Integration of voice and data services provided to a mobile wireless device

• US 6,304,753 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Technologies Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Hartmaier, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/116,507
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/413, 455/414, 455/412, 455/426, 455/422, 455/550, 455/551, 455/560, 455/424, 455/552, 455/433, 455/435, 455/45, 370/352, 370/351, 370/356, 370/338, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A telecommunication network node which integrates the voice and data services provided to a wireless mobile unit. The network node receives a request for information along with a voice network identification of the mobile unit via the signaling portion of the voice network. The network node performs a database lookup to determine a data network address of the mobile unit. This data network address may be a permanent data network address or a temporary data network address. The network node sends the information request to a data network service provider, whereby the request may be enhanced with information added by the network node. Upon receipt of the requested information from the data network service provider, the network node forwards the information to the mobile unit via the data network using the data network address.

Claims

1. A method for providing data information that is routed through a data network to a wireless unit in response to a data request that is made by the wireless unit over a voice network, comprising the steps of:

assigning a data network address and a voice network address to said wireless unit thereby causing said wireless unit to be simultaneously present upon said data network and the voice network, wherein the voice network address is used to route voice calls to the wireless unit;

receiving the voice network address of said wireless unit at a network service node as part of a data request by the wireless unit, wherein the data request is sent via the voice network;

performing a database lookup to retrieve said data network address of said wireless unit using said voice network address, wherein said data network address and said voice network identifier are associated with the same wireless device; and

transmitting requested data information to the wireless unit through said data network using said data network address without establishing a voice connection to the wireless unit in response to the data request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said voice network address is received via a signaling portion of said telephony network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a first data information request from said wireless Unit.

4. The method for claim 3, wherein said first data information request is initiated by digits dialed on the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

said network service node sending a second data information request to a data network information server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

said network service node adding information to said second request for information, wherein said added information was not included in said first request for information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

said network service node receiving information from an information server via said data network; and

wherein said information transmitted to said data network address for the wireless device comprises said information received from said information server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting further comprises the step of transmitting packet data using internet protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said data network address is a permanent data network address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said data network address is a temporary data network address.

11. A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions capable of execution on a computer system for controlling the operation of a telecommunication network node and for routing packet data over a data network to a wireless device in response to a data request from the wireless device, said computer program instructions defining the steps of:

receiving a voice network address of the wireless device as part the of the data request, wherein said data request is sent via the voice network and wherein the voice network address is used to establish voice call connections with the wireless device;

performing a database lookup to retrieve a data network address of said wireless device using said voice network address, wherein said data network address has been previously assigned to said mobile unit; and

sending packet data corresponding to information that was requested by the wireless device, wherein the packet data is routed through said data network using said data network address without establishing a voice connection to the wireless device in response to the data request.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

receiving a first request for data information, the first request including the voice network address.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

sending a second request for data information to a data network information server, the second request for data information based on said first request for data information.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

adding information to said second request for data information, wherein said added information was not included in said first request for data information.

15. A telecommunications network node for providing information to a wireless device in response to information requests from the wireless device, comprising:

a computer processor coupled to a data network and to a voice network;

a memory connected to said computer processor for storing computer program instructions for execution on said computer processor, said computer program instructions defining the steps of;

receiving an information request from the wireless device, the information request being sent over the voice network and including a voice network address for the wireless device;

performing a database lookup to retrieve a data network address for the wireless device, wherein said data network address and the voice network address have been previously assigned to said wireless device; and

sending packet data to the wireless device using the data network address to route the packet data, wherein the packet data comprises information provided in response to the information request from the wireless device without establishing a voice connection to the wireless device in response to the information request.

16. The telecommunications network node of claim 15, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

receiving a first information request in the form of digits dialed on the wireless device.

17. The telecommunications network node of claim 16, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

sending a second information request to a data network information server, the second information request based on said first information request.

18. The telecommunications network node of claim 17, further storing computer program instructions defining the steps of:

adding information to said second information request, wherein said added information was not included in said first information request.

19. A method of providing requested information to a wireless device, the wireless device capable of communication with both voice networks and data networks via a wireless network connection, the wireless device having a voice network identifier that is used to establish communications via the voice network and a corresponding data network identifier that is used to establish communications via the data network, the method comprising:

receiving a command from the wireless device via the voice network, the command including the voice network identifier;

identifying the command as a request for information that is to be sent to the wireless device;

correlating the voice network identifier to the corresponding data network identifier for the wireless device;

obtaining the requested information; and

sending the requested information to the wireless device via the data network using the data network identifier to route the information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the data network address is a temporary address on the data network that is assigned following receipt of the information request command.