Notify me service in wireless networks

• US 20060223584A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharma, Alok
• Application Number:
  US11/094,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223584A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/560
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A wireless network that provides notify me service for calls directed to called stations not currently registered on a network. A wireless network includes a network interface that serves a call from a calling station, and a called station network that serves a called station. The calling station initiates a call to the called station through the network interface to the called station network. The called station network determines that the called station is not currently registered on the network. Responsive to the called station not being registered, the network interface receives a notify me dialing instruction from the calling station and transmits a notify me dialing indicator to the called station network. The called station network determines when the called station registers, and transmits an indication for receipt by the calling station that the called station is registered.

Claims

1. A wireless network adapted to provide notify me service, said wireless network comprising:

a network interface adapted to serve a calling station;

a called station network adapted to serve a called station;

said network interface is adapted to receive a notify me dialing instruction from said calling station placing a call to said called station not currently registered;

said network interface transmits a notify me dialing indicator to said called station network;

said called station network is responsive to the reception of said notify me dialing indicator to determine if notify me service has been activated for said called station;

said called station network monitors said called station to determine when said called station registers; and

said called station network is responsive to said determination to transmit an indication for receipt by said calling station indicating that said called station is registered.

2. The wireless network of claim 1 further including a message center wherein:

said message center is adapted to receive an instruction from said called station network; and

said message center is responsive to the reception of said instruction to transmit a message to said calling station that said called station is registered.

3. The wireless network of claim 2 wherein said called station network includes:

a Home Location Register (HLR) for said called station;

said HLR generates said instruction and transmits said indication to said message center.

4. The wireless network of claim 3 wherein:

said HLR further generates content for said message and transmits said content with said instruction.

5. The wireless network of claim 4 wherein:

said message comprises at least one of a text message, a data message, or video.

6. The wireless network of claim 3 wherein:

said HLR includes a Primary Last Seen field for said called station;

said HLR reads said Primary Last Seen field to determine when said called station registers.

7. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein:

said network interface is adapted to receive a call setup message from said calling station and to transmit said call setup message to said called station network;

said called station network is adapted to determine that said called station is not registered responsive to the receipt of said call setup message;

said called station network is adapted to transmit an indication to said network interface indicating that said called station is not currently registered; and

said network interface transmits said indication that said called station is not currently registered to said calling station.

8. The wireless network of claim 1 wherein:

said network interface transmits a Mobile Station Identifier (MSID) of said calling station along with said notify me dialing indicator to said called station network.

9. A method of operating a wireless network for providing notify me service, said wireless network comprising a network interface adapted to serve a calling station, and a called station network adapted to serve a called station, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a notify me dialing instruction in said network interface from said calling station placing a call to said called station not currently registered;

transmitting a notify me dialing indicator from said network interface to said called station network;

determining if notify me service has been activated for said called station in said called station network responsive to the reception of said notify me dialing indicator;

monitoring said called station in said called station network to determine when said called station registers; and

transmitting an indication from said called station network for receipt by said calling station indicating that said called station is registered responsive to said determination.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said wireless network further includes a message center, the method further comprising the steps of:

receiving an instruction in said message center from said called station network; and

transmitting a message from said message center to said calling station that said called station is registered.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said called station network includes a Home Location Register (HLR) for said called station, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating said instruction in said HLR and transmitting said indication from said HLR to said message center.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the method includes the further steps of:

generating content for said message in said HLR and transmitting said content with said instruction.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

said message comprises at least one of a text message, a data message, or video.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said HLR includes a Primary Last Seen field for said called station, said step of monitoring said called station in said called station network to determine when said called station registers comprises:

reading said Primary Last Seen field in said HLR to determine when said called station registers.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a call setup message from said calling station in said network interface and transmitting said call setup message from said network interface to said called station network;

determining that said called station is not registered in said called station network responsive to the receipt of said call setup message;

transmitting an indication to said network interface indicating that said called station is not currently registered; and

transmitting said indication that said called station is not currently registered from said network interface to said calling station.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of transmitting a notify me dialing indicator from said network interface to said called station network comprises:

transmitting a Mobile Station Identifier (MSID) of said calling station along with said notify me dialing indicator to said called station network.

17. A wireless network adapted to provide notify me service, said wireless network comprising:

an originating Mobile Switching Center (O-MSC) that serves a calling station;

a Home Location Register (HLR) for a called station;

a serving Mobile Switching Center (S-MSC) that serves said called station; and

a message center;

said O-MSC receives a call from said calling station to said called station and transmits a query message to said HLR for said called station;

said HLR for said called station determines that said called station is powered off responsive to said query message, and transmits a response message to said O-MSC indicating that said called station is powered off;

said O-MSC indicates to said calling station that said called station is powered off, receives a notify me dialing instruction from said calling station, and transmits a notify me dialing indicator to said HLR for said called station;

said HLR for said called station receives said notify me dialing indicator, identifies when said called station powers on, and transmits an instruction to said message center;

said message center transmits a message, identifying that said called station powered on, to said calling station through said O-MSC responsive to said instruction.

18. The wireless network of claim 17 wherein said HLR for said called station transmits content for said message to said message center with said instruction.

19. The wireless network of claim 17 wherein said message comprises a text message.

20. The wireless network of claim 17 wherein said message center comprise one of a Short Message Service Center or a Multi-Media Center.