WO2006121420A2

WO2006121420A2 - Method and apparatus for providing user information to a content provider

Info

Publication number: WO2006121420A2
Application number: PCT/US2004/025691
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bonnie Chen; Zhijun Cai; Stephen L. Spear
Original assignee: Motorola, Inc. , A Corporation Of The State Of Delaware
Priority date: 2003-08-06
Filing date: 2004-08-06
Publication date: 2006-11-16
Also published as: WO2006121420A3

Abstract

The need for providing user information to content providers to enable them to authenticate user access to certain content, to perform billing, or to otherwise monitor content use is addressed by embodiments of the present invention. A content delivery server (110) sends service announcement information to user equipment (UE) (101) for a content delivery session of a content provider (120). The service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider for this session. When the UE user requests to activate the session, the UE obtains the requested user information and sends it with an activation request to the content delivery server. The content delivery server is then able to send the obtained user information, with perhaps additional user information, to the content provider when requesting session activation. The content delivery server activates (subscribes, e.g.) after receiving an indication that activation is approved by the content provider.

Description

CE11619N Chen et al.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING USER INFORMATION TO A

CONTENT PROVIDER

Reference(s) to Related Application(s)

The present application claims priority from provisional US application, Serial No. 60/492877, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING USER INFORMATION TO A CONTENT PROVIDER," filed August 6, 2003, which is commonly owned and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This application is related to a co-pending application entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING CONTENT PROVIDER AUTHENTICATION", filed on even date herewith, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to communication systems and, in particular, to providing user information to a content provider in a communication system.

Background of the Invention

The development of MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service) standards for mobile communication networks will enable wireless service providers to offer multicast services to mobile communications devices. Presently, the standards provide third party content providers a means for sending multimedia content to participating devices. However, the standards 2 CE11619N Chen et al. do not currently allow the content providers to authenticate who is able to listen to particular content.

Instead, under the present standards scheme, it is assumed that the service provider will perform the authentication and, therefore, that the user will pay the service provider for not only the air interface charges but also for the content. Some content providers have close working relationships with the wireless service providers, allowing them to pass the burden of authentication and revenue collection to the service providers. However, it is believed that some content providers will instead want to directly control access to their content. For example, some content providers may not trust all their wireless service providers to accurately authenticate users or accurately report the number of users obtaining access to their content. Furthermore, some content providers may simply wish to avoid all the problems associated with providing user lists indicating who has access to what content to each of their service providers. Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for providing user information to content providers to enable them to authenticate user access to certain content, to perform billing, or to otherwise monitor content use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram depiction of user equipment, a content provider and a content delivery server in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a logic flow diagram of functionality performed by a content delivery server in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention. 3 CE11619N Chen et al.

FIG. 4 is a logic flow diagram of functionality performed by user equipment in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The need for providing user information to content providers to enable them to authenticate user access to certain content, to perform billing, or to otherwise monitor content use is addressed by embodiments of the present invention. A content delivery server sends service announcement information to user equipment (UE) for a content delivery session of a content provider. The service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider for this session. When the UE user requests to activate the session, the UE obtains the requested user information and sends it with an activation request to the content delivery server. The content delivery server is then able to send the obtained user information, with perhaps additional user information, to the content provider when requesting session activation. The content delivery server activates (subscribes, e.g.) after receiving an indication that activation is approved by the content provider.

The disclosed embodiments can be more fully understood with reference to FIGs. 1-4. FIG. 1 is a block diagram depiction of communication system 100 in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention. Communication system 100 is based on a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) system, which is modified to implement an embodiment of the present invention. Alternative embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in communication systems that employ other technologies such as, but not limited to, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) technologies and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies, including IS-2000 (1X and EV/DV) and IS-856 High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) (1X EV/DO). 4 CE11619N Chen et al.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that FIG. 1 does not depict all of the network equipment necessary for system 100 to operate but only those system components / logical entities particularly relevant to the description of embodiments of the present invention. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , communication system 100 comprises user equipment (UE) 101 , radio access network (RAN) 102, Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 103, home location register (HLR) 104, Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) 105, content delivery server 110, and content provider 120.

While user equipment platforms are well-known (mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants, and gaming devices, e.g.), UE 101 is depicted in FIG. 2 as comprising processor 201 , wireless transceiver 202, display 203, keypad 204, camera 205, microphone 206, and speaker 207. In general, UE logical entities such as processors, wireless transceivers, displays, keypads, cameras, speakers, and microphones are well-known. For example, processors are known to comprise basic components such as microprocessors, memory devices, and/or logic circuitry. Such components are typically adapted to implement algorithms that have otherwise been expressed logically, for example, in high-level design languages or descriptions, as computer instructions, and/or in logical flow diagrams. Thus, given an algorithm or a logic flow, those skilled in the art are aware of the many design and development techniques available to implement a processor in UE that performs the given logic.

While controller and server platforms are well-known, content delivery server 110 and content provider 120 are depicted in FIG. 2 as comprising processors 209 and 210, respectively, and network interfaces 211 and 212, respectively. In general, logical entities such as network interfaces and processors are well-known. For example, they both are known to comprise basic components such as microprocessors, memory devices, and/or logic circuitry. Thus, given an algorithm or a logic flow, those skilled in the art are aware of the many design and development techniques available to implement a processor and network interface that perform the given logic.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, a known content delivery server and known user equipment are adapted using known 5 CE11619N Chen et al. telecommunications design and development techniques to implement the content-delivery-server aspect and the UE aspect of the present invention. The result is content delivery server 110, which performs the method described with respect to FIG. 3, and UE 101 , which performs the method described with respect to FIG. 4. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the content-delivery-server aspect and the UE aspect of the present invention may each be implemented in and across various physical components of system 100 and neither are necessarily limited to single platform implementations.

In the first embodiment, content delivery server 110 provides multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) to a mobile communications network, although not all of the UE served by server 110 are necessarily mobile devices and content delivery servers, in general, need not serve mobile communications networks exclusively. In the first embodiment, content delivery server 110 performs content translation and distribution functions such as protocol translations and bearer encoding / decoding transformations. Server 110 also functions as broadcast-multicast service center (BM-SC) as described in the 3GPP MBMS specifications. In alternative embodiments, the content delivery server may comprise a UMTS MBMS server or a CDMA Broadcast Multicast Service Controller.

In the first embodiment, content provider 120 comprises a content server that provides content, such as multimedia programming, to the mobile communications network via content delivery server 110. Content provider 120 and server 110 communicate via a packet data network such as the Internet. Typically, although not necessarily, content provider 120 is operated by a third party, independent of the mobile communications network operator.

Operation of communication system 100, in accordance with the present invention, occurs substantially as follows. Processor 209 of content delivery server 110 sends, to UE 101 via network interface 211 , service announcement information that is associated with a content delivery session of content provider 120. In a first embodiment of the present invention, this service announcement information includes a service identifier that comprises 6 CE11619N Chen et al. an address for the content delivery session and a flag that indicates user information is requested by the content provider.

In the first embodiment, this user information is needed for content provider authentication. Here, the target of the content provider authentication is the end user (EU) of UE 101 , not UE 101 itself. However, in practice it may actually be the UE supplying the authentication information (as described below). Thus, the present disclosure intends references to authentication to encompass this somewhat contradictory situation. In alternative embodiments, the user information may be used by the content provider for purposes other than authentication such as billing, accounting, or user monitoring / profiling. Thus, the user information may include a variety of identifiers such as a login ID, a password, a UE identifier (such as an associated address or phone number), a user identifier (such as a name or a Social Security Number), user smart card information (such as a challenge / response number for a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or proximity card), and/or user biometric information (such as a photo, a voice sample, a retina scan, a finger print, or a palm print).

UE processor 201 receives the service announcement information via wireless transceiver 202 and provides the information about the content delivery session to the UE user. Processor 201 detects a service activation request for the session when the user selects the session for activation (by using display 203 and keypad 204, e.g.). In response, processor 201 obtains the user information indicated by the service announcement information. In the first embodiment, the service identifier flag simply indicates to the UE, by default, that a user password is requested by the content provider. In alternative embodiments, however, the service announcement information may indicate more explicitly what user information is requested.

To obtain the user information, processor 201 may access its own memory for stored user information or obtain information using camera 205, microphone 206, and/or keypad 204. For example, processor 201 may obtain a password from its user via keypad 204 by prompting the user via display 203. Alternatively, processor 201 may obtain a photo of its user via camera 205 or a voice sample of its user via microphone 206. 7 CE11619N Chen et al.

UE processor 201 then sends a request to activate the content delivery session along with the obtained user information to content delivery server 110 via the wireless transceiver 202. Processor 209 of content delivery server 110 receives, via network interface 211 , the request from UE 101 to activate the session and the user information. While the request to activate a session may encompass starting a session, in the first embodiment, the request to activate is a request to subscribe to particular content or to join a particular multicast group. This content will then be received later when the content delivery session (or multicast session, e.g.) begins. Accordingly, the UE activation request may take the form of an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join message or, alternatively, a Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) join message.

In the first embodiment, processor 209 stores user information, in addition to that received from UE 101 with the request, that is also associated with UE 101 and used by the content provider. For example, processor 209 stores a content provider login ID for UE 101. This allows UE 101 to only prompt its user for a password. Thus, when the activation request from UE 101 is received with the password, processor 209 can send both the associated login ID and password with a session activation request to content provider 120. In alternative embodiments, the content delivery server may store other user information likely to be needed by the content provider. This other user information may be sent with the session activation request or in response to a request for additional user information received from the content provider.

In response to the session activation request, processor 209, via network interface 211 , receives an indication from content provider 120 of whether to activate the content delivery session. In the first embodiment, this indication is an indication of either successful or failed authentication. When content provider 120 indicates activation for UE 101 , processor 209 proceeds to activate the content delivery session for the UE. Specifically, in the first embodiment, activation involves subscribing UE 101 to the content delivery session by adding UE 101 to a multicast group associated with the session. Instead, when content provider 120 indicates activation denied for UE 101 , 8 CE11619N Chen et al. processor 209 denies the request to activate the content delivery session for UE 101.

FIG. 3 is a logic flow diagram of functionality performed by a content delivery server in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention. Logic flow 300 begins when the content delivery server sends (302) service announcement information associated with a content provider session to UE, indicating that user information is requested by the content provider for this session. The content delivery server later receives (304) a UE request to activate the session along with the requested user information such as authentication information. The content delivery server then sends (306) a session activation request for the UE for the session that includes the user information from the UE and any additional stored user information that is needed by the content provider.

When (308) the content provider indicates activation approval such as a successful authentication for the UE for the content delivery session, the content delivery server proceeds to subscribe (312) the UE to the session. Otherwise, the content delivery server denies (310) the UE session activation request, and logic flow 300 ends.

FIG. 4 is a logic flow diagram of functionality performed by user equipment (UE) in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention. Logic flow 400 begins when the UE receives (402), from a content delivery server, service announcement information for a content provider session. When (404) a service activation request from the user is detected for the content delivery session and when (406) the service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider, the UE obtains (408) the requested information by, for example, prompting its user for information, such as a password, and sends (410) the obtained user information with a request to activate the content delivery session. When the service announcement information does not indicate that user information is requested, the UE does not need to obtain any user information but merely send the activation request. Logic flow 400 thus ends.

In the foregoing specification, the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary 9 CE11619N Chen et al. skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity, and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve an understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause or result in such benefits, advantages, or solutions, or cause such benefits, advantages, or solutions to become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof is intended to refer to a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements in the list, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus.

The terms a or an, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term coupled, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.

What is claimed is:

Claims

10 CE11619N Chen et al.Claims

1. A method for providing user information to a content provider comprising: sending, by a content delivery server to user equipment (UE), service announcement information that is associated with a content delivery session of the content provider, wherein the service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider; receiving, by the content delivery server from the UE, a request to activate the content delivery session and user information as indicated by the service announcement information; sending, by the content delivery server to the content provider, the user information received from the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service announcement information comprises a service identifier for the content delivery session.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service identifier comprises an address for the content delivery session and a flag that indicates user information is requested by the content provider.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user information comprises identifying information from the group consisting of a login ID, a password, a UE identifier, a user identifier, smart card information, and user biometric information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user biometric information comprises biometric information from the group consisting of a photo, a voice sample, a retina scan, a finger print, and a palm print. 11 CE11619N Chen et al.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the content delivery server as associated with the UE, additional user information that is used by the content provider; sending, by the content delivery server to the content provider in addition to the user information received from the UE, the additional user information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional user information is sent with the user information received from the UE.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving, by the content delivery server from the content provider, a request for additional user information, wherein the additional user information is sent in response to the request from the content provider.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content delivery server comprises a mobile communications network content delivery server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile communications network content delivery server comprises a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile communications network content delivery server comprises a broadcast-multicast service center (BM- SC).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content delivery server comprises a content translation server.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content delivery session comprises a multicast session. 12 CE11619N Chen et al.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to activate the content delivery session comprises a request to receive particular content from the content provider.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to activate the content delivery session comprises a request to subscribe to particular content from the content provider.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to activate the content delivery session comprises a request to join a multicast group for the content delivery session.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request to join comprises a request from the group consisting of an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) join message and a Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) join message.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the content delivery server from the content provider, an indication of whether to activate the content delivery session.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication of whether to activate the content delivery session comprises an indication of either successful or failed authentication.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: when the content provider indicates activation for the UE for the content delivery session, activating, by the content delivery server, the content delivery session for the UE.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the content delivery session for the UE comprises subscribing the UE to the content delivery session. 13 CE11619N Chen et al.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the content delivery session for the UE comprises adding the UE to a multicast group for the content delivery session.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising denying, by the content delivery server, the request from the UE to activate the content delivery session, when the content provider indicates activation denied for the UE for the content delivery session.

14 CE11619N Chen et al.

24. A method for providing user information to a content provider comprising: receiving, from a content delivery server, service announcement information that is associated with a content delivery session of the content provider, wherein the service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider; when a service activation request is detected for the content delivery session, obtaining user information as indicated by the service announcement information received; sending, to the content delivery server, a request to activate the content delivery session and the user information obtained.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein obtaining user information comprises prompting a user for user information as indicated by the service announcement information received.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein obtaining user information comprises capturing biometric information from the user.

15 CE11619N Chen et al.

27. A content delivery server comprising: a network interface adapted to send and receive messaging using at least one communication protocol; a processor, communicatively coupled to the network interface, adapted to send, to user equipment (UE) via the network interface, service announcement information that is associated with a content delivery session of a content provider, wherein the service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider, adapted to receive, from the UE via the network interface, a request to activate the content delivery session and user information as indicated by the service announcement information, adapted to send, to the content provider via the network interface, the user information received from the UE.

28. The content delivery server of claim 27, wherein the processor is further adapted to store, as associated with the UE, additional user information that is used by the content provider, adapted to send to the content provider, in addition to the user information received from the UE, the additional user information via the network interface.

29. The content delivery server of claim 27, wherein the processor is further adapted to receive, from the content provider via the network interface, an indication of whether to activate the content delivery session.

30. The content delivery server of claim 29, wherein the processor is further adapted to activate the content delivery session for the UE when the content provider indicates activation for the UE for the content delivery session. 16 CE11619N Chen et al.

31. User equipment (UE) comprising: a wireless transceiver adapted to send and receive messaging using at least one wireless communication protocol; a processor, communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver, adapted to receive, from a content delivery server via the wireless transceiver, service announcement information that is associated with a content delivery session of a content provider, wherein the service announcement information indicates that user information is requested by the content provider; adapted to obtain user information as indicated by the service announcement information received, when a service activation request is detected for the content delivery session; adapted to send, to the content delivery server via the wireless transceiver, a request to activate the content delivery session and the user information obtained.

32. The UE of claim 31 , further comprising: a display coupled to the processor, wherein the processor, in order to obtain the user information, is further adapted to prompt a user, using the display, for user information as indicated by the service announcement information.

33. The UE of claim 31 , further comprising: a keypad coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further adapted to obtain user information via the keypad.

34. The UE of claim 31 , further comprising: a camera coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further adapted to obtain user information via the camera.

35. The UE of claim 31 , further comprising: a microphone coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further adapted to obtain user information via the microphone.