Out-of sector message stream delivery

• US 8,477,693 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Kropf, Bradley Allen, Knoop, Dale Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/087,132
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235, 370328-329, 370335-336, 370/338, 370342-343, 370/345, 370400-401, 370441-442, 370/465
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A communication control system configures a wireless access node to broadcast a message stream comprising information associated with a location covered by a sector serving wireless communication devices, receives an interest indicator indicating a level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices, receives a request to receive the message stream transmitted from an out-of-sector wireless communication device served by a different sector from the sector serving the wireless communication devices, wherein the request includes interest filter criteria, applies the interest filter criteria to activate a subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator, and in response to activating the subscription to the message stream, transfers a message comprising the information associated with the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

in a wireless access node, exchanging wireless communications with a plurality of wireless communication devices located in a sector served by the wireless access node to provide wireless internet access;

in a communication control system, configuring the wireless access node to broadcast a message stream comprising information associated with a location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices;

in the wireless access node, broadcasting the message stream to the wireless communication devices located in the sector;

in the communication control system, receiving an interest indicator that indicates a level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices;

in the communication control system, receiving a request to receive the message stream transmitted from an out-of-sector wireless communication device served by a different sector from the sector serving the wireless communication devices, wherein the request includes interest filter criteria;

in the communication control system, applying the interest filter criteria to activate a subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator; and

in the communication control system, in response to activating the subscription to the message stream, transferring a message for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device, wherein the message comprises the information associated with the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the interest indicator that indicates the level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices comprises receiving usage metrics transmitted from the wireless communication devices that indicate portions of the message stream displayed by the wireless communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the interest indicator that indicates the level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices comprises receiving subscription requests transmitted from the wireless communication devices to subscribe to the message stream.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein applying the interest filter criteria to activate the subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator comprises determining the interest indicator as a quantity of the subscription requests received from the wireless communication devices, processing the interest indicator with the interest filter criteria to determine that the interest filter criteria is met, and responsively activating the subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interest filter criteria comprises a threshold quantity of the wireless communication devices that are interested in the message stream based on the interest indicator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the interest filter criteria comprises a percent growth of the wireless communication devices per day that are interested in the message stream based on the interest indicator.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to receive the message stream includes an information type, and wherein the information included in the message comprises the information type.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information type comprises at least one of local news, weather updates, sports results, and advertisements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to receive the message stream identifies the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to receive the message stream is submitted via an application executing on the out-of-sector wireless communication device.

11. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless access node configured to exchange wireless communications with a plurality of wireless communication devices located in a sector served by the wireless access node to provide wireless internet access; and

a communication control system configured to configure the wireless access node to broadcast a message stream comprising information associated with a location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices;

the wireless access node configured to broadcast the message stream to the wireless communication devices located in the sector;

the communication control system configured to receive an interest indicator that indicates a level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices;

the communication control system configured to receive a request to receive the message stream transmitted from an out-of-sector wireless communication device served by a different sector from the sector serving the wireless communication devices, wherein the request includes interest filter criteria;

the communication control system configured to apply the interest filter criteria to activate a subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator; and

the communication control system configured to, in response to activating the subscription to the message stream, transfer a message for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device, wherein the message comprises the information associated with the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the communication control system configured to receive the interest indicator that indicates the level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices comprises the communication control system configured to receive usage metrics transmitted from the wireless communication devices that indicate portions of the message stream displayed by the wireless communication devices.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the communication control system configured to receive the interest indicator that indicates the level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices comprises the communication control system configured to receive subscription requests transmitted from the wireless communication devices to subscribe to the message stream.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 13 wherein the communication control system configured to apply the interest filter criteria to activate the subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator comprises the communication control system configured to determine the interest indicator as a quantity of the subscription requests received from the wireless communication devices, process the interest indicator with the interest filter criteria to determine that the interest filter criteria is met, and responsively activate the subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the interest filter criteria comprises a threshold quantity of the wireless communication devices that are interested in the message stream based on the interest indicator.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the interest filter criteria comprises a percent growth of the wireless communication devices per day that are interested in the message stream based on the interest indicator.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the request to receive the message stream includes an information type, and wherein the information included in the message comprises the information type.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17 wherein the information type comprises at least one of local news, weather updates, sports results, and advertisements.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 11 wherein the request to receive the message stream identifies the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices.

20. A communication control system, wherein a wireless access node is configured to exchange wireless communications with a plurality of wireless communication devices located in a sector served by the wireless access node to provide wireless internet access, the communication control system comprising:

a processing system configured to configure the wireless access node to broadcast a message stream comprising information associated with a location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices; and

a communication transceiver configured to transfer the message stream for delivery to the wireless access node, receive an interest indicator that indicates a level of interest in the message stream by the wireless communication devices, and to receive a request to receive the message stream transmitted from an out-of-sector wireless communication device served by a different sector from the sector serving the wireless communication devices, wherein the request includes interest filter criteria;

the processing system configured to apply the interest filter criteria to activate a subscription to the message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device when the interest filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator; and

the communication transceiver configured to, in response to activating the subscription to the message stream, transfer a message for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device, wherein the message comprises the information associated with the location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication devices.