System for providing message waiting notification updates in a cellular communication network

• US 20040266403A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Boland, Richard Robert, McCormick, Mark Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

The message waiting notification update system is operable in the serving Mobile Switching Center and, upon receipt of a message-waiting acknowledgement from the mobile subscriber station, updates the local copy of the subscriber'"'"'s data in the Visited Location Register and forwards this information to the subscribers Home Location Register. The Home Location Register stores this received data for use when the next successive Registration Notification is received from a new serving Mobile Switching Center or in response to the subscriber initiating a local access. When the serving Mobile Switching Center receives a Registration Notification message return result from the subscriber'"'"'s Home Location Register and the message waiting notification count is the same as the count previously sent to the Home Location Register, the serving Mobile Switching Center does not have to transmit a message waiting notification over the forward control channel to the mobile subscriber station.

Claims

1. A message waiting notification update system, operable in a cellular communication network, for maintaining a count of the unread messages stored for a subscriber who uses a mobile subscriber station, comprising:

subscriber profile means for storing data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber;

subscriber acknowledgement means for storing data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber; and

message notification means, responsive to the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting data to said subscriber indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

Home location register means, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home mobile switching center, for maintaining a profile for said subscriber comprising a set of data that identifies said subscriber, service authorizations for said subscriber, said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

registration means, operable in a serving Mobile Switching Center and responsive to said subscriber initiating a registration process from a mobile subscriber station at said serving Mobile Switching Center, for transmitting a registration request message to said Home Location Register means, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center; and

registration notification result means for transmitting said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber to said serving Mobile Switching Center.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

register update means for storing said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in a visited location register associated with said serving Mobile Switching Center.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

registration cancellation means, responsive to said registration means, operable in said serving Mobile Switching Center, initiating said registration process and another Mobile Switching Center having said subscriber profile in a visited location register associated with said another Mobile Switching Center, for transmitting a registration cancellation message to said another Mobile Switching Center to remove said subscriber profile from said visited location register associated with said another Mobile Switching Center.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

registration update means, responsive to said registration cancellation message, for transmitting a message to said Home Location Register means, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber; and

register update means operable in said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center for updating said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location Register means.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said message notification means comprises:

registration means, operable in a serving Mobile Switching Center and responsive to said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber indicating the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting data to said mobile subscriber station indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

registration update means, responsive to said mobile subscriber station acknowledging receipt of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting a message to said Home Location Register means, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center acknowledging receipt by said mobile subscriber station of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber; and

register update means operable in said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center for updating said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location Register means.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

Home Location Register update means, responsive to a change in said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber to said serving Mobile Switching Center.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

register update means for storing said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in a visited location register associated with said serving Mobile Switching Center.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said message notification means comprises:

registration means, operable in a serving Mobile Switching Center and responsive to said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber indicating the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting data to said mobile subscriber station indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

registration update means, responsive to said mobile subscriber station acknowledging receipt of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting a message to said Home Location Register means, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center acknowledging receipt by said mobile subscriber station of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber; and

register update means operable in said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center for said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location Register means.

13. A method of providing a message waiting notification update, operable in a cellular communication network, for maintaining a count of the unread messages stored for a subscriber who uses a mobile subscriber station, comprising:

storing subscriber profile data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber;

storing subscriber acknowledgement data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber; and

transmitting, in response to the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, message notification data to said subscriber indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

maintaining in a Home Location Register, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center, a profile for said subscriber comprising a set of data that identifies said subscriber, service authorizations for said subscriber, said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, from a serving Mobile Switching Center and in response to said subscriber initiating a registration process from a mobile subscriber station at said serving Mobile Switching Center, a registration request message to said Home Location Register, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center; and

transmitting registration notification data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber to said serving Mobile Switching Center.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

storing register update data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in a visited location register associated with said serving Mobile Switching Center.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting, in response to said registration process and another Mobile Switching Center having said subscriber profile in a visited location register associated with said another Mobile Switching Center, a registration cancellation message to said another Mobile Switching Center to remove said subscriber profile from said visited location register associated with said another Mobile Switching Center.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting, in response to said registration cancellation message, a registration update message to said Home Location Register, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center, indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber; and

updating in said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location register.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of message notification comprises:

transmitting, from a serving Mobile Switching Center and in response to said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber indicating the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, registration data to said mobile subscriber station indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting, in response to said mobile subscriber station acknowledging receipt of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, a registration update message to said Home Location Register, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center acknowledging receipt by said mobile subscriber station of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber; and

updating said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location Register.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting, in response to a change in said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, said Home Location Register update data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber to said serving Mobile Switching Center.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

storing said register update data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in a visited location register associated with said serving Mobile Switching Center.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said message notification means comprises:

transmitting, from a serving Mobile Switching Center and responsive to said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, and said data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber indicating the presence of unread messages in excess of those identified in said present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber, registration data to said mobile subscriber station indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

registration update means, responsive to said mobile subscriber station acknowledging receipt of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber, for transmitting a message to said Home Location Register, associated with said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center acknowledging receipt by said mobile subscriber station of said data indicative of a present count of unread messages for said subscriber; and

updating, in said subscriber'"'"'s home Mobile Switching Center, said register update data indicative of a present count of acknowledged unread messages for said subscriber in said Home Location Register.