Automatic call generator with a mobile telecommunications network based upon mobile subscriber's location

• US 5,819,180 A
• Filed: 07/31/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Alperovich, Vladimir, Valentine, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOFOCLEOUS, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US08/690,560
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/456, 455/457, 455/459, 455/426, 455/462, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A mobile subscriber enters a service code followed by a called party number. An application module associated with a mobile station stores the received called party number at an attached Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. After determining that the mobile station has traveled into the designated home zone, the application module retrieves the stored called party number and automatically originates an outgoing call towards the called party number. By waiting until the mobile station has entered the home zone, the resulting call connection avoids additional air time charges.

Claims

1. A method for automatically originating an outgoing call connection from a mobile station within a mobile telecommunications system, wherein said mobile station is associated with a home zone, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said mobile station an indication from the mobile subscriber to originate an outgoing call towards a particular called party number;

initially determining whether said mobile station is currently within said home zone; and

in response to an affirmative determination,

transmitting from said mobile station a radio signal requesting an outgoing call connection towards said called party number;

otherwise

storing said called party number within a memory associated with said mobile station;

periodically determining whether said mobile station has traveled into said home zone; and

in response to an affirmative determination,

retrieving said called party number from said memory; and

transmitting from said mobile station a radio signal requesting an outgoing call connection towards said called party number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said indication includes a service code followed by said called party number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile station further comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and said step of storing said called party number comprises the step of storing said called party number within a memory associated with said SIM card.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of periodically determining whether said mobile station has traveled into said home zone further comprises the steps of:

receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) Cell Broadcast (CB) over a control channel; and

determining whether zone data included in said SMS CB is same as the home zone associated with said mobile station.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said home zone comprises a Cell Area (CA).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said home zone comprises a Location Area (LA).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said home zone comprises a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) associated with said mobile station.

8. A method for originating a call connection request from a mobile station within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), said mobile station being associated with a particular home zone location within said PLMN, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at said mobile station a request to originate a call towards a called party number;

storing said called party number at a memory associated with said mobile station;

determining whether said mobile station is located within said home zone;

in response to an affirmative determination, transmitting a call connection request containing said called party number from said mobile station to a base station subsystem (BSS) serving said mobile station.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of receiving said request further comprises the steps of:

determining that said mobile station is currently within said home zone; and

transmitting a call connection request containing said called party number to a base station subsystem (BSS) serving said mobile station directly without storing said called party number.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of receiving said request comprises the step of first receiving a service code followed by said called party number.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said mobile station further comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card storing identification number representing said home zone, and said step of determining whether said mobile station is within said home zone further comprises the step of receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) including Cell Broadcast information over a control channel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of determining whether said mobile station is within said home zone further comprises the step of comparing said Cell Broadcast information with said identification number stored in said STM card.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said mobile station further comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and said step of storing said called party number comprises the step of storing said called party number at said SIM card.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of transmitting said call connection request by said mobile station further comprises an initial step of receiving a confirmation from a mobile subscriber to originate the call.

15. A system for originating a call connection request from a mobile station within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), said mobile station associated with a particular location within said PLMN as a home zone, said system comprising:

means for receiving at said mobile station a request to originate a call towards a called party number;

means for storing said called party number at a memory unit associated with said mobile station;

means for receiving a signal over a control channel identifying the current location of said mobile station;

means for determining whether said current location is the same as said home zone;

in response to an affirmative determination, means for transmitting a call connection request containing said called party number from said mobile station to a base station subsystem (BSS) serving said mobile station.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for receiving said request further comprises:

means for determining that said mobile station is currently within said home zone; and

means for directly transmitting a call connection request with said called party number to a base station subsystem (BSS) serving said mobile station.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for receiving said request comprises means for receiving a service code followed by said called party number.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said mobile station further comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, and said means for storing said called party number comprises means for storing said called party number at said SIM card.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said mobile station further comprises a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card storing identification number representing said home zones and said means for receiving said signal over said control channel comprises means for receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) including Cell Broadcast information.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said means for determining whether said current location is said home zone further comprises means for comparing said Cell Broadcast information with said identification number stored in said SIM card.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said means for transmitting said call connection request by said mobile station further comprises means for receiving a mobile subscriber confirmation to originate the call.