1. A program distribution system comprising:
a receiver; and
a transmitter including a distribution controller;
said receiver being operable to accept a user request for a desired program, the user request being in a free style text format, to convert the user request into a distribution request e-mail message that includes the user request and that is addressed to said distribution controller of said transmitter, and to send the distribution request e-mail message to said transmitter;
said transmitter including:
a distributable program storing unit operable to store a plurality of distributable programs,
said distribution controller being operable to receive the distribution request e-mail message addressed to said distribution controller, to determine whether the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, to transmit an answer e-mail message to said receiver in response to the distribution request e-mail message, the answer e-mail message including a notice of correspondence and including supplemental information when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, the supplemental information including cryptanalytic information for decrypting the program, and to read out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, and
a distributor operable to distribute the requested program to said receiver.
2. The program distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said distributable program storing unit is further operable to store an associated title for each of the plurality of distributable programs, and
said distribution controller is further operable to compare each word of the user request with each of the stored titles and to read out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
3. The program distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said receiver is further operable to include a predetermined term in a subject field in the distribution request e-mail message, the predetermined term indicating that the distribution request e-mail message includes the user request.
4. The program distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
5. The program distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said receiver is further operable to transmit a confirmation e-mail message to said distribution controller in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of said receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program, said distribution controller reading out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when said distribution controller receives the confirmation e-mail message.
6. The program distribution system according to claim 4, wherein said receiver is further operable to transmit a confirmation e-mail message to said distribution controller in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of said receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program, said distribution controller reading out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when said distribution controller receives the confirmation e-mail message.
7. The program distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising a recorder connected to said receiver, and wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing said recorder to record the requested program.
8. The program distribution system according to claim 4, further comprising a recorder connected to said receiver, and wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing said recorder to record the requested program.
9. A method of distributing programs, said method comprising:
receiving, at a transmitter, a distribution request e-mail message from a receiver, the distribution request e-mail message being addressed to a distribution controller of the transmitter and including a user request for a desired program, the user request being in a free style text format;
determining whether the requested program is one of a stored plurality of distributable programs;
transmitting an answer e-mail message to the receiver in response to the distribution request e-mail message, the answer e-mail message including a notice of correspondence and including supplemental information when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, the supplemental information including cryptanalytic information for decrypting the program;
reading out the requested program when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs; and
distributing the requested program to the receiver.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein an associated title is stored for each of the plurality of distributable programs, and said determining step includes comparing each word of the user request with each of the stored titles, and said reading out step reads out the requested program when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the distribution request e-mail message includes a predetermined term in a subject field, the predetermined term indicating that the distribution request e-mail message includes the user request.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving a confirmation e-mail message from the receiver in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of the receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program, and wherein said reading step and said distributing step are carried out only when the confirmation e-mail message is received.
14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving a confirmation e-mail message from the receiver in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of the receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program, and wherein said reading and said distributing step are carried out only when the confirmation e-mail message is received.
15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing a recorder connected to the receiver to record the requested program.
16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command to cause a recorder connected to the receiver to record the requested program.
17. A transmitter, comprising:
a distributable program storing unit operable to store a plurality of distributable programs;
a distribution controller operable to receive a distribution request e-mail message addressed to said distribution controller from a receiver, the distribution request e-mail message including a user request for a desired program, the user request being in a free style text format, to determine whether the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, to transmit an answer e-mail message to the receiver in response to the distribution request e-mail message, the answer e-mail message including a notice of correspondence and including supplemental information when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, the supplemental information including cryptanalytic information for decrypting the program, and to read out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs; and
a distributor operable to distribute the requested program to the receiver.
18. The transmitter according to claim 17, wherein said distributable program storing unit is further operable to store an associated title for each of the plurality of distributable programs, and said distribution controller is further operable to compare each word of the user request with each of the stored titles and to read out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
19. The transmitter according to claim 17, wherein the distribution request e-mail message includes a predetermined term in a subject field, the predetermined term indicating that the distribution request e-mail message includes the user request.
20. The transmitter according to claim 18, wherein the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence when the user request includes a title associated with one of the stored plurality of distributable programs.
21. The transmitter according to claim 17, wherein said distribution controller reads out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when said distribution controller receives a confirmation e-mail message that is sent by the receiver in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of the receiver has agreed to purchase the selected program.
22. The transmitter according to claim 20, wherein said distribution controller reads out the requested program from said distributable program storing unit when said distributable controller receives a confirmation e-mail message that is sent by the receiver in response to the answer e-mail message when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of the receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program.
23. The transmitter according to claim 17, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing a recorder connected to the receiver to record the requested program.
24. The transmitter according to claim 20, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing a recorder connected to the receiver to record the requested program.
25. A receiver, comprising:
a controller operable to accept a user request for a desired program, the user request being in a free style text format, to convert the user request into a distribution request e-mail message that includes the user request and that is addressed to a distribution controller of a predetermined distribution unit, and to send the distribution request e-mail message to the predetermined distribution unit; and
a front end operable to receive an answer e-mail message sent by the predetermined distribution unit in response to the distribution request e-mail message, the answer e-mail message including a notice of correspondence and including supplemental information when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, the supplemental information including cryptanalytic information for decrypting the program, and to receive the requested program from the predetermined distribution unit when the requested program is available from the predetermined distribution unit.
26. The receiver according to claim 25, wherein said controller is further operable to include a predetermined term in a subject field in the distribution request e-mail message, the predetermined term indicating that the distribution request e-mail message includes the user request.
27. The receiver according to claim 25, wherein said controller is further operable to transmit a confirmation e-mail message to the predetermined distribution unit when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user of said receiver has agreed to purchase the requested program.
28. The receiver according to claim 25, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing a recorder connected to said receiver to record the requested program.
29. A method of receiving programs, said method comprising:
accepting a user request for a desired program, the user request being in a free style text format;
converting the user request into a distribution request e-mail message that includes the user request and that is addressed to a distribution controller of a predefined distribution unit;
sending the distribution request e-mail message to the predetermined distribution unit;
receiving an answer e-mail message from the predetermined distribution unit in response to the distribution request e-mail message, the answer e-mail message including a notice of correspondence and including supplemental information when the requested program is one of the stored plurality of distributable programs, the supplemental information including cryptanalytic information for decrypting the program; and
receiving the requested program from the predetermined distribution unit when the requested program is available from the predetermined distribution unit.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the distribution request e-mail message includes a predetermined term in a subject field, the predetermined term indicating that the distribution request e-mail message includes the user request.
31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising transmitting a confirmation e-mail message to the predetermined distribution unit when the answer e-mail message includes the notice of correspondence, the confirmation e-mail message indicating that the user has agreed to purchase the requested program.
32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the supplemental information includes a control command for causing a recorder record the received program.
33. The program distribution system according to claim 7, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
34. The program distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
35. The method according to claim 15, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
36. The method according to claim 16, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
37. The transmitter according to claim 23, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
38. The transmitter according to claim 24, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
39. The receiver according to claim 28, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
40. The method according to claim 32, wherein the supplemental information includes accounting information for the program.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:
performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and
processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of network elements comprises: a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), and a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said static registration is not timed out by said plurality of network elements.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said IMS network is in communication with at least one of: a mobile access network, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a customer enterprise network, to provide a Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said endpoint device comprises at least one of: a second generation (2G) mobile endpoint, a third generation (3G) mobile endpoint device, an Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange (IP PBX), or an endpoint device supported by said IP PBX, a Time Division Multiplexing Private Branch eXchange (TDM PBX), an endpoint device supported by said TDM PBX, a class 5 end office (EO) switch, or an endpoint device supported by said class 5 EO switch.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein said performing comprises:
provisioning the HSS, the S-CSCF, the P-CSCF, and the AS to treat a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device as being registered; and
provisioning a subscriber profile for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device comprising subscription related information including a plurality route headers needed to access the endpoint device, at least one capability, and at least one priority at the HSS and the S-CSCF.
7. The method of claim 2, wherein said provisioning comprises:
provisioning a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the S-CSCF at the P-CSCF that will be used to perform call processing for a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device; and
provisioning a SIP URI of the P-CSCF at the S-CSCF that will be used to perform call processing for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said originating call request comprises:
receiving said originating call request from said endpoint device via an access network;
storing and tracking a called party number, and a calling party number associated with said originating call request; and
returning an IMS Routing Number (IMRN) to said access network.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said originating call request is received via a Circuit Switched Gateway (CSG).
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said processing said originating call request further comprises:
mapping said IMRN to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of said AS by the HSS and routing a second call request to said AS;
associating said routed second call request with said originating call request and replacing a From header of said second request with a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device, a Private Asserted Identity (PAI) header of said second request with a phone number of said endpoint device, and a Request (R)-URI header of said second call request with said called party number; and
sending said second call request to the S-CSCF for call completion processing.
11. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing said terminating call request comprises:
receiving said terminating call request terminating to said endpoint device;
sending said terminating call request to said AS by said S-CSCF for processing; and
sending said terminating call request by said AS back to said S-CSCF for call completion processing.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said terminating call request is received via a Circuit Switched Gateway (CSG).
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said AS supports at least one Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.
14. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of a method for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:
performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and
processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said plurality of network elements comprises: a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), and a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF).
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said static registration is not timed out by said plurality of network elements.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said IMS network is in communication with at least one of: a mobile access network, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a customer enterprise network, to provide a Network Based Fixed Mobile Convergence (NB-FMC) service.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said endpoint device comprises at least one of: a second generation (2G) mobile endpoint, a third generation (3G) mobile endpoint device, an Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange (IP PBX), or an endpoint device supported by said IP PBX, a Time Division Multiplexing Private Branch eXchange (TDM PBX), an endpoint device supported by said TDM PBX, a class 5 end office (EO) switch, or an endpoint device supported by said class 5 EO switch.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein said performing comprises:
provisioning the HSS, the S-CSCF, the P-CSCF, and the AS to treat a Public User Identifier (PUID) associated with a user of said endpoint device as being registered; and
provisioning a subscriber profile for the PUID associated with the user of said endpoint device comprising subscription related information including a plurality route headers needed to access the endpoint device, at least one capability, and at least one priority at the HSS and the S-CSCF.
20. A system for enabling registration of an endpoint device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration, comprising:
means for performing a static registration of the endpoint device in a plurality network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning that is initiated by a service provider of said IMS network; and
means for processing an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with said endpoint device by an Application Server (AS) using said static registration, wherein said application server is one of said plurality network elements.