Granted Patent B2

US 8,244,229 · App. 11/645,383 · Granted Aug 14, 2012

Abstract

Claims (73)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a message, from a first subscriber, initiating a mobile video call from the first subscriber to a second subscriber;

establishing a first communication leg with an intermediate network element;

receiving a backward message, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call;

delivering predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber, wherein the delivering occurs responsive to the backward message, wherein the delivering is started before the mobile video call is answered by the second subscriber, and wherein on establishing the first communication leg with the intermediate network element the mobile video call is routed to a media content server; and

delivering a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined video content.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending of a connect message to the first subscriber in response to at least one of the routing of the mobile video call to a media content server; a command from the media content server; the predetermined video content from a media content server being ready to be delivered to the first subscriber; initiating the establishing of the first communication leg; and establishment of the first communication leg.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the negotiation is further carried out for at least one of terminal capability set negotiations for a voice codec, vendor identification, master/slave determination, round-trip delay procedure, a logical channel for audio, and multiplex entry sending by an H.223 multiplex entry table.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after delivering the connect message, charging the first subscriber for the mobile video call.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, based on information in the progress indicator fields, causing an alert to be presented to the first subscriber.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving the message initiating the mobile video call from the first subscriber, sending a call proceeding message to the first subscriber.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined video content comprises at least one of media and video content.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined video content is content specific to the second subscriber.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined video content comprises at least one of: an advertisement, an announcement, live content and a recorded message.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises checking accessibility of the second subscriber before the delivery of the predetermined video content is started and subjecting the starting of the delivery of the predetermined video content to said accessibility.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises checking availability of necessary resources for starting the video call with the second subscriber and subjecting the starting of the delivery of the predetermined video content to said availability.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the checking of the availability of necessary resources comprises checking at least one of a current subscription of the second subscriber; video call capabilities available in a paging area of the second subscriber; and video call capabilities available in a serving cell of the second subscriber.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises checking availability of necessary resources for starting the video call with the second subscriber and subjecting the starting of the delivery of the predetermined video content to said availability.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises charging the first subscriber based on at least one of storing the predetermined video content and on starting to deliver the predetermined video content to the first subscriber.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises starting to charge the first subscriber for data transfer at least one of on starting to deliver the predetermined video content to the first subscriber and on the second subscriber answering the mobile video call.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile video call is a circuit switched mobile video call.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein delivering the predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber is started before the second subscriber is paged for the mobile video call.

18. A method, comprising:

accepting a setting up of a first communication leg with a serving switch centre that serves a first subscriber, where the setting up is in response to a message initiating a mobile video call from the first subscriber to a second subscriber;

establishing a communication leg from an intermediate network element to the second subscriber;

sending a backward message to the serving switch centre, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call;

delivering predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber, wherein the delivering occurs responsive to the backward message, wherein the delivering is started before the mobile video call is answered by the second subscriber, and wherein on establishing the first communication leg from the intermediate network element the mobile video call is routed to a media content server; and

delivering a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined video content.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a message, from a first subscriber, initiating a mobile video call from the first subscriber to a second subscriber,

establish a first communication leg with an intermediate network element;

receive a backward message, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call; and

deliver predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber, wherein the delivering occurs responsive to the backward message, wherein the delivering is started before the mobile video call is answered by the second subscriber, and wherein on establishing the first communication leg with the intermediate network element the mobile video call is routed to a media content server; and

deliver a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined video content.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is embodied in one of: a mobile switch centre server; a content server; and a media gateway.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 , further comprising the at least one processor and the computer program code is configured to cause the apparatus to:

on establishing the first communication leg with the intermediate network element, route the mobile video call to a media content server; and

deliver a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out video negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined video content.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising, the at least one processor and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, based on information in the progress indicator fields, to cause an alert to be presented to the first subscriber.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein delivering the predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber is started before the second subscriber is paged for the mobile video call.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive from a first subscriber a mobile video call establishment request to a second subscriber associated with a media server;

send a video connection request for the media server;

receive a backward message from the media server, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call;

detect from the backward message that predetermined content is being provided in a temporary video call while the mobile video call requested by the first subscriber is being established, wherein the predetermined content is being provided responsive to the backward message;

provide the first subscriber with the temporary video call with the media server; and

deliver a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the intermediate network element and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the intermediate network element to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined content for the mobile video call.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the negotiation is further carried out for at least one of terminal capability set negotiations for a voice codec, vendor identification, master/slave determination, round-trip delay procedure, a logical channel for audio, and multiplex entry sending by an H.223 multiplex entry table.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to send the connect message to the first subscriber on providing the first subscriber with the temporary video call.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code is further configured cause the apparatus to wait for a charging start message from the media server and, until that message, abstain from charging the first subscriber for the temporary video call.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code is further configured to cause the apparatus to indicate to the media server that the apparatus is processing the temporary video call between the first subscriber and the media server.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a computer program code, the computer program code executable by at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a message, from a first subscriber, initiating a mobile video call from the first subscriber to a second subscriber,

establishing a first communication leg with an intermediate network element;

receiving a backward message, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call; and

delivering predetermined video content from the intermediate network element to the first subscriber, wherein the delivering occurs responsive to the backward message, wherein the delivering is started before the mobile video call is answered by the second subscriber, and wherein on establishing the first communication leg with the intermediate network element the mobile video call is routed to a media content server; and

delivering a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined video content.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 29 , further comprising, based on information in the progress indicator fields, causing an alert to be presented to the first subscriber.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 29 , wherein on establishing the first communication leg with the intermediate network element, the mobile video call is routed to a media content server.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 31 , further comprising, delivering a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the media content server and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the media content server to carry out video negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined content.

33. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying a computer program code, the computer program code executable by at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving from a first subscriber a mobile video call establishment request to a second subscriber associated with a media server;

sending a video connection request for the media server;

receiving a backward message from the media server, wherein the backward message comprises at least one indicator field carrying progress information regarding the mobile video call;

detecting from the backward message that predetermined content is being provided in a temporary video call while the mobile video call requested by the first subscriber is being established, wherein the predetermined content is being provided responsive to the backward message;

providing the first subscriber with the temporary video call with the media server; and

delivering a connect message to the first subscriber, wherein the connect message indicates a connection with the intermediate network element and wherein the connect message prompts the first subscriber and the intermediate network element to carry out negotiation at least for the delivery of the predetermined content for the mobile video call.

Assignments (11)