Message transmission system

• US 6,085,099 A
• Filed: 08/25/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Generaldirektion Ptt
• Inventors: Hertel, Joachim, Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/916,793
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 379/356, 379/357, 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 455/422, 455/426, 455/550, 455/560, 455/466, 455/445, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

The system for transmitting messages is used in a mobile radio telephone network (1) having a number of terminals (4, 9). The terminals may be either permanently allocated to a specific user or allocated to a specific user by means of a chip card insertable in the terminal. At least two terminals can enter into voice or data communication with one another in the mobile radio telephone network. The mobile radio telephone network comprises at least one center (8) for controlling the message transmission, each message being a data communication in which data telegrams containing a standardized data header are exchanged. For processing special services according to a special procedure accessible only to a certain authorized subscribers, the data telegram comprises an identification code in addition to the standardized data header. A central unit (10) associated with the center and at least some of the terminals have units for generating data telegrams provided with the identification code. The central unit for the special services, as well as authorized terminals or authorized chip cards, are equipped with a filter (12.1, 12.2), preferably a software filter, for recognizing the identification code. The possibility is thus offered not only of transmitting any desired bit streams in transparent mode according to GSM Phase 2, but also of sending data and executable instructions to or receiving them from authorized subscribers without having to change internationally established standards.

Claims

1. In a system for transmitting messages in a communication network for voice and data processing of the type having a plurality of terminals, each allocated to a specific user or capable of being allocated to a specific user by means of a data carrier insertable therein, at least two of said terminals being capable of entering into voice or data communication with one another, and having at least one center for controlling message transmission within said communication network, each message transmission being a data communication including an exchange of standard data telegrams containing a standardized data header, an improvement comprising:

an identification code appended to said standardized header in one or more of said standard data telegrams without otherwise modifying said standardized header such that existing equipment lacking means for recognizing the identification code operates in accordance with the header without regard for the appended code, while equipment that includes means for recognizing the identification code looks for an appended code in addition to said standardized data header, the addition of the identification code to the standard data telegram creating what are known as special data telegrams,

at least one central unit within said communication network,

means included in said at least one central unit and in at least some of said terminals for generating said special data telegrams for transmission either from said central unit to at least one of said terminals or from one of said terminals to said central unit, and

a plurality of functionally corresponding filters for recognizing standard data telegrams and special data telegrams, one of said filters being respectively associated with said central unit and one with each of said at least some of said terminals, said filters being provided for informing said central unit or said terminal that special data telegrams are to be processed according to a special, not otherwise accessible procedure, and that standard data telegrams are to be processed according to a standard procedure, enabling an application protocol between said terminals and said central unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a digitally operating communication network according to the GSM standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a digitally operating communication network according to the DCS 1800 standard.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said terminals and each said data carrier comprise storage means, each of said filters associated with said terminals being a software module contained in a said storage means.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said data carrier is a chip card and at least some of said terminals are mobile radio telephones, each of said mobile radio telephones comprising means for exchanging data with said chin card.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said special data telegrams are parts of a said message, each message comprising a plurality of said special data telegrams, said identification code in each of said special data telegrams indicating the total number of said special data telegrams in said message and specifying the position of each said special data telegram within said message.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of said terminals and each said data carrier comprise storage means, further comprising checking means for causing each of said special data telegrams forming a said message to be stored in a said storage means and for deferring further processing of said special data telegrams until the complete said message is stored in said storage means.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said identification code follows said standardized data header.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said identification code comprises a security code, further comprising modules for managing authorization data of individual subscribers authorized to transmit messages containing said identification code and for calculating, encoding, and checking said security code, said modules being associated with said central unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said security code includes the value of a random number, said random number being a function of said message.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said special data telegrams are components of special services offered by the provider of said communication network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said special data telegrams contain message information in encoded form.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of logic modules, each logic module associated with a unique identification code and a unique special service to be performed.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said special data telegrams contain executable instructions.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said standard data telegrams include data telegrams for transmitting short messages by the standardized SMS, and defined according to the GSM standard.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein said security code includes the value of a random number, said random number being a function of said message.

16. In a system for transmitting messages in a communication network for voice and data processing having a plurality of terminals, each allocated to a specific user or capable of being allocated to a specific user by means of a data carrier insertable therein, at least two of said terminals being capable of entering into voice or data communication with one another, having at least one center for controlling message transmission within said communication network, each message transmission being a data communication including an exchange of standard data telegrams containing a standardized data header having an internationally standardized identification code for establishing the identity of the subscriber and the authenticity of the message, and having at least one central unit in said communication network, at least some of said terminals and said central unit having means for generating said data header of said standard data telegrams, said standard data telegrams being transmitted either from said central unit to at least one of said terminals or from one of said terminals to said central unit, said central unit and said at least some of said terminals including facilities for checking said data header, an improvement comprising:

a further identification code;

definable by the provider of said communication network, appended to said standardized header in one or more of said standard data telegrams without otherwise modifying said standardized header such that existing equipment lacking means for recognizing the identification code operates in accordance with the header without regard for the appended code, while equipment that includes means for recognizing the identification code looks for an appended code in addition to said standardized header, the addition of the identification code to the standard data telegram creating what are known as special data telegrams,

means included in said at least one central unit and in said at least some of said terminals for generating said further identification code, and

a plurality of functionally corresponding filters for recognizing standard data telegrams and special data telegrams having said further identification code, and causing messages associated with said special data telegrams to be processed according to a special, not otherwise accessible procedure, and for causing messages associated with said standard data telegrams to be processed according to a standard procedure, enabling an application protocol between said terminals and said central unit,

said further identification code comprising a security facility defined by said provider so as to identify special messages, said further identification code being contained in said special data telegrams immediately following said standardized data header.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication network is a digitally operating communication network according to the GSM standard.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication network is a digitally operating communication network according to the DCS 1800 standard.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein each of said terminals and each said data carrier comprise storage means, each of said filters associated with said terminals being a software module contained in a said storage means.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said data carrier is a chip card and at least some of said terminals are mobile radio telephones, each of said mobile radio telephones comprising means for exchanging data with said chip card.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said special data telegrams are parts of a said message, each message comprising a plurality of said special data telegrams, said identification code in each of said special data telegrams indicating the total number of said special data telegrams in said message and specifying the position of each said special data telegram within said message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each of said terminals and each said data carrier comprise storage means, further comprising checking means for causing each of said special data telegrams forming a said message to be stored in a said storage means and for deferring further processing of said special data telegrams until the complete said message is stored in said storage means.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein said identification code comprises a security code, further comprising modules for managing authorization data of individual subscribers authorized to transmit messages containing said identification code and for calculating, encoding, and checking said security code, said modules being associated with said central unit.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein said special data telegrams are components of special services offered by said provider of said communication network.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein said special data telegrams contain message information in encoded form.

27. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of logic modules, each logic module associated with a unique identification code and a unique special service to be performed.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein at least some of said special data telegrams contain executable instructions.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein said standard data telegrams include data telegrams for transmitting short messages by the standardized SMS, and defined according to the GSM standard.