Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing multimedia information services over a communication network

• US 7,890,087 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Application Number:
  US12/345,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/403, 455/445, 455/411, 4554561-457, 455/453.1, 4554322-4323, 455/433, 455/518, 455/415, 455/517, 455/428, 455/422.1, 455/414.4, 370/338, 370/352, 370/328, 370/310, 725/62, 713/168, 713/154
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In a communications network, a network access point address is determined that is currently associated with at least one of a plurality of subscriber mobile devices associated with a subscription to an information service. Content associated with the information service is formatted to provide subscriber content that is configured to be used by the plurality of subscriber mobile devices, but is configured to prevent at least some use thereof by devices that are not associated with the subscription to the information service. The subscriber content is broadcast from a transmitter at the determined network access point address to the at least one subscriber mobile device over a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of providing a multimedia information service over a communications network, the method comprising:

determining a network access point address currently associated with ones of a plurality of subscriber mobile devices, wherein each of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices is associated with a respective subscription to the information service;

formatting content associated with the information service to provide subscriber content, wherein the subscriber content comprises same content for use by the plurality of subscriber mobile devices; and

selectively broadcasting the subscriber content from a transmitter associated with the determined network access point address, rather than from at least one other transmitter associated with a different network access point address, to the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices over a wireless network,

wherein the broadcast subscriber content is formatted to prevent at least some use thereof by devices that are not associated with respective subscriptions to the information service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein formatting the content further comprises:

encrypting the content to provide the subscriber content,

wherein the broadcast subscriber content is configured to be decrypted by the plurality of subscriber mobile devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a network access point address comprises:

receiving an information service request from at least one of the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices; and

determining the network access point address based on the information service request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

authenticating the at least one of the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices as associated with the subscription to the information service responsive to receiving the information service request therefrom.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a subscriber subgroup associated with the at least one of the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices responsive to receiving the information service request; and

determining the content associated with the information service based on the identified subscriber subgroup,

wherein formatting the content further comprises formatting the content to provide subscriber subgroup content configured to be decoded by the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices associated with the subscriber subgroup.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a network access point address comprises:

detecting a presence of the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices based on a network registration request transmitted therefrom; and

determining the network access point address based on the network registration request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

broadcasting an available content indicator configured to be decoded by the plurality of subscriber mobile devices from the transmitter at the determined network access point address to the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices responsive to determining the network access point address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining device type and capabilities of the at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices,

wherein formatting content associated with the information service comprises formatting the content based on the determined device type and capabilities.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining network conditions at the determined network access point address,

wherein formatting content associated with the information service comprises formatting the content based on the determined network conditions.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a physical location of the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices based on the determined network access point address,

wherein formatting content associated with the information service comprises formatting the content based on the determined physical location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the subscriber content comprises:

establishing a communication session with ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices currently associated with the determined network access point address; and

broadcasting the subscriber content from the transmitter at the determined network access point address to the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices over the wireless network using at least one selected from a group consisting of a frequency, a timeslot, and a spreading code associated with the communication session.

12. A system for providing a multimedia information service over a communications network, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters; and

a limited broadcast application server configured to format content associated with the information service to provide subscriber content for use by a plurality of subscriber mobile devices that are associated with a subscription to the information service, determine a network access point address currently associated with ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices, and provide the subscriber content to the determined network access point address,

wherein the limited broadcast application server is configured to selectively broadcast the subscriber content from one of the plurality of transmitters associated with the determined network access point address, rather than from at least one other of the plurality of transmitters associated with a different network access point address, to the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices over a wireless network,

wherein the broadcast subscriber content is configured to prevent at least some use thereof by devices that are not associated with the subscription to the information service.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a subscriber database including device type and capability information for the plurality of subscriber devices,

wherein the limited broadcast application server is configured to determine the device type and capabilities for the at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices using the subscriber database, and is further configured to format the content associated with the information service based on the determined device type and capabilities to provide the subscriber content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the subscriber database further includes subgroup information associated with ones of the plurality of subscriber devices, and wherein the limited broadcast application server is configured to identify a subscriber subgroup associated with the at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices using the subscriber database, determine the content associated with the information service based on the identified subscriber subgroup, and format the content to provide subscriber subgroup content configured to be decoded by the ones of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices associated with the subscriber subgroup.

15. A system for providing a multimedia information service over a communications network, comprising:

a limited broadcast application server configured to format content associated with the information service to provide subscriber content for use by a plurality of subscriber mobile devices that are associated with a subscription to the information service, determine a network access point address currently associated with at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices, and provide the subscriber content to the determined network access point address;

a transmitter configured to broadcast the subscriber content from the determined network access point address to the at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices over a wireless network, wherein the broadcast subscriber content is configured to prevent at least some use thereof by devices that are not associated with the subscription to the information service; and

a network access point database including network access point addresses for ones of the plurality of subscriber devices and physical locations corresponding to the network access point addresses,

wherein the limited broadcast application server is further configured to determine a physical location of the at least one of the plurality of subscriber mobile devices based on the determined network access point address, and format the content associated with the information service based on the determined physical location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network access point database further includes network condition information for the network access point addresses, and wherein the limited broadcast application server is configured to determine network conditions at the determined network access point address and format the content associated with the information service based on the determined network conditions.