System and method for confirming short message service (SMS) message reception in mobile communication terminal

• US 7,031,734 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-Gon
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/347,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20030162554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/414, 455/421, 455/432, 455/466, 455/517, 455550-551, 455/566, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system and Method for confirming Short Message Service (SMS) reception in a mobile communication terminal. Specifically, the system and method informs a calling party of a message failure state in the case where a called party is not within a call connection area or the mobile communication terminal of the called party is powered off, thereby enhancing the calling party'"'"'s convenience. The system and method for confirming a SMS message reception in a first mobile communication terminal adapted to transmit a SMS message to a second mobile communication terminal. The system and method perform the operations of: enabling the first mobile communication terminal to send the SMS message to a base station, and enabling the base station to send a first reception acknowledgement signal to the first mobile communication terminal, enabling the base station to send the SMS message to the second mobile communication terminal, and enabling the second mobile communication terminal to send a second reception acknowledgement signal to the base station, and receiving the second reception acknowledgement signal at the base station, and transmitting a response signal to the first mobile communication terminal indicative of whether the SMS message is received at the second mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception in a first mobile communication terminal adapted to transmit a SMS message to a second mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

enabling the first mobile communication terminal to send the SMS message to a base station, and enabling the base station to send a first reception acknowledgement signal to the first mobile communication terminal;

enabling the base station to send the SMS message to the second mobile communication terminal, and enabling the second mobile communication terminal to send a second reception acknowledgement signal to the base station;

receiving the second reception acknowledgement signal at the base station, and transmitting a response signal to the first mobile communication terminal indicative of whether the SMS message is received at the second mobile communication terminal; and

controlling the first mobile communication terminal to display (a) an indication of a power off condition if the second mobile communication terminal is powered off, (b) an indication that the second mobile communication terminal has received the SMS message if an acknowledgement message is received; and

(c) a service failure indication if no signal is received.

2. A method for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception in a first mobile communication terminal adapted to transmit a SMS message to a second mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

detecting an SMS message to be transmitted at the first mobile communication terminal, transmitting the SMS message to a base station, and determining whether the SMS message is received at the base station;

enabling the first mobile communication terminal to enter a standby mode for a prescribed duration of time in order to receive a confirmation signal from the base station, and receiving information generated from the base station at the first mobile communication terminal, if it is determined that the SMS message is received at the base station;

determining whether a signal indicating that the second mobile communication terminal is powered off has been received, and if so, displaying a powered-off indication on the first mobile communication terminal signal indicating the powered-off state of a second mobile communication terminal;

determining whether an acknowledgement signal indicating that the second mobile communication terminal has received the SMS has been received, and if so, displaying an SMS reception confirmation indication on the first mobile communication terminal to indicate the SMS message reception; and

displaying a service failure state on the first mobile communication terminal in the absence of a signal confirming the SMS message reception information and the signal indicating the powered-off state of the second mobile communication terminal is received at the first mobile communication terminal.

3. A method for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception in a base station for a SMS message transmitted from a first mobile communication terminal to a second mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a SMS reception confirmation signal to the first mobile communication terminal if the base station receives the SMS message from the first mobile communication terminal;

transmitting the SMS message to the second mobile communication terminal;

enabling the base station to determine whether the second mobile communication terminal is powered off, transmitting a signal indicating a powered-off state to the first mobile communication terminal if the second mobile communication terminal is powered off;

enabling the base station to transmit a response signal to the first mobile communication terminal if the base station receives response information indicating that the SMS message is received at the second mobile communication terminal; and

displaying on said first mobile communication terminal a status indication of whether (a) said second mobile communication terminal received said SMS message, (b) said second mobile communication terminal is powered off, and (c) service failure information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first enabling step further comprises:

enabling the base station to determine whether the SMS message is received at the second mobile communication terminal if the second mobile communication terminal is not powered off.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said first mobile communication terminal is in a standby mode for a prescribed duration of time after transmitting said SMS message.

6. A system for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception between terminals in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a first mobile communication terminal, a second mobile communication terminal, and a base station;

said first mobile communication terminal being adapted to send the SMS message to said base station;

said base station being adapted to send a first reception acknowledgement signal to said first mobile communication terminal, and to send the SMS message to said second mobile communication terminal;

said second mobile communication terminal being adapted to send a second reception acknowledgement signal to said base station; and

said base station being further adapted to receive said second reception acknowledgement signal, and to transmit a response signal to said first mobile communication terminal indicative of whether the SMS message is received at said second mobile communication terminal; and

said first mobile communication terminal being further adapted to display signals indicative of (a) a power off condition of said second mobile communication terminal;

(b) receipt of the SMS message at said second mobile communication terminal; and

(c) service failure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein an absence of said response signal is indicative of a power off condition of said second mobile communication terminal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said first mobile communication terminal is adapted to provide a power failure indication on its display based on information contained in said response signal.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said first mobile communication terminal is adapted to display status information for said second mobile communication terminal based on information contained in said response signal.

10. A system for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception between terminals in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a first mobile communication terminal, a second mobile communication terminal, and a base station;

said first mobile communication terminal being adapted to detect an SMS message to be transmitted, transmit the SMS message to said base station, and determine whether the transmitted SMS message is received at said base station;

said first mobile communication terminal being further adapted to enter a standby mode for a prescribed duration of time in order to receive a confirmation signal from the base station, and to receive information generated from the base station, if it is determined that the SMS message is received at the base station; and

said first mobile communication terminal being further adapted to display (a) a powered-off state if the information received from the base station is a signal that indicates the powered-off state of said second mobile communication terminal;

(b) a SMS reception confirmation signal if the information received from the base station is a signal confirming a SMS message reception, and (c) a service failure state in the absence of a signal confirming the SMS message reception information and the signal that indicates the powered-off state of the second mobile communication terminal is received at the first mobile communication terminal.

11. A system for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception between terminals in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a first mobile communication terminal, a second mobile communication terminal, and a base station;

said base station being adapted to transmit a SMS reception confirmation signal to said first mobile communication terminal if said base station receives the SMS message from said first mobile communication terminal and transmit the SMS message to the second mobile communication terminal; and

said base station being further adapted to determine whether said second mobile communication terminal is powered off, transmit a signal to indicate a powered-off state to said first mobile communication terminal if said second mobile communication terminal is powered off, and transmit a response signal to said first mobile communication terminal,

wherein said first mobile communication terminal is further adapted to display a status indication (a) that said second mobile communication terminal received said SMS message when said SMS reception confirmation signal is received, (b) that said second mobile communication terminal is powered off when the signal to indicate a powered-off state is received, and (c) that service has failed when neither the SMS reception confirmation signal nor the signal to indicate a powered-off state has been received.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said base station is further adapted to determine whether the SMS message is received at said second mobile communication terminal if said second mobile communication terminal is not powered off.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said first mobile communication terminal is further adapted to be in a standby mode for a prescribed duration of time after said SMS message is transmitted.

14. A system for confirming a Short Message Service (SMS) message reception between terminals in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a first mobile communication terminal, a second mobile communication terminal, and a base station;

said base station being adapted to determine whether the second mobile communication terminal receives the SMS message transmitted from said base station; and

said second mobile communication terminal being adapted to generate a SMS reception confirmation signal and transmit the SMS reception confirmation signal to said base station if said second mobile communication terminal receives the SMS message from said base station,

wherein said first mobile communication terminal is adapted to display a status indication indicative of whether said second mobile communication terminal has received the SMS message, entered a power off state, or entered a battery removal state.