Method and apparatus for receiving multimedia service and aiding the receipt of multimedia service

A method of providing multimedia service guides from a multimedia service guide device in a telecommunication network to user equipment in the telecommunication network, the method comprising:

• notifying, by a network server of the telecommunication network from a multimedia service management device of the telecommunication network, a service address of a multimedia service in response to a query by the user equipment based on a service identifier provided by the multimedia service guide device, wherein the service identifier and the service address of the multimedia service is used to send a receiving request message to the multimedia service guide device for requesting to receive the multimedia service guides, and to receive the multimedia service guides from the multimedia service guide device, the multimedia service guides including the service identifier of each multimedia service;
• receiving, by the multimedia service guide device from said user equipment, a receiving request message for requesting to receive the multimedia service guides, wherein the service identifier is used to construct a multimedia service guide for each multimedia service by the multimedia service guide device, to send a first query message to the network server according to the service identifier of the multimedia service chosen by a user, the first query message being used to query the service address corresponding to the service identifier of the chosen multimedia service, and to receive a first response message from the network server, the first response message comprising the service address corresponding to the service identifier of the chosen multimedia service;
• and
• sending, by the multimedia service guide device, the multimedia service guides to said user equipment, said multimedia service guides including the service identifier of each multimedia service.

An aiding apparatus for aiding user equipment to obtain multimedia service in a multimedia service management device in a telecommunication network, the aiding apparatus being an element of the multimedia service management device, the aiding apparatus comprising:

• a first device configured to receive an allocation request message from the user equipment for requesting service resources to be allocated for the multimedia service;
• a second device configured to allocate a service address, a service identifier, or the service address and the service identifier according to the allocation request message;
• a third device configured to notify the service identifier and the service address of the multimedia service to a network server, wherein the service identifier and the service address of the multimedia service is used to send a receiving request message to a multimedia service guide device for requesting to receive multimedia service guides, and to receive the multimedia service guides from the multimedia service guide device, the multimedia service guides including the service identifier of each multimedia service, and also to notify said service identifier of the multimedia service to the multimedia service guide device, wherein the service identifier is used to construct a multimedia service guide for each multimedia service by the multimedia service guide device, to send a first query message to the network server according to the service identifier of the multimedia service chosen by a user, the first query message being used to query the service address corresponding to the service identifier of the chosen multimedia service, and to receive a first response message from the network server, the first response message comprising the service address corresponding to the service identifier of the chosen multimedia service;
• and
• a fourth device configured to send the allocated service address to the user equipment in response to a query by the user equipment based on the service identifier provided by the multimedia service guide device.

A guide providing apparatus for providing multimedia service guides to user equipment in a telecommunication network, the guide providing apparatus comprising:

• a first device configured to receive a service identifier, but not a service address, of each multimedia service sent from a multimedia service management device;
• a second device configured to generate a multimedia service guide according to the service identifier, but not the service address, of each multimedia service;
• a third device configured to receive from the user equipment a receiving request message for requesting to receive multimedia service guides, wherein the service identifier, but not the service address, of the multimedia service is used in the receiving request message;
• and
• a fourth device configured to send the multimedia service guides to said user equipment, said multimedia service guides comprising the service identifier, but not the service address, of each multimedia service;
• wherein the service identifier, but not the service address, of the multimedia service is used to send a first query message to a network server of the telecommunication network, the first query message being used to query the service address corresponding to the service identifier of a multimedia service chosen by a user, and to receive a first response message from the network server, the first response message comprising the service address corresponding to the service identifier of the chosen multimedia service.