Sponsoring of a mobile station session by another mobile station in a wireless network

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for user-to-user sponsoring of mobile data, the method comprising:
 receiving identifying information from one or more other WTRUs;   initiating sponsoring of mobile data for a second WTRU of the one or more other WTRUs based on a trigger; and   providing the trigger to the second WTRU to initiate the sponsored mobile data to the second WTRU.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying information is received with involvement of the one or more other WTRUs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining authorization for sponsorship from the second WTRU. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein obtaining authorization is performed by the WTRU. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is provided by an application server (AS). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes sponsorship tokens. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sponsorship tokens are limited in scope to a sponsored mobile data type. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sponsorship tokens are limited in time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a token. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising matching the mobile data to the WTRU with the token. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sponsoring of the second WTRU enables the second WTRU to access the mobile data. 
     
     
         12 . A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for user-to-user sponsoring of mobile data, the WTRU comprising:
 circuitry configured to:
 receive identifying information from one or more other WTRUs; 
 initiate sponsoring of mobile data for a second WTRU of the one or more other WTRUs based on a trigger; and 
 provide the trigger to the second WTRU to initiate the sponsored mobile data to the second WTRU. 
   
     
     
         13 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the identifying information is received with involvement of the one or more other WTRUs. 
     
     
         14 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , further comprising obtaining authorization for sponsorship from the second WTRU. 
     
     
         15 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the trigger includes sponsorship tokens. 
     
     
         16 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the trigger includes a token. 
     
     
         17 . The WTRU of  claim 16 , further comprising matching the mobile data to the WTRU with the token. 
     
     
         18 . A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for user-to-user sponsored mobile data, the WTRU comprising:
 circuitry configured to:
 provide identifying information of the WTRU to a sponsoring WTRU; 
 receive a trigger to initiate access to sponsored mobile data; and 
 initiate sponsored mobile data with the trigger. 
   
     
     
         19 . The WTRU of  claim 18 , wherein the trigger includes sponsorship tokens. 
     
     
         20 . The WTRU of  claim 18 , further comprising obtaining authorization for sponsorship from the sponsoring WTRU.