Time division multiple access downlink personal communications system voice and data debit billing method

• US 6,185,198 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Inventors: LaDue, Christoph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Min
• Application Number:
  US09/302,274
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/337, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/522, 370/277, 370/280, 455/422, 455/450
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service

Abstract

A method and apparatus for full-duplex data communication in or for a wireless communications network, such as a cellular network, PCS network, or mobile satellite network, where a remote feature access control operation utilizes a switch to reserve and route selected voice channels or traffic channels in response to the remote feature access control operation. The method comprising the steps of: configuring a mobile switching center (MSC) to route the selected voice channels to a multi-port protocol converter (MPPC) for transmitting a selected data message on the selected voice channel. Transmitting the selected data message via the multi-port protocol converter on the selected voice channel via a data messaging channel during the remote feature access control operation. Then the selected data message is received at a communicator, which is communicatively linked to a reverse voice and/or digital traffic channel of the wireless network, thereby providing for both forward and reverse messaging on the wireless communications network. An apparatus is disclosed for data communication in or for a wireless communications network for transmitting and receiving both forward and reverse voice, traffic, and control channel messages utilizing the disclosed methodology.

Claims

1. A method for communicating application specific messages between a communicator and a central monitoring station (CMS) over a telecommunications network that includes voice channels and a control channel, wherein the voice channels convey data messages and the control channel conveys control messages that manage access to and use of the voice channels, the method comprising:

a) obtaining an application specific message at the communicator, the application specific message comprising application specific data;

b) encoding a message in a sequence of digits associated with a control message to create an encoded message;

c) encoding a remote feature control request (RFCR) in the sequence of digits associated with the control message to invoke the forwarding of the sequence of digits, including the encoded message, by a local telecommunications switching center (LTSC) upon detecting the RFCR;

d) transmitting the control message and the associated sequence of digits to the LTSC over the control channel, bypassing the voice channels;

e) assigning a voice channel between the LTSC and the communicator in response to the LTSC receiving the control message;

f) detecting the RFCR in the sequence of digits associated with the control message at the LTSC;

g) establishing a first and a second communications channel between the LTSC and the CMS, and forwarding the RFCR and the encoded message over the first communications channel to the CMS in response to detecting the RFCR;

h) decoding the encoded message at the CMS;

i) transmitting data messages, including the application specific message, between the communicator and the CMS via the voice channel, LTSC, and the second communications channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining an application specific message at the communicator includes:

a) transmitting the application specific message from a remote monitoring device to the communicator; and

b) receiving the application specific message at the communicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises an alarm system, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving data specifying a status of an alarm system at the communicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a tracking system, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving tracking data from the tracking system at the communicator.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a utility meter, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving a reading from the utility meter at the communicator.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote monitoring device is a two-way paging device, and receiving an application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving a response to a page from a two-way paging device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein encoding a message in a sequence of digits associated with a control message comprises encoding the message in a sequence of digits associated with a call origination message.

8. A method for communicating messages between a cellular mobile radio (CMR) communications device and a central monitoring device (CMD) over a cellular telephone network that includes wireless digital traffic channels and inter cellular serving area network channels, wherein the digital traffic channels comprise data traffic channels for transmitting voice and data signals and a control channel for transmitting control signals that manage access to and use of the data traffic channels, the method comprising

a) inserting a message in a sequence of digits to be transmitted by the CMR communications device in conjunction with transmitting a call origination message;

b) encoding a remote feature control request (RFCR) in the sequence of digits to invoke the forwarding of the sequence of digits, including the message, by a serving mobile switching center (MSC) upon detecting the RFCR;

c) transmitting the call origination message and the sequence of digits to the serving MSC over the control channel, bypassing the data traffic channels, the call origination message specifying a mobile identification number (MIN) identifying the CMR communications device;

d) assigning a data traffic channel between the serving MSC and the CMR communications device in response to the serving MSC receiving the call origination message;

e) analyzing the call origination message and the sequence of digits at the serving MSC and detecting the RFCR;

f) establishing an inter cellular serving area network channel and a communications channel between the serving MSC and the CMD, and forwarding the RFCR and the message over the inter cellular serving area network channel to the CMD, in response to detecting the RFCR, wherein the inter cellular serving area network channel is determined by the MIN;

g) receiving the RFCR and the message at the CMD and extracting the message;

h) transmitting a data message comprising application specific data between the CMR communications device and the CMD via the data traffic channel, the serving MSC, and the communications channel.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the following, before inserting a message in a sequence of digits,

a) transmitting an application specific message comprising application specific data from a remote monitoring device coupled in communication with the CMR communications device; and

b) receiving the application specific message at the CMR communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises an alarm system, and receiving the application specific message at the CMR communications device comprises receiving data specifying a status of an alarm system at the CMR communications device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a tracking system, and receiving the application specific message at the CMR communications device comprises receiving tracking data from the tracking system at the CMR communications device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a utility meter, and receiving the application specific message at the CMR communications device comprises receiving a reading from the utility meter at the CMR communications device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote monitoring device is a two-way paging device, and receiving an application specific message at the CMR communications device comprises receiving a response to a page at the CMR communications device from the two-way paging device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the application specific message comprises a response to a command from the CMD received via a paging network broadcast channel.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the application specific message comprises a response to a command from the CMD received via a satellite communications channel.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the application specific message comprises a response to an instruction received from the CMD over a time division multiple access (TDMA) digital broadcast control channel.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the application specific message comprises a response to an instruction received from the CMD over a code division multiple access (CDMA) digital broadcast control channel.

18. A method for communicating messages between a communicator and a central monitoring station (CMS) over a mobile satellite communications network that includes voice channels and a control channel, wherein the voice channels convey data messages and the control channel conveys control messages that manage access to and use of the voice channels, the method comprising:

a) obtaining an application specific message at the communicator, the application specific message comprising application specific data;

b) encoding a message in a sequence of digits associated with a control message to create an encoded message;

c) encoding a remote feature control request (RFCR) in the sequence of digits associated with the control message to invoke the forwarding of the sequence of digits, including the encoded message, by a local mobile satellite communications switching center upon detecting the RFCR;

d) transmitting the control message and the associated sequence of digits to the local mobile satellite communications switching center over the control channel, bypassing the voice channels;

e) assigning a voice channel between the local mobile satellite communications switching center and the communicator in response to the local mobile satellite communications switching center receiving the control message;

f) detecting the RFCR in the sequence of digits associated with the control message at the local mobile satellite communications switching center;

g) establishing a first and a second communications channel between the local mobile satellite communications switching center and the CMS, and forwarding the RFCR and the encoded message over first communications channel to the CMS in response to detecting the RFCR;

h) decoding the encoded message;

i) transmitting a data message comprising the application specific message between the communicator and the CMS via the voice channel, local mobile satellite communications switching center, and the second communications channel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein obtaining an application specific message at the communicator includes:

a) transmitting the application specific message from a remote monitoring device to the communicator; and

b) receiving the application specific message at the communicator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises an alarm system, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving data specifying a status of an alarm system at the communicator.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a tracking system, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving tracking data from the tracking system at the communicator.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote monitoring device comprises a utility meter, and receiving the application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving a reading from the utility meter at the communicator.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote monitoring device is a two-way paging device, and receiving an application specific message at the communicator comprises receiving a response to a page from a two-way paging device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein encoding the message in a sequence of digits associated with a control message comprises encoding the message in a sequence of digits associated with a call origination message.