HK1115261B - Internet session initiation on personal cellular telecommunications devices, and customization protocol therefor - Google Patents

Description

Initiation of an internet session on a personal cellular telecommunications device and a customization protocol therefor

This application is a divisional application of a patent application entitled "initiation of an internet session on a personal cellular telecommunications device and its customized protocol" filed as 2002, 19/2, application No. 02805450.4.

Technical Field

The present invention generally pertains to the field of mobile cellular telecommunications, and more particularly to initiation of internet sessions and their customized protocols on personal cellular telecommunications devices.

Background

In the applicant's WO 01/52558 a2 entitled "Method for Operating Cellular Telecommunications networks, and Method for Operating personal Cellular Telecommunications devices" and WO 01/52572 a1 entitled "Method for Operating Cellular Telecommunications networks" application documents, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, the documents show and describe a screen saver application for displaying display messages on a personal Cellular Telecommunications Device in a screen saver-like manner (i.e. displaying temporary interruptions during voice calls, internet sessions, etc.). The display message is preferably a so-called "interactive display message" in the sense that the user can automatically activate the point-to-point (PTP) transmission response mechanism from a dedicated response means provided in its entirety in the display message. The interactive display message is preferably transmitted in point-to-multipoint (PTMP) rather than PTP transmission capabilities due to bandwidth limitations, server limitations, etc. It is expected that certain typical high value content, such as financial news, traffic news, etc., will be transmitted to selected users with PTP transmission capabilities.

With the advent of internet-enabled personal cellular telecommunications devices (hereinafter "internet-enabled devices"), typical interactive display messages include, among other things, internet session options. However, the installation library of personal cellular telecommunications devices includes both non-internet enabled devices and internet enabled devices, both devices having different internet browser launching capabilities for establishing internet sessions. Furthermore, many personal cellular telecommunications devices cannot be queried directly by a client application, such as applicant's screen saver application, to determine their internet browser launch capability, thereby preventing the provision of a generic support client application in the installation library of the personal cellular telecommunications device. Furthermore, the matter becomes more complicated as in some personal cellular telecommunications devices the client application is run on a replaceable smart card located in the Mobile Equipment (ME). Thus, implementing a client application, such as applicant's screen saver application, on an installed library of personal cellular telecommunications devices requires a significant problem to be solved, even more so when interactive display messages are transmitted with PTMP transmission capabilities.

The application documents EP 0685972 entitled "Mobile Communication System and method" and WO 99/41931 entitled "server request for Customizing Service to Requesting Mobile station" both show and describe a coordination procedure for coordinating coordination services provided by a Mobile cellular telecommunication network operator for a personal cellular Communication device corresponding to a feature set supported by the personal cellular telecommunication device. In EP 0685972, the network initiates a handshake with the personal cellular telecommunication device, whereby the personal cellular telecommunication device initiates the features of its feature set if supported by the network. In WO 99/41931, the personal telecommunication device initiates a request for a service comprising identification information, the resulting service to the personal cellular telecommunication device being adapted to the set of characteristics determined by its identification information.

Disclosure of Invention

For the purposes of the present invention, personal cellular telecommunications devices are classified by their internet browser launching capabilities into the following seven categories:

class 0 internet-enabled devices are not actually internet-enabled.

Class 1 internet-enabled devices require time-consuming and cumbersome entry of a web page's text (uniform resource locator) URL into an internet browser's address field before the browser can be launched to the web page.

Class 2 internet-enabled devices support over-the-air (OTA) internet browser settings stored as bookmarks, whereby under configuration of a new bookmark, a user can launch his internet browser to a web page designated in the new bookmark and stored as an internet browser default home page or a standard bookmark.

Class 3 internet-enabled devices support a so-called push capability whereby, upon receiving a data message with a text URL of a web page embedded therein, a user can launch his internet browser from the data message to the web page.

Class 4 internet-enabled devices support a more aggressive push capability than class 3 internet-enabled devices, such that upon receiving a data message with a text URL of a web page embedded therein, an internet browser automatically launches to the web page.

Up to now, class 3, 4 internet-enabled devices are only WAP-enabled (WAP-enabled), but it is desirable to provide the same push capability in other technologies. In the case of class 3 WAP-enabled devices, the data message is referred to as a Service Indication (SI) message, and in the case of class 4 WAP-enabled devices, the data message is referred to as a Service Loading (SL) message.

Class 5 internet-enabled devices support so-called URL recognition capabilities, such as implemented in Ericsson's R320 phone, whereby upon receiving an SMS to a web page text URL display, a user activates the text URL to launch their internet browser to the web page.

Class 6 internet-enabled devices support the automatic launching of an internet browser by an application into a web page through a standard Application Program Interface (API). In particular, by the name "3^rdGeneration Partnership Project (third Generation Partnership Project); technical Specification Group terminologies (technical Specification Group Terminals); support of SAT (subscriber identity application development kit) pre-application (pro-active) browser launch commands standardized by 3GPP Technical Standard (TS)31.111 of USIM application toolkit (USAT) "provides a typical internet session enabled class 6 internet enabled device. The ME support for SAT proactive launch browser commands is indicated in the information field of the so-called terminal profile downloaded from the host ME to the smart card in the profile download program also standardized in the TS above.

In general, the present invention is directed to a customized customer application capable of operating on all seven classes of internet-enabled personal cellular telecommunications devices. The internet browser launching capabilities of these personal cellular telecommunications devices are not internet enabled from class 0 to class 6 internet browser auto-launches. The client application minimizes user intervention to initiate an internet session from the internet session option of the interactive display message, which is preferably removed from the menu of PTP transmission response mechanism options of the interactive display message for class 0 internet-enabled devices. The interactive display message preferably includes the entire text URL of the target web page destination to facilitate efficient internet browser launching. However, in the case of a particularly long URL, e.g. http:// www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/wishlist/ref nwl _ shopping/103-. Com, or automatically reroutes an internet browser to the true target web page destination.

Customization is preferably achieved by a customization protocol adapted to provide details regarding the broad features of the internet-enabled device feature set, rather than its internet browser launching capabilities such as screen size. The custom protocol is implemented by necessarily providing all MEs with a unique vendor assigned identification number, e.g., the 15 digit International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) number of a GSM/DCS/PCS personal cellular telecommunications device. The identification number of an ME may be employed to query a device technical specification register (ETSR), typically categorized in terms of ME configuration type in terms of versions of hardware and software suitable for a collection of at least two, typically tens of thousands, and even more, MEs. Furthermore, the ME configuration type is preferably not vendor specific but can be doubled across two or more ME vendor's sample lines, whereby two or more ME samples of different ME vendors may have the same ME configuration type.

In this way, a customisation protocol may be employed to supplement existing terminal profiles, as standardised by the aforementioned standard, and also to obtain information about the host ME that is already included in the terminal profile but is known to be incorrect. Because newer MEs typically download more complex terminal profiles than older MEs, the same client application may need to request more information about the feature set of the older ME than the newer ME. Typically, a client application requests information about its host ME only once, whether its host ME is powered off or on.

Looking into the future, it is expected that each ME will be provided by its supplier with an industry-recognized ME configuration type number to specify its configuration type, thereby eliminating the need for an intermediate step prior to querying the ETSR. Likewise, it is expected that over time each personal cellular telecommunications device will be provided with a field of information indicating the classification of its internet browser launching capability.

Personal cellular telecommunications devices can include a wide range of mobile hand-held devices including, inter alia, simple phones, smart phones, communicators, Wireless Information Devices (WIDs), etc., including, for example, dual technology devices including GSM transceivers and bluetooth transceivers. Client applications may be developed in different industry-wide and proprietary development environments and may run on different operating systems (O/S), including Microsoft CE, Symbian EROC, Palm O/S, among others. Also, the present invention is applicable to all internet-based mobile technologies including HTML, Compact HTML, WAP, etc., among others.

Drawings

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are numbered alike, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a GSM mobile cellular telecommunications network for supporting a custom client application for initiating a WAP session from an interactive display message displayed on a WAP-enabled device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of an ME configuration type conversion register (MECTCR) for identifying the ME configuration type of a WAP-enabled device as part of the IMEI number of an ME;

FIG. 3 shows a record of a device technical Specification register (ETSR) that specifies technical information about a particular ME configuration type;

FIG. 4 shows a record of an Equipment Identity Register (EIR) listing the IMEI number and its corresponding IMSI number;

FIG. 5 shows a record of an interactive display message for display on a WAP-enabled device;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a customization protocol for customizing a customizable customer application;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of WAP session initiation on each of seven classes of WAP-enabled devices;

figures 8A-8J are schematic diagrams of display screens displayed on different classes of WAP-enabled devices.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a GSM cellular telecommunications network 1 for enabling a WAP session to be initiated from a WAP-enabled device 2 in general, and from a WAP session option-specific response facility of interactive display messages displayed thereon in particular. The WAP-enabled device 2 has an MS-ISDN mobile telephone associated with it and comprises a host Mobile Equipment (ME)3, a resident Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card 4 capable of running a SIM toolkit application (constituting a client application). The host ME3 has its own unique vendor allocated 15 digit International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) number 6, e.g., 490548400308362, which includes the following four fields: six-digit type number approval code (TAC), two-digit Final Assembly Code (FAC), six-digit telephone number, and one-digit additional number. The SIM card 4 has a 15 digit International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number 7, e.g. 425010100437187, assigned by the cellular operator. The WAP-enabled device 2 has a WAP browser with a default WAP home page and/or one or more bookmarked WAP pages (either the default WAP home page or the bookmarked WAP pages both constituting predefined web page destinations). The WAP-enabled device 2 may also have a cache memory for storing the first received content of each of the one or more URLs, i.e. its home page, etc. The cache responds to one or more commands that may be embedded in the content, e.g., do not cache the content, delete the content immediately, etc.

To customize the customizable client application, the network 1 includes two registers: first, an ME configuration type conversion register (MECTCR)8 for judging an ME configuration type of a specific host ME from the FAC and phone number of the specific host ME (see fig. 2). Second, an Equipment Technical Specification Register (ETSR)9, which is classified by ME configuration type number and covers various past and now available ME configuration types (see fig. 3). ETSR9 includes various forms of technical information, including, inter alia, yes/no information fields regarding particular features such as the browser launch capability of the host ME; numerical values for other characteristics such as screen size; text, etc. For illustration, fig. 4 shows ME configuration type 10 as a class 4 WAP-enabled device (feature 1) with a screen size of 30 × 40 (feature 16). Alternatively, the customisation protocol may employ an existing Equipment Identity Register (EIR)11 which lists all MEs in the installed base of the personal cellular telecommunications device with their IMEI number and their corresponding SIM card with their IMSI number for monitoring, for example, to disable service to pirate equipment (see fig. 4).

To enable WAP browser launching from interactive display messages with WAP session option specific response facilities, the network 1 comprises an application server 12 containing a database for storing interactive display message records (see fig. 5), a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC)13, a WAP gateway 14 comprising an internet cloud for implementing a current server page (ASP) site 15 for WAP walkaround (walkaround) for class 1 WAP-enabled devices 2, and a WAP push gateway 16 for class 3, 4 WAP-driven devices 2. The network 1 comprises a dynamic database 17 for listing the text URLs of the users who have activated the WAP session option specific response facility and their target web page destinations for the WAP browser. The WAP gateway 14 includes the same dynamic buffer 18 as the dynamic database 17, but it is used to list the text URLs of all users who are currently engaged in a current WAP session and their WAP browser actual web page destinations. Each user engaged in a WAP session is typically listed by their MS-ISDN, but other identification numbers associated with the user's WAP-enabled device 2 may be used.

Fig. 5 shows that each record of the interactive display field includes the following fields: first, a message identification field, labeled MSGID, is used to uniquely identify the interactive display message. Second, a message type field, denoted MSGTYPE, is used to specify point-to-multipoint (PTMP) type messages or point-to-point (PTP) type messages. In case the interactive display message is of PTP type, its record also comprises a field (not shown) containing details of the user to whom the interactive display message is to be transmitted. Third, a CONTENT field comprising CONTENT to be displayed on the WAP-enabled device. Finally, the RESPONSE OPTIONS field lists PTP transport RESPONSE mechanism OPTIONS for interactive display messages, including text URLs for destination of target WAP pages, and may also include voice calls, SMS, etc.

The operation of the GSM mobile cellular telecommunications network is now described in terms of each of the seven WAP-enabled devices for interactive display messages (see fig. 8A) that provide a WAP session option to read the entire episode of a new movie by Spielberg on the WAP page http:// www.newspielbergfilm.com (see fig. 8B). Download the program according to its primary profile, for example, under the name "Digital cellular telecommunications system; ETSI GSM 11.14, the above-mentioned 3GPP TS31.111, etc., of the Specification of the SIM Application toolkit for the Subscriber identity Module-Module Equipment (SIM-ME) interface, the terminal profile being downloaded from the host ME3 to the SIM card 4. When the WAP-enabled device 2 is a WAP-enabled device of class 6, the SIM card 4 is also downloaded accordingly so that the ME3 supports the pre-emptive launch browser command standardized by the above-mentioned 3GPP TS 31.111. When the WAP-enabled device 2 is not a class 6 WAP-enabled device, then a custom protocol is initiated to determine its WAP browser launch capability if the device has WAP browser launch capability.

In order to determine the MAP browser launching capability of the host ME and its screen size, the client application running on the SIM card 4 downloads its host ME's IMEI number 490548400308362 directly therefrom and starts stripping its TAC prefix and its additional number prefixes, leaving only ME configuration type distinguishing information 40030836 which is sufficient to uniquely identify its host ME's configuration type. The client application uploads a query to ETSR9, the query including the number 40030836 and additional fields specifying features (1) and (16). ETSR9 transmits the number 40030836 to MECTCR8, which returns the master ME as belonging to ME configuration type 10 to ETSR 9. ETSR9 determines that the host ME is a class 4 WAP-enabled device and that the screen size is 30 x 40 and returns the values 4 and 30 x 40 to the client application for customization thereof. Alternatively, the IMEI number 490548400308362 corresponding to the IMSI number 425010100437187 can be known from EIR 11.

Class 0 WAP-enabled devices:

when a WAP-enabled device of class 0 receives the interactive display message, the WAP full episode option is removed from the menu of PTP transmission response mechanism options, leaving only the first and last options (see fig. 8C). Alternatively, if the WAP full story option is not deleted, a message that the WAP service cannot be provided is displayed when the user activates the WAP full story option (see fig. 8D).

Class 1 WAP-enabled devices:

when the user activates the WAP full episode option of the interactive display message on the class 1 WAP-enabled device, the device sends an SMS to the application server 12 which updates the text URL for the user's dynamic database 17 and WAP full episode. At the same time, the user is prompted to manually launch his WAP browser to the ASP site 15 which is preferably stored as a bookmark, e.g. the redirect flag orange redirect (see fig. 8E). Alternatively, the ASP site's URL may be stored as the WAP browser's default WAP home page, but more importantly it does not have a cache memory associated with it so that its WAP browser is actually launched to the ASP site 15 on each launch rather than just retrieving the content from the cache memory. At the same time, the application server 12 prepares the ASP site 15 to load content to the user's WAP browser, including hypertext links to the WAP full story and appropriate commands to ensure that the content is not permanently stored in the cache of its devices. The user navigates to the main menu (see fig. 8F) and then launches his WAP browser to the ASP site 15. When loading content from the ASP site 15, its WAP browser automatically invokes the hypertext link for its redirection to the WAP full story, thereby providing a so-called WAP walk around, while at the same time its WAP-enabled device 2 informs the user that the WAP full story is being loaded (see fig. 8G). When a user launches their WAP browser to the ASP site 15 after a predetermined pause time T to activate the WAP full story option, their MAP browser is typically redirected to a default WAP page selected by their cellular carrier or service provider, e.g., their cellular carrier's home page, news portal, etc.

Alternatively, WAP walkaround is implemented without utilizing an ASP site 15 by directly interfacing the application server 12 with the WAP gateway 14 to replace the text URL of the predefined WAP page destination of the user's WAP browser with the text URL of the WAP full story at the WAP gateway itself 14 to divert its WAP browser from the predefined WAP page destination to the WAP full story. In the former WAP walk, where the user launches their WAP browser after a predetermined pause time, the WAP browser is launched to its default WAP home page destination as if the user had never activated the WAP full story option from the interactive display message.

Class 2 WAP-enabled devices:

when a user activates the WAP full episode option of an interactive display message on a class 2 WAP-enabled device, the device sends itself an OTA bookmark setup message with embedded therein a target WAP page destination for inclusion in the WAP browser as a bookmark. After receiving the bookmark set message (see fig. 8H) and activating the bookmark, its WAP browser starts up to the WAP full story. Alternatively, class 2 WAP-enabled devices can send an SMS to the application server 12 to invoke an OTA bookmark setup message.

Class 3 WAP-enabled devices:

when a user activates the WAP full story option of an interactive display message on a class 3 WAP-enabled device, the device sends itself a Service Indication (SI) data message with a target WAP page destination embedded therein. Upon receipt of the SI message, the message is displayed (see fig. 8I), and when the retrieval option is activated, its WAP browser starts up to the WAP full story. Alternatively, class 3 WAP-enabled devices can send an SMS to the application server 12 to invoke the SI message from the WAP push gateway 16.

Class 4 WAP-enabled devices:

when a user activates the WAP full story option for interactive display messages on a class 4 WAP-enabled device, the device sends itself a Service Loading (SL) data message with a target WAP page destination embedded therein, whereupon, upon receipt of the message, its WAP browser automatically launches to the WAP full story. Alternatively, class 4 WAP-enabled devices can send an SMS to the application server 12 to invoke the SL message from the WAP push gateway 16.

Class 5 WAP-enabled devices:

when a user activates the WAP full story option of an interactive display message on a class 5 WAP-enabled device, the device sends itself an SMS for displaying the text URL of the target WAP page destination. Upon receiving the SMS, the text URL is typically displayed along with an indication to the user (see fig. 8J), and after the user activates the text URL, his WAP browser launches to the WAP full story.

Class 6 WAP-enabled devices:

when a user activates the WAP full story option for interactive display messages on a category 6 WAP-enabled device, his WAP browser automatically launches to the WAP full story.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention can be made within the scope of the appended claims. For example, as is apparent from the above, while class 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 internet-enabled devices differ in their internet browser launching capabilities, they are similar on the user side in terms of their transmission of the internet browser launching required output data messages. Thus, rather than providing a customized client application that can run on all seven classes of internet-enabled devices, three versions of the client application are provided as follows: one version for class 0 internet-enabled devices, one version for class 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 internet-enabled devices, and one version for class 6 internet-enabled devices. The outgoing data message then includes an information field that uniquely identifies the user's internet-enabled device so that upon receipt of the data message from the device, the network can determine its classification and generate a suitable data message for a type 1 bypass of the internet-enabled device, or for types 2, 3, 4 and 5 internet-enabled devices.

Claims (15)

1. A customisation method for application to a mobile cellular telecommunications network, the network comprising:

a) a plurality of personal cellular telecommunications devices each including an ME having a unique vendor assigned mobile equipment ME identification number, supporting a feature set and hosting a client application, and b) a device technical specification register ETSR for storing technical information relating to the feature set of the ME, said customisation method including the steps of:

a) uploading a query from a ME-hosted client application to the ETSR, the query uniquely identifying the host ME and relating to at least one technical feature of its feature set; and

b) the response to the query is downloaded from the ETSR to the client application, which is then customized to the feature set of its host ME.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ETSR stores technical information about ME feature groups by ME configuration type, wherein each ME configuration type is applicable to a group of at least two MEs, the client application uploading a query including information enabling the ME configuration type of its host ME to be distinguished.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the ME configuration type distinguishing information uploaded to the ETSR from the client application is part of a vendor allocated ME identification number unique to its host ME.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the ME configuration type distinguishing information uploaded from the client application to the ETSR is a vendor allocated ME configuration type number.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein a client application requests information about the feature set of its host ME only once, whether its host ME is powered down or powered up.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the query determines the Internet browser launch capability of the host ME for customising the client application for processing the interactive display message with Internet session options.

7. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the query determines a screen size of the host ME for customizing the client application controlling the display of the display message on the host ME.

8. A method for use by a device technical specification register ETSR storing technical information about one or more mobile equipment ME feature groups of a plurality of personal cellular telecommunications devices of a mobile cellular telecommunications network, the method for execution on a personal cellular telecommunications device including a mobile equipment ME having a unique vendor allocated ME identification number, the method comprising the steps of:

a) uploading a query from a ME-hosted client application to the ETSR, the query uniquely identifying the host ME and being related to at least one technical feature of its feature set; and

b) a response to the query is received from the ETSR, whereupon the client application is customized with respect to its host ME's feature set.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the ETSR stores technical information about feature groups of MEs in ME configuration types, wherein each ME configuration type applies to a group of at least two MEs, the user application uploading a query including information to differentiate ME configuration types of its host ME.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ME configuration type distinguishing information uploaded to the ETSR from the client application is part of a vendor allocated ME identification number unique to its host ME.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the ME configuration type distinguishing information uploaded from the client application to the ETSR is a vendor assigned ME configuration type number.

12. A method according to any of claims 8 to 11 wherein the client application requests information about the host ME only once, whether its host ME is powered down or powered up.

13. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the query determines the internet browser launch capability of the host ME for customising the client application for processing the interactive display message with internet session options.

14. A method according to any of claims 8 to 11 wherein the query determines the screen size of the host ME for customising the client application controlling the display of the display messages on the host ME.

15. An apparatus for use with a device technical specification register ETSR storing technical information regarding one or more mobile equipment, ME, feature sets of a plurality of personal cellular telecommunications devices of a mobile cellular telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

a) means for uploading a query from a ME-hosted client application to the ETSR, the query uniquely identifying the host ME and being related to at least one technical feature of its feature set; and

b) means for receiving a response to the query from the ETSR, whereupon the client application is customized with respect to the feature set of its host ME.