Method and Apparatus for Accessing a Service
An access unit ( 107 ) detects a service access ( 201 ) suitable for group operation and in response transmits ( 203 ) a group formation request to a plurality of applications. The applications decide whether to join the group ( 205 ) and the access unit ( 107 ) receives a group join indication from the applications deciding to join ( 207 ). Each group join indication comprises application constraint data in response to which the access unit ( 107 ) determines group constraint data ( 209 ) indicative of the constraints of the group of applications. The access unit ( 107 ) then accesses ( 211 ) a service using the group constraint data. The access unit subsequently receives service data ( 213 ) which is forwarded ( 215 ) to the individual applications. The invention may provide group based services based on services and/or applications designed for single users.
1 . A method of accessing a service, the method comprising:
transmitting a group formation request to a plurality of applications;
receiving a group join indication from at least some applications of the plurality of applications, the group join indication of each application of the at least some applications comprising application constraint data;
determining group constraint data in response to the application constraint data of each of the at least some applications; and
accessing the service using the group constraint data.
2 . The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising receiving service output data from the service and distributing the service output data to the at least some applications.
3 The method of claim 1 wherein the service has at least one associated service input and the group constraint data comprises constraint data for the associated service input.
4 The method of claim 1 wherein the group formation request comprises an indication of a characteristic of the associated service input.
5 . The method of claim 3 further comprising the at least some applications determining the application constraint data in response to the associated service input and user data of the application.
6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the determining of the group constraint data comprises determining a group constraint data value for the associated service input in response to application constraint data of the at least some applications for the associated service input
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the group constraint data is determined by combining the application constraint data of the at least some applications.
8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a group context associated with the service.
9 . The method claimed in claim 8 wherein the group formation request comprises the group context information.
10 . The method claimed in claim 8 further comprising selecting the plurality of applications in response to the group context.
11 . The method claimed in claim 8 wherein the group constraint data is further determined in response to the group context.
12 . The method claimed in claim 8 wherein determining the group context comprises retrieving a stored group context associated with the service.
13 . The method claimed in claim 8 further comprising updating a group context in response to a characteristic of the access of the service and storing the updated group context.
14 . The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a service context of the service and wherein transmitting the group formation request is dependent on the service context.
15 . The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising each of the plurality of applications determining whether to join the group in response to a user preference associated with the application.
16 . The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising each of the plurality of applications determining whether to join the group in response to a service characteristic of the service.
17 . (canceled)
18 . The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising determining a group profile comprising the group constraint data, an identification of the at least some applications and an identification of the service.
19 . The method claimed claim 1 wherein communication with the plurality of applications is according to a peer to peer protocol.
20 . The method claimed claim 1 wherein the plurality of applications are located in different user devices.
21 . (canceled)
22 . (canceled)
23 . An apparatus for accessing a service, the apparatus comprising:
means for transmitting a group formation request to a plurality of applications;
means for receiving a group join indication from at least some applications of the plurality of applications, the group join indication of each application of the at least some applications comprising application constraint data;
means for determining group constraint data in response to the application constraint data of each of the at least some applications; and
means for accessing the service using the group constraint data.