Methods and systems for selective broadcast enhancement

• US 7,089,003 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: She, George, Fingerhut, Howard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/921,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 455/440, 455/442, 455/450, 370/331, 370/338, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Data is transmitted to and obtained by selected wireless devices in a wireless network without assignment of a unique network address (UNA) to the wireless devices. The data is transmitted over a broadcast and the wireless device obtains the data from the broadcast. Specifically, a wireless device is provisioned with a hardware serial number (HSN) and generic access numbers (GANs). The wireless device registers using the HSN and a randomly selected GAN. The service provider assigns and transmits a broadcast access number (BAN). The wireless device uses the BAN to access data from a broadcast from the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data to selected wireless devices in a wireless network without assignment of a unique network address, respectively, to each of the wireless devices, the method comprising:

provisioning a wireless device with at least a hardware serial number (HSN) and multiple generic access numbers (GANs);

registering with a service provider by randomly selecting a GAN and transmitting the GAN as well as the HSN to the service provider;

receiving at the wireless device a registration response comprising the randomly-selected generic access number (GAN) and multiple identifications of multiple radio channels;

switching at the wireless device to each radio channel and measuring a signal strength of each radio channel;

sending from the wireless device a final request including the signal strength of each radio channel;

receiving a broadcast access number (BAN) and an identification of a radio channel at the wireless device;

receiving a broadcast over the radio channel with the broadcast including data directed to the wireless device and associated with the BAN; and

causing the wireless device to use the identification of the radio channel to monitor the radio channel and to use the BAN to access the data directed to the wireless device and associated with the BAN from the broadcast made over the radio channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the BAN and the identification of the radio channel at another wireless device having information needs in common with the wireless device; and

causing the another wireless device to use the identification of the radio channel to monitor the radio channel and to use the BAN to access the data broadcast over the radio channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to accessing the data, causing the wireless device to determine whether the data comprises a broadcast message by inspecting a structure of the data for a zero value in a data field for the HSN, indicating the broadcast message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless device determines the data comprises the broadcast message by determining the data comprises a serial number field containing zero.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to accessing the data, causing the wireless device to determine whether the data comprises a point-to-point message for the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless device comprises a serial number;

and

wherein the wireless device determines the data comprises the point-to-point message by determining the data comprises a serial number field matching the serial number of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless device comprises a serial number;

and

wherein the wireless device determines the data does not comprise the point-to-point message by determining the data comprises a non-zero serial number field that fails to match the serial number of the wireless device.

8. A method for a transaction exchange between a wireless device in a wireless system and a service provider without assignment of a unique network address to the wireless device, the method comprising:

sending a registration request from the wireless device, the registration request comprising a hardware serial number (HSN) and a randomly-selected generic access number (GAN) from multiple generic access numbers (GANs);

receiving a registration response comprising the randomly-selected generic access number (GAN) and multiple identifications of multiple radio channels, the wireless device switching to each radio channel and measuring a signal strength of each radio channel, the wireless device then sending a final request including the signal strength of each radio channel;

receiving a broadcast access number (BAN) and an identification of a radio channel, the wireless device monitoring broadcasts on the radio channel and using the BAN to retrieve information associated with the BAN from the broadcasts;

receiving a transaction request, the transaction request including transaction information and an identifier of the wireless device;

in response to receiving the transaction request, causing the transaction information to be associated with the BAN and to be included in a broadcast on the radio channel;

in response to the broadcast, receiving an activation request from the wireless device, the activation request including responsive transaction information;

in response to the activation request including the responsive transaction information, causing the responsive transaction information to be routed to the service provider;

in response to the routing of the responsive transaction information to the service provider, receiving a transaction response from the service provider; and

associating the transaction response with the BAN and making a responsive broadcast of the transaction response with the BAN over the radio channel so that the wireless device retrieves the transaction response using the BAN from the responsive broadcast on the radio channel; and

whereby the transaction exchange takes place between the wireless device and the service provider by the transaction information being associated with the BAN and broadcast over the radio channel so the wireless device uses the BAN to retrieve the transaction information from the broadcast on the radio channel so that no unique network address is assigned to the wireless device.