Solving mobile station identity in a multi-SIM situation

• US 20040185888A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Serge, Haumont
• Application Number:
  US10/391,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for contacting a user having a plurality of mobile stations that share at least one common mobile station integrated services digital network number (MSISDN). Contact instructions include respective addresses for two or more of the user'"'"'s mobile stations, if there has been an attempt to contact a single address that is among one or more common addresses.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising the steps of:

receiving a query regarding a single address,

determining whether said single address is the common address, and if so returning contact instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address in response to the query, and

contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, according to the contact instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact instructions include respective addresses for two or more mobile stations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if said single address is determined not to be the common address, then the step of returning contact instructions returns contact instructions for contacting only one mobile station, using said single address.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one common address consists of only one common address,

wherein the plurality of mobile stations includes a primary mobile station,

wherein the respective addresses include an address for the primary mobile station that is identical to the only one common address, and

wherein each address used in the method is a mobile station integrated services digital network number (MSISDN).

5. A method of providing a message to a collection of mobile terminals having a common subscriber, comprising the steps of:

providing a message signal, indicative of a message for delivery to a common address,

sending a rules query signal in response to the message signal,

providing delivery rules or mobile station capability or both in response to the rules query signal, and

delivering the message to at least one of the mobile terminals, in response to, and in a manner consistent with, rules prescribed by the delivery rules or the mobile station capability or both.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of providing the delivery rules or the mobile station capabilities or both is performed by examining a subscriber profile, determining if the subscriber profile is indicative of a multi-SIM subscriber, and if so then checking how to deliver the message to the subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that delivery shall be only to a primary mobile station within the collection.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that notification of the message shall be to all mobile stations in the collection, with delivery of the message only to a mobile station that answers first.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that delivery shall be only to mobile stations that are connected to a network, but if all the mobile stations that share said common address are disconnected, then delivery shall be to a primary mobile station.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that delivery shall be to all terminals in the collection of mobile terminals.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that notification shall be provided sequentially to one mobile terminal in the collection after another, until the message is downloaded.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivery rules specify that delivery shall only be to one or more mobile stations in the collection that have a certain capability.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of providing the delivery rules is performed by also consulting a subscriber identification register to determine if mobile terminals in the collection are connected to a network, and if so determining one or more respective internet protocol (IP) addresses.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of delivering a message is also in response to information about what type of message is to be delivered.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of sending a backup notification signal via short messaging, if the message did not elicit a confirmation signal.

16. A system for communicating with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising:

a proxy, for sending a query regarding a single address; and

a profile server, responsive to the query, for determining whether said single address is the common address, and if so returning contact instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address,

wherein the proxy is also for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, in response to the contact instructions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact instructions include respective addresses for two or more mobile stations.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the profile server is configured to return contact instructions for contacting only one of the plurality of mobile stations, using said single address, if said single address is determined not to be the common address.

19. The system of claim 16,

wherein the at least one common address consists of only one common address,

wherein the plurality of mobile stations includes a primary mobile station,

wherein the respective addresses include an address for the primary mobile station that is identical to the only one common address, and

wherein each address used in the system is a mobile station integrated services digital network number (MSISDN).

20. A system of providing a message to a collection of mobile terminals having a common subscriber, comprising:

an initiator, for providing a message signal indicative of a message targeted toward a common address;

a proxy, responsive to the message signal, for sending a rules query signal; and

a profile server, responsive to the rules query signal, for providing delivery rules or mobile station capability or both,

wherein the proxy is also for delivering the message to at least one of the mobile terminals, in response to, and in a manner consistent with, rules prescribed by the delivery rules or the mobile station capability or both.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the profile server is furthermore for providing the delivery rules or the mobile station capabilities or both by examining a subscriber profile, determining if the subscriber profile is indicative of a multi-SIM subscriber, and if so then checking how to deliver the message to the subscriber.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that delivery shall be only to a primary mobile station within the collection.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that notification of the message shall be to all mobile stations in the collection, with delivery of the message only to a mobile station that answers first.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that delivery shall be only to mobile stations that are connected to a network, but if all the mobile stations that share said common address are disconnected, then delivery shall be to a primary mobile station.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that delivery shall be to all terminals in the collection of mobile terminals.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that notification shall be provided sequentially to one mobile terminal in the collection after another, until the message is downloaded.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules specifying that delivery shall only be to one or more mobile stations in the collection that have a certain capability.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the profile server is for providing the delivery rules by also consulting a subscriber identification register to determine whether mobile terminals in the collection are connected to a network, and to determine respective internet protocol (IP) addresses.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the proxy is for delivering the message also in response to information about what type of message is to be sent.

30. The system of claim 20, further comprising a short message system, and wherein the proxy is also for sending a backup notification signal to the short message system, if the message did not elicit a confirmation signal.

31. A proxy for facilitating communication with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising:

means for sending a query regarding a single address;

means to receive instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address, on condition that the single address is the common address; and

means for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, in response to the instructions.

32. A profile server for communicating with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising:

means for receiving a query regarding a single address;

means for determining whether said single address is the common address, and if so returning contact instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address.

33. Proxy software for facilitating communication with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising:

code for sending a query regarding a single address;

code to receive instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address, on condition that the single address is the common address; and

code for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, in response to the instructions.

34. Profile server software for communicating with at least one of a plurality of mobile stations that share a common address, comprising:

code for receiving a query regarding a single address;

code for determining whether said single address is the common address, and if so returning contact instructions for contacting the at least one of the plurality of mobile stations that share said common address.