Method and apparatus for obtaining data information

• US 7,359,375 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Naumi, Tero, Aaltonen, Janne, Salo, Juha, Lipsanen, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/481,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 370/355, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/338, 370/401, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 725/108
• US Class Current: 370/355
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for providing user a wireless terminal operating within a wireless communication network an access to a resource storing content in a network of computing systems. A user message is transferred, the message including an identifier indicating the resource in the network of computing systems from the wireless terminal over the wireless communication network to a broadcast server having an access to the network. Communicating with the network of computing systems for retrieving the content indicated in the message. The content is broadcast over a broadcast network to the wireless terminal. The content, which is received at the wireless terminal, is presented at the terminal if the data packets of the content are substantially received at the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a message from a wireless terminal via a wireless communication network to a computer network for obtaining data content, the message indicating a resource containing the data content in the computer network,

receiving at the wireless terminal one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource over a broadcast network,

receiving at the wireless terminal a list of data packets corresponding to the data content,

comparing the received data packets to the list of data packets corresponding to the data content in order to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets, and

if an occurrence of one or more missing data packets was identified, creating an additional message for obtaining at least one of the missing data packets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional message is sent to a broadcast server.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless terminal receives at least one of the missing data packets from the broadcast server, which is in communication with a site database, and wherein if the missing data packets are not stored in the site database, the data packets are retrieved from the computer network and received at the wireless terminal after the data packets are transmitted via the computer network to at least one of the broadcast server and the site database.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication network transfers location information of the wireless terminal to the computer network along with the message, wherein the location information addresses the message to a preferred broadcast server.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein a virtual private network is formed in the system of the broadcast network, the broadcast server, and the wireless terminal.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein before the wireless terminal receives the one or more missing data packets from the broadcast server, a condition threshold at the broadcast server is checked, the condition threshold comprising at least one of the number of terminals obtaining the data content and the charging of the data content.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wireless communication network transfers location information of the wireless terminal to the computer network along with the message and the transferring of one or more data packets over the broadcast network is done using an appropriate broadcast cell of the broadcast network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal outputs received data content, receives user input selecting a link in the output information, and generates a further message, the further message including at least an address of the link for obtaining the resource via the link.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the data packets received over the broadcast network comprises an identifier associated with a conditional access component in the wireless terminal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message identifies a plurality of wireless terminals and the data content received over the broadcast network is broadcast to the plurality of wireless terminals identified in the message.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises at least one of a SMS message and a message containing packages.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data content comprises data information in the Internet.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast network comprises a digital video broadcasting network.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data content is transferred as periods of data packets and wherein the list of data packets corresponds to the transferred periods of data packets.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message creates a charge based on at least one of the following types of resource related information:

a function of time, a Quality Of Service (QOS) requirement to the data content, a function of available bandwidth, a function of simultaneous users, a load in at least one of the wireless communication network, the computer network, and the broadcast network, and means for accessing to the resource.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the charging is attached to the charging of the terminal in the wireless communication network.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an input user interface configured to receive an address of data content for addressing a message to a resource in a computer network via a wireless communication network,

means for transmitting the message from the apparatus via the wireless communication network to the computer network for obtaining data content, the message indicating the resource containing the data content in the network,

a broadcast network interface configured to receive one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource over a broadcast network, and a list of data packets corresponding to the data content,

means for comparing the received data packets to the list of data packets corresponding to the data content in order to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets, and

means for creating an additional message for obtaining at least one of the missing data packets if an occurrence of missing data packets was identified.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting the message comprises a first wireless unit and the broadcast network interface comprises a second wireless unit, wherein the first and the second wireless units comprises two detached devices.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first wireless unit comprises a mobile phone and the second wireless unit comprises a digital video broadcasting terminal.

21. An apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for transmitting a further message to a broadcast server if the input user interface receives an instruction based on outputted data content.

22. A server comprising:

means for receiving a message from a wireless terminal via a wireless communication network directed to a computer network for obtaining data content, the message indicating a resource containing the data content in the computer network,

means for transferring one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource over a broadcast network to the wireless terminal,

means for transferring a list of data packets to the wireless terminal, the list corresponding to the data content in order to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets, and

means for receiving an additional message for obtaining at least one of the missing data packets if an occurrence of missing data packets was identified.

23. A system comprising:

a wireless terminal configured to transmit a message from the wireless terminal via a wireless communication network to a computer network for obtaining data content, the message indicating a resource containing the data content in the computer network,

a broadcast network configured to transfer one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource via the broadcast network to the wireless terminal, and a list of data packets corresponding to the data content,

means for comparing the received data packets to the list of data packets corresponding to the data content in order to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets, and

means for creating an additional message for obtaining at least one of the missing data packets if an occurrence of missing data packets was identified.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the data content comprises Internet data information, the wireless communication network comprises a mobile network, the computer network comprises the Internet and the broadcast network comprises a digital video broadcasting network.

25. An apparatus comprising:

an input user interface configured to receive an address corresponding to data content and to use the address to address a message to a resource in a computer network, the message to be sent via a wireless communication network;

a transmitter configured to transmit the message from the apparatus via the wireless communication network to the computer network, the message indicating the resource in the computer network containing the data content;

a broadcast network interface configured to receive one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource over a broadcast network, and a list of data packets corresponding to the data content;

a processor configured to compare the received data packets to the list of data packets corresponding to the data content in order to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets, and further configured to create an additional message to obtain at least one of the missing data packets if an occurrence of missing data packets was identified.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a memory configured to store the data content received over the broadcast network and received at the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising an output user interface configured to present the data content to a user of the apparatus.

28. A server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message from a wireless terminal via a wireless communication network directed to a computer network for obtaining data content, the message indicating a resource containing the data content in the computer network; and

a transmitter configured to transfer one or more data packets relating to the data content from the resource over a broadcast network to the wireless terminal, and a list of data packets corresponding to the data content to enable the wireless terminal to identify a possible occurrence of one or more missing data packets,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an additional message from the wireless terminal for obtaining at least one of the missing data packets if an occurrence of missing data packets was identified.