The method of claim 17 where the SRC-enabled mobile terminal receives the mobile service at a special or reduced rate.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the mobile service received includes an advertisement.

21. A method for providing a promotional mobile service to a short-range radio communication (SRC) enabled mobile terminal over a mobile network, the method comprising:

receiving SRC device information from the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network, the SRC device information acquired by the SRC-enabled mobile terminal from an SRC device;

authenticating the SRC device information; and

in response to authenticating the SRC device information, providing the promotional mobile service to the SRC-enabled mobile terminal over the mobile network on a time-limited basis.

22. A method for receiving an advertisement over a mobile network, the method comprising:

acquiring short range communication (SRC) device information from a SRC device using an SRC-enabled mobile terminal;

providing the SRC device information to a mobile service provider over the mobile network; and

receiving the advertisement over the mobile network.