Mobile content delivery system

• US 6,996,393 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pyhälammi, Seppo, Aartolahti, Ilkka, Häggman, Kaj, Rauhamaa, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/944,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/517, 455/414.3, 455/422.1, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/550.1, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/405, 455/453, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/466, 455/445, 455/433, 455/432.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 705/7, 705/8, 705/9, 705/14, 375/220
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1489 dependent on congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile content delivery system that optimizes the delivery of especially bandwidth-consuming content (or the flow of any peak-hour data traffic) in a way that best utilizes the free capacity in the radio network, thus enabling considerably more efficient usage of the radio capacity. It also allows new services and pricing structures to be used in the cellular network, that otherwise would not be possible. The class of delivery of message content can be selected by the user on a transaction basis, or subscription-based and pre-defined in a user profile. By choosing a scheduled delivery the user can receive the content at a fraction of the price compared to instant delivery, since the content is sent at a time when the network is least utilized.

Claims

1. A mobile content delivery (MCD) system comprising:

provisioning means for maintaining user profiles;

charging means for generating corresponding billing information;

timing means for measuring absolute time remaining to deliver a content delivery message;

queuing means for placing said content in time remaining order;

locating means for identifying a wireless terminal device location;

on-line and statistical analyzing means for evaluating wireless network activity;

traffic analyzing means for intercepting and re-directing traffic;

interfacing means for utilizing different transport mechanisms; and

delivery scheduling means for scheduling delivery of said content based on an evaluation of said wireless network activity in an area in which a wireless terminal device is located.

2. The MCD system as in claim 1 wherein said timing means inserts an absolute time remaining value into the queue logic of the corresponding message.

3. The MCD system as in claim 1 wherein said queuing means places said message content into a queue.

4. The MCD system as in claim 1 wherein said locating means is capable of locating said wireless terminal device current location.

5. The MCD system as in claim 1 wherein said on-line and statistical analyzing means are capable of tracking usage of said wireless network.

6. The MCD system as in claim 1 wherein said delivery scheduling means schedules delivery by determining a cell'"'"'s usage relative to its capacity, a message content file size, an absolute time remaining to deliver said message, and user location information.

7. A mobile content delivery wireless network comprising of:

a wireless terminal device, a content/service provider, a delivery server, a mobile content delivery system (MCD), and a messaging transport system;

wherein the said wireless terminal device interacts with said elements;

said MCD system interacts with said elements;

said delivery system interacts with said MCD system;

said content/service provider interacts with said MCD system; and

said content/service provider interacts with said messaging transport system,

wherein said wireless terminal device interacts with said content/service provider through said MCD system, and upon content download the MCD system performs the download on behalf of the user, to the network,

wherein a Quality Of Service (QoS) parameter is attached to a short message in order to adjust speed of delivery through the network.

8. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said messaging transport system or MCD system contains or interacts with a Short Message System that delivers a wake-up message to said wireless terminal device.

9. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said messaging transport system or MCD system receives a content delivery message from said content/service provider.

10. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said MCD system schedules delivery of a content delivery message via said messaging transport system.

11. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said MCD system schedules delivery of a content delivery message via some other delivery system.

12. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said wireless terminal device receives a content from said messaging system, that acts as a delivery server.

13. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein said wireless terminal device sends content, and delivery from the wireless terminal towards the network is scheduled based on communication between the wireless device and the MCD system.

14. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 7 wherein the MCD system interacts with the wireless terminal, informs it about a scheduled delivery being made, and disconnects the session, at the same time downloading the content from the content/service provider to the network.

15. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 14 wherein the MCD system can first deliver a link address of the content to the wireless terminal and delay delivery of the actual content to ensure the most current content is received by the wireless terminal.

16. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 14 wherein the MCD system intercepts the traffic based on content size, which web service is used, or based on a specific time where after all traffic should be intercepted.

17. The mobile content delivery wireless network as in claim 16 wherein the MCD system interception of traffic can be switched “

on and off”

.

18. A wide area network system comprising:

a plurality of wireless terminal devices, a multiple base station system configuration, one or more base station controllers, a cellular network, a content/service provider, a messaging transport system, a short message system, and a mobile content delivery (MCD) system together capable of browsing, ordering, specifying a class of delivery, scheduling, and delivering content to said plurality of wireless terminal devices,

wherein a Quality Of Service (QoS) parameter is attached to a short message in order to adjust the speed of the delivery through the network.

19. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein a user browses, orders, and specifies said class of delivery of a content.

20. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein the wireless terminal device sends addressing information such as IP address or mobile phone number, default messaging server address, and delivery class to the content/service provider.

21. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein the content/service provider system queries the user addressing information such as IP address or mobile phone number, default messaging server address, and delivery class.

22. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said content/service provider is the source of said content.

23. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said wireless terminal device is the source of said content.

24. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said content/service provider forwards said content to said messaging transport system, or another designated delivery server, such as the MCD system.

25. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said MCD system schedules a delivery time window of said content based on said class of delivery, user location, network capacity usage, and content file size.

26. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said short message system delivers a wake-up message to said plurality of wireless terminal devices.

27. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein said messaging transport system or said designated delivery server delivers said content to said plurality of wireless terminal devices over said cellular network.

28. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein the content is delivered through an alternate network (e.g. Internet, ISDN, ADSL, Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, or other networks) based on the operator network architecture, the wireless network load condition, and the preferences set in a user profile.

29. The wide area network system as in claim 28 wherein said content delivered through said alternate network is billed to the user according to said class of delivery.

30. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein the MCD system performs traffic analysis and provides a means for intercepting and re-directing traffic based on the data in the traffic streams.

31. The wide area network system as in claim 18 wherein the MCD system performs traffic analysis and provides a means for inserting modified or new data in the traffic streams.

32. A device, comprising:

a memory having program code stored therein;

a processor disposed in communication with the memory for carrying out instructions in accordance with the stored program code; and

a network interface disposed in communication with the processor;

wherein the program code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform;

maintaining user profiles;

generating corresponding billing information;

measuring absolute time remaining to deliver a content delivery message;

placing content in time remaining order;

identifying a wireless terminal device location;

evaluating wireless network activity;

intercepting and re-directing traffic;

utilizing different transport mechanisms; and

scheduling delivery of said content based on an evaluation of said wireless network activity in an area in which a wireless terminal device is located.