Service provider for providing data, applications and services to embedded devices and for facilitating control and monitoring of embedded devices

A service provider for embedded devices comprising:

• a computer, the computer including communications hardware for communicating over a computer network, the computer also including a storage device;
• a database of embedded device information, the embedded device information database being available to the computer network;
• an embedded device communications module for communicating with the embedded devices;
• a computer network communications module for communicating with computers via the computer network;
• and
• a database interface module for accessing the information in the embedded device information database.

An embedded device service provider, the embedded device service provider comprising:

• communications hardware for communicating over a computer network;
• memory;
• an embedded device information database including embedded device information, the embedded device information database being available to the computer network;
• a service information database including service information obtained from the computer network, the service information database being available to embedded devices capable of communicating with the provider;
• a processor, the processor executing instructions for implementing a method comprised of the steps of:
• receiving a message from an embedded device;
• identifying the embedded device;
• accessing the embedded device information database;
• sending a transmit message to the embedded device;
• and
• storing device information descriptive of a transaction.

A method for providing service to a plurality of embedded devices, the method comprising:

• providing electronic communications between a service provider for embedded devices and a communications network;
• receiving a message from an embedded device;
• identifying the embedded device through use of the message received;
• accessing an embedded device information database;
• sending a transmit message to the embedded device;
• and
• storing device information descriptive of a transaction.

A system for providing services to embedded devices comprising:

• a plurality of service providers for embedded devices, wherein each service provider for embedded devices comprises:
• a computer, the computer including communications hardware for communicating over a computer network, the computer also including a storage device;
• a database;
• an embedded device communications module for communicating with the embedded devices;
• a computer network communications module for communicating with computers via the computer network;
• and
• a database interface module for accessing the information in the database;
• and
• a central provider in electronic communication with the plurality of service providers for embedded devices, the central provider operating to provide communications between embedded devices and service providers for embedded devices, and to coordinate collecting updated information from the computer network relating to embedded devices, and to coordinate disseminating the updated information to embedded devices.