Dynamic assignment of cell broadcast message identifiers

• US 9,226,117 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Vos, Gustav Gerald, Bennett, Steven John, Kavanaugh, Richard Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US13/628,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 370312-330
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method and apparatus for broadcast communication from a broadcast entity to terminals of a wireless communication network. A request for broadcast access to the wireless communication network is received, the request comprising an indication of a predetermined feature. In response, a dynamic association is established between the feature and an identifier selected from a pool of currently unused identifiers. Messages are then received from the broadcast entity, the messages associated with the predetermined feature. The messages are then broadcast along with the identifier. Broadcasting may be via Cell Broadcast Service (CBS), with the CBS Message Identifier as said identifier. The terminals are configured to optionally use the identifier for selective message processing. Upon a predetermined expiry condition, the identifier may be returned to the pool for re-use. Information regarding the temporary association may be published to the terminals.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating broadcast communication from a broadcast entity to terminals serviced by a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

a) receiving, by a computing system, a request for broadcast access to the wireless communication network, the request comprising an indication of a predetermined feature, the request initiated by the broadcast entity, the broadcast entity outside of the wireless communication network;

b) in response to the request, establishing, by the computing system or by another computing system, a temporary association between the predetermined feature and an identifier selected from a pool of currently unused identifiers;

c) receiving, by the computing system, one or more messages provided by the broadcast entity, the one or more messages associated with the predetermined feature; and

d) broadcasting the one or more messages via the wireless communication network, each of the messages broadcast along with the identifier, wherein the terminals are configured to optionally use the identifier to trigger selective processing of the messages;

wherein, prior to broadcasting the one or more messages, the computing system causes the predetermined feature, the selected identifier and the temporary association therebetween to be made available upon request to the terminals, thereby facilitating authenticated retrieval, by the terminals, of the selected identifier upon specification of the predetermined feature.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising returning the identifier to the pool for re-use in response to satisfaction of a predetermined expiry condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising making available information indicative of the temporary association to at least one of the terminals serviced by the wireless communication network.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising extracting the predetermined feature from the one or more messages and matching the predetermined feature with the identifier based on the temporary association.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporary association is associated with a predetermined geographic region.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a cell broadcast service (CBS) message identifier (MID) which is unassigned to a static service.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information indicative of the temporary association is made available via one or more of:

terminal pre-configuration;

terminal configuration via device management messages;

broadcast messages; and

a lookup service.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises an identifier of the broadcast entity.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined feature comprises one or more of:

a session identifier;

a web service identifier;

a descriptive identifier;

an identification of message source;

an identification of message type;

an identification of an application associated with the message;

an identification of a type of application associated with the message;

an identification of an intended audience type; and

an identification of an intended audience demographic.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received one or more messages are provided subsequent to the request for broadcast transmission.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing one or more additional identifier fields within the broadcast one or more messages.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporary association is further assigned a predetermined lease time, the method further comprising returning the identifier to the pool for re-use upon expiry of the predetermined lease time.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising transmitting a broadcast message to the terminals indicative that the identifier has been returned to the pool upon returning the identifier to the pool for re-use.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the request over a secure and authenticated connection between the broadcast entity and the computing system.

15. An apparatus configured to facilitate broadcast communication from a broadcast entity to terminals serviced by a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a) a broadcast entity interface configured to receive a request for broadcast access to the wireless communication network, the request comprising an indication of a predetermined feature, the request initiated by the broadcast entity, the broadcast entity outside of the wireless communication network, the broadcast entity interface further configured to receive one or more messages from the broadcast entity, the one or more messages associated with the predetermined feature, the broadcast entity interface comprising network interface electronics hardware;

b) a dynamic assignment module operatively coupled to the broadcast entity interface, the dynamic assignment module comprising a computer, the dynamic assignment module configured, in response to the request, to;

i) select an identifier from a pool of currently unused identifiers; and

ii) establish a temporary association between the broadcast session predetermined feature and the selected identifier; and

c) a network interface module operatively coupled to the dynamic assignment module, the broadcast entity interface and the wireless communication network, the network interface module comprising network interface electronics hardware, the network interface module configured to;

i) convey the one or more messages along with the identifier to the wireless communication network for broadcast thereby, wherein each of the messages is broadcast along with the identifier, and wherein the terminals are configured to optionally use the identifier to trigger selective processing of the messages,

wherein, prior to broadcasting the one or more messages, the network interface module causes the predetermined feature, the selected identifier and the temporary association therebetween to be made available upon request to the terminals, thereby facilitating authenticated retrieval, by the terminals, of the selected identifier upon specification of the predetermined feature.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the dynamic assignment module is further configured to return the identifier to the pool for re-use in response to satisfaction of a predetermined expiry condition.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the network interface module is further configured to make available, via the wireless communication network to at least one of the terminals serviced thereby, information indicative of the temporary association.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the dynamic assignment module is further configured to extract the predetermined feature from the one or more messages and matching the predetermined feature with the identifier based on the temporary association.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the identifier is a cell broadcast service (CBS) message identifier (MID) which is unassigned to a static service.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information indicative of the temporary association is made available via one or more of:

terminal pre-configuration;

terminal configuration via device management messages;

broadcast messages; and

a lookup service.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined feature comprises one or more of:

a session identifier;

a web service identifier;

a descriptive identifier;

an identification of message source;

an identification of message type;

an identification of an application associated with the message;

an identification of a type of application associated with the message;

an identification of an intended audience type; and

an identification of an intended audience demographic.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, the apparatus further configured to provide one or more additional identifier fields within the broadcast one or more messages.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer perform a method for facilitating broadcast communication from a broadcast entity to terminals serviced by a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

a) receiving a request for broadcast access to the wireless communication network, the request comprising an indication of a predetermined feature, the request initiated by the broadcast entity, the broadcast entity outside of the wireless communication network;

b) in response to the request, establishing a temporary association between the predetermined feature and an identifier selected from a pool of currently unused identifiers;

c) receiving one or more messages provided by the broadcast entity, the one or more messages associated with the predetermined feature; and

d) broadcasting the one or more messages via the wireless communication network, each of the messages broadcast along with the identifier, wherein the terminals are configured to optionally use the identifier to trigger selective processing of the messages;

wherein, prior to broadcasting the one or more messages, the computing system causes the predetermined feature, the selected identifier and the temporary association therebetween to be made available upon request to the terminals, thereby facilitating authenticated retrieval, by the terminals, of the selected identifier upon specification of the predetermined feature.