Mobile phone combined with satellite radio capability

• US 20060025073A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., True, Sandra Lynn, Sheen, Baoling S., Voight, Kenneth J., Overend, Kevin J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A wireless telephony network provides satellite radio program information and content, in addition to conventional wireless telephony services, to eligible mobile stations of the wireless telephony network. The wireless telephony network receives satellite radio programming from a satellite radio service network, establishes one or more bearer channels (e.g., conventional voice channels or higher-bandwidth data links) and sends the programming to the one or more mobile stations via the one or more bearer channels. The wireless telephony network monitors and obtains billing information associated with integrated service delivery and coordinates the billing information with a satellite radio service provider. A controlling provider may be selected to control billing for the integrated services such that the customer receives a single statement.

Claims

1. A mobile switching center (MSC) comprising:

a satellite service provider gateway;

a satellite traffic controller;

a base station gateway;

the satellite service provider gateway being operable to retrieve satellite programming information from a satellite service provider and send the information to the satellite traffic controller, the base station gateway operably connecting the satellite traffic controller to a base station serving at least one mobile station and thereby being operable to communicate satellite programming information from the satellite traffic controller to the at least one mobile station.

2. The MSC of claim 1, including a plurality of satellite service provider gateways each operable to retrieve satellite programming information from a different satellite service provider.

3. The MSC of claim 2, wherein the satellite traffic controller is operable to receive and buffer traffic from the plurality of service provider gateways, yielding a multiplexed traffic stream, the satellite traffic controller being operable to send the multiplexed traffic stream to the base station gateway.

4. The MSC of claim 3, wherein the at least one mobile station comprises a plurality of mobile stations;

the base station gateway being operable to extract from the multiplexed traffic stream, a plurality of individual traffic streams; and

the base station gateway being operable to send the individual traffic streams to designated mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations.

5. A method comprising a mobile switching center (MSC) performing steps of:

receiving, from a mobile station, a request for satellite radio program information;

responsive to the request, retrieving satellite radio program information;

sending at least a portion of the satellite radio program information to the mobile station; and

receiving, from the mobile station, indicia of one or more selected satellite radio programs defining a program request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of retrieving satellite radio program information comprises querying a database associated with a satellite radio service provider.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile station, a request for satellite radio program content, defining requested programming;

determining eligibility of the mobile station to receive the requested programming; and

if the mobile station is eligible, sending the requested programming to the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of sending the requested programming comprises the MSC comprises:

establishing a bearer channel for delivery of the requested programming to the mobile station;

receiving the requested programming from a satellite radio service network; and

sending the requested programming via the bearer channel.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining eligibility comprises:

querying a subscriber database to determine whether a user associated with the mobile station has subscribed to the requested programming, a positive determination of eligibility being made if the user has subscribed to the requested programming.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the user is not presently authorized to receive the requested programming; and

offering the user a subscription for the requested programming, a positive determination of eligibility being made if the user accepts the subscription.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the user is not presently authorized to receive the requested programming; and

offering the user a subscription for the requested programming, a negative determination of eligibility being made if the user declines the subscription.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of sending the requested programming comprises the MSC:

receiving the requested programming from a satellite radio service network in a first format associated with the satellite radio service network;

converting the requested programming from the first format to a second format associated with the wireless telephony network; and

sending the requested programming to the mobile station in the second format.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless telephony network, satellite radio programming from a satellite radio service network;

establishing, by the wireless telephony network, one or more bearer channels for delivery of the programming to one or more mobile stations of the wireless telephony network; and

sending the programming to the one or more mobile stations via the one or more bearer channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of establishing one or more bearer channels comprises establishing one or more voice paths coincident to one or more active calls, defining conventional voice channels.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of establishing one or more bearer channels comprises establishing one or more data links having greater quality of service than conventional voice channels.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of establishing one or more bearer channels comprises:

providing a plurality of bearer channel options associated with different quality of service levels;

selecting the one or more bearer channels from among the plurality of bearer channel options.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selecting comprises:

querying at least one mobile station for a selected quality of service level; and

selecting the bearer channel having the selected quality of service level.

18. In a communication system offering integrated satellite radio and wireless telecommunication services to a customer, a billing method comprising:

determining by a wireless telecommunication service provider, billing information associated with integrated services provided to the customer;

coordinating the billing information between the wireless telecommunication service provider and a satellite radio service provider;

selecting, between the wireless telecommunication service provider and satellite radio service provider, a controlling provider for controlling billing for the integrated services provided to the customer, the provider not selected as controlling provider defining a non-controlling provider; and

the controlling provider billing the customer for said integrated services and reimbursing the non-controlling provider a negotiated portion of revenues associated with said integrated services.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling provider comprises the wireless telecommunication service provider, the step of billing the customer performed by a mobile billing center associated with the wireless telecommunication service provider.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling provider comprises the satellite radio service provider, the step of billing the customer performed by a satellite billing center associated with the satellite radio service provider.