Apparatus, system, method and computer program product for service selection and sorting

• US 8,145,120 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vermola, Larri, Naumi, Tero, Saarikivi, Tuomo, Terekhova, Karina, Paila, Toni
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US10/973,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455/1.06, 455/414.3, 455/552.1, 725/39, 725/56, 725/62, 370/310, 370/312, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63775 for uploading keys, e.g. for a client to communicate its public key to the server key management H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An apparatus, system, method and computer program product for providing a user of a terminal with broadcast services. A terminal controller is configured to use data forming the whole of or part of an electronic service guide, and store information concerning the accessibility of services. That information is used to then generate a list of selectable services available to the user. A user interface presents at least part of the list in a selectable manner. Service accessibility display options are included either as a setting in the terminal or as a user input. Subscribed services are presented to the user on a display differently than non-subscribed services. If a non-subscribed service is selected, payment data is retrieved from the terminal and a suitable subscription is purchased without significant user involvement. The purchase of a subscription results in the terminal receiving subscription data, which is then stored for future use.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to cause, at least in part, reception of wireless digital multimedia broadcast data, via a first network, that identifies one or more service packages, and, in respect to one or more packages, to cause, at least in part, reception of data describing one or more channels of a second network, through which access to the one or more service packages is obtained and subscription information for one or more services in the service package is provided; and

at least one user interface screen to cause, at least in part, sending a service package request via a described channel of the second network, wherein the at least one user interface screen allows a user to subscribe to one or more unsubscribed services.

2. A method comprising:

receiving wireless digital multimedia broadcast data via a first network;

identifying one or more service packages in the wireless digital multimedia broadcast data;

receiving, via the first network, with respect to each of the one or more service packages, data describing a channel of a second network through which access to the service package is obtained and subscription information for each service in the service package is provided;

allowing a user, via at least one user interface screen, to select one or more unsubscribed services; and

causing, at least in part, sending a service package request for the one or more selected unsubscribed services using a channel of the second network through which access to a service package including the selected unsubscribed services is obtainable.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting step further comprises using received wireless digital multimedia broadcast data for each channel indicating the bearer through which a service package request is sent for that channel.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the channel description data includes an address to which service package requests are required to be sent via a mobile wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the channel description data comprises data indicating the content and/or form associated with a package access request.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first network includes a wireless broadcast network and the second network includes a mobile communications network.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving wireless digital multimedia broadcast data via a first network;

identifying one or more service packages in the wireless digital multimedia broadcast data;

receiving, via the first network, with respect to each of the one or more service packages, data describing a channel of a second network through which access to the service package is obtained and subscription information for each service in the service package is provided;

allowing a user, via at least one user interface screen, to select one or more unsubscribed services; and

causing, at least in part, sending of a service package request for the one or more selected unsubscribed services via a described channel of the second network.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the selecting instruction further comprises using received wireless digital multimedia broadcast data for each channel indicating the bearer through which a service package request is sent for that channel.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the channel description data includes an address to which service package requests are required to be sent via a mobile wireless communication device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receive wireless digital broadcast data via a first network;

identify one or more service packages from the wireless digital broadcast data, wherein each service package includes a plurality of services;

identify, in respect to each service package, data describing one or more channels of a second network through which access to the one or more service packages is obtainable;

receive subscription information for the plurality of services in the one or more service packages, the subscription information designating each of the plurality of services as a subscribed service or an unsubscribed service;

receive, via a user interface, a selection of one of the unsubscribed services; and

cause, at least in part, sending of a service package request for a selected unsubscribed service using a channel of the second network through which access to a service package including the selected unsubscribed service is obtainable.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a mobile wireless communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to select between two or more different channels on the basis of received broadcast data for each channel indicating a bearer through which the service package request is sent for that channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the channel description data includes an address to which the processor is configured to send the service package request.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the channel description data comprises data indicating the content and/or form required for a package access request, and the processor is configured to use that data to prepare the service request package.