Patent Application
20050060363
1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to cellular wireless communication systems and, more particularly, to the configuration of mobile stations by a cellular wireless communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
The structure and operation of cellular wireless communication systems is generally known. A cellular network infrastructure typically includes a plurality of base stations that each service wireless communications for one or more cellular mobile stations within a respective cell. Typically, each base station supports a plurality of sectors within its serviced cell. Base Station Controllers (BSCs) typically service a plurality of base stations and coordinate operations within the cells serviced by the base stations. A mobile switching center (MSC) services a plurality of base station controllers and couples to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Typically, the base station controllers or the MSC couple to the Internet to service packetized communications there through.
Cellular wireless infrastructures typically support one or more wireless protocol standards. These wireless protocol standards include Code Division Multiply Access (CDMA) protocol standards such as IS-95A, IS-95B, 1X-RTT, 1xEV-DO, 1xEV-EV, UMTS, and other CDMA type protocols. Alternately, the wireless protocol standard may service a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) standard such as the GSM standard, the North American TDMA standard, or other TDMA standards. The cellular mobile stations operating in the service area communicate with the base stations using such supported wireless protocol standards.
Cellular wireless communication service providers, as well as Internet service providers, are increasingly working together to support packetized services for subscribing mobile stations. Text messaging services, Internet browsing, some Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and Video conferencing are examples of data/voice/video services now currently available to mobile stations. To provide these services, the cellular network infrastructure typically operates in cooperation with one or more servers coupled to the cellular wireless communication network via the Internet or an Intranet. These packet switched networks typically use the Internet Protocol (IP) and supporting protocols to service packetized communications between the mobile station and the server.
In supporting these services, the mobile station must establish communications with the server. The cellular wireless network supports IP communications between the mobile station and the Internet/Intranet. The mobile station uses this IP communication link to access the server. However, prior to establishing communications with the server, the mobile station must be provisioned so that is possesses information required to communicate with the server. Such provisioning typically includes programming the mobile station with a Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) that corresponds to server. The mobile station uses the URI to obtain an IP address (or addresses) from a Domain Name Server (DNS) that it uses to access the server.
Heretofore, provisioning of the mobile station with such URI(s) involved programming by either the subscriber or by an employee/agent of the cellular wireless network to which the mobile station is subscribed. Such programming was tedious, time consuming, and prone to errors. Further, because the programming was static, and changes to the subscription or the server require a reprogramming of the mobile station. Therefore, a need exists for improvements in programming of the mobile station.
In order to overcome the above-described shortcomings, among others, a method for operating a cellular wireless communication network configures a mobile station to support a Multi-Media Service (MMS). The method includes first determining that configuration of the mobile station for the MMS is required. This may occur during an Over-The-Air-Service-Provisioning (OTASP) operation or during an Over-The-Air-Parameter-Administration (OTAPA) operation. The method continues with provisioning a plurality of components of the cellular wireless communication network for configuring the mobile station, the plurality of components of the cellular wireless communication network including an Over-The-Air-Function (OTAF). The mobile station is then located, e.g., serving MSC, BSC, and base station are determined. Then, the method includes establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile station via a servicing base station. Communications between the OTAF and the mobile station are then established via a combination of a wired path of the cellular wireless communication network and the wireless communication link. The OTAF then communicates with the mobile station to program at least one MMS Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) within the mobile station.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the MMS includes at least one of multimedia messaging services, instant messaging services, web browsing services, audio conferencing services, and audio/video conferencing services. The method may further include receiving a Multi-Media Service (MMS) request that includes the URI that is programmed within the mobile station, forwarding the MMS request to an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a Domain Name Server (DNS) of the IP network servicing the MMS request to determine the IP address of a server that will service the MMS request, forwarding the MMS request to the server at the IP address, and the server servicing the MMS request and providing the service to the mobile station.
In one particular embodiment, the OTAF communicating with the mobile station to program at least one URI within the mobile station includes the servicing base station sending an MMS configuration request message to the mobile station and the servicing base station receiving an MMS configuration response message from the mobile station. In such embodiment, the MMS configuration request message may include a requested number of MMS parameter blocks and, for each of the requested number of MMS parameter blocks, an MMS parameter block identifier.
In the particular embodiment, the MMS configuration response message includes a reported number of MMS parameter blocks and, for each of the reported number of MMS parameter blocks an MMS parameter block identifier, an MMS parameter block length, and MMS parameter block data. The MMS parameter block data may include a corresponding number of MMS URIs and, for each the corresponding number of MMS URIs, a MMS URI entry index, a MMS URI length, and a MMS URI.
In another particular embodiment, the OTAF communicating with the mobile station to program at least one URI within the mobile station includes the servicing base station sending an MMS download request message to the mobile station and the servicing base station receiving an MMS download response message from the mobile station. With this embodiment, the MMS download request message may include an included number of MMS parameter blocks and, for each of the included number of MMS parameter blocks, an MMS parameter block identifier, an MMS parameter block length, and MMS parameter block data. The MMS parameter block data may include a corresponding number of MMS URIs and, for each the corresponding number of MMS URIs, a MMS URI entry index, a MMS URI length, and a MMS URI.
With this other particular embodiment, the MMS download response message may include a reported number of MMS parameter blocks and, for each of the reported number of MMS parameter blocks, an MMS parameter block identifier, an MMS parameter block length, and MMS parameter block data. The MMS parameter block data may include a corresponding number of MMS URIs and, for each the corresponding number of MMS URIs, a MMS URI entry index, a MMS URI length, and a MMS URI.
In various embodiments, determining that configuration of the mobile station for the MMS is required occurs when the cellular wireless communication network determines that MMS for the mobile station has changed, the cellular wireless communication network determines that a server providing the MMS for the mobile station has been altered, or the cellular wireless communication network determines that a MMS provisioning threshold for the mobile station has been met.
The above-referenced description of the summary of the invention captures some, but not all, of the various aspects of the present invention. The claims are directed to some of the various other embodiments of the subject matter towards which the present invention is directed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The cellular wireless network support structure 102 couples to the Internet 114. The cellular wireless network support structure 102 also couples to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 110. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cellular wireless network support structure 102 is circuit switched, couples directly to the PSTN 110, and couples to the Internet 114 via a gateway (G/W) 112. In another embodiment of the present invention, the cellular wireless network support structure 102 is packet switched, couples directly to the Internet 114, and couples to the PSTN via an interworking function (IWF) 108. The cellular wireless network support structure 102 includes at least one Mobile Switching Center (MSC)/Mobile Telephone Exchange (MTX), at least one Home Location Register (HLR), at least one Visitor Location Register (VLR), and other components that support the cellular wireless network 100.
Cellular mobile stations 116, 118, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, and 136 wirelessly couple to the cellular wireless communication network 100 via wireless links with the base stations 104 and 106. As illustrated, cellular mobile stations may include cellular telephones 116 and 118, laptop computers 126 and 134, desktop computers 128 and 136, and data terminals 130 and 132. However, the wireless network supports communications with other types of cellular mobile stations as well.
Each of the base stations 104 and 106 services a cell/set of sectors within which it supports wireless communications. Wireless links with the cellular mobile stations 116-136 include the forward link (transmissions from a serving base station to a serviced cellular mobile station) and the reverse link (transmissions from the serviced cellular mobile station to the serving base station). The forward and reverse links support voice communications and data communications. The teachings of the present invention apply equally to any type of cellular wireless communication.
Each of mobile stations 116-136 is capable of servicing Multi-Media Services (MMSs). In order to support MMSs, the mobile stations 116-136 must be programmed according, e.g., have information regarding a servicing device such as server computer 124. As is generally known, in order to access a server computer 124 via the Internet 114, a requesting device, e.g., mobile station 116, must have the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the server computer 124. In one typical methodology for obtaining an IP address, the requesting mobile station 116 has a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for the server computer 124. In initiating a service access, the mobile station 116 sends an IP packet to the Internet 114 via the cellular wireless communication network 100 that is addressed to Domain Name Server (DNS) 125. This IP packet includes the URI for the server computer 124. The DNS 125 returns an IP address of the server computer 124 to the mobile station 116. The mobile station 116 then uses this IP address to access the server computer 124 and to obtain MMS there from.
According to the present invention, the cellular wireless communication network 100 configures the mobile station 116 for the MMS. The structure of the cellular wireless communication network 100 that performs such configuration includes a Customer Service Center (CSC) 129, an Over-The-Air-Function (OTAF) 127, the cellular wireless network support structure 102, a servicing BSC 107, and a servicing base station 104. A servicing MSC and other allocated resources of the cellular wireless network support structure 102 also support configuration of the mobile station 116 for MMS. One particular operation for configuring a mobile station is described in detail with reference to
The method continues with provisioning a plurality of components of the cellular wireless communication network 100 for configuring the mobile station 116 (step 204). Provisioned components may include all elements of the cellular wireless communication network 100 required to establish a link between the OTAF 127 and the mobile station 116. The CSC 129, which couples to the OTAF 127, may also participate in configuring the mobile station for the MMS. Next, the method includes locating the mobile station 116 within a service area of the cellular wireless communication network 100 (step 206). With the mobile station 116 located, a servicing base station 104 and a servicing BSC 107 are also determined. Locating the mobile station 116 within a service area of the cellular wireless communication network 100 is known and is not further described herein. Components of the cellular wireless network support structure 102 required to service the configuration would include a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and other structure that is not shown in
With the mobile station 116 located, the method includes establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile station 116 via the servicing base station 104 (step 208). Then, the method includes establishing communications between the OTAF 127 and the mobile station 116 via a combined wired path of the cellular wireless communication network 100 and the wireless communication link between the base station 104 and the mobile station 116 (step 210).
The method continues with the OTAF 127 communicating with the mobile station 116 to program at least one MMS Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) within the mobile station 116 (step 212). Once these operations are completed, the mobile station 116 is configured for MMS within the cellular wireless communication network 100. Particular details regarding step 212 of the method 200 of
With the embodiment of
With this particular embodiment, the MMS download request message includes an included number of MMS parameter blocks 506 and MMS parameter blocks 508A-508N. Each MMS parameter block 508A-508N includes a MMS parameter block ID, a MMS parameter block length 512, and MMS parameter block data 514. The MMS parameter block data 514 includes a corresponding number of MMS URIs 516 and, for each of the corresponding number of MMS URIs, an MMS URI entry index 518A, an MMS URI length 520A, and an MMS URI 522A. The Nth MMS URI includes MMS URI entry index 518N, MMS URI length 520N, and MMS URI 522N.
The MMS download response message according to the embodiment of
As one of average skill in the art will appreciate, the term “substantially” or “approximately”, as may be used herein, provides an industry-accepted tolerance to its corresponding term. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to twenty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. As one of average skill in the art will further appreciate, the term “operably coupled”, as may be used herein, includes direct coupling and indirect coupling via another component, element, circuit, or module where, for indirect coupling, the intervening component, element, circuit, or module does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As one of average skill in the art will also appreciate, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two elements in the same manner as “operably coupled”. As one of average skill in the art will further appreciate, the term “compares favorably”, as may be used herein, indicates that a comparison between two or more elements, items, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal 1 has a greater magnitude than signal 2, a favorable comparison may be achieved when the magnitude of signal 1 is greater than that of signal 2 or when the magnitude of signal 2 is less than that of signal 1.
Terms
The following standards contain provisions that, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this Standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All standards are subject to revision, and parties to agreements based upon this Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the standards indicated below. ANSI and TIA maintain registers of currently valid national standards published by them.
Introduction
1.1 General Description
Over-the-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) consists of the following features provisioned over-the-air:
Service Programming Lock (SPL), if provided, prevents the over-the-air provisioning of certain mobile station parameters by an unauthorized network entity.
This document describes Over-the-Air Service Provisioning in CDMA and analog systems. The procedures defined are intended to be extendable and flexible enough to be used with future air interface specifications. The procedures in this document do not require support for continuation of the service provisioning process following a CDMA-to-analog handoff.
1.2 Terms and Numeric Information
1.2.1 Terms
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Forward Traffic Channel. A code channel used to transport user and signaling traffic from the base station to the mobile station.
FRESH. A 15-bit value used by the mobile station and the base station as the cryptographic synchronizer for encrypting parameter data in Secure Mode. FRESH may be set by the encrypting side to any value, including a monotonically incremented counter, as long as this value is not repeated for the duration of the Secure Mode in progress.
HLR. See Home Location Register.
Home Location Register (HLR). The location register to which a MIN/IMSI is assigned for record purposes such as subscriber information.
Home System. The cellular system in which the mobile station subscribes for service.
HRPD. High Rate Packet Data. See [9].
IMSI. See International Mobile Station Identity.
IMSI_M. MIN based IMSI using the lower 10-digits to store the MIN.
IMSI_O. The operational value of IMSI used by the mobile station for operation with the base station.
IMSI_T. IMSI not associated with MIN. 15-digits or fewer.
International Mobile Station Identity (IMSI. A method of identifying stations in the land mobile service as specified in ITU-T Recommendation E.212.
Long Code Mask. A 42-bit binary number that creates the unique identity of the long code. See also Public Long Code, Private Long Code, Public Long Code Mask and Private Long Code Mask.
LSB. Least significant bit.
MCC. See Mobile Country Code.
Mobile Country Code (MCC). A part of the E.212 IMSI identifying the home country. See ITU-T Recommendation E.212. Mobile Directory Number. A dialable directory number which is not necessarily the same as the mobile station's air interface identification, i.e., MIN, IMSI_M or IMSI_T.
MIN. See Mobile Identification Number.
MMS. Multimedia Messaging Service.
MNC. See Mobile Network Code.
[ . . . ]
Over-the-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP). A process of provisioning mobile station operational parameters over the air interface.
Parity Check Bits. Bits added to a sequence of information bits to provide error detection, correction, or both.
Preferred User Zone List (PUZL). A list that provides the mobile station with the information for the User Zones to which the mobile user is subscribed.
PDSN. Packet Data Service Node.
Private Long Code. The long code characterized by the private long code mask.
Private Long Code Mask. The long code mask used to form the private long code.
Public Long Code. The long code characterized by the public long code mask.
Public Long Code Mask. The long code mask used to form the public long code. The mask contains the ESN of the mobile station. See also
Private Long Code Mask.
PUZL. See Preferred User Zone List.
Release. A process that the mobile station and base station use to inform each other of call disconnect.
Reverse CDMA Channel. The CDMA Channel from the mobile station to the base station. From the base station's perspective, the Reverse CDMA Channel is the sum of all mobile station transmissions on a CDMA frequency assignment.
Roamer. A mobile station operating in a wireless system (or network) other than the one from which service was subscribed.
Secure Mode. Network initiated mode of communicating operational parameters between a mobile station and network based provisioning entity in an encrypted form.
SIP. Session Initiation Protocol.
SMCK. Secure Mode Ciphering Key.
Service Option. A service capability of the system. Service options may be applications such as voice, data, or facsimile. See [4].
Service Programming Code (SPC). A secret code assigned to the mobile station and known to the authorized network entity.
Service Programming Lock (SPL). A protection provided for preventing the over-the-air provisioning of certain mobile station parameters by unauthorized network entity by way of verifying the Service Programming Code (SPC).
Shared Secret Data (SSD). A 128-bit pattern stored in the mobile station (in semi-permanent memory) and known by the base station. SSD is a concatenation of two 64-bit subsets: SSD_A, which is used to support the authentication procedures, and SSD_B, which serves as one of the inputs to the process generating the encryption mask and private long code.
SID. See System Identification.
[ . . . ]
1.2.2 Numeric Information
Numeric information is used to describe the operation of the mobile station. The following subscripts are used to clarify the use of the numeric information:
This section defines numeric information specifically related to the OTASP.
A_KEY_P_REVp—Protocol revision of the mobile station Key Exchange procedure.
A_KEY_TEMPs—A secret 64-bit pattern temporarily stored in the mobile station.
AUTH_OTAPAs—The computed 18-bit result AUTH_SIGNATURE used for validating SPASM.
CUR_SSPR_P_REVs-p—Protocol revision of the mobile station's current preferred roaming list. This information is used to parse PR_LISTs-p. Retained by the mobile station when the power is turned off.
DATA_P_REVp—Protocol revision of the mobile station NAM Download procedure.
NAM_LOCKp—The locking indicator set in the mobile station by the base station that defines SPASM protection of the programmable parameters in the active NAM during the OTAPA session.
NULL—A value that is not in the specified range of the field or variable.
NAM_LOCKs—A network controlled status of the SPASM protection of the active NAM for the subsequent OTAPA session.
NAM_LOCK_STATE—a locking state of the mobile station programmable parameters for OTAPA. If the NAM_LOCK_STATE=‘1’, the parameters are locked for network initiated programming.
PARAM_Gs—Key exchange parameter G.
PARAM_Ps—Key exchange parameter P.
PR_LISTs-p—Preferred Roaming List. Contains information to assist the mobile station system selection and acquisition process. Retained by the mobile station when the power is turned off.
PRL_BLOCK_ID_CURRENTs—Parameter Block Identifier for the current Preferred Roaming List temporarily stored in the mobile station.
PUZLs-p—Preferred User Zone List. Contains information to assist the mobile station during user zone selection and acquisition process. Retained by the mobile station when the power is turned off.
PUZL_P_REVp—Protocol revision of the mobile station PUZL Download procedure.
RAND_SEED—A secret 128-bit pattern temporarily stored in the mobile station.
RKp—A secret 128-bit pattern permanently stored in the mobile station.
RK_TEMPS—A secret 128-bit pattern temporarily stored in the mobile station.
SPCp—Service Programming Code. A secret code assigned to the mobile station and known to the authorized network entity. The base station uses the code equal to the SPCp for unlocking the mobile station parameters for programming or reprogramming.
SPCs—Service Programming Code temporarily stored in the mobile station.
SPL_P_REVp—Protocol revision of the mobile station Service Programming Lock.
SP_LOCK_STATE—A locking state of the mobile station programmable parameters. If the SP_LOCK_STATE=‘1’, the parameters are locked for programming.
SSPR_P_REVp—Protocol revision of the mobile station SSPR Download procedure and the PRL format.
SECURE_MODE_INDs—Secure Mode indicator. If SECURE_MODE_INDs=‘1’, current programming session is in Secure Mode.
SMCKs—Secure Mode Ciphering Key.
3.3 Programming Procedure
3.3.1 OTASP Data Message Processing
[ . . . ]
17. MMS Configuration Request Message: The mobile station shall send a MMS Configuration Response Message within 750 ms after receiving the message.
18. MMS Download Request Message: The mobile station shall respond to the message with a MMS Download Response Message within 750 ms.
3.5 Reverse Link Message Formats
The reverse link OTASP Data Messages are summarized in Table 3.5-1.
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[ . . . ]
3.5.1.17 MMS Configuration Response Message
The MMS Configuration Response Message has the following variable-length format:
If FRESH_INCL=‘1’, the base station shall include this field and set it to a 15-bit value chosen as specified in 4.3.5 for encrypting the PARAM_DATA fields of all Parameter Data blocks included in the message; otherwise the base station shall omit this field.
The MMS Download Response Message has the following variable-length format:
The mobile station shall set NUM_BLOCKS occurrences of the following fields:
Table 3.5.9-1 lists the types of parameter blocks used in the MMS Configuration Request Message and the MMS Configuration Response Message.
3.5.9.1 MMS URI Parameters
The PARAM_DATA field of the MMS URI Parameters Block consists of the following fields:
The mobile station shall include NUM_MMS_URI occurrences of the following fields:
4.3 Programming Data Download
4.3.1 OTA Data Message Processing
[ . . . ]
17. MMS Configuration Request Message: The base station should wait for a MMS Configuration Response Message.
18. MMS Download Request Message: The base station should wait for a MMS Download Response Message.
[ . . . ]
[ . . . ]
4.5.1.17 MMS Configuration Request Message
The MMS Configuration Request Message has the following format:
The base station shall include NUM_BLOCKS occurrences of the following field:
The base station shall set this field to the value of the BLOCK_ID of the parameter block being requested in this message (see Table 3.5.9-1).
4.5.1.18 MMS Download Request Message
The MMS Download Request Message has the following variable-length format:
If FRESH_INCL=‘1’, the base station shall include this field and set it to a 15-bit value chosen as specified in 4.3.5 for encrypting the PARAM_DATA fields of all Parameter Data blocks included in the message; otherwise the base station shall omit this field.
Table 4.5.8-1 lists the types of parameter blocks used in the MMS Download Request Message and the MMS Download Response Message.
4.5.8.1 MMS URI Parameters
The PARAM_DATA field of the MMS Application URI Block consists of the following fields:
The mobile station shall include NUM_MMS_URI occurrences of the following fields:
The invention disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. Specific embodiments therefore have been shown by way of example in the drawings and detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/502,538, filed Sep. 12, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60502538 | Sep 2003 | US |
