Patent ID: 8848690
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04Q,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of minimizing a number of messages sent over a radio interface between a wireless communication network and first and second mobile User Equipments (UEs) by automatically discovering a shared multimedia (SMM) service capability of the two UEs, wherein the wireless communication network includes a circuit-switched network supporting voice calls and a packet-switched network supporting multimedia services, the method comprising the steps of: storing in the packet-switched network, the SMM service capabilities of the first and second UEs when each UE powers on; setting up a voice call from the first UE to the second UE in the circuit-switched network; automatically sending from the circuit-switched network to the packet-switched network, a request for the SMM service capabilities of the first and second UEs upon detecting a triggering event; retrieving by the packet-switched network, the stored SMM service capabilities of the first and second UEs; determining whether the first and second UEs have matching SMM service capabilities; when the first and second UEs have no matching SMM service capabilities, taking no further action; and when the first and second UEs have matching SMM service capabilities, sending an SMM-Notification message from the packet-switched network to the first and second UEs indicating that the first and second UEs have matching SMM service capabilities, wherein the SMM-Notification message includes an SMM-Image feature tag understood by the first and second UEs and causing the UEs to display a notification enabling each user to send the notification to the other user to initiate an identified SMM service; wherein the first and second UEs learn of matching SMM service capabilities without having to send a request for SMM service capabilities over the radio interface.