U.S. patent application number 13/900848 was filed with the patent office on 2013-09-26 for out-of-sector message stream delivery.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sprint Communications Company L.P.. The applicant listed for this patent is Sprint Communications Company L.P.. Invention is credited to Dale Russell Knoop, Bradley Allen Kropf.
Application Number | 20130250841 13/900848 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48671245 |
Filed Date | 2013-09-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130250841 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Knoop; Dale Russell ; et
al. |
September 26, 2013 |
OUT-OF-SECTOR MESSAGE STREAM DELIVERY
Abstract
An LTE communication system has an eNodeB that exchanges
wireless communications with a plurality of wireless communication
devices within its a wireless coverage area. The eNodeB, wirelessly
broadcasts information associated with a location included within
the wireless coverage area for receipt by the wireless
communication devices. The LTE communication system also has a
control system that receives a request for at least some of the
broadcast information associated with the location from a
communication device that is not in the wireless coverage area. The
control system transfers the requested broadcast information for
delivery to the communication device that is not in the wireless
coverage area.
Inventors: |
Knoop; Dale Russell;
(Leawood, KS) ; Kropf; Bradley Allen; (Overland
Park, KS) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sprint Communications Company L.P. |
Overland Park |
KS |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Sprint Communications Company
L.P.
Overland Park
KS
|
Family ID: |
48671245 |
Appl. No.: |
13/900848 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13087132 |
Apr 14, 2011 |
8477693 |
|
|
13900848 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/312 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 64/00 20130101;
H04W 4/06 20130101; H04W 4/21 20180201; H04W 4/90 20180201; H04M
2242/04 20130101; H04W 4/12 20130101; H04L 12/1845 20130101; H04L
12/1859 20130101; H04M 3/4878 20130101; H04L 12/189 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/312 |
International
Class: |
H04W 64/00 20060101
H04W064/00 |
Claims
1. A method of operating Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication
system, the method comprising: in an eNodeB, exchanging wireless
communications with a plurality of wireless communication devices
within a wireless coverage area of the eNodeB; in the eNodeB,
wirelessly broadcasting information associated with a location
included within the wireless coverage area for receipt by the
wireless communication devices within the wireless coverage area;
in a control system, receiving a request for at least some of the
broadcast information associated with the location from another
communication device that is not located within the wireless
coverage area; and in the control system, in response to receiving
the request, transferring the requested broadcast information for
delivery to the other communication device that is not located
within the wireless coverage area.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein: wirelessly broadcasting
information associated with the location comprises broadcasting a
first information type and broadcasting a second information type;
receiving the request for at least some of the information
comprises receiving the request for the first information type but
not for the second information type. transferring the requested
broadcast information for delivery to the other communication
device comprises transferring the first information type but not
the second information type.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information types comprise
sports information and weather information.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the information types
comprises emergency alerts.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the information types
comprises local news.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein: wirelessly broadcasting
information associated with the location comprises broadcasting
sports information including sports information for a particular
sports team; receiving the request for at least some of the
information comprises receiving the request for the sports
information for the particular sports team; transferring the
requested broadcast information for delivery to the other
communication device comprises transferring the sports information
for the particular sports team.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request for at least
some of the information comprises receiving the request indicating
the location.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the other communication device
comprises another wireless communication device.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein transferring the requested
broadcast information for delivery to the other communication
device comprises transferring the requested broadcast information
for wireless delivery to the other wireless communication
device.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein transferring the requested
broadcast information for delivery to the other communication
device comprises transferring the requested broadcast information
in a short message service message directed to the other wireless
communication device.
11. A Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system comprising: an
eNodeB configured to exchange wireless communications with a
plurality of wireless communication devices within a wireless
coverage area of the eNodeB and to wirelessly broadcast information
associated with a location included within the wireless coverage
area for receipt by the wireless communication devices within the
wireless coverage area; and a control system configured to receive
a request for at least some of the broadcast information associated
with the location from another communication device that is not
located within the wireless coverage area, and in response to
receiving the request, to transfer the requested broadcast
information for delivery to the other communication device that is
not located within the wireless coverage area.
12. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein: the eNodeB is
configured to wirelessly broadcast a first information type and to
broadcast a second information type; the request for at least some
of the information comprises a request for the first information
type but not for the second information type; and the control
system is configured to transfer the first information type but not
the second information type.
13. The LTE communication system of claim 12 wherein the
information types comprise sports information and weather
information.
14. The LTE communication system of claim 12 wherein one of the
information types comprises emergency alerts.
15. The LTE communication system of claim 12 wherein one of the
information types comprises local news.
16. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein: the eNodeB is
configured to wirelessly broadcast sports information for a
particular sports team; the request for at least some of the
information comprises a request for the sports information for the
particular sports team; the control system is configured to
transfer the sports information for the particular sports team.
17. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the request
indicates the location.
18. The LTE communication system of claim 11 wherein the other
communication device comprises another wireless communication
device.
19. The LTE communication system of claim 18 wherein the control
system is configured to transfer the requested broadcast
information for wireless delivery to the other wireless
communication device.
20. The LTE communication system of claim 18 wherein the control
system is configured to transfer the requested broadcast
information in a short message service message directed to the
other wireless communication device.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/087,132 that was filed on Apr. 14, 2011 and
that is entitled "OUT-OF-SECTOR MESSAGE STREAM DELIVERY." U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/087,132 is hereby incorporated by
reference into this patent application.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
[0002] Continually increasing numbers of individuals are utilizing
wireless communication devices to conduct mobile communications. In
response to the prominence of modern wireless communication
networks and the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act
passed by Congress in 2006, the Federal Communications Commission
has adopted a network structure, operational procedures, and
technical requirements for the Commercial Mobile Alert System
(CMAS). CMAS is an alerting network designed to aggregate emergency
notifications from federal agencies and distribute these
notification messages to participating wireless communication
service providers. The wireless communication service providers may
then broadcast these emergency notifications to wireless
communication devices that are affected by the emergency.
[0003] To support CMAS, participating wireless communication
service providers typically reserve a dedicated communication
channel in each sector of a wireless access network for
broadcasting emergency notifications to users located in each of
the sectors. These reserved emergency broadcast channels are
separate from the other communication channels and resources
utilized to exchange typical user communications with wireless
devices over the network, such as Internet access and voice
communications. Reserving a dedicated emergency broadcast channel
is necessary because user communications often increase during an
emergency, which could prevent or delay the transmission of CMAS
emergency notifications if the user communication channels were
shared for such emergency broadcasts.
OVERVIEW
[0004] An LTE communication system has an eNodeB that exchanges
wireless communications with a plurality of wireless communication
devices within its a wireless coverage area. The eNodeB, wirelessly
broadcasts information associated with a location included within
the wireless coverage area for receipt by the wireless
communication devices. The LTE communication system also has a
control system that receives a request for at least some of the
broadcast information associated with the location from a
communication device that is not in the wireless coverage area. The
control system transfers the requested broadcast information for
delivery to the communication device that is not in the wireless
coverage area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a communication
system.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates an operation of
the communication system.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates a communication
system in an exemplary embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram that illustrates an operation
of the communication system in an exemplary embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram that illustrates an operation
of the communication system in an exemplary embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates a wireless access
node.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates a communication
control system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The following description and associated drawings teach the
best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive
principles, some conventional aspects of the best mode may be
simplified or omitted. The following claims specify the scope of
the invention. Some aspects of the best mode may not fall within
the scope of the invention as specified by the claims. Thus, those
skilled in the art will appreciate variations from the best mode
that fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the
art will appreciate that the features described below can be
combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the
invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the
specific examples described below, but only by the claims and their
equivalents.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates communication
system 100. Communication system 100 includes wireless
communication devices 101, 102, and 103, wireless access nodes 110
and 140, communication network 120, and communication control
system 130. Wireless communication device 101 and wireless access
node 110 are in communication over wireless communication link 111.
Likewise, wireless communication device 102 and wireless access
node 110 communicate over wireless communication link 112. Wireless
access node 110 and communication network 120 are in communication
over communication link 121. Wireless communication device 103 and
wireless access node 140 are in communication over wireless
communication link 113. Wireless access node 140 and communication
network 120 are in communication over communication link 141.
Communication network 120 and communication control system 130
communicate over communication link 131. Each of the wireless
access nodes 110 and 140 have approximate wireless coverage areas
as indicated by the dotted lines on FIG. 1, which are represented
by respective sectors 155 and 165. In particular, wireless access
node 110 provides a wireless coverage area of sector 155 which
serves wireless communication devices 101 and 102, while wireless
access node 140 provides a wireless coverage area of sector 165
serving wireless communication device 103.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates an operation of
communication system 100. The steps of the operation are indicated
below parenthetically. Initially, wireless access node 110
exchanges wireless communications with a plurality of wireless
communication devices 101-102 located in a sector 155 served by
wireless access node 110 to provide wireless internet access (201).
The wireless communications exchanged between wireless access node
110 and wireless communication devices 101-102 could include both
signaling messages and bearer communications. In some examples the
wireless internet access provided by wireless access node 110 could
comprise access to a telephony network for voice
communications.
[0015] Communication control system 130 configures wireless access
node 110 to broadcast a message stream comprising information
associated with a location covered by the sector 155 serving the
wireless communication devices 101-102 (202). Typically, wireless
access node 110 broadcasts the message stream on a dedicated
communication channel that is reserved for such broadcasts and is
separate from the resources utilized by wireless access node 110 to
exchange the wireless communications with wireless communication
devices 101-102 to provide the wireless internet access. The
information associated with the location covered by the sector 155
could comprise several types of information, such as local news,
weather updates, traffic reports, sports results, advertisements,
coupons, and other messages pertaining to the location served by
sector 155. The information for the message stream could be
provided by communication control system 130 or some other system
in communication with communication network 120.
[0016] Wireless access node 110 broadcasts the message stream to
the wireless communication devices 101-102 located in the sector
155 (203). Typically, the message stream comprises short message
service (SMS) messaging, although other techniques of providing the
message stream to wireless communication devices 101-102 could also
be used, including customized messages tailored for a particular
application executing on devices 101-102. In some examples,
wireless access node 110 could utilize broadcast channel associated
with a commercial mobile alert system (CMAS) to broadcast the
message stream to the wireless communication devices 101-102.
[0017] Communication control system 130 receives an interest
indicator that indicates a level of interest in the message stream
by the wireless communication devices 101-102 (204). In some
examples, wireless communication devices 101-102 may subscribe to
the message stream or portions thereof by transferring a keyword,
SMS short code, or some other indicator for delivery to
communication control system 130 in order to opt-in to the message
stream. The broadcast message stream could then include device
and/or subscriber identifiers of the subscribing wireless
communication devices 101-102 so that these subscribing devices
101-102 can receive and display the message stream. In this case,
communication control system 130 could receive the interest
indicator by receiving subscription requests transmitted from the
wireless communication devices 101-102 when subscribing to the
message stream, and could base the level of interest in the message
stream on the quantity of the subscription requests. In other
examples, wireless access node 110 could broadcast the message
stream indiscriminately to all wireless communication devices
101-102 within the sector 155, and devices 101-102 could be
configured to only display the message stream or portions thereof
upon request from a user of device 101 or 102, such as when the
user selects a particular message for display from a menu of
available messages. In this case, wireless communication devices
101-102 could be configured to report which messages are accessed
and displayed by their users. Communication control system 130
could thus receive the interest indicator by receiving usage
metrics transmitted from the wireless communication devices 101-102
that indicate portions of the message stream displayed by the
wireless communication devices 101-102.
[0018] Communication control system 130 receives a request to
receive the message stream transmitted from an out-of-sector
wireless communication device 103 served by a different sector 165
from the sector 155 serving the wireless communication devices
101-102 (205). Since wireless communication device 103 is not
presently being served by sector 155 of wireless access node 110,
wireless communication device 103 would not otherwise receive the
information associated with the location covered by sector 155
being broadcast by wireless access node 110. Therefore, wireless
communication device 103 actively requests to receive the message
stream in order to receive the information associated with the
location covered by sector 155 when device 103 is not at that
location. In some examples, the request to receive the message
stream could include an information type. For example, if the
message stream comprises several types of information, such as
local news, weather updates, traffic reports, sports results,
advertisements, and coupons, the request to receive the message
stream could specify only one of these information types.
Additionally, the request could include further levels of
granularity, such as only sports results pertaining to a specific
team, or only advertisements from a particular company or for
certain types of products and services. Typically, the request to
receive the message stream would identify the location covered by
the sector 155 serving the wireless communication devices 101-102.
In some examples, the request to receive the message stream is
submitted via an application executing on the out-of-sector
wireless communication device 103, such as a web browser, SMS text
messaging client, or an application specifically designed for
submitting requests to receive broadcast message streams.
[0019] The request to receive the message stream also includes
interest filter criteria (205). Typically, the interest filter
criteria provides a threshold level of interest in the message
stream and/or particular messages within the stream that should be
met before out-of-sector wireless communication device 103 will
receive the requested information included in the message stream.
In some examples, the interest filter criteria could comprise a
threshold quantity of the wireless communication devices 101-102
that are interested in the message stream based on the interest
indicator. In other examples, the interest filter criteria could
comprise a percent growth per day of the wireless communication
devices 101-102 that are interested in the message stream based on
the interest indicator. Other criteria and metrics related to the
level of interest in the message stream by the wireless
communication devices 101-102 are also possible.
[0020] Communication control system 130 applies the interest filter
criteria to activate a subscription to the message stream for the
out-of-sector wireless communication device 103 when the interest
filter criteria is met based on the interest indicator (206). The
subscription to the message stream could comprise only a particular
message, information type, or portion of the message stream as
discussed above with respect to the request to receive the message
stream. Typically, the interest indicator and the interest filter
criteria are provided in interchangeable units to facilitate
comparison by communication control system 130 to determine when
the interest filter criteria is met. Alternatively, communication
control system 130 could convert the interest indicator and/or the
interest filter criteria to render the units or metrics compatible.
In some examples, communication control system 130 could apply the
interest filter criteria to activate the subscription to the
message stream for the out-of-sector wireless communication device
103 by determining the interest indicator as a quantity of the
subscription requests received from the wireless communication
devices 101-102, 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 103.
[0021] In response to activating the subscription to the message
stream, communication control system 130 transfers a message for
delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device 103
(207). The message typically comprises the information associated
with the location covered by the sector 155 serving the wireless
communication devices 101-102 (207). In some examples, the
information included in the message comprises the information type
or particular message to which the out-of-sector wireless
communication device 103 subscribed in the request to receive the
message stream. Typically, communication control system 130
provides the message as an SMS text message, although other types
of messages and delivery techniques are also possible.
[0022] Advantageously, out-of-sector wireless communication device
103 can request to receive the message stream that is broadcast to
sector 155 when device 103 is located in a different sector 165.
Further, by providing the interest filter criteria in the request,
out-of-sector wireless communication device 103 will not receive
information being broadcast in the message stream until a requisite
level of interest in the information has been generated as
determined by the interest indicator received by communication
control system 130. In this manner, a user of out-of-sector
wireless communication device 103 can stay updated on information
local to the area served by sector 155 that is of interest to the
wireless communication devices 101-102 located in sector 155, even
when device 103 is remotely located in a different sector 165.
[0023] Referring back to FIG. 1, wireless communication devices
101-103 individually comprise any device having wireless
communication connectivity with hardware and circuitry programmed
to function as a telecommunications device, such as Radio Frequency
(RF) communication circuitry and an antenna. The RF communication
circuitry typically includes an amplifier, filter, modulator, and
signal processing circuitry. Wireless communication devices 101-103
may also include a user interface, memory system, software,
processing circuitry, or some other communication components. For
example, wireless communication devices 101-103 could each comprise
a telephone, transceiver, mobile phone, cellular phone, smartphone,
computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), e-book, game console,
mobile Internet device, wireless network interface card, media
player, or some other wireless communication apparatus--including
combinations thereof. Wireless network protocols that may be
utilized by wireless communication devices 101-103 include Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 1xRTT, Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Evolution-Data Optimized
(EV-DO), EV-DO rev. A, B, and C, Third Generation Partnership
Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE), LTE Advanced, Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), IEEE 802.11
protocols (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Internet, telephony, or any other
wireless network protocol that facilitates communication between
wireless communication devices 101-103 and a wireless access node
110 or 140.
[0024] Wireless access nodes 110 and 140 individually comprise RF
communication circuitry and an antenna. The RF communication
circuitry typically includes an amplifier, filter, RF modulator,
and signal processing circuitry. Wireless access nodes 110 and 140
may also comprise a router, server, memory device, software,
processing circuitry, cabling, power supply, network communication
interface, structural support, or some other communication
apparatus. Wireless access nodes 110 and 140 could each comprise a
base station, Internet access node, telephony service node,
wireless data access point, or some other wireless communication
system--including combinations thereof. Some examples of wireless
access nodes 110 and 140 include a base transceiver station (BTS),
base station controller (BSC), radio base station (RBS), Node B,
enhanced Node B (eNodeB), and others--including combinations
thereof. Wireless network protocols that may be utilized by
wireless access nodes 110 and 140 include CDMA, GSM, UMTS, HSPA,
EV-DO, EV-DO rev. A, B, and C, 3GPP LTE, LTE Advanced, WiMAX,
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Internet, telephony, or some other communication
format--including combinations thereof.
[0025] Communication network 120 comprises the core network of a
wireless communication service provider, and could include routers,
gateways, telecommunication switches, servers, processing systems,
or other communication equipment and systems for providing
communication and data services. Communication network 120 could
comprise wireless communication nodes, telephony switches, Internet
routers, network gateways, computer systems, communication links,
or some other type of communication equipment--including
combinations thereof. Communication network 120 may also comprise
optical networks, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, packet
networks, radio access networks (RAN), local area networks (LAN),
metropolitan area networks (MAN), wide area networks (WAN), or
other network topologies, equipment, or systems--including
combinations thereof. Communication network 120 may be configured
to communicate over metallic, wireless, or optical links--including
combinations thereof. Communication network 120 may be configured
to use time-division multiplexing (TDM), Internet Protocol (IP),
Ethernet, optical networking, wireless protocols, communication
signaling, or some other communication format--including
combinations thereof. In some examples, communication network 120
includes further access nodes and associated equipment for
providing communication services to many wireless communication
devices across a large geographic region.
[0026] Communication control system 130 comprises a processing
system and communication transceiver. Communication control system
130 may also include other components such as a router, server,
data storage system, and power supply. Communication control system
130 may reside in a single device or may be distributed across
multiple devices. Communication control system 130 may be a
discrete system or may be integrated within other
systems--including other systems within communication system 100.
In some examples, communication control system 130 could comprise a
network switch, mobile switching center, router, switching system,
packet gateway, network gateway system, Internet access node,
application server, service node, firewall, or some other
communication system--including combinations thereof.
[0027] Wireless communication links 111-113 use the air or space as
the transport medium. Wireless communication links 111-113 may use
various protocols, such as CDMA, GSM, UMTS, HSPA, EV-DO, EV-DO rev.
A, B, and C, 3GPP LTE, LTE Advanced, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
Internet, telephony, or some other communication format--including
combinations thereof. Wireless communication links 111-113 may
individually comprise many different signals sharing the same link.
For example, wireless communication links 111-113 could include
multiple signals operating in a single propagation path comprising
multiple communication sessions, frequencies, timeslots,
transportation ports, logical transportation links, network
sockets, IP sockets, packets, or communication
directions--including combinations thereof.
[0028] Communication links 121, 131, and 141 use metal, air, space,
optical fiber such as glass or plastic, or some other material as
the transport medium--including combinations thereof. Communication
links 121, 131, and 141 could use various communication protocols,
such as TDM, IP, Ethernet, telephony, optical networking, hybrid
fiber coax (HFC), communication signaling, wireless protocols, or
some other communication format--including combinations thereof.
Communication links 121, 131, and 141 may be direct links or could
include intermediate networks, systems, or devices.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates communication
system 300 in an exemplary embodiment. Communication system 300
includes wireless communication device 301, base stations 310 and
340, and commercial mobile alert system (CMAS) control system 330.
Base station 310 provides an example of wireless access node 110
and CMAS control system 330 provides an example of communication
control system 130, although node 110 and system 130 may use
alternative configurations. Each of the base stations 310 and 340
has approximate wireless coverage areas as indicated by the dotted
lines on FIG. 3. In particular, base station 310 provides a
wireless coverage area designated as an urban sector for serving a
plurality of smartphones in communication with base station 310.
Base station 340 provides a wireless coverage area to wireless
communication device 301 designated as a rural sector in FIG. 3.
The urban sector served by base station 310 and the rural sector
served by base station 340 do not overlap in this example and cover
separate and distinct geographical areas.
[0030] In FIG. 3, CMAS control system 330 is configured to control
the dissemination of emergency notifications and alerts via SMS
text messages to mobile communication devices that are located in
an area affected by an emergency. For example, if a tornado
threatens to enter the urban sector served by base station 310,
CMAS control system 330 could direct base station 310 to issue an
SMS tornado warning to the smartphones within the urban sector.
Base station 310 has a dedicated communication channel that is
reserved for broadcasting these emergency notifications as directed
by CMAS control system 330. However, at times when no emergency is
occurring, this broadcast channel may used to provide other types
of localized information to devices within a sector, such as news,
weather, traffic, sports, retail promotions, and other messages
that are related to the location covered by the sector. In some
cases, a user of a wireless communication device 301 that is not
located in the urban sector may still want to receive some of these
messages that are being broadcast to the smartphones within the
urban sector. The following description of FIGS. 4 and 5 provide
two examples of techniques for delivering message content to
wireless communication device 301 related to a message stream being
broadcast to the smartphones within the urban sector when device
301 is located in the rural sector of FIG. 3.
[0031] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram that illustrates an operation
of communication system 300 in an exemplary embodiment. Initially,
CMAS control system 330 provides message content to base station
310 and instructs base station 310 to broadcast the content to the
smartphones located in the urban sector it serves. CMAS control
system 330 would typically receive the message content from news or
weather servers, participating retail establishments, or other
message systems. Base station 310 then broadcasts the message
content in a message stream to the smartphones in the urban
sector.
[0032] In this example, base station 310 broadcasts the message
stream indiscriminately to all of the smartphones served by base
station 310 in the urban sector in a similar manner to broadcasting
emergency notifications. However, the message stream for the
non-emergency content contains a flag or indicator bit to inform
the smartphones that the message stream in this case is not an
emergency broadcast. The smartphones therefore receive and cache
the message content but are not configured to display the
non-emergency content by default. Instead, a smartphone user may
access a menu or listing of the received content that provides a
description of each of the messages of the message stream, and the
phone will only display a particular message when the user selects
that message for display. In some examples, the user may provide
predetermined authorizations to display particular types of
messages or messages from certain content providers or
entities.
[0033] When a user selects a message for display, the user's
smartphone is configured to report this selection to CMAS control
system 330. The smartphones report these interest indicators to
inform CMAS control system 330 that the user of the smartphone was
interested in the message and selected the message for display. In
some examples, the user may also provide a rating of the message
content, such as like/dislike, a numerical rating on a scale of one
to five, or some other metric, and this user feedback could also be
transferred by the smartphones to CMAS control system 330 as part
of the interest indicator.
[0034] While located in the rural sector of FIG. 3, wireless
communication device 301 transfers a subscription request to CMAS
control system 330 requesting to receive a particular message or
messages from the message stream being broadcast to the smartphones
in the urban sector. For example, the user of wireless
communication device 301 may commute to the location served by the
urban sector on a daily basis and thus desires to stay informed of
weather updates pertaining to the urban location. However, the user
does not wish to receive every weather update, but only updates
that are of significant interest to users of the smartphones within
the urban sector. Therefore, the subscription request to receive
the weather updates includes interest filter criteria to instruct
CMAS control system 330 to only transfer weather updates that a
majority of the urban-sector smartphones receiving the broadcast
message stream have chosen to display or otherwise reported as
interesting. For example, a weather update advising of a severe
winter snow storm might be displayed more frequently by the
smartphones in the urban sector than a less eventful weather
pattern.
[0035] CMAS control system 330 therefore compares the interest
indicators received from the urban-sector smartphones to the
interest filter criteria received in the subscription request from
the rural-sector wireless communication device 301. In this case, a
majority of the smartphones have indicated an interest in a recent
weather update, so the interest filter criteria is met. CMAS
control system 330 thus transfers message content comprising an SMS
text message of the interesting weather update for delivery to
wireless communication device 301 within the rural sector. Base
station 340 that serves the rural sector receives the SMS text
message via a communication network and transmits the message to
wireless communication device 301. In this manner, the user of
wireless communication device 301 is informed of an impending snow
storm that will impact the location served by the urban sector,
even when device 301 is not located in the urban sector and is
therefore not privy to the initial broadcast of this information in
the message stream.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram that illustrates an operation
of communication system 300 in an exemplary embodiment. The
operation of FIG. 5 is similar to the operation of FIG. 4, except
that in FIG. 5, the smartphones located in the urban sector must
actively subscribe to message content in order to receive messages
in the broadcast message stream. The operation of FIG. 5 thus
begins with the smartphones transmitting subscription requests for
particular messages for delivery to CMAS control system 330 by way
of SMS short codes. In this example, a new retail establishment has
opened in the location served by the urban sector and has offered a
discount promotion for the first one hundred users that subscribe
to their message stream. CMAS control system 330 maintains a data
structure of device identifiers of the smartphones that have
subscribed to the retail establishment's message stream, and
provides these identifiers to base station 310 along with the
message content. Base station 310 broadcasts the message stream to
the subscribers by including the device identifiers of the
subscribers in the overhead of the broadcast. The subscribing
smartphones are configured to identify their respective device
identifiers in the message stream and responsively receive and
display the messages based on these identifiers.
[0037] After receiving the subscription requests, CMAS control
system 330 determines a quantity of subscribers that have
subscribed to the message stream of the retail establishment.
Wireless communication device 301 transfers a subscription request
to CMAS control system 330 to subscribe to the message stream of
the retail establishment. However, since wireless communication
device 301 is located in the rural sector of FIG. 3 and not the
urban sector, device 301 will not receive the broadcast message
stream from base station 310. The subscription request from
wireless communication device 301 includes a subscription threshold
requiring that three devices in the urban sector subscribe to the
broadcast message stream before the subscription to the message
stream for device 301 is activated. CMAS control system 330
compares the quantity of subscribers to the broadcast message
stream to the subscriber threshold of three devices, which in this
case is met since all four smartphones within the urban sector have
subscribed to the message stream of the retail establishment to
take advantage of the promotion. Thus, CMAS control system 330
activates the subscription to the message stream for wireless
communication device 301.
[0038] CMAS control system 330 generates an SMS text message for
wireless communication device 301 that includes the advertising
content provided by the retail establishment and transfers the
message for delivery to wireless communication device 301. Base
station 340 receives the SMS text message via a communication
network and wirelessly transmits the message to wireless
communication device 301. In this manner, wireless communication
device 301 is able to subscribe to the message stream of the retail
establishment as one of the first one hundred subscribers in
fulfillment of the terms of the promotional offer, and therefore
avoids missing out on the promotion, despite being located in the
rural sector.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates wireless access
node 600. Wireless access node 600 provides an example of wireless
access node 110, although node 110 may use alternative
configurations. Wireless access node 600 comprises communication
transceiver 601, wireless communication transceiver 602, and
processing system 603. Processing system 603 is linked to
communication transceiver 601 and wireless communication
transceiver 602. Processing system 603 includes processing
circuitry 605 and memory system 606 that stores operating software
607. Operating software 607 comprises software modules 608 and
609.
[0040] Communication transceiver 601 comprises components that
communicate over communication links, such as network cards, ports,
RF transceivers, processing circuitry and software, or some other
communication components. Communication transceiver 601 may be
configured to communicate over metallic, wireless, or optical
links. Communication transceiver 601 may be configured to use TDM,
IP, Ethernet, optical networking, wireless protocols, communication
signaling, or some other communication format--including
combinations thereof.
[0041] Wireless communication transceiver 602 comprises RF
communication circuitry and an antenna. The RF communication
circuitry typically includes an amplifier, filter, RF modulator,
and signal processing circuitry. Wireless communication transceiver
602 may also include a memory system, software, processing
circuitry, or some other communication device. Wireless
communication transceiver 602 may use various protocols, such as
CDMA, GSM, UMTS, HSPA, EV-DO, EV-DO rev. A, B, and C, 3GPP LTE, LTE
Advanced, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Internet, telephony, or some
other wireless communication format. Wireless communication
transceiver 602 is configured to exchange wireless communications
with a plurality of wireless communication devices located in a
sector served by wireless access node 600 to provide wireless
internet access. Further, wireless communication transceiver 602 is
configured to broadcast a message stream to the wireless
communication devices located in the sector.
[0042] Processing circuitry 605 comprises microprocessor and other
circuitry that retrieves and executes operating software 607 from
memory system 606. Processing circuitry 605 may comprise a single
device or could be distributed across multiple devices--including
devices in different geographic areas. Processing circuitry 605 may
be embedded in various types of equipment. Memory system 606
comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such
as a disk drive, flash drive, data storage circuitry, or some other
hardware memory apparatus. Memory system 606 may comprise a single
device or could be distributed across multiple devices--including
devices in different geographic areas. Memory system 606 may be
embedded in various types of equipment. Operating software 607
comprises computer programs, firmware, or some other form of
machine-readable processing instructions. Operating software 607
may include an operating system, utilities, drivers, network
interfaces, applications, or some other type of software. In this
example, operating software 607 comprises software modules 608 and
609, although software 607 could have alternative configurations in
other examples.
[0043] When executed by circuitry 605, operating software 607
directs processing system 603 to operate as described herein for
wireless access node 110. In particular, operating software 607
directs processing system 603 to direct wireless communication
transceiver 602 to exchange wireless communications with a
plurality of wireless communication devices located in a sector
served by wireless access node 600 to provide wireless internet
access. Further, operating software 607 directs processing system
603 to direct wireless communication transceiver 602 to broadcast a
message stream to the wireless communication devices located in the
sector.
[0044] In this example, operating software 607 comprises a wireless
communication software module 608 that exchanges wireless
communications with a plurality of wireless communication devices
located in a sector served by wireless access node 600 to provide
wireless internet access. Operating software 607 also comprises a
broadcast software module 609 that broadcasts a message stream to
the wireless communication devices located in the sector.
[0045] FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates communication
control system 700. Communication control system 700 provides an
example of communication control system 130, although system 130
may use alternative configurations. Communication control system
700 comprises communication transceiver 701 and processing system
703. Processing system 703 is linked to communication transceiver
701. Processing system 703 includes processing circuitry 705 and
memory system 706 that stores operating software 707. Operating
software 707 comprises software modules 708-711.
[0046] Communication transceiver 701 comprises components that
communicate over communication links, such as network cards, ports,
RF transceivers, processing circuitry and software, or some other
communication components. Communication transceiver 701 may be
configured to communicate over metallic, wireless, or optical
links. Communication transceiver 701 may be configured to use TDM,
IP, Ethernet, optical networking, wireless protocols, communication
signaling, or some other communication format--including
combinations thereof. Communication transceiver 701 may be
configured to receive an interest indicator that indicates a level
of interest in a message stream by a plurality of 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 a sector
serving the wireless communication devices, wherein the request
includes interest filter criteria. Further, communication
transceiver 701 may be configured to transfer a message for
delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication device in
response to activating a subscription to the message stream,
wherein the message comprises information associated with a
location covered by the sector serving the wireless communication
devices.
[0047] Processing circuitry 705 comprises microprocessor and other
circuitry that retrieves and executes operating software 707 from
memory system 706. Processing circuitry 705 may comprise a single
device or could be distributed across multiple devices--including
devices in different geographic areas. Processing circuitry 705 may
be embedded in various types of equipment. Memory system 706
comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such
as a disk drive, flash drive, data storage circuitry, or some other
hardware memory apparatus. Memory system 706 may comprise a single
device or could be distributed across multiple devices--including
devices in different geographic areas. Memory system 706 may be
embedded in various types of equipment. Operating software 707
comprises computer programs, firmware, or some other form of
machine-readable processing instructions. Operating software 707
may include an operating system, utilities, drivers, network
interfaces, applications, or some other type of software. In this
example, operating software 707 comprises software modules 708-711,
although software 707 could have alternative configurations in
other examples.
[0048] When executed by circuitry 705, operating software 707
directs processing system 703 to operate as described herein for
communication control system 130. In particular, operating software
707 directs processing system 703 to configure a wireless access
node to broadcast a message stream comprising information
associated with a location covered by a sector serving a plurality
of wireless communication devices. Further, operating software 707
directs processing system 703 to direct communication transceiver
701 to 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. In addition, operating software 707 directs processing
system 703 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. Operating software 707 directs
processing system 703 to direct communication transceiver 701 to
transfer a message for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless
communication device in response to activating the subscription to
the message stream, wherein the message comprises the information
associated with the location covered by the sector serving the
wireless communication devices.
[0049] In this example, operating software 707 comprises a node
configuration software module 708 that configures a wireless access
node to broadcast a message stream comprising information
associated with a location covered by a sector serving a plurality
of wireless communication devices. In addition, operating software
707 comprises an interest indicator and request receiver software
module 709 that receives an interest indicator that indicates a
level of interest in the message stream by the wireless
communication devices, and that 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. Further, operating software 707
comprises an interest filter criteria analysis software module 710
that 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. Finally, operating software 707
comprises a message transfer software module 711 that transfers a
message for delivery to the out-of-sector wireless communication
device in response to activating the subscription to the message
stream, wherein the message comprises the information associated
with the location covered by the sector serving the wireless
communication devices.
[0050] The above description and associated figures teach the best
mode of the invention. The following claims specify the scope of
the invention. Note that some aspects of the best mode may not fall
within the scope of the invention as specified by the claims. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described
above can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations
of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the
specific embodiments described above, but only by the following
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *