Method and apparatus for communication with a mobile unit

• US 6,799,037 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Airfone Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hennessey, Arthur R., Mielke, Mark P., Tucker, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US08/988,457
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/422, 455/431, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/445, 455/524, 455/525, 455/38.1, 455/38.2, 455/420, 455/466, 455/426, 455/518, 455/514, 379/198
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Mobile communication systems and methods consistent with the present invention include a central station, a mobile unit and a plurality of radio base stations. The mobile unit communicates with the central station through one of the radio base stations. The central station receives from the mobile unit registration information identifying the radio base station the mobile unit is currently communicating with. This registration information is then stored in a registration database located at the central station. Files are then transferred from the central station to the mobile unit using the radio base station identified by the registration information stored in the registration database.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data in a communication system, the communication system comprising a central station, a plurality of mobile units, and a plurality of radio base stations, wherein the central station communicates with each of the plurality of mobile units, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from each mobile unit registration information identifying a radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit;

storing the registration information in a registration database located at the central station, such that the registration database stores information identifying the particular radio base station currently communicating with each of the plurality of mobile units;

receiving a request to transfer data to a selected group of the plurality of mobile units; and

transferring data from the central station to the selected group of mobile units using the radio base stations identified by the registration information stored in the registration database for each mobile unit in the selected group, wherein the data transferred to the selected group of mobile units includes application software invoked by at least one of the mobile units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving registration data further includes the substep of:

receiving from each mobile unit registration information including an identification number of the mobile unit, the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, and the radio base station previously in communication with the mobile unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

transmitting to a particular mobile unit an acknowledgment signal verifying that the registration information was received by the central station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring step further includes the substeps of:

transmitting to a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from the particular mobile unit indicating whether the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

transferring the requested data to the mobile particular unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

selecting a first set of the plurality of mobile units for transferring data;

creating a batch file including registration information of the registration database for each of the first set of mobile units; and

transferring data to the first set of mobile units listed on the batch list using radio base stations identified by the registration information of the batch file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of transferring data to the first set of mobile units further includes the substeps of:

transmitting to the first set of mobile units a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from the first set of mobile units indicating whether each mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

transferring the requested data to the first set of mobile units for which a corresponding acknowledgment signal was received indicating that the respective mobile unit can receive the requested data.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

receiving from a particular mobile unit re-registration information when the radio base station that the mobile unit is communicating with changes.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving from a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the particular mobile unit requests to transfer to the central station;

transmitting to the particular mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the central station can receive the requested data; and

receiving from the particular mobile unit the requested data when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transferred to a particular mobile unit is updates for application software of the particular mobile unit, and wherein the method further includes the steps of:

receiving from the particular mobile unit an inventory message providing information on the status of the updated application software; and

determining whether the inventory message indicates whether the application software was updated correctly.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of:

retransferring the data to the Particular mobile unit when the application software was not updated correctly.

11. A mobile communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile units for receiving and transmitting broadcast signals;

a plurality of radio base stations for transmitting and receiving broadcast signals to and from the plurality of mobile units;

a central station for communicating with each mobile unit through one of the radio base stations, the central station further including;

a registration database including registration information identifying the radio base station currently in communication with each mobile unit; and

a switch control processor for transferring data to a selected group of the plurality of mobile units using the radio base stations identified by the registration information stored in the registration database for each mobile unit in the selected group, wherein the data transferred to the selected group of mobile units includes application software invoked by at least one of the mobile units.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each mobile unit further includes:

means for transmitting registration information including an identification number of the mobile unit, the radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit, and the radio base station previously in communication with the mobile unit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the switch control processor further includes:

means for transmitting to a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

means for receiving from the particular mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

means for transferring the requested data to the particular mobile unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the switch control processor further includes:

means for selecting a first set of the plurality of mobile units for transferring data;

means for creating a batch file including registration information of the registration database for each of the first set of mobile units; and

means for transferring data to the first set of mobile units listed on the batch list using radio base stations identified by the registration information of the batch file.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for transferring data to the first set of mobile units further includes:

means for transmitting to the first set of mobile units a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

means for receiving from the first set of mobile units an acknowledgment signal indicating whether each mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

means for transferring the requested data to the first set of mobile units for which a corresponding acknowledgment signal was received indicating that the respective mobile unit can receive the requested data.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein each mobile unit further includes:

means for transmitting re-registration information when the radio base station that the mobile unit is communicating with changes.

17. The system of claim 11, the switch control processor further including:

means for receiving from a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the particular mobile unit requests to transfer to the central station;

means for transmitting an acknowledgment signal to the particular mobile unit indicating whether the central station can receive the requested data; and

means for transferring the requested data to the central station when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the data transferred to a particular mobile unit is updates for application software of the particular mobile unit, and the central station further including:

means for receiving from the particular mobile unit an inventory message providing information on the status of the updated application software; and

means for determining whether the inventory message indicates whether the application software was updated correctly.

19. The system of claim 18, the central station further including:

means for retransferring the data to the particular mobile unit when the application software was not updated correctly.

20. The system of claim 11, further including:

a network administration center for communicating with the mobile units, the network administration center further including;

means for receiving from a particular mobile unit a request identifying data the particular mobile unit requests to transfer;

means for transmitting to the particular mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the network administration center can receive the requested data;

means for receiving from the particular mobile, through the central station, the requested data when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the central station can receive the requested data.

21. A method for transferring data in a communication system, the communication system comprising a central station, a plurality of mobile units, and a plurality of radio base stations, wherein the central station communicates with each of the plurality of mobile units, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from each mobile unit registration information identifying a radio base station currently in communication with the mobile unit;

storing the registration information in a registration database located at the central station, such that the registration database stores information identifying the particular radio base station currently communicating with each of the plurality of mobile units;

receiving a request to transfer data to a selected group of the plurality of mobile units;

transferring data from the central station to the selected group of mobile units using the radio base stations identified by the registration information stored in the registration database for each mobile unit in the selected group, and wherein the transferring step further includes the substeps of;

transmitting to a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from the particular mobile unit indicating whether the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

transferring the requested data to the mobile particular unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data.

22. A mobile communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile units for receiving and transmitting broadcast signals, each mobile unit having at least one server operatively coupled to a plurality of telephones;

a plurality of radio base stations for transmitting and receiving broadcast signals to and from the plurality of mobile units;

a central station for communicating with each mobile unit through one of the radio base stations, the central station further including;

a registration database including registration information identifying the radio base station currently in communication with each mobile unit; and

a switch control processor for transferring data to a selected group of the plurality of mobile units using the radio base stations identified by the registration information stored in the registration database for each mobile unit in the selected group, wherein the switch control processor further includes;

means for transmitting to a particular mobile unit a call request identifying data that the central station requests to transfer;

means for receiving from the particular mobile unit an acknowledgment signal indicating whether the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data; and

means for transferring the requested data to the particular mobile unit when the acknowledgment signal indicates that the particular mobile unit can receive the requested data.