Cell broadcast updates to application software

• US 7,444,133 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton, Tuthill, Carolyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/265,602
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/270, 370/338, 455/410, 455/411, 4554141-4143, 455/456.3, 709/219, 725/62
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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

Abstract

A system for providing information services via broadcast messages to mobile stations and other devices. The broadcast messages are encrypted prior to being communicated to devices within a geographic area. A client application retrieves cryptographic keys associated with the information services to which a customer is subscribed. When the mobile station or device receives encrypted broadcast messages, the client application determines if it has the cryptographic key to decrypt the message. If so, the information contained in the message is displayed. If not, then the message is ignored by the mobile station. The information may be used to provide or retrieve near real time information from devices to provide such services as traffic alters, fleet management, etc.

Claims

1. A method of receiving of a communication at a mobile station communicatively connected to a wireless network, said mobile station uniquely identifying a subscriber associated with said mobile station and having an embedded client for communicating with a client application related to a specific authorized service for said subscriber, said embedded client being configured to fetch one of a key and a certificate for said specific authorized service via a short message service communication, said method comprising:

running said client application within said mobile station, said client application being related to said specific authorized service and being configured to receive a cell broadcast message via said embedded client, said cell broadcast message being formatted to be readable by said client application;

receiving authorization from a service provider for said uniquely identified subscriber to receive said specific authorized service at said embedded client, said specific authorized service being offered by said service provider;

receiving a cell broadcast communication at said embedded client from said service provider connected to said wireless network, said cell broadcast communication being directed to all mobile stations within a predetermined geographic area for receipt at said embedded client;

forwarding information contained in said broadcast communication to said client application in accordance with said authorization for said specific authorized service; and

responsive to receiving authorization from said service provider, connecting said mobile station to a device depending on said specific authorized service of said service provider; and

forwarding said information to said device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving authorization further comprises said service provider providing said mobile station a cryptographic key associated with said specific authorized service responsive to said fetching by said embedded client by said short message service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising expiring said cryptographic key at a predetermined time.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising decrypting said communication using a cryptographic key stored in said mobile station to obtain said information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said connecting is performed via a Bluetooth short-range wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by said device, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in said mobile station to uniquely identify said subscriber; and

directing further communication from said service provider to said device based on said subscriber'"'"'s identity.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded client is an embedded JAVA client.

7. A method of providing information via an embedded client of a mobile station having a subscriber identity module to an application running on a device communicatively connected to a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a broadcast communication at said embedded client from said wireless network, said broadcast communication being directed to a predetermined geographic area of said mobile station;

authorizing, by a service provider for providing service to said device, a receipt of said broadcast communication by said application running on said device responsive to a subscriber identity maintained in said subscriber identity module; and

providing near real time information in accordance with data within said broadcast communication for use by said device.

8. The method of claim 7, said authorizing further comprising:

providing to said embedded client a cryptographic key associated with said service to enable decryption for said device; and

decrypting said broadcast communication using said cryptographic key.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

extracting said near real time information from said broadcast communication;

populating said application running on said device with said near real time information; and

presenting said near real time information to an end user of said device and said mobile station, said end user being identified by said Subscriber Identity Module.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising pushing said broadcast communication to said application running on said device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

retrieving said near real time information in accordance with a request in said broadcast communication; and

forwarding said near real time information to the application running on said device via said wireless network.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising running a different client application for a different service provided by a different service provider in said mobile station via said embedded client of said mobile station.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

connecting said device to said mobile station having said Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) via a short-range wireless link; and

forwarding said information to said device by accessing said SIM via a short-range wireless link.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein the embedded client is an embedded JAVA client.

14. A system for delivering content from a plurality of different service providers via a wireless network to an embedded client of a mobile station using a broadcast mechanism, comprising:

a push proxy gateway (PPG) for receiving content from said plurality of different service providers;

a short message peer to peer (SMPP) router that receives SMPP messages comprising short message service messages from said push proxy gateway and converts said SMPP messages to cell broadcast messages;

a cell broadcast center, responsive to receive of said cell broadcast messages from said SMMP router for communicating said cell broadcast messages to a plurality of mobile stations in a specified area; and

said embedded client of said mobile station for receiving and decrypting said cell broadcast messages in accordance with one of a fetched cryptographic key and a fetched certificate for a particular service of a particular service provider and delivering said cell broadcast messages to a client application if present and authorized to receive said cell broadcast messages, said client application being provided to one of said mobile station and a device communicatively connected to said embedded client of said mobile station of said wireless network to receive said cell broadcast messages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said cell broadcast messages are encrypted with one of a different cryptographic key and a certificate fetched by said embedded client that is specific to a service provided by each of said plurality of different service providers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said embedded client receives said cryptographic key and passes said cryptographic key to said client application of said one of said mobile station and said communicatively connected device, said client application being configured to receive said cryptographic key to decrypt said cell broadcast messages.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said client application, if present, resides in said one of said mobile station and said communicatively connected device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said device is communicatively connected to said mobile station by a short-range wireless communication link, and wherein said cell broadcast messages are forwarded to said device via said short-range wireless communication link.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said device is connected to said mobile station via a short-range wireless communication connection, and wherein said device accesses a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in said mobile station to enable said device to pull information from said mobile station.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the embedded client is an embedded JAVA client.

23. A method of receiving a communication at a mobile station communicatively connected to a wireless network, said mobile station uniquely identifying a subscriber associated with said mobile station and having an embedded client for communicating with a client application related to a specific authorized service for said subscriber, said embedded client being configured to fetch one of a key and a certificate for said specific authorized service via a short message service communication, said method comprising:

connecting to a device associated with said uniquely identified subscriber by a short-range communications link, the device being related to said specific authorized service and being configured to receive a cell broadcast message via said embedded client, said cell broadcast message being formatted to be readable by said device;

receiving authorization from a service provider for said uniquely identified subscriber to receive said specific authorized service at said embedded client, said specific authorized service being offered by said service provider;

receiving a cell broadcast communication at said embedded client from said service provider connected to said wireless network, said cell broadcast communication being directed to all mobile stations within a predetermined geographic area for receipt at said embedded client; and

forwarding information contained in said broadcast communication to said device application in accordance with said authorization for said specific authorized service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said receiving authorization further comprises said service provider providing said mobile station a cryptographic key associated with said service specific authorized service responsive to said fetching by said embedded client by said short message service.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising expiring said cryptographic key at a predetermined time.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising decrypting said communication using a cryptographic key stored in said mobile station to obtain said information.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said connecting is performed via a Bluetooth short-range wireless connection.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

accessing, by said device, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in said mobile station to uniquely identify said subscriber; and

directing further communication from said service provider to said device based on said subscriber'"'"'s identity.