Method and system for presence determination of mobile devices

• US 20060184623A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Inventors: Zabawskyj, Bohdan Konstantyn, Rahim, Rubens
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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

Abstract

Largely in response to the tremendous growth of allied presence services and applications to wireless users, an improved method and system for wireless subscriber presence determination is disclosed hereunder, which seeks to assuage the strain and impact on network resources which the existing art facilitate.

Claims

1. An improved system for determining the presence of a wireless and/or mobile station comprising:

means for receiving a request for a presence indication that said mobile station is active from a presence-based application;

means for establishing a notification trigger respective to said mobile station in said mobile network based on said request;

means for receiving a notification message responsive to said notification trigger from said mobile network, said message representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive;

means for providing contents of said notification message to said presence-based application.

2. A method of determining presence of a mobile station in a mobile network comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a presence indication that said mobile station is active from a presence-based application;

establishing a notification trigger respective to said mobile station in said mobile network based on said request;

receiving a notification message responsive to said notification trigger from said mobile network, said message representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive;

providing contents of said notification message to said presence-based application.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of, prior to said establishing step:

determining if said mobile station is active using a presence query mechanism;

receiving a presence message responsive to said presence query mechanism representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive.

terminating said method prior to performing said the steps if said presence message indicates said mobile station is active.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of, prior to said terminating step:

providing contents of said presence message to said presence-based application.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said presence query mechanism is generated according to the SS7 protocol.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said mobile network is based on the Global System for Mobile Communication (“

GSM”

); and

said presence query mechanism is an Any Time Interrogation query initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

) within said mobile network.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of establishing a notification trigger is based on short message service (“

SMS”

).

8. The method of claim 7 where said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said notification trigger is an SMSREQ query initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

) within said mobile network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said SMSREQ query includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, on to the specification identified as TIA TR45.2 IS-841 as amended from time to time.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said formatting is additionally based, at least in part, on specifications of said HLR.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said mobile network is based on GSM;

and wherein said notification trigger is a Report_SM_Delivery_Status message initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

).

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said Report_SM_Delivery_Status message includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, on to the specification identified as GSM 09.02 and GSM 03.40 as amended from time to time.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said formatting is additionally based, at least in part, on specifications of said HLR.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of, in association with said notification trigger, populating a Service Center Address parameter with an E.164 compliant number uniquely, such said notification message will be received from said HLR and addressed to an entity according to said E. 164 compliant number.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein when said notification message indicates said mobile station is inactive then said method further comprises the step of, in association with said notification message, populating a SM Delivery Outcome parameter with a bit sequence indicating said mobile station is not present.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein said notification message is based on short message service (“

SMS”

).

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said short message service is based on at least one of the specifications identified as TIA TR 45.2 IS-841, 3GPP2 N.S0024, GSM 03.40, and GSM 09.02 as amended from time.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said notification message is an SMS Notification message.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said SMS Notification message contains an identifier associated with said mobile station associated and an SMSADDR parameter indicating that communication with said mobile station has been achieved by said mobile network.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said mobile network is based on GSM;

and wherein said notification message is an Alert_Service_Centre message indicating that communication with said mobile station has been achieved by said mobile network.

21. The method of claim 2 wherein said request for presence indication includes a plurality of parameters;

said parameters including an identifier of said presence-based application, a subscriber identifier, and a transaction identifier.

22. The method of claim 3 wherein said presence query mechanism is generated according to the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (“

SCTP”

).

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said transaction identifier is used by said presence-based application to correlate said contents of said notification message.

24. The method of claim 2 wherein said request includes a request for a presence indication of at least one additional mobile station.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said mobile stations belong to a common subscriber and said request includes a request for a presence indication of said subscriber.

26. A method of determining presence of a mobile station in a mobile network comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a presence indication that said mobile station is active;

sending a first query into said mobile network in based on said request;

receiving a first query response to said first query from said network; and

,

if aid first query response indicates said mobile station is active then;

providing said presence indication based on said first query response;

if said first query response indicates said mobile station is not active then;

sending a second query into said mobile network for establishing a notification trigger;

receiving, a second query response based on said notification trigger;

said second query response received from said network and including said presence indication;

providing said presence indication based on said second query response.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of, prior to said step of sending said second query:

providing said presence indication based on said first query response.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said first query is generated according to at least one of the SS7 protocol and the Stream Control Transmission Protocol SCTP .

31. The method of claim 26 wherein said second query is based on short message service (“

SMS”

).

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said SMS is based on at least one of the specifications identified as TIA TR 45.2 IS-841, 3GPP2 N.S0024, GSM 03.40, and GSM 09.02 as amended from time.

33. The method of claim 31 where said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said second query is an SMSREQ query initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

) within said mobile network.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said SMSREQ query includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, according to the specification identified as TIA TR45.2 IS-841 as amended from time.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said formatting is additionally based, at least in part, on specifications of said HLR.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein said mobile network is based on GSM;

and wherein said second query is a Report_SM_Delivery_Status message initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

).

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said Report_SM_Delivery_Status message includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, according to the specification identified as GSM 09.02 and GSM 03.40 as amended from time.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said formatting is additionally based, at least in part, on specifications of said HLR.

39. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of, in association with said second query, populating a Service Center Address parameter with an E.164 compliant number uniquely, such said second query response will be received from said HLR will be and be addressed to an entity according to said E.164 compliant number.

40. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of, in association with said second query response, populating a SM Delivery Outcome parameter with a bit sequence indicating said mobile station is not present.

41. The method of claim 26 wherein said response to said second query is based on short message service (“

SMS”

).

43. The method of claim 41 wherein said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said second query response is an SMS Notification message.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said SMS Notification message contains an identifier associated with said mobile station associated and an SMSADDR parameter indicating that communication with said mobile station has been achieved by said mobile network.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein said mobile network is based on GSM;

and wherein said second query response is an Alert_Service_Centre message indicating that communication with said mobile station has been achieved by said mobile network.

46. The method of claim 26 wherein said request for presence indication is received from a presence-based application.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said request for presence indication includes a plurality of parameters;

said parameters including an identifier of said presence-based application, a subscriber identifier, and a transaction identifier.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein at least one of said steps of providing said presence indication based includes delivery of said presence indication to said presence-based application.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said request for presence indication includes a plurality of parameters;

said parameters including an identifier of said presence-based application, a subscriber identifier, and a transaction identifier; and

wherein said transaction identifier is used by said presence-based application to correlate said request for presence indication with said presence indication.

50. The method of claim 26 wherein said request includes a request for a presence indication of at least one additional mobile station.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said mobile stations belong to a common subscriber and said request includes a request for a presence indication of said subscriber.

29. The method of 28 wherein said mobile network is based on the Global System for Mobile Communication (“

GSM”

); and

said first query mechanism is an Any Time Interrogation query initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

) within said mobile network.

30. The method of 28 wherein said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said first query is an SMSREQ query initiated to a home location register HLR within said mobile network.

42. The method of 41 wherein said short message service is based on at least one of the specifications identified as TIA TR 45.2 IS-841, 3GPP2 N.S0024, GSM 03.40, and GSM 09.02 as amended from time.

52. A computer readable medium containing a set of programming instructions operable on a presence server connected to a mobile network;

said instructions for implementing a method of determining presence of a mobile station in a mobile network comprising the steps of;

receiving a request for a presence indication that said mobile station is active from a presence-based application;

establishing a notification trigger respective to said mobile station in said mobile network based on said request;

receiving a notification message responsive to said notification trigger from said mobile network, said message representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive;

providing contents of said notification message to said presence-based application.

53. An apparatus for determining presence of a mobile station in a mobile network comprising:

a presence server having an interface for connection to a presence-based application and said network;

said server operable to;

receive a request for a presence indication that said mobile station is active from a presence-based application;

establish a notification trigger respective to said mobile station in said mobile network based on said request;

receive a notification message responsive to said notification trigger from said mobile network, said message representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive;

provide contents of said notification message to said presence-based application.

54. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein said server is further operable to:

determine if said mobile station is active using a presence query mechanism;

receive a presence message responsive to said presence query mechanism representing whether said mobile station is active or inactive.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said server is further operable to providing contents of said presence message to said presence-based application.

56. A signal carried via a mobile network, said signal for determining presence of a mobile station in said mobile network comprising data representative of a notification trigger respective to said mobile station in said mobile network;

said notification trigger generated by a presence server based on a request from a presence-based application.

57. The signal of claim 56 wherein said notification trigger is based on short message service (“

SMS”

).

58. The signal of claim 57 where said mobile network is based on ANSI-41;

and wherein said notification trigger is an SMSREQ query initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

) within said mobile network.

59. The signal of claim 57 wherein said SMSREQ query includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, on to the specification identified as TIA TR45.2 IS-841 as amended from time to time.

60. The signal of claim 56 wherein said mobile network is based on GSM;

and wherein said notification trigger is a Report_SM_Delivery_Status message initiated to a home location register (“

HLR”

).

61. The signal of claim 60 wherein said Report_SM_Delivery_Status message includes content having formatting that is based, at least in part, on to the specification identified as GSM 09.02 and GSM 03.40 as amended from time to time.