Broadcast roaming

• US 8,412,187 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Paila, Toni, Balestrieri, Franceso, Pohjolainen, Topi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US11/933,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 4554321-433, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to broadcast roaming, i.e., providing service/content to a terminal from a visited service provider. An embodiment is directed to sending a roaming rule request to a service provider, receiving a roaming rule response from the service provider, acquiring service guide fragments from the service provider and processing the service guide fragments in accordance with the received roaming rule response, sending to a selected service provider a service provisioning request for a purchase item, receiving from the selected service provider a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item, and accessing service and/or content related to the purchase item, wherein the service and/or content is provided by the visited service provider. Embodiments are directed to exchanging between a visiting service provider and a home service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a terminal, a roaming rule request to at least one service provider, wherein the at least one service provider includes at least one of a visited service provider and a home service provider;

receiving a roaming rule response from the at least one service provider, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the terminal is permitted to access;

acquiring service guide fragments from the at least one service provider in accordance with the roaming rule and processing the service guide fragments;

sending, to the home service provider or the visited service provider, a service provisioning request for a purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier;

receiving, from the home service provider or the visited service provider, a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item; and

accessing at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item, wherein the at least one of a service and content is provided by the visited service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the roaming rule request specifies a type of home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a response entry that contains a response to each requested broadcast subscription management selector identifier and a broadcast subscription management selector identifier that identifies a broadcast subscription management selector for which roaming rules were requested and to which a particular response entry pertains.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the roaming rule response specifies whether the roaming rules exclude accessing fragments from other broadcast subscription management selector identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the roaming rule response includes at least one roaming rule that specifies, for the roaming rule, at least one of:

a time frame, a start time, an end time, an allowed purchase item identifier, an allowed service global service identifier, an allowed content global content identifier, a denied purchase item identifier, a denied service global service identifier, and a denied content global content identifier.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing executable instructions, the memory and the instructions configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

send a roaming rule request to at least one service provider, wherein the at least one service provider includes at least one of a visited service provider and a home service provider;

receive a roaming rule response from the at least one service provider, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the apparatus is permitted to access;

acquire service guide fragments from the at least one service provider in accordance with the roaming rule and process the service guide fragments;

send, to the home service provider or the visited service provider, a service provisioning request for a purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier;

receive, from the home service provider or the visited service provider, a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item; and

access at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item, wherein the at least one of a service and content is provided by the visited service provider.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the roaming rule request specifies a type of home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a response entry that contains a response to each requested broadcast subscription management selector identifier and a broadcast subscription management selector identifier that identifies a broadcast subscription management selector for which roaming rules were requested and to which a particular response entry pertains.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the roaming rule response specifies whether the roaming rules exclude accessing fragments from other broadcast subscription management selector identifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the roaming rule response includes at least one roaming rule that specifies, for the roaming rule, at least one of:

a time frame, a start time, an end time, an allowed purchase item identifier, an allowed service global service identifier, an allowed content global content identifier, a denied purchase item identifier, a denied service global service identifier, and a denied content global content identifier.

11. A method comprising:

processing, by a processor, a roaming rule request received from a terminal;

sending to the terminal a roaming rule response, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the terminal is permitted to access;

exchanging with a home service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item; and

providing to the terminal at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving from the terminal a service provisioning request regarding the purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending to the terminal a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the roaming authorization request includes a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type and a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the roaming authorization response includes a user identifier configured for use by a visited service provider and the home service provider of the terminal in uniquely identifying the terminal, a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, and a purchase item identifier that specifies a set of selected purchase items that are associated with the visited service provider.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing executable instructions, the memory and the instructions configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive a roaming rule request from a terminal;

send to the terminal a roaming rule response, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the terminal is permitted to access;

exchange with a home service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item; and

provide to the terminal at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory contains further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to receive from the terminal a service provisioning request regarding the purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory contains further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to send to the terminal a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the roaming authorization request includes a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type and a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the roaming authorization response includes a user identifier configured for use by a visited service provider and the home service provider of the terminal in uniquely identifying the terminal, a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, and a purchase item identifier that specifies a set of selected purchase items that are associated with the visited service provider.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing executable instructions, the memory and the instructions configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive a roaming rule request from a terminal;

send to the terminal a roaming rule response, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the terminal is permitted to access; and

exchange with a visiting service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory contains further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to receive from the terminal a service provisioning request regarding the purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory contains further executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to send to the terminal a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the roaming authorization request includes a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type and a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the roaming authorization response includes a user identifier configured for use by a visited service provider and the home service provider of the terminal in uniquely identifying the terminal, a home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, a visited broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type, and a purchase item identifier that specifies a set of selected purchase items that are associated with the visited service provider.

26. A memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to:

send a roaming rule request to at least one service provider, wherein the at least one service provider includes at least one of a visited service provider and a home service provider;

receive a roaming rule response from the at least one service provider, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the apparatus is permitted to access;

acquire service guide fragments from the at least one service provider in accordance with the roaming rule and process the service guide fragments;

send to the home service provider a service provisioning request for a purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier;

receive from the home service provider a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item; and

access at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item, wherein the at least one of a service and content is provided by the visited service provider.

27. The memory of claim 26, wherein the roaming rule request specifies a type of home broadcast subscription management filter code that specifies either a smart-card-code type or a non-smart-card-code type.

28. A memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to:

receive a roaming rule request from a terminal;

send to the terminal a roaming rule response, wherein the roaming rule response specifies a roaming rule that indicates which of a plurality of service guide fragments the terminal is permitted to access;

exchange with a home service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item; and

provide to the terminal at least one of a service and content related to the purchase item.

29. The memory of claim 28, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to receive from the terminal a service provisioning request regarding the purchase item, wherein the service provisioning request includes a purchase item identifier and a user identifier.