Global paging system using packet-switched digital data network and remote country designation

• US 6,646,542 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1996
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: A2Mk LLC, Jerunazargabr LLC, lo Limited Partnership Lllp, Patents Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Technology Patents LLC
• Inventors: Mardirossian, Aris
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/752,624
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.04, 340/827, 340/7.29, 340/7.27, 340/2.4, 455/31.2
• US Class Current: 340/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

A global paging system and corresponding method are disclosed in which an originating user pages a receiving user in a different country without the paging message being broadcast in all areas. According to certain embodiments, the originating user E-mails a web site or server of the paging system paging information, with the server then transmitting the paging message over a packet-switched digital data network (e.g. the Internet) to a receiving or terminating web site or server located in the different country. In certain embodiments, the receiving user remotely inputs a designated country into the paging system so that when the receiving user is paged, the paging system first pages the receiving user in the designated country or area without broadcasting the paging message in other countries or areas.

Claims

1. A method of paging a receiving user via a packet-switched digital data network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) an originating user E-mailing a paging signal to a first web site or server in a paging system, the first server located in a first country and the paging signal including a pager I.D. of a pager belonging to the receiving user and a paging message to be sent to the pager;

b) designating a second country from a plurality of potential countries in which the receiving user is to be paged, by using country data;

c) the first web site or server transmitting second server I.D. data, the pager I.D., and the paging message over a land-based packet-switched digital data network to a second web site or server located in the designated second country; and

d) the second server in the designated second country causing a wireless transmitter located in the second country to page the pager of the receiving user wherein said designating in said step b) is carried out by the originating user when the originating user e-mails the first server, the originating user inputting the country data to the first server.

2. A method of paging a receiving user in a country-selective global paging system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a global paging system spanning a plurality of different countries around the world, the global paging system including at least one web site or server in each of the plurality of countries, each of the servers being in communication with a wireless transmitter for transmitting a paging message to a pager of the receiving user;

interconnecting the plurality of servers by way of a land-based packet-switched digital data network so as to permit digital communication of paging signals between the plurality of servers via the packet-switched digital data network;

an originating user telephoning a first web site or server located in a first country in order to page the receiving user who is located in a second country different from the first country, the originating user not necessarily knowing what country the receiving user is located in;

the paging system determining if the second country is currently designated by the receiving user as the designated country in which the paging system is to first attempt to page the receiving user;

when the paging system determines that the second country has been designated by the receiving user, the first server sending a second web site or server in the second country a paging communication over the packet-switched digital data network instructing the second web site or server to initiate paging the receiving user in the second country; and

when the paging system determines that the second country has not been designated by the receiving user, the paging system initiating paging operations in a predetermined list of different countries in a predetermined order in an attempt to page the receiving user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the digital data network includes the Internet.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

providing the receiving user with a pager having a predetermined number local to the first server site;

the receiving user inputting the list of different countries so as to enable the receiving user to receive pages in each of the different countries on the list via the global paging system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of the receiving user listing the different countries in the predetermined order on the list so that the global paging system may page the receiving user in the different countries on the list, one at a time, in the predetermined order.

6. A global country-selective paging system comprising:

a plurality of web sites or servers, each of said sites or servers being located in a different country around the globe;

a land based packet-switched digital data network interconnecting said plurality of sites or servers around the globe;

a pager to be paged belonging to a receiving user;

means for allowing an originating user to communicate with a first web site or server in a first country in order to page the receiving user who'"'"'s pager is located in a second country different than the first country;

means for transmitting a paging message from said originating user to said first web site or server, then to a second web site or server located in the second country, and then to said pager of the receiving user;

designating means for designating the second country;

wherein said designating means further includes means for allowing the receiving user to designate the second country for future pages to said pager so that when the receiving user is paged in the future, the paging system will first attempt to page said pager of the receiving user in the designated second country; and

means for the receiving user inputting a list of at least three different countries, including said second country, in which the receiving user may be paged, one at a time, in predetermined order, and means for the system attempting to page the receiving user in each country in said list in the predetermined order of countries, one country at a time, a predetermined number of times until the page is received by the receiving user.

7. The paging system of claim 6, further including means for billing the receiving user a predetermined amount per billing period for each country in said list.

8. The paging system of claim 6, further including means for determining whether the receiving user had a designated country for each day in the billing period, and the receiving user being billed as a function of the number of days in the billing period that a country was designated, with the receiving user being billed more for days where a country was designated than days where no country was designated.