Wireless telecommunication system having subscriber advanced personal service

• US 6,393,274 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Peltonen, Miika P
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldetatios, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US09/327,935
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/417, 455/418, 455/422, 455/428, 455/458, 455/432, 455/435, 455/445, 455/439, 455/437, 455/414, 370/310, 370/338, 370/312
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The method has steps of (a) formulating a request in a mobile station (10) for a particular type of service (an Advanced Personal Service or APS request) that is offered by a network (32) for a particular subscriber or that is offered by another party; (b) transmitting the request to the network over a radio channel; (c) interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, determining contact information (such as a telephone number of a data network address) for a destination location that will fulfil the request; and (d) using the determined contact information, connecting the mobile station to the destination location. In one embodiment the contact information is found in a database (33), while in another embodiment the contact information is created by modifying a telephone number sent with the request (e.g., the called subscriber'"'"'s normal telephone number) into a second telephone number (e.g. the called subscriber'"'"'s voice mail number). In a first embodiment the request is transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from the mobile station to the network, and in another embodiment the request is transmitted as a part of the call connect setup message. The formulating step can display a menu to the user, and information conveyed by the transmitted request is based at least in part on the type of menu that was displayed and on the user'"'"'s interaction with the displayed menu.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless telecommunications system, comprising steps of:

formulating a request in a mobile station for a particular type of service offered by a network for a particular subscriber or offered by another party;

transmitting the request to the network over a radio channel, the request being transmitted as part of mobile station call origination signalling and separate from a called party telephone number;

interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, determining contact information for a destination location that will fulfil the request; and

using the determined contact information, connecting the mobile station to the destination location.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the contact information is comprised of a telephone number.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step of determining includes a step of looking up the telephone number in a database.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step of determining includes a step of generating the telephone number by modifying a first telephone number that was transmitted with the request.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein the destination location is a voice mail system, where the step of determining includes a step of generating a voice mail telephone number for a particular subscriber by modifying another telephone number of the subscriber that was transmitted with the request.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the contact information is comprised of an address of an entity coupled to a data communications system that is reachable through said network.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from the mobile station to the network.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted as a part of a call connect setup message sent from the mobile station to the network.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein the request is comprised of at least one bit for indicating that the request is a request formulated by the mobile station for a particular type of service, and a plurality of bits for indicating the type of requested service.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of formulating comprises a step of displaying a menu to the user, and wherein information conveyed by the transmitted request is based at least in part on the type of menu that was displayed and on the user'"'"'s interaction with the displayed menu.

11. A wireless telecommunications system, comprising:

a mobile station comprising a user interface and a controller for formulating a request for a particular type of service offered by a network for a particular subscriber or offered by another party;

said mobile station further comprising a transmitter for sending the request to the network over a radio channel, the request being transmitted as part of mobile station call origination signalling and separate from a called party telephone number; and

a receiver and interpreter in said network for interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, for determining contact information for a destination location that will fulfil the request, said network being responsive to the determined contact information for connecting the mobile station to the destination location.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the contact information is comprised of a telephone number.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said network further comprises a database coupled to said interpreter, and wherein said interpreter looks up the telephone number in said database.

14. A system as in claim 12, wherein said interpreter generates the telephone number by modifying a first telephone number that was transmitted with the request.

15. A system as in claim 12, wherein the destination location is a voice mail system, and wherein said interpreter generates a voice mail telephone number for a particular subscriber by modifying another telephone number of the subscriber that was transmitted with the request.

16. A system as in claim 11, wherein the contact information is comprised of an address of an entity coupled to a data communications system that is reachable through said network.

17. A system as in claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from said mobile station to said network.

18. A system as in claim 11, wherein the request is transmitted as a part of a call connect setup message transmitted from said mobile station to said network.

19. A system as in claim 11, wherein the request is comprised of at least one bit for indicating that the request is a request formulated by said mobile station for a particular type of service, and a plurality of bits for indicating the type of requested service.

20. A system as in claim 11, wherein said controller operates with said user interface for displaying a menu to the user, and wherein information conveyed by the transmitted request is based at least in part on the type of menu that was displayed and on the user'"'"'s interaction with the displayed menu.

21. A system as in claim 11, wherein said network further comprises an information service center that is responsive to inquiries for providing an indication of offered services.

22. A system as in claim 21, wherein said information service center responds to inquiries so long as a particular listed service is not indicated as having restricted access rights.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein said information service center responds to an input for setting and removing restrictions of the access rights.

24. A method for operating a wireless telecommunications system, comprising steps of:

formulating a request in a mobile station for a particular type of service offered by a network for a particular subscriber or offered by another party;

transmitting the request to the network over a radio channel, the request being transmitted as part of mobile station call origination signalling and separate from a called party telephone number, wherein the request is one of transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from the mobile station to the network, or is transmitted as a part of a call connect setup message sent from the mobile station to the network;

interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, determining contact information for a destination location that will fulfil the request; and

using the determined contact information, connecting the mobile station to the destination location.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the request is comprised of at least one bit for indicating that the request is a request formulated by the mobile station for a particular type of service, and a plurality of bits for indicating the type of requested service.

26. A method as in claim 24, wherein for the case where the request is transmitted as a part of the call connect setup message sent from the mobile station to the network, the request is transmitted as Optional Data.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the request is used in conjunction with information stored in a network register for that mobile station.

28. A method as in claim 24, wherein for normal mobile station originated call signaling after transmitting the call connect setup message, the particular signaling depends on what type of call has been initiated.

29. A method as in claim 24, wherein the steps of interpreting the request and determining contact information further consider at least one of a location of the mobile station from where the request was transmitted, a time that the request was transmitted, or a date that the request was transmitted.

30. A method as in claim 24, and further comprising an initial step of receiving and storing in the mobile station an indication of what service types are supported by the network.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein at least the step of transmitting is inhibited if a desired type of service is not supported.

32. A method as in claim 30, wherein the step of receiving receives the indication of service types from the network through a radio channel.

33. A method as in claim 30, wherein the step of receiving receives the indication of service types from the network through a data communication network.

34. A method as in claim 30, wherein the step of receiving receives the indication of service types from an Internet site.

35. A method for operating a wireless telecommunications system, comprising steps of:

formulating a request in a mobile station for a particular type of service offered by a wireless network provider or offered by another party reachable through the wireless network provider;

transmitting the request to the wireless network provider over a radio channel, the request being transmitted as part of mobile station call origination signalling and without transmitting a called party telephone number, wherein the request is one of transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from the mobile station to the wireless network provider, or is transmitted as a part of a call connect setup message sent from the mobile station to the wireless network provider;

interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, determining contact information for a destination location that will fulfil the request; and

using the determined contact information, enabling the mobile station to be connected to the destination location.

36. A method as in claim 35, wherein at least one of the steps of interpreting the request and determining contact information further consider at least one of a location of the mobile station from where the request was transmitted, a time that the request was transmitted, or a date that the request was transmitted.

37. A wireless telecommunications system, comprising at least one mobile station and a wireless network provider, comprising:

a controller in said mobile station for formulating a request for a particular type of service offered by said wireless network provider or offered by another party reachable through said wireless network provider;

a transmitter in said mobile station for transmitting the request to said wireless network provider over a radio channel, the request being transmitted as part of mobile station call origination signalling and without transmitting a called party telephone number, wherein the request is one of transmitted prior to transmitting a call connect setup message from the mobile station to said wireless network provider, or is transmitted as a part of a call connect setup message sent from the mobile station to said wireless network provider;

a controller that comprises part of said wireless network provider for interpreting the request and, based on the interpretation, for determining contact information for a destination location that will fulfil the request and, using the determined contact information, for enabling said mobile station to be connected the destination location.

38. A system as in claim 37, wherein the wireless network provider controller, when at least one of interpreting the request and determining contact information, further considers at least one of a location of the mobile station from where the request was transmitted, a time that the request was transmitted, or a date that the request was transmitted.