Abstract:
There is provided a method for delivering messages. The method comprises receiving a message for transmission to at least one mobile device. The method also comprises verifying a streaming connection status of the mobile device. The method further comprises delivering the message if said mobile device does not have an active streaming connection.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application relates to a method for delivering messages, a message delivery platform, a network node, and a computer-readable medium. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The 3GPP Packet Streaming Service (PSS) is defined in 3GPP TS 22.233 v8.0.0, titled Transparent end-to-end packet-switched streaming service, stage 1, and is incorporated herein by reference. PSS provides the ability to stream multimedia content including audio and video to mobile devices. PSS normally takes time ranging from several minutes to hours to stream a particular piece of content to the mobile device, dependent upon the nature of the content. Examples of such content are: news items, trailers, television programs, sports games, music videos and movies. It is common for a mobile device that can stream content to also provide other services including telecommunication services like voice call, short message service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS). 
         [0003]    Mobile advertising makes use of SMS or MMS as a means of pushing information concerning products and services to user groups of interest. However, an advertising message delivered to a mobile device would be considered intrusive or disruptive if delivered while a user was using the mobile device for some other purpose. Further, an advertising message is more likely to be ignored by the user if it is delivered in the background while a user is using the mobile device for another activity such as receiving streamed content. 
         [0004]    To overcome these problems with receiving advertising messages, a user could deactivate any notifications of incoming communications, but this would have the possibly undesirable affect of preventing the user from receiving all communications, including user-to-user communications not just the advertising messages. 
         [0005]    Thus, there is required a system for managing delivery of advertising messages. 
         [0006]    SMS is described in numerous 3GPP technical specifications: 
         [0007]    23.040 v9.1.0, titled “Technical Realization of SMS”; 
         [0008]    23.233 v8.0.0, titled “Transparent end-to-end packet-switched streaming service, stage 1”; and 
         [0009]    29.199 v9.0.0, (referred to herein as the 29.199 specification) describes SMS OSA (Open Services Architecture) APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), multimedia streaming OSA APIs, and MMS; 
         [0010]    all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    There is provided a method for delivering messages. The method comprises receiving a message for transmission to at least one mobile device. The method also comprises verifying a streaming connection status of the mobile device. The method further comprises delivering the message if said mobile device does not have an active streaming connection. 
         [0012]    There is no widely accepted procedure regarding how to deal with the inter-operation between SMS and PSS. When an SMS is to be delivered to a terminal but that terminal is engaged in streaming playback, possible approaches in the network include: 
         [0013]    1) pause the streaming, deliver the SMS and then resume the streaming and continue the playback; 
         [0014]    2) tear down the streaming, deliver the SMS and then setup the streaming again and restart the playback; or 
         [0015]    3) tear down the streaming, deliver the SMS but then do not restart the playback. 
         [0016]    An alternative approach which may be implemented in the terminal is to keep the streaming session ongoing and implement a short message buffering mechanism in the terminal software. This would allow a user to pre-select how the terminal handles an incoming SMS/MMS when viewing a PSS: dismiss it or read it at once. However this solution is a better fit for user-to-user short messages. For a platform initiated advertising message, dismissing it will mean that it likely goes unread, or is delivered when the user has moved to a different location and the message is no longer relevant. A better solution, which is disclosed herein, is for the mobile advertising platform to probe the device status and intelligently determine to deliver the mobile advertising message after the PSS session is finished. 
         [0017]    This has a further advantage that when the PSS session finishes the mobile advertising platform may review whether the advertising message is still relevant to the mobile device before initiating delivery of the message. This is particularly relevant if the advertising message was location based as the mobile device may have changed location during the course of the PSS session. 
         [0018]    There is further provided a message delivery platform. The message delivery platform is arranged to receive a message for transmission to at least one mobile device. The message delivery platform is also arranged to verify a streaming connection status of the mobile device. The message delivery platform is arranged to deliver the message if said mobile device does not have an active streaming connection. 
         [0019]    There is further provided a network node arranged to receive a subscription request from a message delivery platform, said subscription request identifying at least one mobile device. The network node is further arranged to send a streaming session status message to the message delivery platform when the status of a streaming connection to the at least one mobile device changes. 
         [0020]    There is further still provided a computer-readable medium, carrying instructions, which, when executed by computer logic, causes said computer logic to carry out any of the methods disclosed herein. 
         [0021]    The method and apparatus disclosed herein allow for the verification of a mobile device&#39;s content streaming status before a message is delivered to the mobile device. This allows the message to be delivered at a more optimal time. This benefits the user of the mobile device because their streaming session is not interrupted by advertising messages, yet the user can still receive messages from other users. This also benefits the advertiser in that there is an increased likelihood that the advertising message will be given proper consideration by the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    A method and apparatus for improved message delivery management will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a network architecture incorporating a mobile advertising platform; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a subscription process for the mobile advertising platform; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates the messages passing between certain elements of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    The method and apparatus disclosed herein implements a probing capability in a mobile advertising platform which subscribes to a terminal status update service in respect of the mobile devices streaming connection status. Only when the device is not serving a PSS can the mobile advertising platform deliver the SMS/MMS based advertisement. 
         [0028]    Use is made of various Parlay X Web Services interfaces to be aware of multimedia streaming status, and deliver SMS/MMS ads accordingly. Part 19 of the 29.199 specification defines multimedia streaming control web services interfaces, including notification management which is of relevance here. Sections 4 and 5 of the 29.199 specification define SMS/MMS delivery interfaces employed by Mobile advertising platforms. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  illustrates a network architecture incorporating a mobile advertising platform. An operator  100  runs a network  110  which includes at least one base station  115  for communicating with at least one mobile device  120 . The operator  100  includes a PSS enabler  102  and an SMS enabler  104 . The operator  100  may also include an MMS Enabler (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) which functions to deliver MMS in much the same way that SMS enabler  104  delivers SMS. The PSS enabler  102  manages the delivery of streamable content from servers  131  and  132 . Streamable content may be delivered from a remote server  132  over the internet  140  or from a local server  132  via local routing equipment  150 . A transcoder  160  transcodes the streamable content for the mobile device  120  prior to delivery of the streamable content over the network  110 . A mobile advertising platform  170  is arranged to interface with the operator  100  via a Parlay X web service interface, PX API  180 . It should be noted that any appropriate API (application programming interface) may be used instead of Parlay X, such as OneAPI. 
         [0030]    In operation, streamable content may be delivered to the mobile device  120  the streaming controlled by the PSS enabler  102 . Before the mobile advertising platform  170  attempts to deliver an advertising message to a particular mobile terminal  120 , it queries the PSS connection status of the mobile terminal  120  via a multimedia streaming notification manager, which is one part of the PX API&#39;s  180 . The operation of the architecture shown in  FIG. 1  will be described in more detail with reference to the further figures. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows a subscription process for the mobile advertising platform to obtain PSS connection status information from the operator  100  via the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . The mobile advertising platform  170  subscribes to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . Once the subscription is in place, the mobile advertising platform  170  receives, via the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 , notification of any successful PSS initiation, establishment and termination. The subscription process may be initiated during initialization of a mobile advertising application in the mobile advertising platform  170 . Upon mobile advertising application initialization, the mobile advertising platform  170  starts the subscription process by sending a “startNotification” message  210  to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . The “startNotification” message  210  contains a “reference” variable which defines the address to which the status notices should be reported, this is usually the network address of the mobile advertising platform  170 . The “startNotification” message  210  also contains a “frequency” variable which determines how frequently the status is reported by the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . The frequency variable is set according to content provider policy. 
         [0032]    While the subscription service is active, the mobile ad platform receives packet streaming service connection status notifications from the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . When the mobile advertising application is shutdown, the subscription service is deactivated by sending a message “endNotification”  220  from the mobile advertising platform  170  to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . 
         [0033]    After setting up the packet streaming service status notification subscription service for particular mobile device s  120 , the mobile advertising platform  170  can get real time notification of packet streaming service events for the particular mobile devices  120 . When an SMS/MSS advertisement is to be delivered to a mobile device  120 , and no active session is ongoing for that user, the ad is delivered immediately by using a SendSms or SendMessage process and the SMS enabler  104  of the operator  100 . 
         [0034]    The operation of the system shown in  FIG. 1  will now be described with reference to the signaling diagram of  FIG. 3 . The signaling diagram of  FIG. 3  illustrates the messages passing between mobile device  120 , the operator network  100 , 110 , the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 , and the mobile advertising platform  170 . 
         [0035]    A mobile device  120  sends a set-up message  310  to the operator&#39;s network  100 , 110  requesting content via a packet streaming service. In response to the set-up message  310 , the operator network  100 , 110  sends a set-up notification message  311  to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . The operator network  100 , 110  also arranges for the appropriate packet streaming service connection to be made with mobile device  120 . Upon receipt of the set-up notification message  311 , the multimedia streaming notification manage  180  sends a notify media session request message  312  to mobile at platform  170 . Upon receipt of message  312 , mobile advertising platform  170  updates  315  the terminal status stored therein. 
         [0036]    Subsequently, the mobile device  120  begins playback of the requested content. To do this, a play message  320  is sent from the mobile device  120  to the operator network  100 , 110 . Upon receipt of the play message  320 , the operator network  100 , 110  sends a play notification message  321  to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . Upon receipt of the play notification message  321 , the multimedia streaming notification manager  180  sends notify media session status message  322  to mobile advertising platform  170 . Upon receipt of the notify message  322 , mobile advertising platform  170  updates  325  the terminal status. 
         [0037]    While the mobile device  120  is receiving streamed content, the packet streaming service is ongoing  330 . While the packet streaming service is ongoing  330 , mobile advertising platform  170  identifies an advertisement message which can be delivered to mobile device  120 . However, because of the packet streaming service is ongoing  330  the mobile advertising platform  170  delays delivery of the advertisement message  326 . 
         [0038]    Subsequently, the mobile device  120  ceases the packet streaming service and sends a tear down message  340  to the operator network  100 , 110 . Upon receipt of the tear down message  340  the operator network  100 , 110  sends a tear down notification  341  to the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . Upon receipt of the notification, the multimedia streaming notification manager  180  sends a notify media session status message  342  to the mobile advertising platform  170 . Notify message  342  instructs the mobile advertising platform  170  that the mobile device  120  no longer has an active packet streaming service connection and in response thereto, the mobile advertising platform  170  determines that the advertising message previously identified as relevant to the mobile device  120  may now be delivered and if the advertising message is still relevant to mobile device  120 , the mobile advertising platform  170  initiates delivery  345  of the advertising message  345  to mobile device  120 . 
         [0039]    The notify messages  312 ,  322 ,  342  sent from multimedia streaming notification manager  180  to mobile advertising platform  170  contain a “subscriberIdentifier” variable which is used to link the activity being notified to an advertisement target mobile device  120 . The subscriber identifier may take the form of MSISDN, IMSI or any other form enforced by a service provider. 
         [0040]    In summary, if a mobile device  120  requests a packet streaming service, then in addition to serving the session setup request, the network  110  notifies the mobile advertising platform  170  of the request via the multimedia streaming notification manager  180 . Then the SMS/MMS advertising message is not delivered until the mobile advertising platform  170  receives notification of the streaming teardown event in the form of notify media session status message  342 . 
         [0041]    Even if a PSS session is paused, Mobile Ad will not be delivered to the end-user because it is not known whether or not the session is likely to be resumed before the advertising message is delivered. 
         [0042]    The method and apparatus disclosed herein empower the mobile advertising message provider to enhance the efficiency of their service. At the same time, the experience of end-users is improved because their PSS experience is not interrupted by incoming mobile advertising messages. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method disclosed herein. A mobile advertising platform identifies  410  a message for transmission to a mobile device. Before sending the message to the mobile device the mobile advertising platform queries an internal database to determine  420  the present streaming connection status of the mobile device. If the mobile device has an active streaming connection, then the mobile advertising platform delays  430  delivery of the message. If the mobile device does not have an active streaming connection, then the mobile advertising platform sends  440  the message to the mobile device. 
         [0044]    It will be apparent to the skilled person that the exact order and content of the actions carried out in the method described herein may be altered according to the requirements of a particular set of execution parameters. Accordingly, the order in which actions are described and/or claimed is not to be construed as a strict limitation on order in which actions are to be performed. 
         [0045]    Further, while examples have been given in the context of particular communications standards, these examples are not intended to be the limit of the communications standards to which the disclosed method and apparatus may be applied. For example, while specific examples have been given in the context of LTE, the principles disclosed herein can also be applied to a CDMA system, other wireless communication system, and indeed any communication system which allows streaming connections. For example, similar functionality can be introduced in 2G or 3G networks via detecting PDP-Context to prevent the interruption of browser sessions. In such a case the protection against long-lived PDP-contexts, such as continuous music streaming, may be added as it may be desired that these services should not block delivery of an advertisement message.