Communique system with active feedback for cellular communication networks

• US 20020037727A1
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Published: 03/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vesuvius, Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel B., Graziano, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The communique system for cellular communication networks operates with existing cellular communication networks to provide communique communication services to subscribers. The communique can be unidirectional (broadcast) or bidirectional (interactive) in nature and the extent of the communique can be network-wide broadcast or narrowcast, where one or more cells and/or cell sectors are grouped to cover a predetermined geographic area or demographic population or subscriber interest group to transmit information to subscribers who populate the target audience for the narrowcast transmissions. The communique system uses active feedback to dynamically adjust the communiqué coverage area, using one or more parameters including but not limited to: the number of subscribers in the communiqué coverage area and components thereof, the demographics of the subscribers, the flow of subscribers into & out of existing communiqué coverage area, the usage of communiqué services: free vs subscription vs toll, and the like. The content of these transmissions can be multi-media in nature and comprising a combination of various forms of media: audio, video, graphics, text, data and the like. The subscriber terminal devices used to communicate with the communique system for cellular communication networks are typically full function communication devices that include: WAP enabled cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, Palm Pilots, personal computers, and the like or special communique only communication devices that are specific to communique reception; or MP3 audio players (essentially a radio receiver or communique radio); or an MPEG4 video receiver (communique TV); or other such specialized communication device. The subscriber terminal devices can either be mobile wireless communication devices in the traditional mobile subscriber paradigm, or the fixed wireless communication devices in the more recent wireless product offerings. Furthermore, these communique communication services can be free services, subscription based services, or toll based services, while the data propagation can be based on push, pull and combinations of push/pull information distribution modes.

Claims

1. A communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, each of whom are equipped with a wireless subscriber device, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising:

means for storing subscriber information for each of a plurality of subscribers;

means for identifying subscribers, whose wireless subscriber device is active in a cell of said cellular communication network, for at least one of said cells;

means for automatically generating data that identifies a plurality of subscribers, who comprise at least one community of subscribers, as a function of said stored subscriber information for said identified subscribers;

means for selecting at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers; and

means for routing information constituting said communique communication service from a selected program source to cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to wireless subscriber devices of ones of said identified subscribers who are present in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

2. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for storing comprises:

communique location register means for storing at least one of;

a subscriber'"'"'s authorization, a subscriber'"'"'s service plan, and a subscriber profile.

3. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for automatically generating comprises:

means for correlating said identified subscribers with program data indicative of said communique communication service from a selected program source to create data indicative of subscribers interested in said communique communication service in each of said cells.

4. The communique system of claim 3 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for managing spatial temporal content of said communique communication service as a function of at least one of;

number of said identified subscribers entering into and moving out of a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, number of subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, services requested by said identified subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, density of subscribers active in said cellular communication network.

5. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for dynamically revising selection of at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers.

6. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means, responsive to occurrence of an event, for identifying a temporal and spatial extent of said communique communication service; and

means for translating said identified temporal and spatial extent into said set of said cells.

7. The communique system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for enabling each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices of ones of said identified subscribers who are present in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to receive said information via said one of said plurality of wireless communication channels.

8. The communique system of claim 7 wherein said means for enabling comprises:

means for identifying each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

9. The communique system of claim 8 wherein said means for identifying comprises:

means for assigning a common MIN as said communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

10. The communique system of claim 7 wherein said means for enabling comprises:

means for registering at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to uniquely identify said at least one wireless subscriber device; and

means for authorizing said at least one wireless subscriber device to receive a subscriber selected communique.

11. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for routing operates in at least one information distribution mode selected from the class of information distribution modes including:

push, pull, and combinations of push/pull information distribution modes.

12. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting comprises:

means for creating temporal and spatial extent of narrowcast in the content domain.

13. The communique system of claim 12 wherein said means for creating temporal and spatial extent comprises:

means for defining program segments for a plurality of communiques that are excerpted from a program stream in at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

14. The communique system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites; and

control signal means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

15. The communique system of claim 14 further comprising:

means for transmitting a program stream to a plurality of cell sites; and

means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a program stream in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

16. The communique system of claim 15 further comprising:

means, located in said plurality of cell sites, for generating a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

means for transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

18. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said step of storing comprises:

communique location register means for storing at least one of;

a subscriber'"'"'s authorization, a subscriber'"'"'s service plan, and a subscriber profile.

19. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said means for automatically generating comprises:

means for correlating said identified subscribers with program data indicative of said communique communication service from a selected program source to create data indicative of subscribers interested in said communique communication service in each of said cells.

20. The method of operating a communique system of claim 19 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

managing spatial temporal content of said communique communication service as a function of at least one of;

number of said identified subscribers entering into and moving out of a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, number of subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, services requested by said identified subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, density of subscribers active in said cellular communication network.

21. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

dynamically revising selection of at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers.

22. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

identifying, in response to occurrence of an event, a temporal and spatial extent of said communique communication service; and

translating said identified temporal and spatial extent into said set of said cells.

23. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

enabling each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices of ones of said identified subscribers who are present in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to receive said information via said one of said plurality of wireless communication channels.

24. The method of operating a communique system of claim 23 wherein said step of enabling comprises:

identifying each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

25. The method of operating a communique system of claim 24 wherein said step of identifying comprises:

assigning a common MIN as said communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

26. The method of operating a communique system of claim 23 wherein said step of enabling comprises:

registering at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to uniquely identify said at least one wireless subscriber device; and

authorizing said at least one wireless subscriber device to receive a subscriber selected communique.

27. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said step of routing operates in at least one information distribution mode selected from the class of information distribution modes including:

push, pull, and combinations of push/pull information distribution modes.

28. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 wherein said step of selecting comprises:

creating temporal and spatial extent of narrowcast in the content domain.

29. The method of operating a communique system of claim 28 wherein said step of creating temporal and spatial extent comprises:

defining program segments for a plurality of communiques that are excerpted from a program stream in at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

30. The method of operating a communique system of claim 29 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites; and

transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

31. The method of operating a communique system of claim 30 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a program stream to a plurality of cell sites; and

transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a program stream in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

32. The method of operating a communique system of claim 31 further a comprising the step of:

generating, in said plurality of cell sites, a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

17. A method of operating a communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, each of whom are equipped with a wireless subscriber device, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising the steps of:

storing subscriber information for each of a plurality of subscribers;

identifying subscribers, whose wireless subscriber device is active in a cell of said cellular communication network, for at least one of said cells;

automatically generating data that identifies a plurality of subscribers, who comprise at least one community of subscribers, as a function of said stored subscriber information for said identified subscribers;

selecting at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers; and

routing information constituting said communique communication service from a selected program source to cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to wireless subscriber devices of ones of said identified subscribers who are present in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

33. A communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, who are equipped with wireless subscriber devices, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising:

communique location register means for storing data comprising at least one of;

a subscriber'"'"'s authorization, a subscriber'"'"'s service plan, and a subscriber profile for each of a plurality of subscribers;

subscriber population identification means for identifying subscribers, whose wireless subscriber device is active in a cell site of said cellular communication network, for at least one of said cell sites;

community manager means for automatically generating data that identifies a plurality of subscribers, who comprise at least one community of subscribers, as a function of said stored subscriber profiles for said identified subscribers;

temporal spatial communique manager means for selecting at least one of said plurality of cell sites to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers; and

program manager means for routing information constituting said communique communication service from at least one selected program source to said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to a plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

34. The communique system of claim 33 wherein said community manager means comprises:

audience determination means for correlating said identified subscribers with program data indicative of said communique communication service from a selected program source to create data indicative of subscribers interested in said communique communication service in each of said cells.

35. The communique system of claim 34 wherein said temporal spatial communique manager means comprises:

population determining means for managing spatial temporal content of said communique communication service as a function of at least one of;

number of said identified subscribers entering into and moving out of a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, number of subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, services requested by said identified subscribers active in a cell or narrowcast region of said cellular communication network, density of subscribers active in said cellular communication network.

36. The communique system of claim 33 wherein said temporal spatial communique manager means comprises:

audience updating means for dynamically revising selection of at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service to subscribers who are members of said at least one community of subscribers.

37. The communique system of claim 33 wherein said temporal spatial communique manager means comprises:

communique extent determining means, responsive to occurrence of an event, for identifying a temporal and spatial extent of said communique communication service; and

coverage determining means for translating said identified temporal and spatial extent into said set of said cells.

38. The communique system of claim 33 further comprising:

subscriber authorization means for enabling each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices of ones of said identified subscribers who are present in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to receive said information via said one of said plurality of wireless communication channels.

39. The communique system of claim 33 wherein said temporal spatial communique manager means comprises:

communique extent determining means for creating temporal and spatial extent of narrowcast in the content domain.

40. The communique system of claim 39 wherein said communique extent determining means comprises:

content scheduling means for defining program segments for a plurality of communiques that are excerpted from a program stream in at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

41. The communique system of claim 40 further comprising:

distribution means for transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites; and

control signal means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

42. The communique system of claim 41 further comprising:

link means for transmitting a program stream to a plurality of cell sites; and

control means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said at least one of said plurality of cell sites to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a program stream in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites.

43. The communique system of claim 42 further comprising:

base station means, located in said plurality of cell sites, for generating a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

transmitter means for transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites.