Method for indicating that a text message is present in a message central module of a mobile radiotelephone network

• US 6,351,648 B1
• Filed: 03/29/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Systems Technologies S.a.r.l. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Karapetkov, Stefan, Scotto Di Carlo, Vincenzo, Muller, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/269,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/414, 455/466, 455/412, 455/424, 455/426, 455/38.4, 455/67.4, 455/67.7, 455/70, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method for indicating the presence of a text message in a mobile radiotelephone network if the recipient is registered as a subscriber both in the mobile radiotelephone network and in another communication network as a subscriber. It is provided that the availability of the subscriber in the other communication network is stored in the database, which is allocated to the subscriber, of the mobile radiotelephone network, and in wherein message central module communicates a message concerning the presence of a text message for the subscriber to a control module of the other communication network (PISN), and wherein this control module thereupon causes the displaying of an item of information concerning the presence of a text message in the message central module of the mobile radiotelephone network to a terminal apparatus allocated to the subscriber within the other communication network.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a text message that has been received in a message central module of a public mobile radio telephone network to a subscriber registered as a subscriber both in the mobile radio telephone network and in a second communication network which is of a different network type than the mobile radio telephone network, a location of the subscriber being stored in a database allocated to the subscriber, wherein the text message is delivered to the subscriber if the subscriber can be reached within the mobile radiotelephone network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the presence of the text message to be delivered to the subscriber;

checking in the mobile radiotelephone network whether the subscriber can be reached within the mobile radiotelephone network;

storing the availability of the subscriber in the second communication network in the database allocated to the subscriber;

communicating a message, via the message central module, concerning the presence of the text message for the subscriber to a control module of the second communication network; and

causing the displaying of an item of information, via the control module, concerning the presence of the text message in the message central module of the mobile radiotelephone network at a terminal apparatus allocated to the subscriber within the second communication network.

2. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

communicating a message concerning the presence of the text message for the subscriber to the control module of the second communication network via the message central module if the subscriber cannot be reached within the mobile radiotelephone network.

3. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking the availability of the subscriber in the second communication network; and

communicating a message, via the message central module, concerning the presence of the text message for the subscriber to the control module of the second communication network if the availability of the subscriber in the second communication network is recognized by the message central module.

4. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, wherein only the availability in principle of the subscriber in the second communication network is stored in the database allocated to the subscriber.

5. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, wherein a current availability of the subscriber in the second communication network is stored in the database allocated to the subscriber.

6. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of:

communicating to the mobile radiotelephone network, via the second communication network, a separate message concerning the current availability of the subscriber in the second communication network.

7. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

causing a check of a current availability of the subscriber in the second communication network, via the message central module of the mobile radiotelephone network, given the presence of the text message to be delivered to the subscriber.

8. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

enabling the subscriber to be reached both in the mobile radiotelephone network and in the second communication network with the aid of a terminal apparatus that can be switched between wireless operation and mobile radiotelephone operation; and

automatically switching the terminal apparatus into mobile radiotelephone mode after receipt of an item of information concerning the presence of the text message in the message central module of the mobile radiotelephone network.

9. A method for delivering a text message as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

communicating a confirmation message to the control module of the second communication network after the delivery of a text message, via the message central module of the mobile radiotelephone network, if a message concerning the presence of the text message for the subscriber previously has been communicated to the control module.