Dynamic grouping of wireless terminal

• US 7,142,839 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pelaez, Mariana Benitez, Lee, Anne Yin-Fee, Mathai, Samuel Stinson
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/403,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20040192350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-4563, 455/414.1, 455519-521
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A system and method of transmitting media to a plurality of wireless terminals. The method includes forming a group of wireless terminals, and transmitting a group-specific media message to each of the wireless terminals in the group. The method can include forming a location-based group of wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location and transmitting a media message to each of the wireless terminals in the location-based group. The method can also include determining the location of the plurality of wireless terminals. The system includes a Location Server for determining the location of the plurality of wireless terminals and an Application Server for grouping the wireless terminals. The system also include a Call State Function Controller for routing calls thereby transmitting the group-specific media messages to the wireless terminals in the group via wireless interfaces.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting media to a plurality of wireless terminals via a wireless telecommunications network comprising:

a wireless telecommunications network determining the locations of wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location;

a wireless telecommunications network forming a dynamic location-based group of the wireless terminals disposed within the proximity of the location, wherein the number of wireless terminals in the group changes as wireless terminals enter or leave the proximity;

transmitting a group-specific media message from the wireless telecommunications network to each of the wireless terminals in the group;

adding new wireless terminals entering the proximity of the location to the dynamic location-based group; and

transmitting the group-specific media message to the new wireless terminals added to the dynamic location-based group.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the media message simultaneously to each of the wireless terminals in the group.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless terminals are cellular phones.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the location is the location of an event.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the location is the location of a fire and the group-specific media message includes building floor plans.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the location is the location of a conference and the group-specific media message includes at least one of an agenda for the conference, slides for the conference, and video for the conference.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the location is the location of a party.

8. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the forming step includes grouping the wireless terminals determined to be within the proximity of the location into a chat group.

9. The method defined in claim 8 further including providing communication between the wireless terminals in the chat group.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the step of forming a dynamic location-based group includes using grouping parameters including the position of the location, the size of the proximity and wireless terminal identifiers.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the location is a building and the group-specific media message includes building floor plans.

12. A wireless communications system for transmitting media to a location-based group of wireless terminals comprising:

a wireless network Location Server for determining the wireless terminals disposed within a proximity of a location;

a wireless network Application Server for grouping the wireless terminals disposed within the proximity of the location into a dynamic location-based group, wherein the Application Server adds new wireless terminals entering the proximity to the location-based group; and

a wireless network Call State Function Controller for transmitting group-specific media to the group of wireless terminals over a wireless interface, wherein Call State Function Controller transmits the group-specific media to the new wireless terminals entering the proximity.

13. The wireless communications system defined in claim 12 wherein the Application Server includes a dynamic database identifying the wireless terminals in the location-based group.

14. The wireless communications system defined in claim 12 wherein the Application Server groups the wireless terminals into a chat group.

15. The wireless communications system defined in claim 14 wherein the Call State Function Controller provides communication between the wireless terminals in the chat group.

16. The wireless communications system defined in claim 12 further including a Home Subscriber System for providing wireless subscriber information to the Application Server indicating that wireless terminals can be grouped in the group.

17. The wireless communications system defined in claim 12 wherein the Call State Function Controller transmits the group-specific media to each wireless terminal simultaneously.