System and method of querying a device, checking device roaming history and/or obtaining device modem statistics when device is within a home network and/or a complementary network

• US 7,162,238 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: XRS Corporation (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GeoLogic Solutions, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Franklin, Julian M., Massie, Rodney E., Leboulanger, Patrick, Speaks, Chantel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh; Chuck
• Application Number:
  US11/370,104
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/455, 455/426.2, 455/428, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/560, 455/426.1, 455/454, 455/448, 455/417, 370/351, 370/353, 370/355, 370/356
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a user to query availability, roaming history and/or modem statistics of a wireless device that can roam between at least two different wireless networks, without assistance from network service provider personnel.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to query a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and a secondary wireless network, said system comprising:

a host computer, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network, capable of receiving a query from the first device;

the primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

a web server operatively communicable with said host computer for electronically formatting the query for transmission to the first device;

a middleware server enabling said host computer to operatively communicate with said routing switch;

an internal routing server receiving the query from said host computer and appending to the query a transmission header characteristic of first communication requirements associated with the primary wireless network for internal routing within said primary wireless network;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server for appending to the transmission header a radio frequency header characteristic of first radio frequency communication requirements associated with the primary wireless network, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

a complementary network server receiving at least the query from said routing server and appending to the query a second transmission header characteristic of secondary internal routing and radio frequency communication requirements associated with the secondary wireless network; and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and the second transmission header transmitted by said routing switch, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting a query response from the wireless device to the first device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said routing switch further comprises a query server operatively communicable with at least one of said request server, said routing server, and said complementary network server that manages the flow of each query from the primary wireless network to the secondary wireless network.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with the primary wireless network.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with the primary wireless network.

6. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said system comprising:

a primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

a web server electronically formatting the query for transmission to the first device;

a middleware server enabling the first device to operatively communicate with said routing switch;

an internal routing server receiving the query and appending to the query a first transmission header characteristic of first communication requirements associated with the primary network for internal routing within the primary wireless network;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data characteristic of first communication requirements associated with the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server adding a radio frequency header to the query, transmitting the query and the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

a complementary network server receiving at least the query from said routing server and, responsive to the profile and after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, appending to the query a second transmission header characteristic of communication requirements associated with the secondary wireless network; and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header transmitted by said routing switch, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting a query response from the wireless device to the first device.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said routing switch further comprises a query queue operatively communicable with at least one of said request server, said routing server, and said complementary network server that manages the flow of each query from the primary wireless network to the secondary wireless network.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with the primary wireless network.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

11. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said system comprising:

a host computer, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network, capable of receiving a query from the first device;

the primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

at least a first line handler for receiving the query from said host computer;

a web server, operatively communicable with said host computer via said at least one first line handler, electronically formatting the query for transmission to the wireless device;

a middleware server enabling said host computer to communicate with said routing switch via said at least one first line handler;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data characteristic of communication requirements associated with the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

a routing server, operatively communicable with said request server, adding a radio frequency header to the query;

at least a second line handler for receiving the query from said routing server, and transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

a complementary network server receiving at least the query from said routing server and adding a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network; and

at least a third line handler for receiving at least the query from said complementary network server and transmitting at least the query to the secondary wireless network; and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header transmitted by said routing switch, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting a query from the wireless device to the first device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said routing switch further comprises a query queue operatively communicable with at least one of said request server, said routing server, and said complementary network server that manages the flow of each query from the primary wireless network to the secondary wireless network.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

16. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said system comprising:

a primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

at least a first line handler for receiving the device query;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server for adding a radio frequency header to the query;

at least a second line handler for receiving the query from said routing server, and transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

a complementary network server receiving the query from said routing server and, after receiving a predetermined number of transmission attempts via said at least one second line handler, appending a transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network; and

at least a third line handler for receiving the query and at least a portion of the transmission header from said complementary network server and transmitting the query and the transmission header to the secondary wireless network; and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and the transmission header transmitted by said routing switch, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting a query response from the wireless device to the first device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said routing switch further comprises a queue operatively communicable with at least one of said request server, said routing server, and said complementary network server that manages the flow of each query from the primary wireless network to the secondary wireless network.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.