Sponsoring of a mobile station session by another mobile station in a wireless network
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method are described for sponsoring service and preferential traffic handling, (i.e., data connectivity) by wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs). A first WTRU may initiate user sponsoring of a second WTRU via an application server (AS). The first WTRU may receive a service trigger from the AS and forward the service trigger to the second WTRU. The second WTRU may then initiate a sponsored session with the AS using the service trigger in order to receive a service from the AS. The first WTRU may also request the AS to transfer a credit to the second WTRU. The AS may establish a direct communication link with a charging system including an online charging function (OCF) and a charging data function (CDF). The AS may send a request to a network to provide preferential traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU.
1. A method of user sponsoring by wireless transmit/receive units, WTRUs, the method comprising:
a first WTRU receiving a service trigger including a hyperlink and a token from an application server, AS, and providing the service trigger to a second WTRU;
the second WTRU initiating a sponsored session with the AS using the hyperlink; and
the AS sending a request to a network to provide traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU based on the token on a condition that the hyperlink is active, wherein a user of the first WTRU is charged for the traffic handling.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the AS establishing a direct communication link with a charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
configuring user sponsoring data in a user profile associated with the first WTRU; and
the first WTRU obtaining authorization from the second WTRU.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the token is embedded.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the service trigger is associated with a uniform resource locator, URL, including a token.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first WTRU obtaining sponsorship tokens.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on an application server, AS.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a home subscriber server, HSS.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a subscriber profile repository, SPR.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein a subscriber profile of the first WTRU resides on a user data repository, UDR.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the first WTRU requesting the AS to transfer a credit to the second WTRU.
12. An application server, AS, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a service trigger including a hyperlink and a token to a first wireless transmit/receive unit, WTRU, that sponsors a second WTRU; and
the transmitter further configured to transmit a request to a network to provide traffic handling needed to deliver content to the second WTRU based on the token on a condition that the hyperlink is activated , wherein a user of the first WTRU is charged for the traffic handling via a charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.
13. A first wireless transmit/receive unit, WTRU, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a service trigger including a hyperlink and a token from an application server, AS; and
a transmitter configured to forward at least the hyperlink to a second WTRU such that the second WTRU may initiate a sponsored session with the AS using the hyperlink, and based on the token a user of the first WTRU is charged via a charging system for a service and traffic handling provided to the second WTRU, the charging system including an online charging function, OCF, and a charging data function, CDF.
14. The first WTRU of claim 13 wherein the token is embedded.