Method and system for delivering a short-message notification

• US 6,630,883 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buhrmann, Michael, Amin, Umesh J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/982,447
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/311.1, 340/325.47, 340/825.52, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 379/100.01, 379/100.08, 379/67.1, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.15, 455/426, 455/38.4, 455/140, 455/526, 455/517, 455/575, 455/38.1, 455/507, 455/500, 455/39, 455/556, 455/461, 455/433, 370/310, 370/312, 370/313, 358/402
• US Class Current: 340/7.29
• 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 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system to provide message notification to a subscriber having a wireless device, without the need to forward the message content with the notification. The message notification can be received within a wireless communication network such as a cellular telephone network. This message notification is forwarded to the wireless device of the subscriber and indicates that the subscriber has a waiting message. In another aspect of the invention, a message notification can be forwarded to a wireless device by receiving within a wireless communication network a message notification from a private base station that is connected into a premises based local area network. The premises based local area network receives the message from a message provider and stores it within a premises based to personal computer which generates the message notification. Messages may be any form of stored or recorded message, including e-mail, voice-mail and facsimile.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a subscriber having a wireless device comprising:

receiving within a wireless communication network a message notification from a private base station connected to a premises based local area network, said local area network having received said message notification from a personal computer, said personal computer having received a message from a message provider, said message notification including information related to said message, but not including the content of said message in the notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is an e-mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is a voice-mail message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is a facsimile message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said message notification within said wireless communication network; and

forwarding said message notification to said wireless device of the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing said message notification within said wireless communication network if the subscriber does not receive said message notification so as to attempt delivery at a later time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication network further comprises a cellular telephone network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless device further comprises a cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless device further comprises a cordless telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless device further comprises a wireless pager.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving message information with said message notification; and

displaying said message information on a display of said wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message information further comprises:

message identity and source.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying said message notification on a display of said wireless device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said message comprises a facsimile message, and further comprising the step of:

forwarding said facsimile message to another device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said another device is a facsimile machine.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said another device is said wireless device.

17. A system for delivering a message notification to a subscriber having a wireless device comprising:

a premises based local area network and including in communication therewith;

a personal computer to which a message is delivered from a message provider, and

a private base station for receiving a message notification from said personal computer, the message notification including information related to the message, but not including the content of the message in the notification, and

a wireless communication network in communication with said premises based local area network for receiving said message notification from said private base station and forwarding said message notification to a wireless device of a subscriber to indicate that the message is waiting.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is a voice-mail message.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the message is a facsimile message.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the premises based local area network further comprises:

a network interface unit for interfacing with a telephone network and receiving messages from the telephone network for delivery over the local area network to the personal computer.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication network further comprises:

a cellular telephone network and said private base station is in communication with said cellular telephone network and forwards said message notification into said cellular telephone network for delivery to a mobile device.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless device further comprises a cellular telephone.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless device further comprises a cordless telephone.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein said wireless device further comprises a wireless pager.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said private base station transmits said message notification over a digital control signal.

27. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a premises based telephone; and

a network interface device connecting the premises based telephone to the local area network.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein said message comprises a facsimile message, and further comprising:

forwarding said facsimile message to another device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said another device is a facsimile machine.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said another device is said wireless device.