METHOD AND APPARATUS TO INITIATE POINT-TO-POINT CALL DURING SHARED-CHANNEL DELIVERY OF BROADCAST CONTENT IN A WIRELESS TELEPHONE NETWORK

• US 20080014949A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Jun, Chen, Tao, Sinnarajah, Ragulan
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method for managing a point-to-point call initiated (702) between a wireless mobile station (114, 400) and a remote party while the mobil is receiving broadcast content via one or more multi-user forward-link broadcast channels (508). The mobile station notifies (704) the network (110) of preferences as to prescribed categories of operating conditions, such as whether to continue receiving the broadcast content, and election between the point-to-point call and broadcast content concurrently. In accordance with the preferences, communications are conducted (706) in one of the following operating modes: (1) conducting the point-to-point call and discontinuing reception of the broadcast, (2) conducting the point-to-point call and continuing reception of the broadcast, (3) aborting completion of the point-to-point call and continuing reception of the broadcast.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless mobile station in a wireless communications network, comprising operations of:

receiving network notification of an incoming point-to-point call from a remote station while the mobile station is receiving broadcast content via a multi-user forward-link broadcast channel;

soliciting operator input as to whether to accept or react the incoming call;

if the operator rejects the call, sending the network notification of rejection;

if the operator accepts the call, sending the network notification of acceptance and performing further operations comprising;

determining call handling preferences as to prescribed categories of operating condition including at least the following;

(1) whether to continue receiving the broadcast content, (2) election between the point-to-point call and the broadcast content should network resources be unable to conduct the point-to-point call and broadcast content concurrently;

sending the network further messaging stating the determined call handling preferences, and waiting for signaling from the network to complete the point-to-point call.

2. The method of claim 1, where:

the receiving operation comprises the mobile station receiving a paging message from the network;

the operation of sending the network notification of acceptance comprises transmitting a PAGE RESPONSE message;

the operation of sending the network further messaging comprises one of the following;

indicating election between the incoming call and the broadcast in conjunction with the PAGE RESPONSE message;

withholding indication of the election from the PAGE RESPONSE message and indicating the election responsive to a CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT message from the network.

3. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processor to perform operations to manage a wireless mobile station in a wireless communications network, the operations comprising:

receiving network notification of an incoming point-to-point call from a remote station while the mobile station is receiving broadcast content via a multi-user forward-link broadcast channel;

soliciting operator input as to whether to accept or reject the incoming call;

if the operator rejects the call, sending the network notification of rejection;

if the operator accepts the call, sending the network notification of acceptance and performing further operations comprising;

determining call handling preference as to prescribed categories of operating conditions including at least the following;

(1) whether to continue receiving the broadcast content, (2) election between the point-to-point call and the broadcast content should network resources to unable to conduct the point-to-point call and broadcast content concurrently;

sending the network further messaging stating the determined call handling preferences, and waiting for signaling from the network to complete the point-to-point call.

4. The medium of claim 3, where:

the receiving operation comprises the mobile station receiving a paging message from the network;

the operation of sending the network notification of acceptance comprises transmitting a PAGE RESPONSE message;

the operation of sending the network further messaging comprises one of the following;

indicating election between the incoming call and the broadcast in conjunction with the PAGE RESPONSE message;

withholding indication of the election from the PAGE RESPONSE message and indicating the election responsive to a CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT message from the network.

5. Circuitry including multiple interconnected electrically conductive elements configured to perform operations to operate a wireless mobile station in a wireless communications network, the operations comprising:

receiving network notification of an incoming point-to-point call from a remote station while the mobile station is receiving broadcast content via a multi-user forward-link broadcast channel;

soliciting operator input as to whether to accept or reject the incoming call;

if the operator rejects the call, sending the network notification of rejection;

if the operator accepts the call, sending the network notification of acceptance and performing further operation comprising;

determining call handling preferences as to prescribed categories of operating conditions including at least the following;

(1) whether to continue receiving the broadcast content, (2) election between the point-to-point call and the broadcast should network resources be unable to conduct the point-to-point call and broadcast content concurrently;

sending the network further messaging stating the determined call handling preferences, and waiting for signaling from the network to complete the point-to-point call.

6. The circuitry of claim 5, where:

the receiving operation comprises the mobile station receiving a paging message from the network;

the operation of sending the network notification of acceptance comprises transmitting a PAGE RESPONSE message;

the operation of sending the network further messaging comprises one of the following;

indicating election between the incoming call and the broadcast in conjunction with the PAGE RESPONSE message;

withholding indication of the election from the PAGE RESPONSE message and indicating the election responsive to a CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT message from the network.