Method and apparatus for updating a mobile unit

• US 20020090946A1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GTE Airfone Incorporated (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hennessey, Arthur R., Mielke, Mark P., Tucker, Steven D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,909,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Mobile communication systems and methods consistent with the present invention include a central station, a mobile unit and a plurality of radio base stations The mobile unit communicates with the central station through one of the radio base stations. The central station receives from the mobile unit registration information identifying the radio base station the mobile unit is currently communicating with This registration information is then stored in a registration database located at the central station. Files are then transferred from the central station to the mobile unit using the radio base station identified by the registration information stored in the registration database.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data in a communication system, the communication system comprising a central station, a mobile unit and a plurality of radio base stations, the method comprising the steps of

receiving from the mobile unit registration information identifying a radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit;

storing the registration information in a registration database located at the central station;

transferring data from the central station to the mobile unit using the radio base station identified by the registration information stored in the registration database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving registration data further includes the substep of:

receiving from the mobile unit registration information including an identification number of the mobile unit, the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, and the radio base station previously in communication with the mobile unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

transmitting to the mobile unit an acknowledgment signal verifying that the registration information was received by the central station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring step further includes the substeps of.

transmitting to the mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from the mobile unit indicating whether the mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

transferring the requested data to the mobile unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the mobile unit can receive the requested data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method transfers data to a plurality of mobile units, and wherein prior to the transferring step the method includes the steps of:

selecting a first set of the plurality of mobile units for transferring data;

creating a batch file including registration information of the registration database for each of the first set of mobile units; and

transferring data to the first set of mobile units listed on the batch list using radio base stations identified by the registration information of the batch file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of transferring data to the first set of mobile units further includes the substeps of:

transmitting to the first set of mobile units a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from the first set of mobile units indicating whether each mobile unit can receive the requested data, and

transferring the requested data to the first set of mobile units for which a corresponding acknowledgment signal was received indicating that the respective mobile unit can receive the requested data.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of

receiving from the mobile unit re-registration information when the radio base station that the mobile unit is communicating with changes.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving from the mobile unit a call request identifying data that the mobile unit requests to transfer to the central station;

transmitting to the mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the central station can receive the requested data; and

receiving from the mobile unit the requested data when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transferred to the mobile unit is updates for application software of the mobile unit, and wherein the method further includes the steps of:

receiving from the mobile unit an inventory message providing information on the status of the updated application software, and

determining whether the inventory message indicates whether the application software was updated correctly

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of:

retransferring the data to the mobile unit when the application software was not updated correctly.

11. A mobile communication system comprising:

a mobile unit for receiving and transmitting broadcast signals;

a plurality of radio base stations for transmitting and receiving broadcast signals to and from the mobile unit;

a central station for communicating with the mobile unit through one of the radio base stations, the central station further including;

a registration database including registration information identifying the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit; and

a switch control processor for transferring data to the mobile unit using the radio base station identified by the registration information stored in the registration database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit further includes.

means for transmitting registration information including an identification number of the mobile unit, the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, and the radio base station previously in communication with the mobile unit

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the switch control processor further includes:

means for transmitting to the mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

means for receiving from the mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

means for transferring the requested data to the mobile unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the mobile unit can receive the requested data

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication system transfers data to a plurality of mobile units, and wherein the switch control processor further includes:

means for selecting a first set of the plurality of mobile units for transferring data;

means for creating a batch file including registration information of the registration database for each of the first set of mobile units; and

means for transferring data to the first set of mobile units listed on the batch list using radio base stations identified by the registration information of the batch file

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for transferring data to the first set of mobile units further includes:

means for transmitting to the first set of mobile units a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

means for receiving from the first set of mobile units an acknowledgment signal indicating whether each mobile unit can receive the requested data, and

means for transferring the requested data to the first set of mobile units for which a corresponding acknowledgment signal was received indicating that the respective mobile unit can receive the requested data.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile unit further includes

means for transmitting re-registration information when the radio base station that the mobile unit is communicating with changes.

17. The system of claim 11, the switch control processor further including:

means for receiving from the mobile unit a call request identifying data that the mobile unit requests to transfer to the central station;

means for transmitting an acknowledgment signal to the mobile unit indicating whether the central station can receive the requested data, and

means for transferring the requested data to the central station when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the data transferred to the mobile unit is updates for application software of the mobile unit, and the central station further including:

means for receiving from the mobile unit an inventory message providing information on the status of the updated application software; and

means for determining whether the inventory message indicates whether the application software was updated correctly

19. The system of claim 18, the central station further including:

means for retransferring the data to the mobile unit when the application software was not updated correctly.

20. The system of claim 11, further including:

a network administration center for communicating with the mobile unit, the network administration center further including;

means for receiving from the mobile unit a request identifying data the mobile unit requests to transfer;

means for transmitting to the mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the network administration center can receive the requested data,

means for receiving from the mobile, through the central station, the requested data when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data

21. A method for transferring data in a mobile communication system, the communication system comprising a central station, a mobile unit and a plurality of radio base stations, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting from the mobile unit registration information, identifying a radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, for storage in a registration database located at the central station; and

receiving data from the central station using the radio base station identified by the registration information stored in the registration database.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of transmitting registration data further includes the substep of:

transmitting from the mobile unit registration information including an identification number of the mobile unit, the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, and the radio base station previously in communication with the mobile unit

23. The method of claim 21, further including the step of

receiving from the central station an acknowledgment signal verifying that the registration information was received by the central station

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving step further includes the substeps of:

receiving from the central station a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

transmitting to the central station an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

receiving from the central station the requested data when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the mobile unit can receive the requested data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein a plurality of mobile units receive data from the central station, and wherein prior to the receiving step the method includes the steps of:

selecting a first set of the plurality of mobile units for transferring data;

creating a batch file including registration information of the registration database for each of the first set of mobile units; and

receiving data, at each to the first set of mobile units listed on the batch list, using radio base stations identified by the registration information of the batch file

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of receiving data at the first set of mobile units further includes the substeps of

receiving at the first set of mobile units a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

transmitting to the central station an acknowledgment signal indicating whether each mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

receiving the requested data at the first set of mobile units for which a corresponding acknowledgment signal was received indicating that the respective mobile unit can receive the requested data.

27. The method of claim 21, further including the step of

transmitting to the central station re-registration information when the radio base station that the mobile unit is communicating with changes.

28. The method of claim 21, further including the steps of:

transmitting to the central station a call request identifying data that the mobile unit requests to transfer to the central station;

receiving from the central station an acknowledgment signal to the mobile unit indicating whether the central station can receive the requested data; and

transferring the requested data to the central station when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the data received by the mobile unit is updates for application software of the mobile unit, and wherein the method further including the steps of.

transmitting to the central station an inventory message providing information the status of the updated application software;

and

determining whether the inventory message indicates whether the application software was updated correctly.

30. The method of claim 29, further including the step of

receiving the data from the central station for a second time when the application software was not updated correctly.