WO2005043941A1

WO2005043941A1 - Method and device for controlling multimedia messaging retrieval

Info

Publication number: WO2005043941A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/011699
Authority: WO
Inventors: Josef Laumen; Sabine Van Niekerk
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2003-10-22
Filing date: 2003-10-22
Publication date: 2005-05-12
Also published as: AU2003274061A1

Abstract

A method for controlling multimedia messaging MMS messages retrieval comprises the steps of: - defining an MMS specific event on the mobile equipment (165); - receiving an MMS notification (NO1); - using a USIM Application Toolkit (175) for transmitting an USAT message (N03) from a mobile equipment (165) to a UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) in response to receiving the MMS notification (NO1); - suspending all MMS processing at the mobile equipment (165) until it receives a request (N05) from the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) via the USIM Application Toolkit (175); and - sending an USAT message (N05) from the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) to the mobile equipment (165) in response to receiving the USAT message (N03) from the mobile equipment (165) for retrieving a multimedia message (N09) from an MMS server (130).

Description

Title of the invention

Method and device for controlling multimedia messaging retrieval

Field of the invention The invention relates to multimedia messaging and more specifically to the control of retrieval of multimedia messages .

Background art

Multimedia messaging has been specified in 3GPP TS 23.140. Multimedia messaging service MMS messages MM usually include voice, still or video images, text, or any combination thereof. They are gaining popularity, which is partially boosted by the developments in the terminal functionalities.

Figure 1 shows a User Equipment UE 101 within a Radio Access Network RAN 11 of a mobile network 12. The RAN 11 comprises a plurality of Base Stations BS 103 controlled by a Radio Network Controller RNC 105, the UE 101 communicating with the mobile network 12 wirelessly via a BS 103. Typically, one mobile network 12 comprises a plurality of RNC 105, but for simplicity Figure 1 shows only one such RNC 105.

A UE 101 comprises a Mobile Equipment ME 165 and an UMTS Integrated Circuit Card UICC 170. The ME 165 comprises radio communications means and the UICC 170 subscriber data, i.e. the UE 101 is personalized for a subscriber by the UICC 170. In mobile communication systems such UMTS, UICC 170 is used into a ME 165, enabling a user to use the mobile communication services he or she has subscribed to. Moreover, user preferences and settings as well as his or her personal information can be stored on the UICC 170. The UE 101 may have a plurality of applications stored in its memory; alternatively, these applications may be stored into the memory of the UICC 170. The applications include also an MMS User Agent 180 which takes care of all MMS specific interactions between the home network 14 and the UE 101.

The UE 101 further comprises a USIM Application Toolkit USAT 175. The USAT 175 takes care of handling different functions between the ME 165 and the UICC 170.

In mobile communication systems, like for example UMTS, operators can define their operator-specific applications on the UICC 170 which can use USAT 175 in order to control e.g. incoming USAT specific short messages and transport them from the ME to the UICC.

USAT 175, for example as defined in 3GPP TS 31.111, is a toolkit, which provides operators with a standardized Application Programming Interface API to put their own, operator-specific applications on a UICC 170 taking into account the particularities of Mobile Equipment 165 capabilities - independent of the particular operator, UICC 170 manufacturer, and ME 165 manufacturer. For that purpose USAT 175 provides a standardized execution environment for applications stored on the UICC 170 and the ability to utilize certain functions of the supporting ME 165. USAT 175 provides mechanisms which allow applications stored in the UICC 170 to interact and operate with any ME which supports the specified mechanisms thus ensuring interoperability between a UICC 170 and an ME, independent of the respective manufacturers and operators. The UICC 170 is the physical basis for the USAT 175 since the UICC 170 is owned by the operator and may thus be adapted to the operator's needs with least effort.

Mobile communication systems allow operators to define their operator-specific applications on the UICC 170, which can make use of USAT 175, the standardized interface between the UICC 170 and the ME 165 in order to control incoming USAT 175 specific short messages and transport them from the ME 165 to the UICC 170. In this way short text data can be transported from the ME 165 to the UICC 170.

For packet traffic, the mobile network 12 comprises a Serving GPRS Support Node SGSN 107 and Gateway GPRS Support Node GGSN 109. The UE 101 becomes an IP address which is reserved up to the GGSN 105. The traffic between the UE 101 and the GGSN 105 goes then on the GPRS Tunneling Protocol GTP protocol layer through the SGSN and the RAN 11, wherein there are further specific radio interface layer protocols facilitating resource-efficient data transport over the air interface. As the skilled person appreciates, a more detailed description of the related protocols can be found in any of the various standards defining these mechanisms.

The UE 101 may be roaming under mobile network 12 even though its home network 14 were elsewhere. The transmission of packet data is then performed either directly between the UE 101 and its home network 14 or via any other network, especially the Internet 13.

The home network 14 comprises a Home Service Server HSS 115 which includes subscriber data and knows under which mobile network 12 the UE 101 is roaming. A Serving Call State Control Function S-CSCF 113 is located in the home network 14 of the UE 101. If the UE 101 is roaming under another mobile network 12, then the S-CSCF 113 of home network 14 is used via a Proxy Call State Control Function P-CSCF 111. The P- CSCF 111 includes data about services subscribed for the User Equipment UE 101; this data has been transmitted from the S- CSCF 113 to the P-CSCF 111 as a response to a query sent by the P-CSCF 111.

The IMS includes SGSN 107, GGSN 109, P-CSCF 111, S-CSCF 113, and servers providing some of the services. Especially for MMS messages, MMS server 130 is used as the server providing all MMS related services.

The MMS server 130 comprises communication means 185 for communication between terminals 101, with other MMS servers

130, and with servers in the Internet 13. The processing unit 190 of the MMS server 130 uses the communication means 185 as well as the protocol stack 195. The protocol stack 195 comprises IMS protocols enabling provision of different services. The protocol stack 195 may further comprise an MMS specific part. The MMS server 130 is running an MMS application 196 which takes care of registering event packet subscriptions, notifying subscriber terminals of received MMS messages belonging to a subscribed event packet, and delivering MMS retrievals in response to receiving MMS retrieval requests.

In hand with the increased usage of multimedia data in mobile communications, there has arisen a need to transport multimedia data between the Mobile Equipment ME 165 and the UICC 170 by using USAT 175. This enables the operator to create operator specific multimedia capable applications, especially such applications which can send and receive multimedia data between a mobile network 12, the ME 165, and the UICC 170.

This means that USAT 175 shall control the multimedia messaging retrieval mechanism, which is much more complex than the SMS retrieval mechanism. Therefore it is not possible at the moment.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to bring about a method and device for controlling multimedia messaging retrieval. By using the device or method according to the invention as defined in the independent patent claims, the USAT 175 can be used to control the multimedia messaging retrieval mechanism.

The dependent patent claims describe various advantageous embodiments showing different aspects of the present invention.

Advantages of the invention By using a device or method according to the invention, the home network 14 operator can have a better control over the MMS behavior of an MMS capable ME 165.

In a particular embodiment, the operator is able to define an UICC 170 filter criteria for the retrieval of the MM and can in this way control the MM retrieval behavior. In this way, the operator can keep a list of unsolicited messaging or spam addresses on the UICC 170. The filter criteria can be used to block all MMs coming from listed addresses.

The subscriber may contribute to the contents of this list via an interface in the oparator's system, such as by forwarding an unsolicited message or spam to a specific address .

When the operator is able to control the MMS behavior of an MMS capable ME, then he or she also can be enabled to monitor the MMS traffic and use this information for statistical purposes as well.

Brief description of the drawings In the following, the invention is described in more detail with reference to examples shown in the accompanying drawings in Figures 1 and 2, of which:

Figure 1 shows a mobile network comprising also IP Multimedia core netwok Subsystem; and

Figure 2 shows messaging carried out by the device according to the invention.

Same reference numerals refer to same structural elements in both Figures 1 and 2.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Both device and method according to the invention allow USAT 175 to control the multimedia messaging retrieval mechanism, between an entity in the home network 14, the ME 165, and the UICC 170.

The UICC 170 controls the MMS related behaviour of an MMS capable ME 165. The UICC 170 can define an MMS specific event on the ME 165, for example by requesting (e.g. at UICC power on) the ME 165 to the UICC 170 about all incoming MMS notifications as soon as a new MMS notification is received from the network 14 at the ME 165.

The UICC 170 has the logic to interpret the above mentioned information. Further, it can define two different ways for the ME to process the related MM:

In ME 165 defined MMS processing the UICC 170 handles the control over the related MM back to the ME 165.

In UICC 170 defined MMS processing the UICC 170 defines the handling of the MM which is related to the above mentioned MMS notification and requests the ME 165 to perform predefined processing steps. For an example, the UICC 170 can request the ME 165 retrieve the MM from the home network 14, or to forward or reject it.

The UICC 170 can request the ME 165 to transfer the MM and/or specified MM content to the UICC 170 upon retrieval of the MM from the home network 14.

^•Upon transfer of the MM to the UICC 170, the UICC 170 can request the ME 165 to create and send the MMS read-reply report, or not to create and send the MMS read-reply report. In the same manner, the UICC 170 can request the ME 165 to allow or disallow the MMS server 130 to create a MMS delivery report.

The ME 165 suspends all MMS processing until it receives adequate requests from the UICC 170

A possibility to implement this is to use a combination of USAT 170 and the Multimedia messaging service MMS for this purpose. The MMS is a peer-to-peer messaging service between two MMS User Agents 180 (or between an MMS User Agent 180 and a 3^rd Party Value-Added Service Provider, VASP) , which are both connected to an MMS Server 130. The MMS User Agent 180 resides either on an User Equipment 101 on an external device such as on a notebook connected to the UE 101, or even on a PC not connected to a mobile terminal.

Figure 1 shows messaging where the method and device for controlling the retrieval of multimedia messages can be used.

The dashed box Jl shows that when the user turns on his or her ME 165, the UICC 170 sends an USAT 175 message MOl to the ME 165 in order to the ME 165 to informs the UICC 170 about all incoming MMS notifications as soon as a new MMS notification is received from the home network 14 at the ME 165.

The dashed box J2 shows messaging beginning at some point of time when the ME 165 receives an MMS notification NOl from the MMS Server 130 in the network. The ME 165 knows that it is requested by the UICC 170 to inform the UICC 170 about all MMS notifications it receives from the network. Therefore it composes an USAT message N03 and sends it to the UICC 170 in order to inform the UICC 170 that a MMS notification NOl has arrived at the ME 165. Message N03 comprises: i) a message reference which is the link to the MM in the network, ii) an MM content ID which identifies the content; iii) the MM content types (e.g. JPEG, GIF) identifying all content types included in the MM; iv) the MM content size, v) the address from which the MM originates. When the UICC 170 is informed with the USAT message N03 about that am MMS notification NOl has arrived at the ME 165, the UICC 170 decides, based on the information i) to v) in the USAT message N03 which action is to be taken. Possibilities between which the decision is to be made include: whether to retrieve the MM or not; whether to delete the MM; and whether to forward the MM.

Filter criteria are stored in the UICC 170. The filter criteria comprises one or more lists with addresses to block. Such addresses may include addresses from where unsolicited messages have been received, or addresses which send spam. Further the lists may comprise operator specific USAT/VASP server addresses, maximum content size information, or content types information.

In this example the UICC 170 checks first in step 20 whether the sender address in the message N03 is included in any address blocking list, i.e. whether or not there has been any unsolicited messages or spam received from this address. If the result of the check is that the sender address is not included in the address blocking list, the MM does not have to be rejected.

Then the UICC 170 checks if the sender address is in the

USAT/VASP server addresses list. If the sender address is one of the addresses in the USAT/VASP server address list the UICC 170 decides that the MM shall be retrieved. The UICC 170 composes the USAT message N05 which includes the message reference, so that the ME 165 knows which MM to download.

When the UICC 170 has composed the USAT message N05, it sends this message to the ME 165 in order to tell the ME 165 that the ME 165 shall retrieve the MM. When the ME 165 gets the USAT message N05, it knows that it has to retrieve the MM, so the ME 165 composes a message N07 and adds the belonging message reference into it, and further sends message N07 to the MMS Server 130.

When the MMS server 130 receives the message N07, it checks the message reference, searches for the belonging MM, composes message N09 and sends it to the ME 165. In this manner the ME 165 retrieves the MM and sees at the transaction ID that the message N09 belongs to the message N07 and that the MM has to be sent to the UICC 170. The ME 165 composes an USAT message Nil which includes the MM and sends this USAT message Nil to the UICC 170. When the UICC 170 has retrieved the MM, it performs the predefined actions as defined. The predefined actions may include updating a software or displaying the MM to the user.

Beside the MM, the USAT message Nil contains also information about whether the MMS delivery report is requested (yes or no) and whether the MMS read-reply report is requested (yes or no) . The UICC 170 will check this information and accordingly compose an USAT message N13. USAT message N13 is sent then to the ME 165.

If no MMS delivery report is requested, the USAT message N13 comprises the information: Delivery report requested: No. When the ME 165 receives this information, it composes a message N15, containing the information that MMS server 130 shall not create a MMS delivery report and sends this to the MMS server 130. When the MMS server 130 receives this message N15, then he knows that he shall not create an MMS delivery report. If a MMS delivery report is requested, the USAT message N13 contains the information: Delivery report requested: Yes. When the ME 165 receives this information, it composes a message N15, containing the request for creation of a MMS delivery report and sends this message to the MMS server 130. When the MMS server 130 receives this message, it composes an MMS delivery report and sends it out.

If no MMS read-reply report is requested, the USAT message N13 contains the information: Read-reply report requested: No. When the ME 165 receives this information, it does not compose an MMS read-reply report.

Dashed box J3 shows the case when a MMS read-reply report is requested. Then USAT message N13 contains the information: Read-reply report requested: Yes. When the ME 165 receives this information, it composes a message N17 containing the MMS read-reply report and sends this message N17 to the MMS server 130 which forwards this message to the sender of the MM.

Even though the examples above were discussed in an UMTS environment, the skilled person appreciates the possibility to carry out the invention in suitable other mobile radio systems, particularly in GSM, EDGE, or in a GPRS network. List of used reference numerals

11 Radio Access Network RAN

12 mobile network 14 home network 101 User Equipment (UE)

103 Base Station BS

105 Radio Network Controller RNC

107 Serving GPRS Support Node SGSN

109 Gateway GPRS Support Node GGSN 111 Proxy-Call State Control Function P-CSCF

113 Serving Call State Control Function S-CSCF

115 Home Service Server HSS

130 MMS Server

165 Mobile Equipment (ME) 170 UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)

175 USIM Application Toolkit USAT

180 MMS User Agent

185 communication means

190 processing unit 195 protocol stack

196 MMS application

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device (101) for controlling multimedia messaging MMS messages retrieval, comprising: a mobile equipment (165) ; - a UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170); and - a USIM Application Toolkit (175), and wherein: the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) is adapted to control MMS related behaviour of the mobile equipment (165) by using the USIM Application Toolkit (175) .

2. A device (101) of claim 1, wherein: the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) comprises means for defining an MMS specific event on the mobile equipment (165), the MMS specific event causing the mobile equipment (165) to perform a predefined action upon receipt of an MMS notification (NOl) .

3. A device (101) of claim 2, wherein: - the USIM Application Toolkit (175) is adapted to transmit an USAT message (N03) from the mobile equipment (165) to the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) in response to receiving an MMS notification (NOl) ; the mobile equipment (165) is adapted to suspend all MMS processing until it receives a request (N05) from the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) via the USIM Application Toolkit (175) ; and - the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) is adapted to send an USAT message (N05) to the mobile equipment (165) in response to receiving the USAT message (N03) from the mobile equipment (165) for retrieving a multimedia message (N09) from an MMS server (130) .

4. A device (101) of claim 3, wherein: - the mobile equipment (165) is further adapted to transmit a request (N07) for the multimedia message (N09) and to receive the multimedia message (N09) , pass it to the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) ; and - the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) is adapted to perform a predefined action depending on information in the multimedia message (N09, Nil) as passed to the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) .

5. A device (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the device (101) comprises in the USIM Application Toolkit (175) a filter criterium defined by a network operator of a subscriber using the device (101) for blocking unsolicited multimedia message or spam.

6. A device (101) of claim 5, wherein: said filter criterium is defined by a network operator of a subscriber using the device (101) .

7. A device (101) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the device (101) further comprises means for enabling a network operator of a subscriber using the device to monitor the MMS traffic.

8. A method for controlling multimedia messaging MMS messages retrieval, the method comprising the steps of: - defining an MMS specific event on the mobile equipment (165); - receiving an MMS notification (NOl) ; - using a USIM Application Toolkit (175) for transmitting an USAT message (N03) from a mobile equipment (165) to a UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) in response to receiving the MMS notification (NOl) ; - suspending all MMS processing at the mobile equipment (165) until it receives a request (N05) from the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) via the USIM Application Toolkit (175); and - sending an USAT message (N05) from the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) to the mobile equipment (165) in response to receiving the USAT message (N03) from the mobile equipment (165) for retrieving a multimedia message (N09) from an MMS server (130) .

9. A method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: - transmitting a request (N07) for the multimedia message (N09) ; - receiving the multimedia message (N09) ; - passing it to the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) ; and - performing a predefined action at the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) depending on information in the multimedia message (N09, Nil) as passed to the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) .

10. A method of claim 8 or 9, further comprising the step of: comparing (step 21) at the UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) an identifier in USAT message (N03) with a filter criterium defined by a network operator of a subscriber using the device (101) for blocking unsolicited multimedia message or spam before sending an USAT message (N05) for retrieving a multimedia message (N09) from an MMS server (130) .

1. An UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (170) comprising means adapted to perform actions as defined in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, or means adapted to carry out the method of any one of the claims 8 to 10.