Computerized apparatus and methods for location-based service provision

A method of operating a computerized apparatus having a computer readable apparatus comprising a storage medium having at least one computer program, the method comprising:

• providing an input to the computerized apparatus, the input responsive to a user request for provision of a user-specific and location-specific service, the input causing execution of the at least one computer program on a processor apparatus of the computerized apparatus, the execution causing arranging for provision of the user-specific and location-specific service for a requesting user by a third-party service provider via a computerized network proxy, the arranging comprising peer-to-peer communication between the third-party service provider and the requesting user via the computerized network proxy by at least:
• establishing a data communication session between the computerized apparatus and a data network computerized server apparatus acting as the computerized network proxy, to enable data communications relating to the requested user-specific and location-specific service, the enabled data communications conducted at least in part over an internetwork;
• receiving data relating to the user request via the data communication session, the received data comprising data uniquely identifying at least both the requesting user and the location-specific service being requested by the requesting user, the location-specific service being specific to a geographic location identified in the received data;
• causing generating, via the computerized apparatus, of one or more first data messages, the one or more data messages comprising:
• (i) a confirmatory message data relating to the request, and (ii) data enabling identification of at least one account directly or indirectly accessible by the data network computerized server apparatus, the account associated with at least one of the requesting user or the third-party service provider;
• and
• causing transmission of the generated one or more first data messages to the data network computerized server apparatus via at least the data communication session and the internetwork, the transmission of the generated one or more data messages enabling the data network computerized server apparatus to automatically generate and transmit one more second data messages relating to provision of the user-specific location-specific service by the third party service provider entity to a computerized user device of the requesting user, the one or more second data messages comprising at least a portion of the confirmatory message data and transmitted to the computerized user device via a second data communications session.

A method of arranging for provision of a user-specific, time-limited rental via a secure, network proxy-assisted peer-to-peer communications channel between a computerized apparatus of a third-party service provider and a computerized mobile wireless device of a user, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the computerized apparatus, first data relating to a request for provision of the user-specific time-limited rental, the receiving being via a first secure data communication session established between the computerized apparatus and a computerized network server apparatus, the computerized network server apparatus configured for communication with at least the computerized mobile wireless device via a second secure data communication session and configured to act as a computerized proxy for at least the computerized apparatus, the received first data relating to the request having been generated by the user of the computerized mobile wireless device via an input to the computerized mobile wireless device received via a user interface of an application computer program of the computerized mobile wireless device, the second secure data communication session having been established automatically based at least on the input, the received first data relating to the request comprising:
• (i) data relating to a location where the rental is to be performed;
• and (ii) at least one of a date or time when the rental is to be performed;
• and
• causing transmission of one or more first data messages from the computerized apparatus to the computerized network server apparatus via the first secure data communication session, the one or more first data messages based at least in part on the received first data and including second data relating to provision of the requested user-specific rental by the third-party service provider;
• wherein the transmission of the one or more first data messages causes generating a response for the user at the computerized mobile wireless device, at least a portion of the response having been dynamically generated via a computerized process of the computerized network server apparatus, the response based at least in part on the transmitted one or more first data messages and including data relating to provision of the requested user-specific rental by the third-party service provider entity.