Method and apparatus to track count of broadcast content recipients in a wireless telephone network

• US 7,062,272 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2003
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Casaccia, Lorenzo, Grilli, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US10/368,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/414.1, 455/434, 455/515, 455/453, 455/464, 455/3.01, 455/3.06, 370/390, 370/432, 370/389, 370/352, 709/203, 709/231, 709/235, 709/239, 725/9, 725/10, 725/14, 725/15, 725/13
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A base station (110) in a wireless communications network (100) counts mobile stations (114) receiving broadcast content via multi-user channel. The base station broadcasts (608) a repeating message identifying at least one broadcast content stream and, for each stream, a REGISTER (R) or DO NOT REGISTER (DNR) indicator. Mobile stations periodically re-examine (722) contents of this message. When the indicator is R for a broadcast content stream, mobile stations whose users have elected to receive it send (714) the base station a registration message for that stream. When the number of registered mobile stations reaches (612) a prescribed number, the base station changes (614) the indicator to DNR. When the indicator is DNR for a broadcast content stream, mobile stations refrain (712/716) from sending any registration message for that broadcast content stream. The base station may institute a recount (618) by resetting the indicator to R.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile station for use in a wireless communications network, comprising:

a transceiver;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a user interface;

a manager, coupled to the transceiver, speaker, microphone, and user interface, and programmed to perform operations for the wireless mobile station to participate in a scheme of counting mobile stations receiving broadcast content from a base station in a wireless communications network, the operations comprising;

receiving wireless transmission of a repeating broadcast parameters message from a base station, the message including an identity of at least one broadcast content stream and, in association with each broadcast content stream, an indicator having one of the following values;

REGISTER, DO NOT REGISTER;

repeatedly examining contents of the broadcast parameters message according to a predetermined schedule;

responsive to conditions including the examination revealing that the indicator is set to REGISTER in association with a given broadcast content stream for which a user of the mobile station has elected to receive, commencing a registration process including transmitting to the base station a prescribed format of wireless registration message in association with the given broadcast content stream;

responsive to conditions including the examination revealing that the indicator is set to DO NOT REGISTER in association with a given broadcast content stream, refraining from transmitting any wireless registration messages to the base station in association with the given broadcast content stream.

2. A wireless mobile station, comprising:

transceiver means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals;

speaker means for producing audio output from electrical input;

microphone means for producing electrical output from audio input;

user interface means for converting human input to machine-readable input and converting machine-readable output to human-readable output;

manager means, coupled to the transceiver means, speaker means, microphone means, and user interface means, for performing operations for the wireless mobile station to participate in a scheme of counting mobile stations receiving broadcast content from a base station in a wireless communications network, the operations comprising;

receiving wireless transmission of a repeating broadcast parameters message from a base station, the message including an identity of at least one broadcast content stream and, in association with each broadcast content stream, an indicator having one of the following values;

REGISTER, DO NOT REGISTER;

repeatedly examining contents of the broadcast parameters message according to a predetermined schedule;

responsive to conditions including the examination revealing that the indicator is set to REGISTER in association with a given broadcast content stream for which a user of the mobile station has elected to receive, commencing a registration process including transmitting to the base station a prescribed format of wireless registration message in association with the given broadcast content stream;

responsive to conditions including the examination revealing that the indicator is set to DO NOT REGISTER in association with a given broadcast content stream, refraining from transmitting any wireless registration messages to the base station in association with the given broadcast content stream.