System and method for providing subscriber presence information in a dispatch network

• US 20060058025A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Barrow, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,142,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for providing subscriber presence information in a dispatch network is disclosed. In an embodiment of the method, presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber is provided to a home location register. A presence message is provided to a presence server related to the subscription information. A presence status is provided to a party by the presence server. In an embodiment of the system, a home location register stores a subscriber presence table. The presence table includes presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber. A dispatch application processor (DAP) is coupled to the home location register and the DAP retrieves the presence subscription information for a subscriber registered in the DAP. The DAP provides a presence message to the presence server and the presence server provides a presence status to a communications medium.

Claims

1. A method for providing subscriber presence information in a dispatch network, the method comprising the acts of:

providing presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber to a home location register presence table wherein the subscription information includes a presence parameter;

setting a condition for the presence parameter;

providing a presence message to a presence server of the dispatch network related to the presence parameter if the condition for the presence parameter is set as a positive condition; and

providing a presence status to a party by the presence server related to the presence message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the act of storing the presence subscription information in a subscriber presence table in the home location register.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch registration field.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered onto the dispatch network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is a packet data registration field.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered onto a packet data portion of the dispatch network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is an internet protocol (IP) registration field.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered for IP service in the dispatch network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch call state.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is involved in a dispatch call.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is a packet data call state.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is involved in a packet data session.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch complex registration field.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered in a dispatch complex and, if registered, the presence status identifies the dispatch complex.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the subscriber presence table includes an IP address of the presence server for a dispatch complex.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of providing a presence status to a party includes the act of providing the presence status to a computer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of providing a presence status to a party includes the act of providing the presence status to a communications medium that is connected to the dispatch network through an interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the communications medium is an internet chatroom.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the communications medium is an instant messaging session.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the communications medium is a short messaging service session.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of providing a presence message to the presence server includes the acts of:

retrieving the presence subscription information from the home location register by a dispatch application processor of the dispatch network in which the subscriber is registered; and

providing the presence message to the presence server by the dispatch application processor.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the acts of:

registering the subscriber in a second dispatch application processor of the dispatch network;

retrieving the presence subscription information from the home location register by the second dispatch application processor; and

providing a second presence message to a second presence server of the dispatch network by the second dispatch application processor if the condition for the presence parameter is set as a positive condition.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of providing a second presence status to the party by the second presence server related to the presence message.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of providing a second presence status to a second party by the second presence server related to the presence message.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the first dispatch application processor and the second dispatch application processor each serve a different geographic area of the dispatch network.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the presence message is provided to the presence server by the dispatch application processor in a session initiation protocol (SIP) format.

27. The method of claim 2 wherein the subscriber presence table includes an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number of the subscriber.

28. The method of claim 2 wherein the subscriber presence table includes a Universal Fleet Member Identification (UFMI) number of the subscriber.

29. A system for providing subscriber presence information in a dispatch network, comprising:

a home location register including a memory coupled to the dispatch network;

a subscriber presence table stored within the memory of the home location register, wherein the presence table includes presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber and wherein the subscription information includes a presence parameter;

a dispatch application processor (DAP) coupled to the home location register, wherein the DAP retrieves the presence subscription information from the home location register for a subscriber registered in the DAP; and

a presence server coupled to the DAP;

wherein the DAP provides a presence message to the presence server related to the presence parameter if a condition for the presence parameter is set as a positive condition and wherein the presence server provides a presence status related to the presence message to a communications medium.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the communications medium is a computer.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the communications medium is connected to the dispatch network through an interface.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the communications medium is an internet chatroom.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the communications medium is an instant messaging session.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the communications medium is a short messaging service session.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch registration field.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered onto the dispatch network.

37. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is a packet data registration field.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered onto a packet data portion of the dispatch network.

39. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is an internet protocol (IP) registration field.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered for IP service in the dispatch network.

41. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch call state.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is involved in a dispatch call.

43. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is a packet data call state.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is involved in a packet data session.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence parameter is a dispatch complex registration field.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the presence status indicates whether the subscriber is registered in a dispatch complex and, if registered, the presence status identifies the dispatch complex.

47. The system of claim 29 wherein the subscriber presence table includes an IP address of the presence server for a dispatch complex.

48. The system of claim 29 wherein the presence message is in a session initiation protocol (SIP) format.

49. The system of claim 29 wherein the subscriber presence table includes an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number of the subscriber.

50. The system of claim 29 wherein the subscriber presence table includes a Universal Fleet Member Identification (UFMI) number of the subscriber.