Satellite TV derivative programming via mobile phone

• US 7,359,710 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: True, Sandra Lynn, Benco, David S, Overend, Kevin J, Sheen, Baoling S, Voight, Kenneth J
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/899,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 4554041-411, 455/452.2, 455/452.1, 455/450, 455/422.1, 455/406, 455/405, 455/2.01
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A wireless telephony network provides satellite TV derivative program information and content, in addition to conventional wireless telephony services, to eligible mobile stations of the wireless telephony network. The wireless telephony network receives satellite TV programming from a satellite TV service network, establishes one or more bearer channels (e.g., conventional voice channels or higher-bandwidth data links) and sends the programming to the one or more mobile stations via the one or more bearer channels. The wireless telephony network monitors and obtains billing information associated with integrated service delivery and coordinates the billing information with a satellite TV service provider. A controlling provider may be selected to control billing for the integrated services such that the customer receives a single statement.

Claims

1. A mobile switching center (MSC) comprising:

a satellite TV service provider gateway;

a satellite traffic controller;

a base station gateway;

the satellite TV service provider gateway being operable to retrieve satellite TV program content from a satellite service provider and send the program content to the satellite traffic controller, the satellite traffic controller managing service requests for satellite TV program content from at least one mobile station and being operable to derive satellite TV derivative content from the program content and deliver the derivative content to the at least one mobile station at a selected quality of service level, the selected quality of service level having been selected from among multiple service levels available for delivery of satellite TV derivative content, the multiple service levels including at least one service level greater than that of conventional voice bearer traffic, the base station gateway operably connecting the satellite traffic controller to one or more base stations serving the at least one mobile station and thereby being operable to communicate the satellite TV derivative content from the satellite traffic controller to the at least one mobile station at the selected quality of service level.

2. The MSC of claim 1 the satellite traffic controller operable to deliver the derivative content responsive to determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content, a positive determination being made if the derivative content is authorized pursuant to an existing subscription with the satellite service provider.

3. The MSC of claim 1, the satellite traffic controller operable to deliver the derivative content responsive to determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content, a positive determination being made if the derivative content is purchased by the at least one mobile station coincident to the service request.

4. The MSC of claim 1, wherein the satellite traffic controller is operable to query the at least one mobile station to select the selected quality of service level from among the multiple service levels available for delivering the derivative content to the at least one mobile station.

5. In a communication system including a mobile switching center (MSC) comprising a satellite TV service provider gateway, a satellite traffic controller and a base station gateway, a method comprising:

the satellite TV service provider gateway retrieving satellite TV program content from a satellite service provider and sending the program content to the satellite traffic controller;

the satellite traffic controller managing service requests for satellite TV program content from at least one mobile station, deriving satellite TV derivative content from the program content and delivering the derivative content to the at least one mobile station at a selected quality of service level, the selected quality of service level having been selected from among multiple service levels available for delivery of satellite TV derivative content, the multiple service levels including at least one service level greater than that of conventional voice bearer traffic;

the base station gateway operably connecting the satellite traffic controller to one or more base stations serving the at least one mobile station and thereby communicating the satellite TV derivative content from the satellite traffic controller to the at least one mobile station at the selected quality of service level.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the satellite traffic controller:

determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content, a positive determination being made if the derivative content is authorized pursuant to an existing subscription with the satellite service provider; and

delivering the derivative content responsive to determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the satellite traffic controller:

determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content, a positive determination being made if the derivative content is purchased by the at least one mobile station coincident to the service request; and

delivering the derivative content responsive to determining the at least one mobile station is authorized to receive the derivative content.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the satellite traffic controller querying the at least one mobile station to select the selected quality of service level from among the multiple service levels available for delivering the derivative content to the at least one mobile station.