Method for transmitting information between mobile stations and a communication network

• US 6,198,923 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Buettner, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/014,113
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/67.1, 455/68, 455/435, 455/466, 455/426, 455/557, 455/450, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a method for transmitting information between mobile stations and a communication network operating according to the method, equipment information identifying additional devices respectively connected to a mobile station is provided by the mobile station and is sent to the communication network, and the equipment information received by the communication network is stored and checked before the allocation of switching-based and/or radio-based resources for a connection setup to the mobile station. The communication network thus is informed about the equipping of the mobile stations with additional devices, so that, before the occupation and allocation of components and transmission capacity, it can already be decided at the network whether it makes sense to execute a particular service (such as e.g. telefax or data service) to the mobile station, or, alternatively, to reject it immediately because the mobile station, on the basis of the equipment information stored for it, is not capable of receiving the information which is proposed to be sent out via the radio interface. By evaluation of the equipment information stored in the communication network concerning connected additional devices, it is possible at the network to carry out the transmission of information, and in particular the allocation of resources, more economically.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information via a radio interface between at least one mobile station, to which a subscriber has access, and a communication network, said communication network including radio-based components and switching-based components, said method comprising the steps of:

prior to a connection setup from said communication network to said mobile station, formulating equipment information at a mobile station identifying any additional devices connected to said mobile station;

prior to a connection setup from said communication network to said mobile station, transmitting said equipment information from said mobile station to said communication network;

prior to a connection setup from said communication network to said mobile station, receiving said equipment information from said mobile station at said communication network and storing said equipment information at said communication network; and

during a connection setup from said communication network to said mobile station, checking the stored equipment information from said mobile station before allocating at least one of said switching based components and said radio-based components for said connection, and allocating said at least one of said switching based components and said radio-based components dependent only on said stored equipment information previously transmitted from said mobile station.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of transmitting a signaling message from said mobile station to said communication network during commissioning of said mobile station, and including said equipment information in said signaling message.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of transmitting a signaling message from said mobile station to said communication network during commissioning of said mobile station, and transmitting said equipment information in a subsequent signaling message from said mobile station to said communication network after said signaling message during commissioning.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising the additional steps of:

connecting at least one of said additional devices to said mobile station; and

as soon as said at least one of said additional devices is connected to said mobile station, transmitting said subsequent signaling message from said mobile station to said communication network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mobile station and said communication network communicate according to the GSM standard, and wherein the step of transmitting said equipment information from said mobile station to said communication network comprises inserting said equipment information into a message transmitted from said mobile station to said communication network according to the GSM standard.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting said equipment information from said mobile station to said communication network comprises transmitting said equipment information from said mobile station to said communication network in a non-GSM standardized signaling message.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of formulating said equipment information comprises selecting information, for inclusion in said equipment information, from the group consisting of an identification of which additional devices are connected to said mobile station, identification of whether an additional device is currently connected to said mobile station, and a purpose for which said mobile station with at least one of said additional devices connected thereto is used by said subscriber.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional steps of:

connecting at least one of said additional devices to said mobile station via an interface terminal via which an operational readiness status of said at least one of said additional devices is communicated to said mobile station; and

including said operational readiness status of said at least one of said additional devices in said equipment information transmitted from said mobile station to said communication network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of providing a mobile radio telephone network as said communication network, and providing a home location register in said mobile radio telephone network;

and

wherein the step of storing said equipment information comprises storing said equipment information in said home location register.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of providing a mobile radio telephone network as said communication network, and providing a visitor location register in said mobile radio telephone network;

and

wherein the step of storing said equipment information comprises storing said equipment information in said visitor location register.

11. A communication network for exchanging information via a radio interface with at least one mobile station to which a subscriber has access, said communication network comprising:

a plurality of radio-based components;

a plurality of switching-based components;

said radio-based components including means for receiving equipment information from said at least one mobile station identifying any additional devices connected to said at least one mobile station;

means for storing said equipment information at said communication network; and

control means for, before producing a connection to said at least one mobile station, checking said equipment information stored in said means for storing and allocating at least one of said radio-based components and said switching-based components dependent only on said previously transmitted equipment information stored in said means for storing.

12. A communication network as claimed in claim 11 wherein said receiver means comprises means for receiving updated equipment information from said at least one mobile station upon a modification of additional devices connected to said at least one mobile station, and wherein said means for storing comprises means for replacing said equipment information stored in said means for storing with said updated equipment information.