SPONSORING OF A MOBILE STATION SESSION BY ANOTHER MOBILE STATION IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20150044989A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: De Foy, Xavier, Olvera-Hernandez, Ulises, Karampatsis, Dimitrios, Liu, Hang, Shaheen, Kamel M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1478 the splitting involving only the communication parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/64 On-line charging system [OCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for sponsoring service and preferential traffic handling, (i.e., data connectivity) by wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs). A first WTRU may initiate user sponsoring of a second WTRU via an application server (AS). The first WTRU may receive a service trigger from the AS and forward the service trigger to the second WTRU. The second WTRU may then initiate a sponsored session with the AS using the service trigger in order to receive a service from the AS. The first WTRU may also request the AS to transfer a credit to the second WTRU. The AS may establish a direct communication link with a charging system including an online charging function (OCF) and a charging data function (CDF). The AS may send a request to a network to provide preferential traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU.

Claims

1. A method of user sponsoring by wireless transmit/receive units, WTRUs, the method comprising:

a first WTRU receiving a service trigger from an application server, AS, and providing the service trigger to a second WTRU;

the second WTRU initiating a sponsored session with the AS using the service trigger; and

the AS sending a request to a network to provide traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU, wherein a user of the first WTRU is charged for the traffic handling.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the AS establishing a direct communication link with a charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring user sponsoring data in a user profile associated with the first WTRU; and

the first WTRU obtaining authorization from the second WTRU.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the service trigger is associated with a hyperlink with an embedded token.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the service trigger is associated with a uniform resource locator, URL, including a token.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first WTRU obtaining sponsorship tokens.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on an application server, AS.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a home subscriber server, HSS.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a subscriber profile repository, SPR.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a user data repository, UDR.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first WTRU requesting the AS to transfer a credit to the second WTRU.

12. An application server, AS, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a service trigger to a first wireless transmit/receive unit, WTRU, that sponsors a second WTRU; and

the transmitter further configured to transmit a request to a network to provide traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU, wherein a user of the first WTRU is charged for the traffic handling via a charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.

13. A first wireless transmit/receive unit, WTRU, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a service trigger from an application server, AS; and

a transmitter configured to forward the service trigger to a second WTRU such that the second WTRU may initiate a sponsored session with the AS using the service trigger, wherein a user of the first WTRU is charged via a charging system for a service and traffic handling provided to the second WTRU, the charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.

14. The first WTRU of claim 13 wherein the service trigger is associated with a hyperlink with an embedded token.