U.S. patent application number 14/472000 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-18 for implementing a multi-user communications service.
The applicant listed for this patent is Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.. Invention is credited to Tahvo HYOTYLAINEN, Tuija VIKMAN.
Application Number | 20140372531 14/472000 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39742735 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140372531 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
VIKMAN; Tuija ; et
al. |
December 18, 2014 |
IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-USER COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE
Abstract
A method includes, in response to an action by a first user of a
communications system, the action comprising selecting one or more
other existing users associated with the first user from a personal
list to include the one or more other existing users in an optional
communications service to which the first user has subscribed,
determining whether any of the one or more other existing users are
already a subscriber to the optional communications service,
creating a subscription to the optional communications service for
at least one of the one or more other existing users that lacks a
subscription, and transmitting configuration information to the at
least one of the one or more other existing users.
Inventors: |
VIKMAN; Tuija; (Lempaala,
FI) ; HYOTYLAINEN; Tahvo; (Tampere, FI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l. |
Luxembourg |
|
LU |
|
|
Family ID: |
39742735 |
Appl. No.: |
14/472000 |
Filed: |
August 28, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11713703 |
Mar 5, 2007 |
8856224 |
|
|
14472000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/204 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 12/66 20130101;
H04L 67/14 20130101; H04L 51/18 20130101; H04L 51/38 20130101; H04L
65/1069 20130101; H04L 65/403 20130101; H04L 67/34 20130101; H04W
76/45 20180201; H04L 67/306 20130101; H04L 67/38 20130101; H04W
8/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/204 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/06 20060101
H04L029/06 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: in response to an action by a first user of
a communications system, the action comprising selecting one or
more other existing users associated with the first user from a
personal list to include the one or more other existing users in an
optional communications service to which the first user has
subscribed, determining whether any of the one or more other
existing users are already a subscriber to the optional
communications service; creating a subscription to the optional
communications service for at least one of the one or more other
existing users that lacks a subscription; and transmitting
configuration information to the at least one of the one or more
other existing users.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optional communications
service comprises one of an instant messaging service, an
interactive gaming service, and a push to talk over cellular
service.
3. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically initiating a
preparation of one or more elements of the communications system to
provide the optional communications service to the one or more
other existing users of the communications system that are
determined not to be a subscriber to the optional communications
service.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the preparation of the one or
more elements of the communications system includes collecting
service subscription data for the one or more other existing users
at one or more network elements.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the preparation of the one or
more elements of the communications system comprises obtaining the
first user's authority to prepare one or more elements of the
communications system to provide the optional communications
service for the one or more other existing users of the
communications system.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the preparation of the one or
more elements of the communications system includes identifying the
one or more other existing users from a personal contact list for
the first user.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more other existing
users are identified in a personal contact list for the first
user.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action by the first user
comprises making a request for subscription of the first user to
the optional communications service.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the action by the first user
includes making a request to add one or more additional existing
users of the communications system to the personal contact list for
the first user.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more elements of the
communications system comprises one or more databases.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting configuration
information to the one or more other existing users comprises
configuring user terminals of the at least one of the one or more
other existing users to enable access to the optional
communications service.
12. A method comprising: requesting, by a terminal of a first user,
a subscription to an optional multi-user communications service
implemented within a communications system; receiving, by the
terminal, an inquiry from the communications system whether to
prepare the communication system for one or more other existing
users to participate in an optional multi-user communications
service, wherein the one or more other existing users are
associated with the first user and are selected from a personal
list of the first user; and responding, by the terminal, to the
inquiry, wherein, when the terminal responds affirmatively to the
inquiry, the communications system is prompted to determine whether
any of the one or more other existing users are already a
subscriber to the optional communications service to which the
first user has subscribed, and to create a subscription to the
optional communications service for each of the one or more
existing users that lacks a subscription when the terminal responds
affirmatively.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the optional communications
service comprises one of an instant messaging service, an
interactive gaming service and a push to talk over cellular
service.
14. The method of claim 12, comprising making a request, by the
terminal, to add one or more additional existing users of the
communications system to a personal contact list for the first
user.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein, when the terminal responds
affirmatively to the inquiry, the communications system is prompted
to automatically initiate a preparation of one or more elements of
the communications system to provide the optional communications
service for one or more existing users of the communications system
that have been determined not to be a subscriber to the optional
communications service.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein, when the terminal responds
affirmatively to the inquiry, the communications system is prompted
to send configuration information to the one or more other existing
users to configure user terminals of the one or more other existing
users to enable access to the optional communications service.
17. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least
one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory
and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one
processor, direct the apparatus at least to perform: requesting a
subscription for a first user to an optional multi-user
communications service implemented within a communications system;
receiving an inquiry from the communications system whether to
prepare the communication system for one or more other existing
users to participate in the optional multi-user communications
service to which the first user has subscribed, wherein the one or
more other existing users are associated with the first user and
are selected from a personal list of the first user; and responding
to the inquiry, wherein, when the apparatus responds affirmatively
to the inquiry, the communications system is prompted to determine
whether any of the one or more other existing users are already a
subscriber to the optional communications service, and to create a
subscription to the optional communications service for each of the
one or more existing users that lacks a subscription when the
apparatus responds affirmatively.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the optional communications
service comprises one of an instant messaging service, an
interactive gaming service and a push to talk over cellular
service.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and
the computer program code are further configured to, with the at
least one processor, direct the apparatus at least to make a
request to add one or more additional existing users of the
communications system to a personal contact list for the first
user.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when the apparatus responds
affirmatively to the inquiry, the communications system is prompted
to automatically prepare one or more elements of the communications
system to provide the optional communications service for one or
more existing users of the communications system that have been
determined not to be a subscriber to the optional communications
service.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 11/713,703, filed 5 Mar. 2007, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The disclosed embodiments relate to a technique for
implementing an optional communications service within a
communications system involving the participation of a plurality of
users.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Group calls, instant messaging, interactive gaming and
Push-to talk over Cellular (PoC) are examples of optional
communications services that may be provided by a communications
system, and which involve the participation of a plurality of users
of the communications system. Subscriptions by users of the
communications system to such optional communications services are
conventionally achieved only by separate individual requests from
the users through a customer care facility or a self-service
portal. The inventors have identified the problem that one user
wishing to participate in such an optional communications service
with another user depends on such another user already having made
its own individual request for subscription to the service, and
that this can lead to the service not being used as effectively as
possible.
SUMMARY
[0004] It is an aim of the presently disclosed embodiments to
provide a new technique for implementing an optional multi-user
communications service within a communications system that
facilitates more effective usage of the optional multi-user
communications service.
[0005] According to at least one aspect of the disclosed
embodiments, there is provided a method of implementing an optional
communications service within a communications system involving the
participation of a plurality of users of the communications system,
the method including: in response to an action by a first user of
the communications system, initiating the preparation of one or
more elements of the communication system for providing said
optional communications service in relation to one or more other
existing users of the communications system, such that when the
first user thereafter accesses the optional communication service,
the communications system is already prepared for participation by
said one or more other existing users in the optional communication
service.
[0006] In one embodiment, the optional communications service is
selected from the group consisting of: an instant messaging
service, an interactive gaming service and a push to talk over
cellular (PoC) service.
[0007] In one embodiment, said preparation includes collecting
service subscription data for said one or more other existing users
at one or more network elements.
[0008] In one embodiment, said one or more elements of the
communications system include one or more existing user terminals
of said communications system for said one or more other existing
users of the communications system, and said preparation includes
configuring the settings of said one or more existing user
terminals.
[0009] In one embodiment, the one or more other existing users of
the communication system are a selected user or a selected group of
users associated with the first user, such as one or more other
existing users identified in a personal contact list for the first
user.
[0010] In one embodiment, said action by the first user comprises
making a request for subscription of said first user to said
optional communications service, or comprises making a request to
add one or more additional existing users of the communications
system to said personal contact list for the first user.
[0011] In one embodiment, said preparation includes: obtaining the
first user's authority for preparation of one or more elements of
the communications system for providing said optional
communications service for said one or more other existing users of
the communications system.
[0012] In one embodiment, said preparation includes identifying
said one or more other existing users from a personal contact list
for the first user.
[0013] In one embodiment, said one or more elements of the
communications system include one or more databases.
[0014] According to another aspect of the disclosed embodiments,
there is provided a method including: in response to an action by a
first user of a communications system, requesting said first user
for the authority thereof to prepare one or more elements of the
communications system for providing an optional communications
service in relation to one or more other existing users of the
communications system, such that when the first user thereafter
accesses the optional communication service, the communications
system is already prepared for participation by said one or more
other existing users in the optional communication service.
[0015] According to another aspect of the disclosed embodiments,
there is provided a communications system for implementing an
optional communications service involving the participation of a
plurality of users of the communications system, wherein the system
is configured to: in response to an action by a first user of the
communications system, initiate the preparation of one or more
elements of the communication system for providing said optional
communications service for one or more other existing users of the
communications system, such that when the first user thereafter
accesses the optional communication service, the communications
system is already prepared for participation by said one or more
other existing users in the optional communication service.
[0016] According to another aspect of the disclosed embodiments,
there is provided a communications system for implementing an
optional communications service involving the participation of a
plurality of users of the communications system, wherein the system
is configured to: in response to an action by a first user of a
communications system, request said first user for the authority
thereof to prepare one or more elements of the communications
system for providing the optional communications service for one or
more other existing users of the communications system, such that
when the first user thereafter accesses the optional communication
service, the communications system is already prepared for
participation by said one or more other existing users in the
optional communication network service.
[0017] According to another aspect of the disclosed embodiments,
there is provided a communications system for implementing an
optional communications service involving the participation of a
plurality of users of the communications system, wherein the system
includes: means for initiating, in response to an action by a first
user of the communications system, the preparation of one or more
elements of the communication system for providing said optional
communications service for one or more other existing users of the
communications system, such that when the first user thereafter
accesses the optional communication service, the communications
system is already prepared for participation by said one or more
other existing users in the optional communication service.
[0018] According to another aspect of the disclosed embodiments,
there is provided a communications system for implementing an
optional communications service involving the participation of a
plurality of users of the communications system, wherein the system
includes: means for requesting, in response to an action by a first
user of a communications system, said first user for the authority
thereof to prepare one or more elements of the communications
system for providing the optional communications service for one or
more other existing users of the communications system, such that
when the first user thereafter accesses the optional communication
service, the communications system is already prepared for
participation by said one or more other existing users in the
optional communication network service.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communications service
within which the disclosed embodiments may be implemented;
[0020] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an example of a set of
communications system elements and the interfaces there between for
implementing the disclosed embodiments;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a method according to at least one of the
disclosed embodiments; and
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a method according to another of the
disclosed embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The present embodiments are described hereunder, by way of
non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communications system 1
in which the disclosed embodiments may be implemented. In FIG. 1, a
plurality of user terminals 40, 60 and 80 (typically, many more
than three user terminals would form part of the communications
system 10, but only three are shown for the purpose of explaining
the disclosed embodiments) are connected to a communications
network 20 via respective wireless interfaces. The communications
network 20 may itself comprise a plurality of sub-networks
including one or more radio access networks. The network 20 may
provide a number of basic services such as standard calls between
two user terminals, and may also provide one or more optional
communication services such as group calls, instant messaging,
interactive gaming and PoC services, which each require a special
subscription and which each involve the participation of a
plurality of users of the communications system.
[0025] According to at least one embodiment as illustrated in FIG.
4, the creation of a subscription to an optional multi-user
communications service for a first subscriber/user A of the
communications system 10 prompts the creation of subscriptions to
the same optional multi-user communications service for one or more
other existing subscribers/users of the communications system
10.
[0026] User/subscriber A is prompted by a message to user terminal
40 asking whether Subscriber A wants those other subscribers/users
of the communication system included in his/her personal list
(which are also referred to in this specification as "buddies") to
also be provisioned for said optional multi-user communications
service. If the answer to this question is yes, the provisioning
system makes a query to the list management server that holds and
maintains the personal lists for subscriber/user A, retrieves the
identities and checks via a subscriber profile database and a
terminal inventory database if each such other user/subscriber is
already a subscriber to said optional multi-user optional
communications system.
[0027] For each of said other subscribers/users for which the
result of the check is negative, the provisioning system then
creates subscriptions and sends any required device configurations
to the respective user terminal devices 60, 80, and sends a
notification to the user terminal device 40 for Subscriber A so
that Subscriber A knows that he/she can start using said multi-user
communications service together with his/her buddies.
[0028] The provisioning system does not need to hold or maintain
the personal contact list for subscriber A; it could request the
user terminal device 4 associated with subscriber A for details of
the identities of the other users/subscribers lists in the personal
list for subscriber A.
[0029] An example of a set of communication system elements for
implementing the creation of subscriptions for other
users/subscribers in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 illustrates the order of
actions/notifications between the system elements, and FIG. 3
identifies the type of the interfaces between the system
elements.
[0030] In FIGS. 2 and 3, the following abbreviations are used:
[0031] PM: Profile Manager [0032] TMS: Terminal Management Server
[0033] CRM: Customer Relationship Management [0034] SR: Subscriber
Repository (such as a Home Location Register (HLR)) [0035] IMS: IP
Multimedia Subsystem [0036] LMS: List management Server [0037] UCS:
Unified Charging Solution [0038] BCAS: Business Communication
Application Server [0039] OSS/J: Operating Supporting System java
interface [0040] RMI: Remote Method Invocation [0041] WSI: Web
Service Interface [0042] SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol [0043]
CORBA: Common Object Request Broker Architecture [0044] OTA: Over
The Air technology [0045] XCAP: XML Configuration Access Protocol;
[0046] XML: Extended Markup Language
[0047] The combination of the PM and TMS is referred to as an
Integrated Provisioning Solution (IPS), and it takes care of the
notification, subscription and terminal configuration of subscriber
A and his/her buddies. The IPS always ensures that it is allowed to
create a subscription and set the terminal configuration for each
buddy retrieved or obtained from list management server based on
the respective subscriber profile and respective device
inventory.
[0048] The interaction between the system elements shown in FIGS. 2
and 3 is described below for the example of a chat service.
[0049] In response to subscriber A subscribing to the chat service,
CRM starts the creation of buddy subscriptions for the chat service
after obtaining authority from subscriber A to do so (Step 1 in
FIG. 2).
[0050] A subscription creation request is routed from the CRM to
the PM (Step 2 in FIG. 2).
[0051] According to one variation, a service/access network 100 (a
sub-network of network 20) associated with subscriber A directly
contacts the PM to request the creation of buddy subscriptions
(Step 2a in FIG. 2). In one example, the CRM gives the IPS advance
general authorization to act on any such direct request from the
service/access network 100. In another example, the IPS may
automatically make a request to the CRM as to whether there are one
or more conditions that need to be met before the buddy
subscriptions can be created. Either the service/access network 100
or the IPS can then prompt the subscriber A for specific
authorization if any such conditions are set. Alternatively,
general authorization is given in advance as part of the basic
contract between Subscriber A and the provider/operator of the
communications system, and which general authorization is used when
Subscriber A subscribes to the chat service, or (in the case of the
second embodiment described below) adds one or more additional
subscribers/users of the communications system to his/her personal
contact list. With this variation, the participation of the CRM
and/or subscriber A can be reduced.
[0052] When the PM starts the automated provisioning for the
buddies, it first obtains from LMS identities of those other
users/subscribers of the communication system included in the
personal contact list for subscriber A, i.e. the buddies of
subscriber A (Step 3 in FIG. 2). The PM then initiates preparation
of the SR, UCS and BCAS by the addition to the databases thereof of
any required subscriber information for providing the chat service
for the buddies of subscriber A (Step 4 in FIG. 2).
[0053] The PM also ensures that the user terminals for the buddies
of subscriber A have the correct settings. The correct terminal
settings are sent to the buddies as a configuration message (SMS
message) from the Terminal Management Server (TMS) (Step 5 in FIG.
2). The user terminals receive the correct settings (Step 6 in FIG.
2) and send an acceptance message in reply, where the protocol
and/or terminals so require.
[0054] Subscriber A is notified by SMS when the buddies are
properly provisioned and configured (not shown in FIG. 2).
Subscriber A is then able to use the chat service with his or her
buddies (Step 7 in FIG. 2).
[0055] According to a second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a
request by subscriber A for the addition to his/her personal
contact list of one or more additional users/subscribers to the
communications system prompts the creation of a subscription for
such one or more additional users to any optional multi-user
communications service for which the subscriber/user A is already a
subscriber. With this embodiment, subscriber A also has the
possibility to refresh the provisioning of buddies when subscriber
A modifies its personal contact list, which personal contact list
may be maintained at a list management server (LMS).
[0056] With the above-described embodiments, the probability for
user satisfaction and effective usage of the service is increased
because there is less risk that the other users in the personal
contact list of subscriber A (e.g. friends, family etc.) will not
be able to participate in the service because of insufficient
subscription data in the network or incorrect device
configuration.
[0057] The applicant draws attention to the fact that the presently
disclosed embodiments may include any feature or combination of
features disclosed herein either implicitly or explicitly or any
generalization thereof, without limitation to the scope of any
definitions set out above. In view of the foregoing description it
will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various
modifications may be made within the scope of the disclosed
embodiments.
* * * * *