Distributed data storage and delivery in a cellular telephone network
First Claim
1. A method for handling storage of subscriber data messages within a cellular telephone network including a home message center and a home location register for an addressee message entity, the network further including another message center, a first switching node and a second switching node, the second switching node serving the addressee message entity, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a subscriber data message transmitted to the addressee message entity at the first switching node;
forwarding the received subscriber data message from the first switching node, not to the home message center associated with the addressee message entity, but instead to the other message center;
storing the forwarded subscriber data message in the other message center; and
delivering the stored subscriber data message to the addressee message entity from the other message center through the second switching node.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Procedures are disclosed for supporting roaming subscriber mobile station access to stored subscriber data messages. In one aspect, a received subscriber data message is routed for storage and subsequent forwarding/retrieval, not to a “home” message center, but instead to a message center either optimally positioned with respect to a current known location of the subscriber mobile station or associated with an initially receiving mobile switching center. In another aspect, a mailbox established for a given subscriber mobile station in the home message center is transferred (perhaps on a periodic basis) for storage in a local mailbox of a proximate message center within a cellular telephone network where the subscriber is currently roaming. In either case, the storing message center thereafter performs any requisite operations needed to facilitate message forwarding to or retrieval by the addressee subscriber mobile station.
56 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for handling storage of subscriber data messages within a cellular telephone network including a home message center and a home location register for an addressee message entity, the network further including another message center, a first switching node and a second switching node, the second switching node serving the addressee message entity, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a subscriber data message transmitted to the addressee message entity at the first switching node;
forwarding the received subscriber data message from the first switching node, not to the home message center associated with the addressee message entity, but instead to the other message center;
storing the forwarded subscriber data message in the other message center; and
delivering the stored subscriber data message to the addressee message entity from the other message center through the second switching node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
querying a location database to determine an approximate location of the addressee message entity; and
processing the approximate location to identify the proximate message center.
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7. The method as in claim 5 further including the step of sending a notification of subscriber data message forwarding to the home message center, the notification sent by the proximate message center.
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8. The method as in claim 1 further including the step of sending a notification of subscriber data message forwarding to the home message center, the notification sent by a switching node of the cellular telephone network which initially received the subscriber data message transmitted to the addressee message entity and forwarded the subscriber data message to the other message center.
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9. The method as in claim 1 wherein the addressee message entity comprises a roaming subscriber mobile station.
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10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone network includes a first service network containing the home message center and a second service network containing the other message center.
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11. A wireless telephone network, comprising:
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a home location register;
a first switching node serving an addressee message entity;
a first message center assigned to a service provider to which an addressee message entity has subscripted for telephone service;
a second message center; and
a second switching node having connection capability with both the first and the second message center, the second switching node receiving a subscriber data message addressed to the addressee message entity and operating to forward the received subscriber data message not to the first message center but instead to the second message center. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for handling storage of subscriber data messages in a cellular telephone network, wherein the network comprises:
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a home network for an addressee message entity, the home network including a home location register storing addressee message entity related information and a home message center operating to store and forward subscriber data messages; and
another network including a message center operating to store and forward subscriber data messages; and
the method comprising the steps of;
receiving a subscriber data message transmitted to that addressee message entity;
forwarding the received subscriber data message, not to the home message center associated with the addressee message entity in the home network for the purpose of storage and delivery to the addressee message entity, but instead to the message center in the another network;
storing the forwarded subscriber data message in the message center for the another network; and
delivering the stored subscriber data message to the addressee message entity from the message center in the another network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
querying the home location register in the home network to determine an approximate location of the addressee message entity; and
processing the approximate location to identify the message center in the visited network.
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26. The method as in claim 24 further including the step of sending a notification concerning the forwarding of the subscriber data message to the message center in the another network, that notification being sent from the visited network to the home message center in the home network.
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27. The method as in claim 20 further including the step of notifying the home message center that the subscriber data message for the addressee message entity has been forwarded to and stored in the message center for the another network.
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28. The method as in claim 20 further including the step of storing the subscriber data message in the home message center of the home network to backup the storage made in the message center of the another network.
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29. A wireless telephone network, comprising:
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(a) a home network for an addressee message entity, comprising;
a home location register storing addressee message entity related information; and
a home message center operating to store and forward subscriber data messages;
(b) another network, comprising;
a message center operating to store and forward subscriber data messages; and
(c) a switching node having connection capability with both the home message center and the message center in the another network, the switching node receiving a subscriber data message addressed to the addressee message entity and operating to forward the received subscriber data message not to the home message center associated with the addressee message entity in the home network for the purpose of storage and delivery to the addressee message entity, but instead to the message center in the another network for the purpose of storage and delivery to the addressee message entity. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification