Method and apparatus for updating a mobile station parameter set

• US 6,374,100 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Jeffrey D., Shah, Ketan, Wieczorek, Alfred A., Moyers, Randall A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/268,570
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/432, 455/461, 455/422, 455/426, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/445, 455/517, 455/551, 455/552
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile station (102) contains a local personality database (110) in a memory (306) of the mobile station. The local personality database contains information records (400), at least one of which has a variable personality parameter, such as a directory number (404). The directory number may change with either the time of day, geographic location, or both. At the appropriate time, the mobile station transmits a request to a central office (106) to receive an update of the directory number. The central office searches a parameter database (112) to find the most recent directory number, and returns it to the mobile station, which stores it for use at a later time. The system can also update scan and channel lists in the same manner.

Claims

1. A method for updating a mobile station personality of a mobile station from a fixed equipment network, comprising:

requesting a personality update by the mobile station, including indicating a variable personality parameter to be updated;

searching a database of variable system parameters to find a current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter, the database being part of the fixed equipment network;

transmitting to the mobile station the current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter;

storing the current system parameter in the mobile station in a memory location of a local personality database corresponding to the variable personality parameter; and

referring to the variable personality parameter with a fixed alias;

wherein the requesting is performed upon a request by a user of the mobile station and the searching and transmitting are performed automatically.

2. A method for updating as defined by claim 1, wherein the requesting is performed during a registration procedure.

3. A method for updating as defined in claim 1, wherein the variable personality parameter to be updated is a call list variable.

4. A method for updating as defined in claim 1, wherein the variable personality parameter to be updated is a scan list variable.

5. A method for updating as defined in claim 1, wherein the variable personality parameter to be updated is a channel list variable.

6. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a fixed equipment network, comprising;

a base station for establishing a serving cell;

a central office operably coupled to the base station and having a database for storing variable system parameters; and

a mobile station having a memory, a local personality database stored in the memory, the local personality database including at least one fixed personality parameter and at least one variable personality parameter;

wherein the at least one variable personality parameter is updated by requesting and receiving from the fixed equipment network at least one current system parameter corresponding to the at least one variable personality parameter, and said requesting is performed without regard to geographic location.

7. A mobile communication system as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one variable personality parameter includes a call list variable.

8. A mobile communication system as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one variable personality parameter includes a scan list variable.

9. A mobile communication system as defined in claim 6, wherein the at least one variable personality parameter includes a channel list variable.

10. A method for updating a mobile station personality of a mobile station from a fixed equipment network, comprising:

requesting a personality update by the mobile station, including indicating a variable personality parameter to be updated;

searching a database of variable system parameters to find a current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter, the database being part of the fixed equipment network;

transmitting to the mobile station the current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter;

storing the current system parameter in the mobile station in a memory location of a local personality database corresponding to the variable personality parameter; and

referring to the variable personality parameter with a fixed alias;

wherein the requesting is performed periodically without regard for geographic location.

11. A method for updating a mobile station personality of a mobile station from a fixed equipment network, comprising:

requesting a personality update by the mobile station, including indicating a variable personality parameter to be updated;

searching a database of variable system parameters to find a current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter, the database being part of the fixed equipment network;

transmitting to the mobile station the current system parameter corresponding to the variable personality parameter;

storing the current system parameter in the mobile station in a memory location of a local personality database corresponding to the variable personality parameter; and

referring to the variable personality parameter with a fixed alias;

wherein the requesting is performed according to a schedule, and without regard to geographic location.