Method of informing a subscriber in a radio telephone system of facilities activated for the subscriber station

• US 5,678,195 A
• Filed: 10/27/1994
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyryla, Hannu, Suikkola, Rauno
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/325,292
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/59, 455/33.1, 379/59, 379/60, 379/188, 379/189, 379/200, 379/212
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• 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 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking 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

Abstract

A method for use in a radio system that includes a subscriber database containing data informing of facilities activated for the subscriber, exchanges, base stations and subscriber stations. In order to keep the subscriber stations informed of the facilities activated therefor, the facility data for a given subscriber station are read from the subscriber data base of the radio system and the data are sent as a facility data message through a base station via a radio path to the subscriber station, the subscriber station receives the message containing the facility data and presents these data to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for informing a subscriber in a mobile communications system, of facilities activated for a mobile station serving the subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a mobile communication system in which there is at least one exchange which serves at least one base station and there is at least one mobile station serving a respective subscriber and arranged to move into and out of an area served by said at least one base station;

(b) effectively associating a mobile subscriber database with said at least one exchange, and operating that database in such a manner as to keep the data base updated with facility data as to at least one of facilities and services activated for and, thus, available to each said respective subscriber;

(c) upon occurrence of an event related to a respective said mobile station, said event being one of;

(i) an attempt by the respective subscriber or respective mobile station to use a service or facility which is not activated for the respective mobile station,

(ii) a location updating of the respective mobile station in relation to said system or said base station,

(iii) elapsing of a given amount of time, and

(iv) coming into existence of free signalling capacity in said system, effectively in relation to transmission to the respective said mobile station, reading respective facility data from said data, and causing sending by the respective exchange of a respective said base station, over a radio path, from that base station to the respective said mobile station, of a facility data message containing respective said facility data;

(d) receiving by the respective said mobile station of said facility data message; and

(e) displaying by the respective said mobile station to the respective said subscriber, of at least some of the facility data received in said facility data message, including information as to status of activation for the respective mobile station, as used by the respective subscriber, of at least one of call transfer, and call restriction as to barring of at least one of long distance and international calls, barring of at least one of incoming and outgoing calls, and barring of all except emergency calls.