Method and communication system for automatically discovering the common multimedia service capability

• US 20070165599A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Skog, Robert, Bleckert, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0072 Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

The invention relates a method, a system, a server and a computer program product for Multimedia Capability discovery of different user terminals 12,13. This solution avoid unnecessary use of the radio interface and is based on a network storage 18, which is accessible without registration to find out about the calling as well as the called user'"'"'s multimedia capabilities during a voice call. If there is a positive capability discovery result out of this for both users, the system will send a message to each of the two user terminals 12,13 that they should notify the users e.g. by displaying an icon above a soft button. There will be no need for establishing a packet switched session, which uses a lot of radio interface signalling, until the Multimedia Service capability of both subscribers and their user terminals are investigated and responded to both user terminals and their users.

Claims

1. A method for automatically discovering the common Multimedia Service Capability of at least two user terminals when a voice call is initiated over a circuit switched network from a first one of the user terminals handled by a calling party to the second one of the user terminals that is handled by a called party, the first user terminal is capable of running simultaneously both a standard circuit voice call in a circuit switched network and a Shared Multimedia service (SMM) session supported by packet switched network, the other user terminal which user terminal'"'"'s Multimedia Capability may be unknown for a user of the first user terminal, the method comprising the following steps of:

notifying a network storage, by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party, when a trigger indication has been generated by the circuit switched network;

analyzing the response comprising the requested Multimedia Service Capabilities,

responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capabilities, if at least one matching service is found;

said steps are performed prior to the packet switched session is established.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network storage (comprises a Terminal Capability database (TCdb).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the network storage also comprises a Bearer database (Bdb).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party is initiated upon a trigger event based on either Set-up_notification or Answer_notification.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps of notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party, analyzing the response comprising the requested Multimedia Service Capability and responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capabilities, if at least one matching service is found, are performed by an Application Server for Shared Multimedia, SMM_AS.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein in the responding, in the step of responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capabilities, is performed by transmitting to each of said user terminals one message, preferably a WAP₁₃ Push message, for alerting the user of the possibility to start a Multimedia service session.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the user terminals will not start a packet switched session until said message has been received by the two user terminals.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger indication is generated by use of IN technology or Parlay technology.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the means for notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party, means for analyzing the response comprising the requested Multimedia Service Capabilities and means for responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capability, if at least one matching service is found, are provided in an Application Server for Shared Multimedia, SMM-AS.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable software stored on a computer readable medium, the software being adapted to run at a computer or other processing means, and wherein said computer executable software is loaded and read by said computer or other processing means, said computer or other processing means is able to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1.

9. A system for automatically discovering the common Multimedia Service Capability of at least two user terminals when a voice call is initiated over a circuit switched network from a first one of the user terminals to the second one of the user terminals, the first user terminal is capable of running simultaneously both a standard circuit voice call in a circuit switched network and a packet switched session supported by a packet switched network, the other user terminal which user terminal'"'"'s Multimedia Capability may be unknown for a user of the first user terminal, wherein the system comprises means for notifying a network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party, when a trigger indication has been generated by means in the circuit switched network, means for analyzing the response comprising the requested Multimedia Service Capabilities and means for responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capability, if at least one matching service is found.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the network storage comprises a Terminal Capability database TCdb.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the network storage also comprises a Bearer database Bdb.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the system comprises means for responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capabilities by transmitting to each of said user terminals one message, preferably a WAP_Push message, for alerting the user of the possibility to start a Multimedia service session.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the user terminals will not start a packet switched session until said message has been received by the two user terminals.

16. A system according to claim 9, wherein the trigger indication generated by use of means in the circuit switched network is made by use of IN technology or Parlay technology.

12. A system according to claim, characterized wherein the means for notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and the called party starts when it receives an indication that a trigger event based on either Set-up_notification or Answer_notification has occured.

18. A server provided in a node of a system for automatically discovering the common Multimedia Service Capability of at least two user terminals when a voice call is initiated over a circuit switched network from a first one of the user terminals to the second one of the user terminals, the first user terminal is capable of running simultaneously both a standard circuit voice call in a circuit switched network and a packet switched session supported by a packet switched networks, the other user terminal (which user terminal'"'"'s Multimedia Capability may be unknown for a user of the first user terminal, characterized by that wherein the server comprises means for notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and the called party, when a trigger indication has been generated by the circuit switched network, means for analyzing the response comprising the requested Multimedia Service Capability and means for responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capability, if at least one matching service is found.

19. A server according to claim 18, wherein the network storage comprises a Terminal Capability database TCdb.

20. A server according to claim 19, wherein the network storage also comprises a Bearer database Bdb.

21. A server according to claim 18, wherein the means for notifying the network storage by sending a capability request concerning the user terminals of the calling party and called party starts when it receives an indication that a trigger event based on either Set-up_notification or Answer_notification has occurred.

22. A server according to claim 18, wherein the server comprises means for responding to said user terminals information regarding matching Multimedia Capabilities by transmitting to each of said user terminals one message, preferably a WAP_Push message, for alerting the user of the possibility to start a Multimedia service session.

23. A server according to claim 22, wherein the user terminals will not start a packet switched session until said message has been received by the two user terminals.

24. A server according to claim 18, wherein the trigger indication generated by use of means in the circuit switched network is made by use of IN technology or Parlay technology.