Mobile station internet messaging

• US 6,856,804 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Wireless Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Wireless Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ciotta, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DAVID Q
• Application Number:
  US09/695,213
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/433, 455/445, 455/426.1, 455/332.3, 370352-357, 370/310, 370/328, 370/401, 709/228, 709/229, 709/224, 345/853
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A wireless communications network provides the power status for mobile stations served by the wireless communications network to Internet service providers. Internet service providers make the power status for mobile stations available to Internet service provider subscribers. By knowing the power status of a particular mobile device, Internet service provider subscribers can send messages to the mobile device or may call the mobile device, knowing that it is activated and will receive the call.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

maintaining power-on and power-off status for each of a plurality of mobile telephone stations in a first database, wherein the first database comprises a mobile switching system home location register (HLR) that contains subscriber listings for the plurality of mobile stations and the step of maintaining comprises;

receiving at a mobile switching center (MSC) power-on and power-off signals that are indicative of changes in a power status for each of the plurality of mobile stations, and

updating the HLR in response to the received power-on and power-off signals; and

formulating a change of status message for transmission to a second database related to at least one Internet Service Provider (ISP) in response to a change in the status for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, wherein the second database contains a table associated with the ISP, the table contains records of respective mobile identification numbers (MIN'"'"'s) of mobile stations that are provisioned for power-on and power-off status transmissions to the ISP, and further comprising the steps of;

transmitting a change of status message to the second database;

comparing the MIN contained in the change of status message with the table associated with the ISP;

in response to a match of the MIN in the comparing step, updating the record containing the MIN to reflect the status contained in the change of status message; and

providing to the ISP subscriber data indicating the status of the mobile station if the ISP subscriber is on line.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data provided in the providing step contains information, for displaying at a monitor screen of the ISP subscriber, an indication that the mobile station is in an active power state if the message contains active status data for the mobile station.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the data provided in the providing step contains information, for deletion of the active indication display at the monitor screen of the ISP subscriber, if the message contains inactive status data for the mobile station.

4. A method comprising the steps of:

maintaining power-on and power-off status for each of a plurality of mobile telephone stations in a first database, wherein the first database comprises a mobile switching system home location register (HLR) that contains subscriber listings for the plurality of mobile stations and the step of maintaining comprises;

receiving at a mobile switching center (MSC) power-on and power-off signals that are indicative of changes in a power status for each of the plurality of mobile stations, and

updating the HLR in response to the received power-on and power-off signals; and

formulating a change of status message for transmission to a second database related to at least one Internet Service Provider (ISP) in response to a change in the status for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, wherein;

the second database is stored in a processor remote from the location of the HLR and contains a plurality of tables associated with respective ISP'"'"'s, each of the tables relating subscribers of its respective ISP with mobile identification numbers (MIN'"'"'s) of mobile stations;

the step of maintaining further comprises setting a flag in the HLR database for each MIN that is listed in the second database;

the step of formulating comprises identifying a flag in the HLR for the mobile station that has changed status; and

the method further comprises the step of transmitting the change of status message to the second database.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the change of status message contains the changed power status and MIN of the mobile station in response to which the change of status message has been formulated, and further comprising the steps of;

comparing the MIN contained in the change of status message with the table;

in response to a match of the MIN in the comparing step, determining whether the ISP subscriber related to said MIN in the table is on line with the Internet; and

providing to the ISP subscriber data relating the status of said mobile station if the ISP subscriber is on line.

6. A method comprising the steps of:

maintaining power-on and power-off status for each of a plurality of mobile telephone stations in a first database, wherein the first database comprises a mobile switching system home location register (HLR) that contains subscriber listings for the plurality of mobile stations and the step of maintaining comprises;

receiving at a mobile switching center (MSC) power-on and power-off signals that are indicative of changes in a power status for each of the plurality of mobile stations, and

updating the HLR in response to the received power-on and power-off signals;

formulating a change of status message for transmission to a second database related to at least one Internet Service Provider (ISP) in response to a change in the status for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations;

receiving at the MSC registration and de-registration signals, indicative of establishing communication and loss of communication, respectively, with mobile communications network base stations for each of the plurality of mobile stations;

wherein the HLR is updated further in response to receipt of the registration and de-registration signals; and

formulating a change of registration message for transmission to a second database related to at least one Internet Service Provider (ISP) in response to a change in the registration for at least one of the plurality of mobile stations, wherein;

the second database is stored in a processor remote from the location of the HLR and contains a plurality of tables associated with respective ISP'"'"'s, each of the tables relating subscribers of its respective ISP with mobile identification numbers (MIN'"'"'s) of mobile stations;

the step of maintaining further comprises setting a flag in the HLR database for each MIN that is listed in the second database;

the step of formulating comprises identifying a flag in the HLR for the mobile station that has changed registration; and

the method further comprises the step of transmitting the change of registration message to the second database.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the change of registration message contains the changed base station registration status and MIN of the mobile station in response to which the change of registration message has been formulated, and further comprising the steps of;

comparing the MIN contained in the change of registration message with the table;

in response to a match of the MIN in the comparing step, determining whether the ISP subscriber related to said MIN in the table is on line with the Internet; and

providing to the ISP subscriber data relating the base station registration of said mobile station if the ISP subscriber is on line.