Methods and apparatus for providing delayed transmission of SMS delivery acknowledgement, manual acknowledgement and SMS messages

• US 5,878,351 A
• Filed: 11/07/1996
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Willhoff, Steven, Alanara, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Willis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T.
• Application Number:
  US08/747,019
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/414, 455/418, 455/458, 455/412, 455/561, 455/550, 455/514
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method is disclosed for operating a cellular communications system of a type that comprises a Base Station/Mobile Switching Center/Interworking function (BMI), a message center (MC), and at least one mobile station. The method includes the steps of transmitting a point-to-point message (e.g., a SMS message), or a point-to-multipoint message (e.g., a Broadcast SMS message), from the MC via the BMI to the mobile station; buffering an acknowledgement message in the mobile station when it is determined by the mobile station that the acknowledgement message either cannot be transmitted, or cannot be transmitted in its entirety; and then subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message when transmission becomes possible. Also disclosed is a method for buffering user-originated SMS messages in the mobile station until the SMS message can be transmitted to the network.

Claims

1. A mobile station having a receiver for receiving one of a point-to-point or a point-to-multipoint message from a cellular network, a transmitter, a memory, and a user interface, said mobile station further comprising a controller responsive to a received message for storing the received message in the memory and for subsequently delivering the stored message to a user with said user interface, said controller being operable for determining if the delivered message requires an acknowledgement message to be transmitted back to the cellular network, and if an acknowledgement message is required to be transmitted, for determining if the acknowledgement message can be transmitted and, if not, for buffering the acknowledgement message in the memory for transmission when the acknowledgement message can be transmitted, said controller being operable for subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message when the controller determines that the acknowledgement message can be transmitted.

2. A mobile station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the message and acknowledgement message use an R-Data message.

3. A mobile station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message, and wherein the acknowledgement message is one of a SMS Delivery Acknowledgement message or a SMS Manual Acknowledgement message.

4. A mobile station as set forth in claim 1, wherein said controller includes means for time-tagging a buffered acknowledgement message with a time that the message was delivered, and wherein the controller, when automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message, appends the time to the acknowledgement message.

5. A mobile station having a transmitter for transmitting a point-to-point message to a cellular network, a receiver, a memory, and a user interface, said mobile station further comprising a controller responsive to input from a user for composing a point-to-point message, said controller being further responsive to said receiver for determining if the composed message can be transmitted to the cellular network and, if not, for buffering the composed message in the memory for transmission when the message can be transmitted, said controller being further operable for subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered message when the controller determines that the message can be transmitted.

6. A mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein the message is transmitted as an R-Data message.

7. A mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein the message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

8. A mobile station as set forth in claim 5, wherein said controller is further operable, when the message cannot be transmitted, for querying the user for at least one delayed transmission parameter and for storing at least one user-entered delayed transmission parameter in the memory, said controller subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered message in accordance with the stored at least one delayed transmission parameter.

9. A method for operating a cellular communications system of a type that comprises a Base Station/Mobile Switching Center/Interworking function (BMI), comprising the steps of:

transmitting one of a point-to-point or a point-to-multipoint message from the BMI to a mobile station;

receiving, storing, and subsequently delivering the message with the mobile station;

determining if the delivered message requires an acknowledgement message to be transmitted;

if an acknowledgement message is required, determining if the acknowledgement message can be transmitted;

if not, buffering the acknowledgement message in the mobile station for transmission when the acknowledgement message can be transmitted; and

subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message when the mobile station determines that the acknowledgement message can be transmitted.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the steps of transmitting use an R-Data message.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message, and wherein the acknowledgement message is one of a SMS Delivery Acknowledgement message or a SMS Manual Acknowledgement message.

12. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of buffering includes a step of time-tagging the buffered acknowledgement message with a time that the message was displayed, and wherein the step of automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message includes a step of appending the time to the acknowledgement message.

13. A method for operating a mobile station of a type that is operable with a cellular communications system, comprising the steps of:

composing a point-to-point message in the mobile station;

determining if the composed message can be transmitted to the cellular communications system;

if not, buffering the composed message in the mobile station for transmission when the message can be transmitted; and

subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered message when the mobile station determines that the message can be transmitted.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting uses an R-Data message.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

16. A method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of buffering includes the steps of:

querying a user for at least one delayed transmission parameter;

storing at least one user-entered delayed transmission parameter in the mobile station; and

subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered message in accordance with the stored at least one delayed transmission parameter.

17. A method for operating mobile station operable with a cellular communications system, comprising the steps of:

composing a point-to-point Short Message Service (SMS) message in the mobile station;

determining if the composed SMS message can be transmitted;

if not, buffering the composed SMS message in the mobile station for transmission when the buffered SMS message can be transmitted;

prompting the user to enter a time up to which the buffered SMS message can be transmitted;

storing the entered time;

periodically determining if the buffered SMS message can be transmitted; and

subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered message when the mobile station determines that the message can be transmitted, and that the current time is not later than the stored time.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of periodically determining also determines if the current time is later than the stored time and, if it is, the method includes a step of notifying the user that the buffered SMS message was not transmitted before the stored time.

19. A method for operating a cellular communications system of a type that comprises a digital cellular network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting one of a point-to-point or a point-to-multipoint SMS message from the network to a mobile station;

receiving, storing, and subsequently delivering the SMS message with the mobile station;

determining if the delivered SMS message requires a SMS acknowledgement message to be transmitted;

if a SMS acknowledgement message is required, determining if the SMS acknowledgement message can be transmitted, the step of determining if the SMS acknowledgement message can be transmitted including a step of determining at least one of (a) if a current network, if any, to which the mobile station is coupled though an RF channel supports the transmission of the SMS acknowledgement message, or (b) if current RF channel conditions support the transmission of the SMS acknowledgement message;

if not, buffering the SMS acknowledgement message in the mobile station for transmission when the SMS acknowledgement message can be transmitted; and

automatically transmitting the buffered SMS acknowledgement message when it is determined that the SMS acknowledgement message can be transmitted.

20. A method for operating a cellular communications system of a type that comprises a network and at least one mobile station capable of bidirectional wireless communications with the network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a Cellular Messaging Teleservice (CMT) message from the network to the mobile station;

receiving the message, storing the message, and subsequently delivering the message to a user of the mobile station, the step of delivering including a step of determining if the delivered message requires an acknowledgement message to be transmitted to the network;

if an acknowledgement message is required to be transmitted, generating an acknowledgement message and then determining if the acknowledgement message can be transmitted at the current time;

if not, buffering the acknowledgement message in the mobile station for transmission at a time when the acknowledgement message can be transmitted; and

subsequently automatically transmitting the buffered acknowledgement message when the mobile station automatically determines that the acknowledgement message can be transmitted.