WO2004030379A1

WO2004030379A1 - Processing of messages

Info

Publication number: WO2004030379A1
Application number: PCT/FI2003/000697
Authority: WO
Inventors: Taneli HÖLTTÄ; Janne Aalto; Lauri LOVÉN; Jörkki HYVÖNEN; Henri TYKKÄ; Jukka Laurila; Hannu Kauppinen; Pasi Salento
Original assignee: Syslore Oy; Sonera Zed Oy
Priority date: 2002-09-25
Filing date: 2003-09-24
Publication date: 2004-04-08
Also published as: AU2003266421A8; FI20021710A0; AU2003266421A1; FI114676B; FI20021710A

Abstract

The invention relates to an information system comprising: subscriber stations (MS), and a first service source (2) for providing the subscriber station (MS) with a requested service. In order to improve the user friendliness of the system, the system comprises an error correction device (6) arranged to correct a received service request and a session manager (8) arranged to transmit a request for additional information to the subscriber station (MS). Said first service source (2) is arranged to analyze a service request corrected by the error correction device (6) in order to identify the requested service and to provide the service to the subscriber station (MS) having transmitted the service request.

Description

Processing of messages

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to error correction and clarification of service requests transmitted in an information system. In the following the invention will be described by way of example by referring mainly to systems where mobile stations are used for transmitting the service requests. It should, however, be observed that the present invention can also be utilized in systems where some other type of subscriber stations, instead of mobile stations, are used for transmitting the service requests.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Previously there is known an information system where subscriber stations can be utilized to transmit service requests to an information system. When a service source of the information system receives a service request it carries out an analysis in order to identify the requested service. This is usually carried out by analyzing parameters included in the service request. When a known parameter is found in the message, the service associated with this parameter is provided to the source of the service request, which in a mobile communication system might be the mobile station of a subscriber, for instance.

A problem with the above-described prior art solution is the lack of user friendliness. In order for a user to obtain a specific service it is necessary for the user to transmit a service request with a predetermined syntax such as predefined words needed to obtain the service in question. If the user does not know the correct syntax (predefined words of the service in question) or if the user for some reason transmits a sen/ice request with a typing error, the information system is not able to identify the service requested by the user. Thus the user will not be provided with the desired service, but only with an error message. If the user is still interested in obtaining the desired service, the user needs to transmit a new service request, which hopefully has the correct syntax. Otherwise the processing of also the new service request fails. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution which improves the user friendliness of an information system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and simple solution to implement error correction in an information system including a plurality of service sources providing respective services.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an error correction solution capable of automatically updating itself as the services offered by an information system are updated. The above-mentioned and other objects of the present invention are achieved with the method of independent clam 1 and the information system of independent claim 5.

The advantage obtained with the solution of the independent claims is that the user friendliness of the system can be improved. The error correction process, which involves the establishment of a session with the user if the error correction requires additional information, involves a significant advantage over prior art solutions. The session makes it possible for the information system to have an interactive dialogue with the user. Thus, the user can be given help in formulating the search request by transmitting a list of available keywords and/or parameters that are close to those included in the original received service request, for instance. The user can then select a desired keyword or parameter from this list.

A preferred embodiment of the system includes at least two service sources and an access point providing the subscriber stations with access to the service sources. In this embodiment, the service requests which have led to successful identification of the requested service are stored in a memory used by the error correction device in order to carry out error correction. This embodiment has the advantage that a centralized error correction device can be utilized. The error correction device also has a self-learning error correction capability. This is achieved as sen/ice requests which have led to a successful identification of the requested service are stored in a memory. This memory will thus include only those service requests whose contents are correct, as they have all previously led to successful identification of the requested service. It is not necessary to make manual changes to the error correction capabilities when for instance new services are added to the information system, because the correct service requests for obtaining these new services will be stored in the memory automatically as soon as a service request aimed to obtain such a new service leads to successful identification of the service. An incorrect sen/ice request can thus be corrected by utilizing the content of these stored service requests. A significant advantage with this embodiment is thus that manual configuration and maintenance work required to maintain a list of allowed parameters and keywords used in error correction is minimized. This advantage is significant especially in multilingual systems and/or systems running multiple services, as the amount of such work needed in prior art systems is impractical.

The preferred embodiments of the method and information system are disclosed in the enclosed dependent claims 2 to 4 and 6 to 10.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the present invention will be described in closer detail by way of example and with reference to the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 is a flow diagram of a first preferred embodiment of a method for processing service requests,

Figure 2 is block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an information system, Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the method for processing service requests, and

Figures 4 to 6 are block diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of the information system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 is a flow diagram of a first preferred embodiment of a method for processing service requests. In the following examples it is assumed by way of example that the service requests are messages transmitted by subscriber stations of a mobile communication system. In that case the subscriber stations might consist of mobile stations such as cellular phones. The service requests might be requests to receive predetermined data, for instance. Such data might consist of a new ringing tone or of a logo which the user of the subscriber station wants to download to his subscriber station. If the mobile communication system is a GSM system (Global System for Mobile Communications), one alternative is to transmit the service requests by means of short messages (SMS).

In block A, a service request is received at a service source. The term 'service source' refers in this context to an entity providing a specific service. One such service source might be a server arranged to receive service requests and to carry out one specific service. It is also possible that one single server can act as two or more service sources by carrying out several different and independent services.

In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the service request reads as follows: "LOGO GALAXY". The service request is analyzed in block B at the service source in order to identify the requested service. The identification of the requested service might be based on a parameter included in the service request. The term 'parameter' refers to any symbol string which can be used as an identifier to identify a particular service. I the above- mentioned example, the service request includes the parameter "GALAXY".

If the service source providing logo services to the subscribers is able to identify a service "GALAXY" in block C (in this case a logo named GALAXY), this service is provided to the subscriber in block G (the logo GALAXY is transmitted to the subscriber station from which the service request was received).

If, however, it turns out in block C that the requested service cannot be identified, there exists the possibility that the service request includes an error. One possible error is a typing error in the parameter identifying the service. In this case block D is entered. However, block C might include an additional check to determine if a predetermined maximum amount of error correction processes has already previously been initiated for the received service request. The intention is to avoid an endless loop by (in this example) carrying out only a limited number of attempts to correct each service request. If the maximum number of allowed error correction processes has been exceeded, no further error correction processes are allowed, but instead the subscriber station is informed that the service has not been identified.

In block D, an error correction process is initiated in order to try to correct a service request which includes an error. The error correction process utilizes information stored in a memory in order to correct the service request. This memory might contain for instance keywords and parameters associated with the available services. In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the memory includes the following information: "LOGO GALACTICA", "LOGO GALAXY", and that a service request which reads "LOGO GALAY" has been received from a subscriber station.

The error correction process initiated in block D searches through the memory and compares the stored keywords and parameters with the received service request. In the example the stored information "LOGO GALAXY" is closest to the received service request "LOGO GALAY" as only a one-letter change is needed, in other words one letter (a missing X) needs to be added. The other alternative would require more changes, and thus it is not equally close to the received service request.

The received service request is changed to read "LOGO GALAXY". After this the corrected service request is returned from block E to block B for analysis and further processing such that eventually in block G the subscriber is provided with the LOGO GALAXY even though the subscriber has made a typing error.

It should be observed that the comparison of the stored sen/ice requests with the contents of the memory described above is only a simplified example of how the closest stored service request can be identified and selected. Other prior art solutions of comparing strings with each other and of selecting the closest one from a group of strings can also be used in the method of Figure 1.

If, however, it turns out in block E that the error correction has not succeeded, block F is entered. In block F, a session manager is activated to transmit a request for additional information to the source of the received service request, which in this case is assumed to be a subscriber station of a mobile communication system. The service request includes a list of keywords and/or parameters retrieved from the memory. This list includes such keywords and/or parameters that are closest to the received service request. In the previous example, when the received request reads: "LOGO GALAY" and the memory includes the following alternatives "LOGO GALACTICA", "LOGO GALAXY", the keyword LOGO is clearly identified as an existing keyword. However, the parameter GALAY is unknown. Thus, the following request is transmitted by the session manager to the subscriber station: "Sorry, didn't recognize that. Did you mean: 1. GALAXY, 2. GALACTICA ?". The session manager waits for a response including additional information from the subscriber station. The user of the subscriber station can answer by transmitting "1", "GALAXY" or "LOGO GALAXY", in any case the session manager and the error correction process will be able to interpret this additional information and to correct the received service request to read "LOGO GALAXY" in block D. After this, the error correction process is terminated in block E, the requested sen/ice is identified in block B and eventually the subscriber station is provided with the requested service in block G.

A service request might also include other errors than typing errors. One alternative is that the service request includes an identified keyword and after this several known parameters such as "LOGO GALAXY GALACTIC". In this case the session manager transmits a request for additional information including these alternatives such as: "Sorry, didn't recognize that. Did you mean: 1. GALAXY, 2. GALACTICA ?". Again the user of the subscriber station may respond by transmitting only a number, only a parameter or a complete new service request.

Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an information system. It is assumed by way of example in Figure 2 that the information system is connected to a mobile communication system and that the subscriber stations MS used for transmitting service requests to the information system are mobile stations of this mobile communication system.

The information system includes service source 2 connected to the mobile communication system (the mobile communication system is not shown in the figures). This service source 2 might consist for instance of a server connected to a messaging center of the mobile communication system. In the following, it is assumed by way of example that service source 2 offers the subscribers the service of downloading logos (keyword LOGO). The information system of Figure 2 also includes an error correction device 6. This error correction device 6 is capable of correcting errors in the service requests as will be explained later. The error correction device 6 and its associated memory 7 may be accomplished in practice as a separate server connected to the service source, or alternatively they can be integrated in service source 2 (this alternative is not shown in the figures). In the latter case, the error correction device can consist of a computer program which is run by the server acting as the service source. It is also possible that the error correction device 6 utilizes the memory of service source 2, in which case the separate memory 7 is not needed. When a subscriber station MS transmits a service request, for example "LOGO GALAXY", which means that the subscriber wants to download to his mobile station a logo named 'galaxy', this service request is forwarded by the mobile communication system to service source 2 offering the requested service. Service source 2 identifies the parameter GALAXY and retrieves the logo named GALAXY from its database. This logo is transmitted via the mobile communication system to the subscriber station MS.

When a subscriber station MS transmits a service request with an error in the parameter, for instance: "LOGO GALAY", this service request is forwarded to service source 2. The service source analyses the service request in order to identify a parameter indicating which specific service offered by service source 2 has been requested by the subscriber. In this case, however, the service source is not able to identify any known parameter (as no logo named GALAY is available in service source 2). Thus service source 2 forwards the received service request to the error correction device 6, which carries out error correction as has been explained in connection with Figure 1 (blocks D - F) . Thus, keywords and parameters are retrieved from the memory 7, the received service request is compared to the keywords and parameters, and the stored service request which most resembles of the received service request is selected. If the error correction is directly successful the corrected service request is transmitted to service source 2 where it is processed (the requested logo is retrieved from the memory of the service source and transmitted to the subscriber station MS).

However, if the error correction device 6 detects that additional information is needed to correct the received service request, the session manager 8 is activated to request additional information from the subscriber, as explained in connection with block F of Figure 1. In practice the session manager can consist of a server and a appropriate software. Alternatively, the session manager can be integrated with the service source, in which case it consists in practice of software run by the server acting as the service source. The additional information obtained by the session manager is forwarded to the error correction device and used in the error correction, which eventually should be successful such that the requested service can be identified by the service source and the service provided to the subscriber station.

Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a second preferred embodiment of a method for processing service requests. This embodiment differs from the one explained in connection with Figure 1 mainly in that an access point forwarding service requests to a plurality of service sources is utilized in this embodiment.

In the following description it is assumed by way of example that the service requests are messages transmitted by subscriber stations of a mobile communication system. In that case the subscriber stations might consist of mobile stations such as cellular phones. The service requests might be requests to receive predetermined data, for instance. Such data might consist of a new ringing tone or of a logo which the user of the subscriber station wants to download to his subscriber station. In block A', a service request is received at an access point of the information system. The service request is analyzed by the access point in block B' in order to identify the service source which provides the requested service. The term 'service source' refers in this context to an entity providing a specific service. One such service source might be a server arranged to receive service requests and to carry out one specific service. It is also possible that one single server can act as two or more service sources by carrying out several different and independent services.

The identification of the service source might be based on a keyword included in the service request. The term 'keyword' refers to any symbol string which can be used as an identifier to identify a particular service source. Examples of keywords which might be used by subscribers of a mobile communication system to obtain services are LOGO, TONE and PICTURE, for instance.

If the service source providing the requested service can be identified in block C, the service request is transmitted in block D' from the access point to the service source providing the requested service. In the following it is assumed by way of example that the service request reads as follows: "LOGO GALAXY". In this case the service request is transmitted to the service source which provides the subscribers with the service of downloading logos to their subscriber stations. In block E', the service request is analyzed at the service source in order to identify the requested service. The identification of the requested service might be based on a parameter included in the service request. The term 'parameter' refers to any symbol string which can be used as an identifier to identify a particular service. In the above-mentioned example, the service request includes the parameter "GALAXY".

If the service source providing logo services to the subscribers is able to identify a service "GALAXY" (in this case a logo named GALAXY), this service is provided to the subscriber in block G' (the logo GALAXY is transmitted to the subscriber station from where the service request was received). Finally in block H', the service request which has led to successful identification of a service is stored in a memory. Thus, in this case the service request "LOGO GALAXY" is stored in a memory.

If, however, it turns out in block C or block F' that the service source providing the requested service or the requested service itself cannot be identified, there exists the possibility that the service request includes an error. One possible error is a typing error in the keyword or in the parameter. In this case block I' is entered. Blocks C and F" may include an additional check to determine if a predetermined number of error correction processes have previously been initiated for the received service request. The intention is to avoid an endless loop by (in this example) carrying out only a predetermined limited number of attempts to correct each service request. If this predetermined maximum number of error correction attempts has not been exceeded, block I' is entered. Otherwise a message is transmitted to the subscriber station to inform the user that no service was identified.

In block I', an error correction process is initiated in order to try to correct a service request which includes an error. The error correction process utilizes the sen/ice requests which have previously been stored in the memory mentioned in connection with block H'. Thus, the memory includes only such service requests that have led to successful identification of the requested service.

In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the memory includes the service requests: "LOGO GALACTICA", "LOGO GALAXY", "TONE SUPERE", "WEATHER HELSINKI" and "WEATHER LONDON", and that a service request which reads "LOGO GALAY" has been received from a subscriber station. In this case the service source is identified in block C because the keyword "LOGO" is correct. However, the parameter "GALAY" includes a typing error and thus the requested service cannot be identified in block F'. The error correction process initiated in block J' searches through all the service requests stored in the memory and compares the stored sen/ice requests with the received service request. The stored service request which most resembles the received one is selected for use. In the example, the stored service request "LOGO GALAXY" is closest to the received service request "LOGO GALAY" as only a one-letter change is needed, in other words one letter (a missing X) needs to be added. The other alternatives would require more changes, and thus they are not equally close to the received service request.

The selected stored service request "LOGO GALAXY" is then used to correct the received service request such that the received service request is changed to correspond to the selected service request. After this the corrected service request is analyzed in block B' and further processed such that eventually the subscriber is provided with the LOGO GALAXY even though the subscriber has made a typing error.

If, however, it turns out in block J' that the error correction has not succeeded, block K' is entered. In block K', a session manager is activated to transmit a request for additional information to the source of the received service request, which in this case is assumed to be a subscriber station of a mobile communication system. The service request includes a list of keywords and/or parameters retrieved from the memory. This list includes such keywords and/or parameters that are closest to the received service request. In the previous example, when the received request reads: "LOGO GALAY" and the memory includes the following alternatives "LOGO GALACTICA", "LOGO GALAXY", the keyword LOGO is clearly identified as an existing keyword. However, the parameter GALAY is unknown. Thus, the following request is transmitted by the session manager to the subscriber station: "Sorry, didn't recognize that. Did you mean: 1. GALAXY, 2. GALACTICA ?". The session manager waits for a response including additional information from the subscriber station. The user of the subscriber station can answer by transmitting "1", "GALAXY" or "LOGO GALAXY". In any case the session manager and error correction process will be able to interpret this additional information and to correct the received service request to read "LOGO GALAXY" in block I'. After this, the error correction process is terminated in block J', the service source providing the requested service is identified in block E', and the requested service is identified in block G'. Eventually the subscriber station is provided with the requested service in block G'.

Figures 4 to 6 are block diagrams illustrating a second embodiment of an information system. The method described in connection with Figure 3 can be utilized in the system of Figures 4 to 6. it is assumed by way of example in Figures 4 to 6 that the information system is connected to a mobile communication system and that the subscriber stations MS used for transmitting service requests to the information system are mobile stations of this mobile communication system.

The information system includes an access point 1 connected to the mobile communication system (the mobile communication system is not shown in the figures). This access point might consist for instance of a server connected to a messaging center of the mobile communication system. The information system also includes service sources 2 to 5 which are connected to the access point. In the examples of Figures 4 to 6, each service source offers one single service to the subscribers. The service sources might be accomplished in practice as separate servers offering only one sen/ice, or alternatively, it is possible that one or more servers acts as several service sources by offering a plurality of services. In the following it is assumed by way of example that:

- service source 2 offers the subscribers the service of downloading logos (keyword LOGO),

- service source 3 offers the subscribers the service of downloading ringing tones (keyword TONE),

- service source 4 offers the subscribers the service of downloading pictures (keyword PICTURE), and - service source 5 offers the subscribers the service of downloading weather forecasts (keyword WEATHER).

The information system of Figures 4 to 6 also includes an error correction device 6. This error correction device 6 is capable of correcting errors in the service requests as will be explained later. The error correction device 6 has a self-learning capability, which enables it to automatically adapt itself to new services added to the system. The error correction device 6 and its associated memory 7 may be accomplished in practice as a separate server connected to the access point 1 , or alternatively they can be integrated in the access point 1 (this alternative is not shown in the figures). In the latter case, the error correction device can consist of a computer program which is run by the server acting as the access point.

Figure 4 illustrates a situation where a subscriber station MS transmits a service request leading to successful identification of the requested service. The transmitted service request is assumed by way of example to be "LOGO GALAXY", which means that the subscriber wants to download to his mobile station a logo named galaxy. The service request is forwarded by the mobile communication system to the access point 1 as indicated by arrow 10. The access point includes a memory, where the keywords (LOGO, TONE, PICTURE, WEATHER) of service sources 2 to 5 are stored. Thus, the access point 1 is able to identify the keyword LOGO of service source 2. After this, the access point forwards 11 the service request to service source 2 offering the requested service.

Service source 2 identifies the parameter GALAXY and retrieves the logo named GALAXY from its database. This logo is transmitted 12 via the access point 1 and the mobile communication system to the subscriber station MS as indicated by arrow 13.

The access point 1 detects that the service request LOGO GALAXY has led to a successful identification of the requested service. Thus, the access point 1 forwards 14 this service request to the error correction device 6, which stores 15 it in the memory 7. Alternatively, service source 2 might be adapted to transmit a predetermined message to the error correction device 6 in order to inform the error correction device 6 that service request LOGO GALAXY has led to successful identification of the requested service. Also in this case, the error correction device 6 stores this service request in the memory 7.

The fact that the service requests which have led to successful identification of the requested service are stored in the memory means that the error correction device will obtain an automatic self-learning capability. Eventually the memory 7 will contain a list of all such service requests that the service sources 2 to 5 are able to deal with successfully. This list can then be used to correct such service requests that contain an error, as will be explained in connection with Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 illustrates a situation where a subscriber station MS transmits a service request with an error in the keyword. By way of example it will be assumed that the service request transmitted 20 with the subscriber station MS reads: "LOHO GALAXY".

The access point 1 which has received the service request analyzes the service request, but no service source can be identified because the access point cannot identify any known keyword. The received service request is therefore forwarded 21 from the access point 1 to the error correction device 6.

The error correction device 6 retrieves 22 from the memory 7 the stored service requests and compares them with the received service request in order to select the stored service request which most resembles the received service request. In the following, it is assumed by way of example that the memory includes the service requests "LOGO GALACTICA", "LOGO GALAXY", "TONE SUPERE", "WEATHER HELSINKI" and "WEATHER LONDON". Thus, the error correction device will select the stored service request "LOGO GALAXY", which is closest to the received service request "LOHO GALAXY". The selected service request is used to correct the received service request such that the corrected service request will read: "LOGO

GALAXY". This corrected service request is returned 23 to the access point 1.

If, however, the error correction device 6 detects that additional information is needed to correct the received service request, the session manager 8 is activated to request additional information from the subscriber, as explained in connection with block K' of Figure 3. This might become necessary if there are several alternative stored service requests which all are equally close to the received service request or if none of the stored service requests resembles the received service request. When the session manager is activated a request for additional information is transmitted to the source of the received service request. At the same time a control command is issued from the session manager 8 or the error correction device 6 to the access point 1 in order to change the routing of messages carried out by the access point. This control command will identify the MSISDN number of the source of the sen/ice request (the MSISDN number of the subscriber station MS), and inform the access point that all messages received by the access point 1 from this MSISDN number should be transmitted to the session manager 8. Thus, it can be ensured that when the subscriber transmits additional information with the subscriber station MS, this additional information will be routed to the session manager 8.

After the session, the session manager provides the additional information received from the subscriber to the error correction device in order to be used in error correction. At the same time a second control command is issued from the session manager or the error correction to the access point 1. This second control command will have the affect that the routing carried out by the access point is returned to the original situation. Thus messages from the MSISDN number identified in the original control command are no longer routed to the session manager. If the error correction now succeeds, the corrected service request is returned 23 to the access point 1. The access point 1 analyzes the corrected service request, identifies the keyword LOGO and forwards 24 the corrected service request to service source 2 offering this service.

Service source 2 analyzes the corrected service request, identifies the parameter GALAXY and retrieves the logo named GALAXY from its database. This logo is transmitted 25 via the access point 1 and the mobile communication system to the subscriber station MS as indicated by arrow 26. Thus, the subscriber will obtain the desired service even though the service request transmitted by the subscriber had an error in it. It is not necessary to store in the memory 7 the corrected service request which has led to successful identification of the requested service, because this service request already exists in the memory 7. However, for statistical purposes the access point is preferably arranged to transmit an acknowledgement to the error correction device each time a service has successfully been provided to a subscriber, for instance when a logo has successfully been transmitted to the subscriber station. Such statistic (stored in a memory by the error correction) can later on be used, for instance, in order to analyze how well the error correction capabilities operate.

Figure 6 illustrates a situation where a subscriber station MS transmits a service request with an error in the parameter. By way of example it will be assumed that the service request transmitted 30 with the subscriber station MS reads: "LOGO GALAY".

The access point 1 identifies the keyword LOGO and forwards 31 the service request to service source 2 offering this service. The service source analyses the service request in order to identify a parameter indicating which specific service offered by the service source 2 has been requested by the subscriber. In this case, however, the service source is not able to identify any known parameter (as no logo named GALAY is available in the service source 2). Thus, service source 2 returns 32 the service request to the access point 1 in a message informing the access point that the requested sen/ice has not been identified.

The access point 1 forwards 33 the received service request to the error correction device 6, which carries out error correction as has been explained in connection with Figure 5. Thus, the stored service requests are retrieved 34 from the memory 7, the stored service requests are compared to the received service request, and the stored service request which most resembles the received service request is selected. If necessary, the service manager 8 is activated to request additional information from the subscriber station MS in order to achieve successful error correction. In this case it is assumed that the stored sen/ice request "LOGO GALAXY" is selected. Finally, the received service request is corrected by using the selected service request to read "LOGO GALAXY". This corrected service request is forwarded 35 to the access point 1.

The access point 1 analyzes the corrected service request, identifies the keyword LOGO and forwards 36 the corrected service request to service source 2. The analyzing of the corrected service request at the service source 2 will lead to successful identification of the requested service as the parameter GALAXY is identified. Service source 2 then retrieves the logo named GALAXY from its database and transmits 37 it via the access point 1 and the mobile communication system to the subscriber station MS, as indicated by arrow 38. Also in this case, the subscriber will received the desired sen/ice even though the transmitted service request included an error in the parameter.

It is to be understood that the above description and the accompanying Figures are only intended to illustrate the present invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention can be varied and modified also in other ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed in the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of processing service requests in an information system including a service source offering services, said method comprising: receiving a service request (A, A'), analyzing said service request in order to identify the requested service (B, E'), and providing the identified service (G, G'), c h a r a c t e r i z e d by initiating an error correction process if no service can be identified, said error correction process involving:

- correcting the received service request by utilizing information stored in a memory (D, l'), and

- establishing a session with the source of the received service request (F, K') if additional information is required to correct the service request, said session involving transmission of a request for additional information to the source of the service request, reception of additional information, and correcting the received service request by utilizing information stored in said memory, the received service request and said additional information, and repeating said analyzing (B, E') for a corrected service request and providing an identified service to the source of the service request if a service can be identified after the error correction process.

2. A method according to claim ^ c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the request for additional information includes keywords and/or parameters indicating available services, and that said additional information consists of information indicating the keyword and/or parameter selected by the source of the service request among the keywords and/or parameters which were included in said request for additional information.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the information system includes a common access point and at least a second service source offering services, the method comprising: receiving said service request at the access point (A'), analyzing said received service request at the access point in order to identify a predetermined keyword indicating the service source offering the requested service (B'), forwarding said service request from the access point to the service source identified in said analysis (D'), carrying out said analyzing of said service request in order to identify the requested service at the service source (E'), and storing said service request in said memory if the analyzing of the requested service leads to a successful identification of the requested service (H').

4. A method according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the correction of a received service request is carried out by comparing the content of the received service request with the content of the stored service requests, selecting the stored service request which based on the comparison is closest to the received service request, and substituting at least a part of the content of the received service request with at least a part of the content of the selected service request.

5. An information system comprising: subscriber stations (MS), and a first service source (2) providing a service to subscriber stations

(MS) of the system, said first service source is arranged to analyze a service request received from a subscriber station in order to identify the requested service and to provide the subscriber station (MS) with the requested service, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said system further comprises: an error correction device (6) arranged to correct a received service request by utilizing information stored in a memory (7), a session manager (8) arranged to transmit a request for additional information to the subscriber station (MS), if additional information is required in order to correct the received service request, to receive additional information from the subscriber station, and to forward said additional information to the error correction device (6), and said first service source (2) is arranged to analyze a service request corrected by the error correction device (6) in order to identify the requested service and to provide the service to the subscriber station (MS) having transmitted the service request.

6. An information system according to claim 5, c h a r a ct e r i z e d in that the session manager (8) is arranged to include in the request for additional information keywords and/or parameters indicating available services, and to receive additional information consisting of selection information indicating the keyword and/or parameter selected by a user of the subscriber station (MS) among the keywords and/or parameters which were included in said request for additional information.

7. An information system according to claim 5 or 6, c h a r a ct e r i z e d in that the system comprises: at least a second service source (3 to 5) providing a service to subscriber stations of the system, said first (2) and second (3 to 5) sen/ice sources are arranged to analyze service requests or corrected service requests in order to identify the requested service and to provide the subscriber station (MS) with the requested service, and an access point (1) which is connected to the first and second service sources for providing said subscriber stations (MS) with access to services offered by said service sources (2 to 5), said access point is arranged to analyze a service request received from a subscriber station (MS) or a corrected service request received from the error correction device in order to identify a predetermined keyword indicating the sen/ice source offering the requested service, and to forward said service request to the service source offering said service, and that said information system is arranged to store in said memory (7) service requests which have led to a successful identification of the requested service.

8. An information system according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said error correction device is arranged to compare the content of the received service request with the content of the service requests stored in said memory (7), to select the stored service request which based on the comparison is closest to the received service request, and to substitute at least a part of the content of the received service request with at least a part of the content of the selected service request.

9. An information system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said access point (1 ) is connected to a mobile communication system, said subscriber stations (MS) are subscriber stations of the mobile communication system, and the service requests are messages transmitted with said subscriber stations via the mobile communication system to the access point (1).

10. An information system according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that at least one of said first (2) or second (3 to 5) service sources provides a service involving transmission of data to a subscriber station (MS) which has transmitted a service request, said service source (2 to 5) comprising a database containing data, and said service source (2 to 5) is arranged to analyze a received service request in order to identify the requested sen/ice, to retrieve from said database data associated with the identified sen/ice request, and to transmit said retrieved data via said information system to said subscriber station (MS).