Dynamic grouping of wireless terminals

• US 20040192350A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pelaez, Mariana Benitez, Lee, Anne Yin-Fee, Mathai, Samuel Stinson
• Granted Patent: US 7,142,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A system and method of transmitting media to a plurality of wireless terminals. The method includes forming a group of wireless terminals, and transmitting a group-specific media message to each of the wireless terminals in the group. The method can include forming a location-based group of wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location and transmitting a media message to each of the wireless terminals in the location-based group. The method can also include determining the location of the plurality of wireless terminals. The system includes a Location Server for determining the location of the plurality of wireless terminals and an Application Server for grouping the wireless terminals. The system also include a Call State Function Controller for routing calls thereby transmitting the group-specific media messages to the wireless terminals in the group via wireless interfaces.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting media to a plurality of wireless terminals comprising:

forming a group of wireless terminals; and

transmitting a group-specific media message to each of the wireless terminals in the group.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the media message simultaneously to each of the wireless terminals in the group.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the group is a dynamic group such that the number of wireless terminals in the group can change.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the group is a location-based group and the forming step includes forming a location-based group of wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the location-based group is a dynamic group such that wireless terminals entering the proximity of the location are added to the location-based group and wireless terminals leaving the proximity of the location are removed from the location-based group.

6. The method defined in claim 4 further including determining the location of the plurality of wireless terminals.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless terminals are cellular phones.

8. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the location is an event.

9. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the location is a fire.

10. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the location is a conference.

11. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the location is a party.

12. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the forming step includes grouping the wireless terminals into a chat group.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further including providing communication between the wireless terminals in the chat group.

14. A method of transmitting media to a plurality of wireless terminals comprising:

forming a location-based group of wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location; and

transmitting a media message to the wireless terminals in the location-based group.

15. The method defined in claim 14 further including determining that the plurality of wireless terminals are located within a proximity of a location.

16. The method defined in claim 14 wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the media message simultaneously to each of the wireless terminals in the location-based group.

17. The method defined in claim 14 wherein the location-based group is a dynamic group such that wireless terminals entering the proximity of the location are added to the location-based group and wireless terminals leaving the proximity of the location are removed from the location-based group.

18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein the media message is transmitted wireless terminals added to the location-based group in the transmitting step.

19. A method of providing communications between a plurality of wireless terminals comprising:

grouping the wireless terminals into a chat group; and

providing communication between the wireless terminals in the chat group.

20. The method defined in claim 19 further including transmitting media to the chat group.

21. The method defined in claim 19 further including determining that the plurality of wireless terminals are within a proximity of a location and the grouping step includes grouping the wireless terminals within the proximity of the location into the chat group.

22. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the grouping step includes grouping the wireless terminals based on the interests of the wireless terminal users.

23. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the grouping step includes grouping the wireless terminals based on the age of the wireless terminal users.

24. A wireless communications system for transmitting media to a location-based group of wireless terminals comprising:

an Application Server for grouping the wireless terminals into a group; and

a Call State Function Controller for transmitting group-specific media to the group of wireless terminals over a wireless interface.

25. The wireless communications system defined in claim 24 wherein the Application Server includes a dynamic database identifying the wireless terminals in the location-based group.

26. The wireless communications system defined in claim 24 wherein the Application Server groups the wireless terminals within a proximity of a location into a location-based group.

27. The wireless communications system defined in claim 26 further comprising a Location Server for determining the location of the wireless terminals and providing the location information to the Application Server.

28. The wireless communications system defined in claim 24 wherein the Application Server groups the wireless terminals into a chat group.

29. The wireless communications system defined in claim 28 wherein the Call State Function Controller provides communication between the wireless terminals in the chat group.

30. The wireless communications system defined in claim 24 further including a Home Subscriber System for providing wireless subscriber information to the Application Server indicating that wireless terminals can be grouped in the group.

31. The wireless communications system defined in claim 24 wherein the Call State Function Controller transmits the group-specific media to each wireless terminal simultaneously.