IMS networks providing business-related content to wireless devices
View Patent ↗IMS networks and methods are disclosed for providing business-related content to wireless devices that are located within a business. For a business that has a WLAN, wireless devices within range of the wireless access point of the business receive an identifier for the wireless access point. The wireless devices then register with the IMS network using the access point ID. Through the access point ID, the IMS network identifies an application server that is associated with the business. The application server may then initiate sessions with the wireless devices, and transmit business-related content to the wireless devices while they are within range of the wireless access point of the business.
1. A system of an IMS network adapted to provide business-related content to wireless devices, the system comprising:
a session control function in the IMS network adapted to receive a register message from a wireless device that is in range of a wireless access point of a business,
wherein the register message is for registering the wireless device with the IMS network,
wherein the register message includes an identifier for the wireless access point that is accessible to the mobile device,
the session control function is further adapted to process the access point identifier from the register message to identify an application server in the IMS network that is associated with the business and is configured to share business-related content with a user of the wireless device as the user is located proximate to the business.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the application server adapted to initiate a session with the wireless device, and to transmit the business-related content for the business to the wireless device over the session.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the access point identifier comprises a MAC address for the wireless access point.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein session control function is further adapted to:
process the access point identifier and a service profile for the user of the wireless device to determine if the user requested to receive the business-related content for the business identified by the access point identifier.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein:
the session control function is further adapted to receive another register message from another wireless device that is in range of the wireless access point of the business, wherein the other register message includes the identifier for the wireless access point, and to process the access point identifier from the other register message to identify the application server that is associated with the business; and
the application server is adapted to initiate another session with the other wireless device, and to transmit the business-related content to the other wireless device.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein:
the application server is adapted to initiate the sessions using a SIP fork mechanism to transmit a SIP INVITE message to both of the wireless devices.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the register message comprises a SIP REGISTER message with the access point identifier included in the P-Visited-Network-ID parameter of the SIP REGISTER message.
8. A method of providing business-related content to wireless devices through an IMS network, the method comprising:
receiving a register message in a session control function of the IMS network from a wireless device that is in range of a wireless access point of a business,
wherein the register message is for registering the wireless device with the IMS network,
wherein the register message includes an identifier for the wireless access point that is accessible to the mobile device,
processing the access point identifier from the register message to identify an application server in the IMS network that is associated with the business and is configured to share business-related content with a user of the wireless device as the user is located proximate to the business.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
initiating a session between the application server and the wireless device; and
transmitting the business-related content for the business from the application server to the wireless device over the session.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the access point identifier comprises a MAC address for the wireless access point.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
processing the access point identifier and the service profile for a user of the wireless device to determine if the user requested to receive the business-related content for the business identified by the access point identifier.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving another register message in the session control function from another wireless device in range of the wireless access point of the business, wherein the other register message includes the identifier for the wireless access point;
processing the access point identifier from the other register message to identify the application server that is associated with the business;
initiating another session between the application server and the other wireless device; and
transmitting the business-related content from the application server to the other wireless device.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein initiating the session between the application server and the wireless device and initiating the session between the application server and the other wireless device comprises:
transmitting a SIP INVITE message to both of the wireless devices using a SIP fork mechanism.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein the register message comprises a SIP REGISTER message with the access point identifier included in the P-Visited-Network-ID parameter of the SIP REGISTER message.
15. An IMS network adapted to provide business-related content to wireless devices, the IMS network comprising:
an application server in the IMS network that is associated with a business;
a subscriber server in the IMS network that is adapted to store a service profile for a wireless device; and
a session control function in the IMS network that is adapted to receive a register message from the wireless device that is in range of a wireless access point of the business,
wherein the register message is for registering the wireless device with the IMS network,
wherein the register message includes an identifier for the wireless access point,
the session control function is further adapted to query the subscriber server for the service profile for the wireless device, to process the service profile based on the access point identifier from the register message to determine whether a user of the wireless device has subscribed to receive business-related content for the business, and to transmit the register message to the application server responsive to a determination that the user of the wireless device has subscribed;
the application server is adapted to transmit a session initiation message to the wireless device to initiate a session with the wireless device responsive to receiving the register message from the session control function, and to transmit the business-related content to the wireless device.
16. The IMS network of claim 15 wherein the application server is further adapted to:
initiate a point-to-point video session with the wireless device responsive to receiving the register message from the session control function; and
transmit the business-related content to the wireless device as video.
17. The IMS network of claim 15 wherein the access point identifier comprises a MAC address for the wireless access point.
18. The IMS network of claim 15 wherein:
the session control function is further adapted to receive another register message from another wireless device that is in range of the wireless access point of the business, wherein the other register message includes the identifier for the wireless access point, to query the subscriber server for another service profile for the other wireless device, to process the other service profile based on the access point identifier from the other register message to determine whether a user of the other wireless device has subscribed to receive the business-related content for the business, and to transmit the other register message to the application server responsive to a determination that the user of the other wireless device has subscribed; and
the application server is further adapted to transmit a session initiation message to the other wireless device to initiate another session with the other wireless device responsive to receiving the other register message from the session control function, and to transmit the business-related content to the other wireless device.
19. The IMS network of claim 18 wherein:
the session initiation message comprises a SIP INVITE message; and
the application server is adapted to use a SIP fork mechanism to transmit the SIP INVITE message to both of the wireless devices.
20. The IMS network of claim 15 wherein the register message comprises a SIP REGISTER message with the access point identifier included in the P-Visited-Network-ID parameter of the SIP REGISTER message.