Apparatus for providing information about available service using proxy server and method therefor

1. An apparatus for providing information about an available service using a proxy, the apparatus comprising:

a base station for a wireless network or a proxy server in a local area network, the base station or proxy server including:

a database configured to store available service information and received information about registration of subscription;

an available service checker configured to receive, from a user, available service query data that contains a service ID; compare the received data with available service data; in response to a comparison result indicating that a corresponding service is present, generate and transmit to the user available service response data that comprises information about a service corresponding to the service ID; and in response to a comparison result indicating that the corresponding service is not present, transmit the information about registration of subscription which is generated by subscribing to and registering a service corresponding to the service ID;

an available service searcher configured to transmit service discovery query data associated with the subscribed service corresponding to the service ID, obtain available service data from received service discovery response data regarding a service providing device and whether or not the service providing device provides the service corresponding to the service ID of the service discovery query data, and transmit the obtained available service information; and

an available service broadcaster configured to broadcast the obtained available service information to users which include at least one user that has sent the available service query data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the available service broadcaster is configured to periodically transmit the available service information by sending a pre-association message (PAM) that includes the available service information in order to transmit the available service information to the user that has sent the available service query data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the available service checker is configured to, in the absence of available service that corresponds to the available service query data, output a message to inform the user that although there are no services of interest currently available, subscription information of the services will be periodically transmitted to provide information regarding the presence of available service, and periodically provide the information about the presence of available service.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the available service broadcaster is configured to broadcast the available service information over several frames in a distributed manner such that more users that have sent the available service information can be selected.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the available service broadcaster is configured to, in an event of change in service information in the database, broadcast information about the event with a higher priority.

6. A method for providing information about an available service using a proxy, the method comprising:

storing available service information and received registrations of subscription;

receiving, from a user, available service query data that contains a service ID, comparing the received data with available service data, in response to a comparison result indicating that a corresponding service is present, generating and transmitting to the user available service response data that comprises information about a service corresponding to the service ID, and in response to a comparison result indicating that the corresponding service is not present, transmitting the information about registration of subscription which is generated by subscribing to and registering a service corresponding to the service ID;

transmitting service discovery query data associated with the subscribed service corresponding to the service ID, obtaining available service data from received service discovery response data regarding a service providing device and whether or not the service providing device provides the service corresponding to the service ID of the service discovery query data, and transmitting the obtained available service information; and

broadcasting the obtained available service information to users which include at least one user that has sent the available service query data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting of the obtained available service information comprises periodically transmitting the available service information by sending a pre-association message that includes the available service information in order to transmit the available service information to the user that has sent the available service query data.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the requesting of the registration of subscription comprises, in the absence of available service, providing the information about the presence of an available service by outputting a message to inform that although there are no services of interest currently available, subscription information will be periodically transmitted to provide information about the presence of available service.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting of the obtained available service information comprises broadcasting the available service information over several frames in a distributed manner such that more users that have sent the available service information can be selected.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting of the obtained available service information comprises, in an event of change in service information in the database, broadcasting information about the event with a higher priority.