ON-LINE NOTIFICATION IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20010044299A1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: SANDEGREN, PER-ARNE
• Granted Patent: US 6,512,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A system notifies a first user of a mobile communication device about status of other users in a mobile communications system. The system sends a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system. At the service node, a list is determined indicating other users that the first user wants to know the status of. The status of each of the other users on the list is then determined, and transmitted from the service node to the mobile communication device. The signal from the mobile communication device to the service node may be generated in response to the mobile communication device being powered on, and may itself include an indication that the mobile communication device has been powered on. Upon receipt of this indication, the service node may determine other lists in which the first user is listed, determine a corresponding other user for each of the other lists, and send a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone on-line. Users of communication devices may thereby be informed of updated status of other users they are interested in. Other types of status include indications of going off-line, present location, and whether a given user is associated with voicemail and/or e-mail services. The service node may be a home location register.

Claims

1. A method of notifying a first user of a mobile communication device about status of other users in a mobile communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system;

at the service node, determining a list of other users that the first user wants to know the status of;

at the service node, determining the status of each of the other users on the list; and

transmitting the status of each of the other users from the service node to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the step of sending the signal from the mobile communication device to the service node in the mobile communications system is performed in response to the mobile communication device being powered on.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein:

the signal includes an indication that the mobile communication device has been powered on, and

further comprising the steps of;

at the service node, determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

for each of the other lists, determining a corresponding other user; and

sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone on-line.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the service node is a home location register.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is on-line.

6. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is off-line.

7. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is associated with a voicemail service.

8. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is associated with an e-mail service.

9. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the status includes an indication of the location of each of the other users on the list.

10. The method of

claim 1

, wherein for each of the other users on the list, the status represents a condition that has continued to exist for a predetermined period of time, wherein the predetermined period of time is selected to be at least long enough to substantially prevent any of a number of transient conditions from being reported as status.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein one of the transient conditions is temporarily going off-line because of travel through a tunnel.

12. The method of

claim 10

, wherein one of the transient conditions is temporarily going off-line because of travel in an elevator.

13. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of creating the list by:

at the mobile communication device, receiving information about list contents via an input device;

sending the information about list contents from the mobile communication device to the service node; and

at the service node, creating the list to include the information about list contents.

14. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of revising the list by:

at the mobile communication device, receiving revised information about list contents via an input device;

sending the revised information about list contents from the mobile communication device to the service node; and

at the service node, revising the list in accordance with the revised information about list contents.

15. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the revised information about list contents includes information about another user to be added to the list.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the step of revising the list in accordance with the revised information about another user to be added to the list comprises the steps of:

sending a message from the service node to a mobile communication device associated with said another user to be added to the list, wherein the message advises that the first user wants to add said another user to the list;

sending a reply message from the mobile communication device associated with said another user to the service node, wherein the reply message alternatively grants or denies approval; and

at the service node, revising the list in accordance with the revised information about another user to be added to the list only if the reply message grants approval.

17. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the revised information about list contents includes information about another user to be deleted from the list.

18. A method of notifying other users in a mobile communications system that a first user of a mobile communication device has gone on-line, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile communication device has gone on-line;

at the service node, determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

for each of the other lists, determining a corresponding other user; and

sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone on-line.

19. The method of

claim 18

, wherein the service node is a home location register.

20. A method of notifying other users in a mobile communications system that a first user of a mobile communication device has gone off-line, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile communication device has gone off-line;

at the service node, determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

for each of the other lists, determining a corresponding other user; and

sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone off-line.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein the service node is a home location register.

22. A system for notifying a first user of a mobile communication device about status of other users in a mobile communications system, the system comprising:

means for sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system;

at the service node, means for determining a list of other users that the first user wants to know the status of;

at the service node, means for determining the status of each of the other users on the list; and

means for transmitting the status of each of the other users from the service node to the mobile communication device.

23. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the means for sending the signal from the mobile communication device to the service node in the mobile communications system operates in response to the mobile communication device being powered on.

24. The system of

claim 23

, wherein:

the signal includes an indication that the mobile communication device has been powered on, and

further comprising;

at the service node, means for determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

means for determining a corresponding other user for each of the other lists; and

means for sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone on-line.

25. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the service node is a home location register.

26. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is on-line.

27. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is off-line.

28. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is associated with a voicemail service.

29. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the status includes an indication of whether each of the other users on the list is associated with an e-mail service.

30. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the status includes an indication of the location of each of the other users on the list.

31. The system of

claim 22

, wherein the service node further comprises means for inhibiting a user'"'"'s status from being updated to indicate a new condition of the user until the new condition has continued to exist for a predetermined period of time, wherein the predetermined period of time is selected to be at least long enough to substantially prevent any of a number of transient conditions from being reported as status.

32. The system of

claim 31

, wherein one of the transient conditions is temporarily going off-line because of travel through a tunnel.

33. The system of

claim 31

, wherein one of the transient conditions is temporarily going off-line because of travel in an elevator.

34. The system of

claim 22

, further comprising means for creating the list, including:

at the mobile communication device, means for receiving information about list contents from an input device;

means for sending the information about list contents from the mobile communication device to the service node; and

at the service node, means for creating the list to include the information about list contents.

35. The system of

claim 22

, further comprising means for revising the list, comprising:

at the mobile communication device, means for receiving revised information about list contents from an input device;

means for sending the revised information about list contents from the mobile communication device to the service node; and

at the service node, means for revising the list in accordance with the revised information about list contents.

36. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the revised information about list contents includes information about another user to be added to the list.

37. The system of

claim 36

, wherein the means for revising the list in accordance with the revised information about another user to be added to the list comprises:

means for sending a message from the service node to a mobile communication device associated with said another user to be added to the list, wherein the message advises that the first user wants to add said another to the list;

means for sending a reply message from the mobile communication device associated with said another user to the service node, wherein the reply message alternatively grants or denies approval; and

at the service node, means for revising the list in accordance with the revised information about another user to be added to the list only if the reply message grants approval.

38. The system of

claim 35

, wherein the revised information about list contents includes information about another user to be deleted from the list.

39. A system for notifying other users in a mobile communications system that a first user of a mobile communication device has gone on-line, the system comprising:

means for sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile communication device has gone on-line;

at the service node, means for determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

means for determining a corresponding other user for each of the other lists; and

means for sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone on-line.

40. The system of

claim 39

, wherein the service node is a home location register.

41. A system for notifying other users in a mobile communications system that a first user of a mobile communication device has gone off-line, the system comprising:

means for sending a signal from the mobile communication device to a service node in the mobile communications system, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile communication device has gone off-line;

at the service node, means for determining other lists in which the first user is listed;

means for determining a corresponding other user for each of the other lists; and

means for sending a notification to each of the corresponding other users indicating that the first user has gone off-line.

42. The system of

claim 41

, wherein the service node is a home location register.