Message control method in a two-way communication system

• US 6,353,382 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hymel, James Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian A
• Application Number:
  US09/184,691
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.21, 340/7.23, 340/7.29, 340/825.22, 370/471
• US Class Current: 340/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability

Abstract

A method is for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system (100). The method includes steps of receiving (205) and storing (210) a restriction command. The steps are performed in a system controller (112). The restriction command is received from a selective call radio. The restriction command is applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel. The method also includes a step of transmitting, in which messages are transmitted on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio, according to the stored restriction command. The method includes steps that describe restriction commands for restricting messages that exceed a maximum length (505-540) and for keeping a transmission rate below a maximum value (425-465).

Claims

1. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller truncates the messages that are longer than the maximum message length; and

receiving an exception command for a class of messages, wherein in the step of transmitting, the system the controller does not truncate the messages that are in the class of messages.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of receiving an exception command and the step of transmitting, the class is one of the classes of priority messages, numeric-only messages, messages from identified sources, and messages that include identified words.

3. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message length;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller truncates the messages that are longer than the maximum message length, wherein an indication of an amount of message truncation is included in a truncated message.

4. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message length;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller truncates the messages that are longer than the maximum message length, wherein an indication of an untruncated message length is included in a truncated message.

5. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message length;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller holds any of the messages that are longer than the maximum message length; and

purging, on a periodic basis, the messages that have been held.

6. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message length;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller holds any of the messages that are longer than the maximum message length, wherein the system controller further notifies the selective call radio of an amount of the messages that are held because they are longer than the maximum message length.

7. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel, wherein the restriction command is a maximum message rate;

storing the restriction command; and

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command, wherein the system controller holds a number of the messages sufficient to achieve a message transmission rate that is less than or equal to the maximum message rate.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of receiving an exception command for a class of messages, wherein in the step of transmitting, the system controller does not hold the messages that are in the class of messages.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in the step of receiving an exception command and the step of transmitting, the class is one of the classes of priority messages, numeric-only messages, messages from identified sources, and messages that include identified words.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting further comprises the step of notifying the selective call radio of the number of the messages held.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

purging, on a periodic basis, the messages that have been held.

12. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command;

transmitting a tariff change message intended for the selective call radio that indicates a tariff change duration, after the step of receiving from a selective call radio the restriction command; and

receiving a restriction override command automatically transmitted from the selective call radio in response to receipt of the tariff change message, when an tariff change option has been selected in the selective call radio,

wherein in the step of transmitting messages, the messages are transmitted with a predetermined default restriction for the tariff change duration.

13. A method for controlling outbound messages in a two-way communication system, comprising in a system controller the steps of:

receiving from a selective call radio a restriction command applicable to outbound messages intended for transmission on a channel;

storing the restriction command;

transmitting messages on the channel that are intended for the selective call radio according to the stored restriction command; and

transmitting an indication of the restriction command to a message source.