METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SMS BASED TICKET NUMBER SERVICE OVER FEMTOCELL ACCESS POINT

• US 20100317380A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netsia, Inc. (Levent Yapilandirma Yönetimi Telekomünikasyon AS)
• Original Assignee: Argela-Usa, Inc. (Levent Yapilandirma Yönetimi Telekomünikasyon AS)
• Inventors: Shah, Tushar, ERGEN, MUSTAFA, Assilian, Rafi, Singaravelan, Singaraselvan, Oktay, Oguz
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A Femtocell Access Point (FAP) is used to provision a ticket number service. Customers approach the FAP and are given a ticket number indicating their place in the queue through an SMS message. Follow up SMS messages are sent updating the customer of their current position in line, as well as when it is their turn. Statistics may be generated from information gathered at the FAP and sent to an external client module.

Claims

1. A method for providing ticket number service through a Femtocell Access Point (FAP) via Short Message Service (SMS), said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a subscriber user equipment to attach to said FAP, said request containing an identifier associated with a subscriber;

generating a ticket number indicative of said subscriber'"'"'s place in a queue for service; and

sending an SMS message comprising said ticket number to said subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said SMS message further comprises an indication of the position of the subscriber in the queue.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of sending an update SMS message comprising an indication of an updated position of the subscriber in the queue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said update SMS message comprises an indication that a subscriber action is required.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said update SMS message comprises an indication of estimated wait time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a message with said identifier to an external client module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier is a phone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said subscriber user equipment is a mobile telephone.

11. The FAP of claim 9, wherein said SMS message is sent through one of:

said short range wireless interface or said network interface.

12. The FAP of claim 9 wherein said SMS message further comprises an indication of the position of the subscriber in the queue.

13. The FAP of claim 11, wherein said SMS module can generate and send an update SMS message comprising an indication of an updated position of the subscriber in the queue.

14. The FAP of claim 12, wherein said update SMS message comprises an indication that a subscriber action is required.

15. The FAP of claim 12, wherein said update SMS message comprises and indication of estimated wait time.

16. The FAP of claim 9, wherein said subscriber user equipment is a mobile telephone.

7. The method of step 1, wherein said SMS message is sent through one of:

said FAP or a core network.

10. A Femtocell Access Point (FAP), said FAP comprising:

a short range wireless interface that allows communication with a subscriber user equipment;

a backhaul network interface that allows communication with a core network;

an SMS module that can generate a ticket number indicative of said subscriber'"'"'s place in a queue for service in response to an attach request from said subscriber user equipment, and send an SMS message comprising said ticket number to said subscriber.

17. A method for providing ticket number service through a Femtocell Access Point (FAP) via Short Message Service (SMS), said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a subscriber'"'"'s mobile telephone to attach to said FAP when said mobile telephone is brought within one meter of said FAP, said request comprising a telephone number associated with a subscriber;

generating a ticket number indicative of said subscriber'"'"'s place in a queue for service;

sending a message to an external client module, said message comprising said telephone number and said ticket number;

sending an SMS message comprising said ticket number to said subscriber;

sending periodic update SMS messages comprising updated indications of the subscriber'"'"'s position in the queue; and

sending a final update SMS message comprising an indication that a subscriber action is required.