System and method for communicating a message using a cellular telephone network

• US 6,018,657 A
• Filed: 05/05/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iron Oak Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Highway Master Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Kennedy, William C. Jr., Kennedy, William C. III, Saunders, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Sheila B
• Application Number:
  US08/841,834
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/507, 455/517, 455/556, 455/557, 455/560, 455/426
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A communication system includes a cellular telephone network that provides communication services to messaging units. A network central controller (NCC) or gateway MSC couple the cellular telephone network to external devices. The communication system allows messaging between messaging units and between messaging units and external devices.

Claims

1. A system for communicating a message to a messaging unit using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

a messaging unit;

a serving mobile switching center providing service to the messaging unit, wherein the serving mobile switching center comprises a portion of the cellular telephone network;

a network central controller coupled to the serving mobile switching center, the network central controller having a first database that identifies the serving mobile switching center providing service to the messaging unit;

a device external to the cellular telephone network and coupled to the network central controller by a communication network, wherein the device generates a message for delivery to the messaging unit using the network central controller and the serving mobile switching center of the cellular telephone network; and

,

a second database of the network central controller to store messages for delivery to the messaging unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the serving mobile switching center receives the message from the network central controller and transmits the message in an overhead message stream to the messaging unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the serving mobile switching center receives the message from the network central controller and transmits the message in an overhead message stream of a plurality of selected cell sites to the messaging unit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an adjunct processor at the serving mobile switching center to format the message as an extended protocol message for transmission in the forward control channel to the messaging unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network central controller comprises a home mobile switching center of the messaging unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a public switched telephone network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a global computer network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the message comprises message data not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

10. A method for communicating a message to a messaging unit using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

generating a first message at a device external to the cellular telephone network;

receiving the first message at a network central controller;

generating a second message at the network central controller using the first message;

receiving the second message at a serving mobile switching center;

generating a third message at the serving mobile switching center using the second message; and

receiving the third message at the messaging unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the second message comprises:

extracting a first address identifying the messaging unit from the first message;

retrieving a second address identifying the serving mobile switching center from a database that associates the messaging unit to the serving mobile switching center; and

addressing the second message with the second address.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of generating the third message comprises:

extracting a first address identifying the messaging unit from the second message; and

addressing the third message with the first address.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting the third message in an overhead message stream.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting the third message in an overhead message stream of a plurality of selected cell sites defining a paging sector that includes the messaging unit.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting the third message as an extended protocol message in a forward control channel.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the device external to the cellular telephone network comprises a computer coupled to the network central controller using the public switched telephone network.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first message, the second message, and the third message comprise message data not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

18. A system for communicating messages containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

a first messaging unit;

a second messaging unit; and

a plurality of mobile switching centers of the cellular telephone network, each mobile switching center having a first mode to generate a remote message for delivery to another mobile switching center and a second mode to generate a local message for delivery to the second messaging unit, the remote message and the local message containing user data for delivery from the first messaging unit to the second messaging unit and wherein the remote message comprises an inbound indicator that specifies the progress of the remote message communicated through the mobile switching centers.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel to the second messaging unit.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel of a plurality of selected cell sites defining a paging sector that includes the second messaging unit.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile switching centers comprise:

a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit; and

a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile switching centers comprise:

a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

a home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

a home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit; and

a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the user data is not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

25. A method for communicating a message containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

communicating a first local message containing user data from a first messaging unit;

communicating a remote message containing the user data through a plurality of mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network;

communicating a second local message containing the user data to a second messaging unit; and

,

wherein the remote message comprises an inbound indicator that specifies the progress of the remote message communicated through the mobile switching centers.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel to the second messaging unit.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the second local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel of a plurality of selected cell sites defining a paging sector that includes the second messaging unit.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of communicating a remote message comprises communicating a remote message from a serving switching center of the first messaging unit to a serving switching center of the second messaging unit.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of communicating a remote message comprises:

communicating a first remote message from a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit to a home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

communicating a second remote message from the home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit to a home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit; and

communicating a third remote message from the home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit to a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the user data is not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

32. A method for processing a message received at a mobile switching center of a cellular telephone network, comprising:

receiving a message at a mobile switching center, the message having an originating address, destination address, and message data;

generating a remote message that addresses another mobile switching center if the mobile switching center does not serve the destination address; and

generating a local message that addresses the destination address if the mobile switching center serves the destination address.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating a local message comprises generating an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel to a messaging unit identified by the destination address.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating a local message comprises:

generating an extended protocol message containing the destination address and the user data;

selecting a plurality of cell sites associated with a sector containing a messaging unit identified by the destination address;

transmitting the extended protocol message in a forward control channel of the selected cell sites.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating a remote message further comprises generating a remote message that addresses a serving mobile switching center of the destination address.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating a remote message further comprises:

generating a first remote message that addresses a home mobile switching center of the originating address if the mobile switching center is a serving mobile switching center of the originating address; and

generating a second remote message that addresses a serving mobile switching center of the destination address if the mobile switching center is a home mobile switching center of the destination address.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating a remote message further comprises:

generating a first remote message that addresses a home mobile switching center of the originating address if the mobile switching center is a serving mobile switching center of the originating address;

generating a second remote message that addresses a home mobile switching center of the destination address if the mobile switching center is a home mobile switching center of the originating address; and

generating a third remote message that addresses a serving mobile switching center of the destination address if the mobile switching center is a home mobile switching center of the destination address.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the mobile switching center comprises a portion of an analog cellular telephone network.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the message further comprises an inbound indicator that specifies whether the mobile switching center is associated with the originating address.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the user data is not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

41. A system for communicating a message to a messaging unit using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

a messaging unit;

a serving mobile switching center providing service to the messaging unit, wherein the serving mobile switching center comprises a portion of the cellular telephone network;

a network central controller coupled to the serving mobile switching center, the network central controller having a first database that identifies the serving mobile switching center providing service to the messaging unit; and

,

a device external to the cellular telephone network and coupled to the network central controller by a communication network, wherein the device generates a message for delivery to the messaging unit using the network central controller and the serving mobile switching center of the cellular telephone network and wherein the communication network comprises a global computer network.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the serving mobile switching center receives the message from the network central controller and transmits the message in an overhead message stream to the messaging unit.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the serving mobile switching center receives the message from the network central controller and transmits the message in an overhead message stream of a plurality of selected cell sites to the messaging unit.

45. The system of claim 41, further comprising an adjunct processor at the serving mobile switching center to format the message as an extended protocol message for transmission in the forward control channel to the messaging unit.

46. The system of claim 41, further comprising a second database of the network central controller to store messages for delivery to the messaging unit.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein the network central controller comprises a home mobile switching center of the messaging unit.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the communication network comprises a public switched telephone network.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein the message comprises message data not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

50. A system for communicating messages containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

a first messaging unit;

a second messaging unit; and

a plurality of mobile switching centers of the cellular telephone network, each mobile switching center having a first mode to generate a remote message for delivery to another mobile switching center and a second mode to generate a local message for delivery to the second messaging unit, the remote message and the local message containing user data for delivery from the first messaging unit to the second messaging unit and wherein the mobile switching centers comprise;

a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit; and

a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the remote message comprises an inbound indicator that specifies the progress of the remote message communicated through the mobile switching centers.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel to the second messaging unit.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel of a plurality of selected cell sites defining a paging sector that includes the second messaging unit.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the user data is not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the mobile switching centers further comprising:

a home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit; and

a home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

57. A method for communicating a message containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

communicating a first local message containing user data from a first messaging unit;

communicating a remote message containing the user data through a plurality of mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network;

communicating a second local message containing the user data to a second messaging unit; and

,

wherein the step of communicating a remote message comprises communicating a remote message from a serving switching center of the first messaging unit to a serving switching center of the second messaging unit.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the cellular telephone network comprises an analog cellular telephone network.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the remote message comprises an inbound indicator that specifies the progress of the remote message communicated through the mobile switching centers.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the second local message comprises an extended protocol message for transmission in a forward control channel to the second messaging unit.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of communicating a remote message further comprises:

communicating a second remote message from the home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit to a home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit; and

communicating a third remote message from the home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit to a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.

62. The method of claim 57, wherein the user data is not associated with the operation of the cellular telephone network.

63. A system for communicating messages containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

a first messaging unit;

a second messaging unit; and

a plurality of mobile switching centers of the cellular telephone network, each mobile switching center having a first mode to generate a remote message for delivery to another mobile switching center and a second mode to generate a local message for delivery to the second messaging unit, the remote message and the local message containing user data for delivery from the first messaging unit to the second messaging unit and wherein the mobile switching centers comprise;

a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

a home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

a home mobile switching center enter of the second messaging unit.

64. A method for communicating a message containing user data between messaging units using a cellular telephone network, comprising:

communicating a first local message containing user data from a first messaging unit;

communicating a remote message containing the user data through a plurality of mobile switching centers in the cellular telephone network;

communicating a second local message containing the user data to a second messaging unit,

wherein the step of communicating a remote message comprises;

communicating a first remote message from a serving mobile switching center of the first messaging unit to a home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit;

communicating a second remote message from the home mobile switching center of the first messaging unit to a home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit; and

communicating a third remote message from the home mobile switching center of the second messaging unit to a serving mobile switching center of the second messaging unit.