Method for operating a cellular telecommunications network, and method for operating a personal cellular telecommunications device

• US 20070218882A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celltick Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Celltick Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Wellingstein, Yossi, Baron, Uri, Daniel, Ronen
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

For use in a cellular telecommunications network including a plurality of individually addressable Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) providing bidirectional signal coverage over a predefined geographical area, capable of transmitting Point-To-MultiPoint (PTMP) messages over a Point-To-MultiPoint Service (PTMPS) functionality, and capable of transmitting Point-To-Point (PTP) messages, streaming of a substantially continuous stream of mostly different content, at least some interactive display messages on at least one personal cellular telecommunications device prior to their automatic discarding irrespective of their having been displayed or not.

Claims

1. A cellular telecommunications method including

a. Receiving a plurality of individual, interactive display messages by a personal cellular telecommunications device without any action by a user of said device, said device having a display screen that normally displays an idle screen, and each interactive message having mostly different content from the other plurality of interactive display messages and enabling a user of said device to activate a point to point transmission response mechanism;

b. Temporarily storing each of said received interactive display messages in a dynamic storage buffer contained in said telecommunications device;

c. Checking that at least some display message are complete before being displayed;

d. If an idle screen is being displayed, streaming individual ones of said stored complete display messages from said dynamic storage buffer for display on at least a portion of said display screen;

e. Interrupting said displaying of said streaming display message to display a non-idle activity specific screen; and

f. Automatically discarding display messages from said dynamic storage buffer in accordance with a display message discard scheme irrespective of a display message having been displayed on the display screen or not.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display message discard scheme automatically discards undisplayed display messages from the dynamic storage buffer on a First In First Out basis.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display message discard scheme automatically discards a display message immediately prior to its display if it is incomplete.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display message discard scheme automatically discards an out-of-date display message prior to its display if it satisfies the condition that T_CLOCK−

T_RECEIVE>

T_DISCARD where T_CLOCK is the clock time of the personal cellular telecommunications device, T_RECEIVE is the time of receipt of the display message at the personal cellular telecommunications device, and T_DISCARD is a predetermined time interval.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display message discard scheme automatically discards displayed display messages from the dynamic storage buffer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a display message enables a subscriber to automatically activate one of at least two different point-to-point transmission response mechanisms from the list of:

a voice call;

an SMS;

a data session;

an internet session;

an email; and

a facsimile transmission where each response mechanism is integrally provided in a display message and can be actuated by a dedicated response means associated therewith.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least two point-to-point transmission response mechanisms are displayed in a menu in response to subscriber activation of a dedicated response means integrally provided in a display message.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a PTP display message ready for display is displayed on the display screen in preference to a PTMP display message ready for display.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the entire handling of a display message from its receipt through to its being automatically discarded is a completely silent process irrespective of whether the display message was displayed on the display screen or not.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display messages are sent by a cellular broadcasting service consisting of a substantially continuous stream of PTMP display messages for streaming display on a plurality of personal cellular telecommunications devices.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display messages are sent by a cellular broadcasting service consisting of a substantially continuous stream of PTP display messages for streaming display on a particular personal cellular telecommunications device.

12. A computer program loadable into a personal cellular telecommunications device so that the personal cellular telecommunications device programmed in this way is capable of or adapted to carrying out a method as claimed in claim 1.

13. A program storage device readable by a personable cellular telecommunications device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the personal cellular telecommunications device for carrying out a method as claimed in claim 1.

14. A smart card operable with a personal cellular telecommunications device so that the personal cellular telecommunications device is capable of or adapted to carrying out a method as claimed in claim 1.

15. A method of operating a cellular telecommunications network comprising:

a. providing a plurality of interactive display messages that are to be received by a personal cellular telecommunications device having a display screen and that are to be handled automatically by said telecommunications device from the receipt of the display message to the discarding of the display message without any action by a user of said telecommunications device,

said provided display messages having mostly different content and being for a streaming display only on at least a part of an idle screen of said display screen of said telecommunications device,

said display messages further being of a type that can be automatically stored in and discarded from a dynamic storage buffer contained in the telecommunications device wherein said dynamic storage buffer also permits the enabling of a user of said telecommunications device to activate a point to point transmission response mechanism that is integrally provided in said display message;

said telecommunications device receiving a plurality of individual, interactive display messages, temporarily storing each of said received interactive display messages in said dynamic storage buffer, checking that at least some of said display messages are complete before being displayed, and if an idle screen is being displayed, streaming individual ones of said stored complete display messages from said dynamic storage buffer for display on at least a portion of said display screen, and interrupting said displaying of said streaming display message to display a non-idle activity specific screen, and automatically discarding display messages from said dynamic storage buffer in accordance with a display message discard scheme irrespective of a display-message having been displayed on the display screen or not;

b. broadcasting over a particular programming channel a stream of said provided interactive display messages by one or more of a plurality of individually addressable Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) that are part of said cellular telecommunications network, each said BTS providing bidirectional signal coverage over a predefined geographical area and capable of transmitting Point-To-MultiPoint (PTMP) messages over a PTMP Service functionality and capable of transmitting and receiving Point-To-Point (PTP) messages, said display messages being broadcast without consideration of their being received, being displayed, being retained or being discarded on a telecommunications device that has received said display messages; and

c. receiving a message from a telecommunications device as a result of a user of said telecommunications device activating a transmission response mechanism that has been enabled by one of the broadcasted interactive display messages.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting streams display messages at the rate of between one display message about every 5 seconds to one display message about every 5 minutes.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting streams display messages at the rate of between one display message about every 5 seconds to one display message about every 2 minutes.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting includes simultaneously transmitting at least two streams of different content display messages, and further comprising the step of providing a programming channel allocation scheme for determining the stream of display messages to be transmitted at each BTS.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein a display message enables a subscriber to automatically activate one of at least two different point-to-point transmission response mechanisms from the list of:

a voice call;

an SMS;

a data session;

an internet session;

an email; and

a facsimile transmission where each response mechanism is integrally provided in a display message and can be actuated by a dedicated response means associated therewith.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the at least two point-to-point transmission response mechanisms are displayed in a menu in response to subscriber activation of a dedicated response means integrally provided in a display message.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the display messages are sent by a cellular broadcasting service consisting of a substantially continuous stream of PTMP display messages for streaming display on a plurality of personal cellular telecommunications devices.

22. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the display messages are sent by a cellular broadcasting service consisting of a substantially continuous stream of PTP display messages for streaming display on a particular personal cellular telecommunications device.

23. A cellular telecommunications network operative in accordance with claim 15.

24. The cellular telecommunications network as claimed in claim 23 wherein the cellular telecommunications network is a GSM network and the display messages are of the SMS Class 2 type.

25. A computer program loadable into a cellular telecommunications network so that the cellular telecommunications network programmed in this way is capable of or adapted to carrying out a method in accordance with claim 15.

26. A program storage device readable by a cellular telecommunications network tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the cellular telecommunications network for carrying out a method in accordance with claim 15.

27. A method of operating a cellular telecommunications network comprising:

a. providing a plurality of interactive display messages that are to be received by a personal cellular telecommunications device having a display screen and that are to be handled automatically by said telecommunications device from the receipt of the display message to the discarding of the display message in a completely silent process without any action by a user of said telecommunications device,

said provided display messages having mostly different content and being for a streaming display only on at least a part of an idle screen of said display screen of said telecommunications device,

said display messages further being of a type that can be automatically stored in and discarded from a dynamic storage buffer contained in the telecommunications device and that also permits the enabling of a user of said telecommunications device to activate a point to point transmission response mechanism that is integrally provided in said display message;

b. said telecommunications device silently receiving a plurality of individual, interactive display messages, temporarily storing each of said silently received interactive display messages in said dynamic storage buffer, and if an idle screen is being displayed, silently streaming individual ones of said stored display messages from said dynamic storage buffer for display on at least a portion of said display screen, and interrupting said displaying of said streaming display message to display a non-idle activity specific screen, and automatically, silently discarding display messages from said dynamic storage buffer in accordance with a display message discard scheme irrespective of a display message having been displayed on the display screen or not;

c. broadcasting over a particular programming channel a stream of said provided interactive display messages by one or more of a plurality of individually addressable Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) that are part of said cellular telecommunications network, each said BTS providing bidirectional signal coverage over a predefined geographical area and capable of transmitting Point-To-MultiPoint (PTMP) messages over a PTMP Service functionality and capable of transmitting and receiving Point-To-Point (PTP) messages, said display messages being broadcast without consideration of their being received, being displayed, being retained or being discarded on a telecommunications device that has received said display messages; and

d. receiving a message from a telecommunications device as a result of a user of said telecommunications device activating a transmission response mechanism that has been enabled by one of the broadcasted interactive display messages.