Telecommunication method and suitable system for establishing a connection with a mobile station

• US 7,164,927 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Koch, Michael, Meier, Martin, Hirzel, Werner, Stadelmann, Anton Niklaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya; Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/744,677
• Time in Patent Office: 2,967 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/560, 455/466, 379/91.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.04, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/654 Pre, in or post-call message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 : Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 : Setup of transport tunnels

Abstract

The invention relates to a telecommunication method and a system suitable for same for establishing a connection with a mobile station, for example a GSM mobile telephone, of a subscriber located in a visited public land mobile network. According to said method the calling mobile subscriber in the visited public land mobile network prepares a short message, for example an unstructured supplementary service data message with the desired destination number and sends said message, which is then transmitted to a callback computer which establishes a connection between the calling mobile subscriber and the desired destination number. A connection to a called mobile subscriber in a visited public land mobile network is established by a callback computer whose number is assigned to the called mobile subscriber in the home location register. Before a connection is established the remaining credit and airtime of the mobile subscriber is verified in a prepaid module connected to the callback computer, on the basis of prepaid amounts or with the aid of at least one schedule of telephone tariffs and on the basis of a location of said subscribers stored in the home location register of the home public land mobile network.

Claims

1. A telecommunications method for establishing a connection between a mobile device of a participant and a destination number, comprising:

in a first step, sending a message from the mobile device to a callback computer, the message including the destination number and information which requests a call from the mobile device to the destination number in order to establish said connection between said mobile device and said destination number; and

in a second step, establishing said connection by the callback computer between said mobile device of the participant and said destination number, wherein the second step includes;

checking, before establishment of said connection, a remaining credit of said participant in a prepaid module connected to the callback computer,

calling said mobile device by said callback computer, and

calling said destination number by said callback computer, thereby establishing said connection between said mobile device and said destination number, only if the remaining credit exceeds a predetermined amount.

2. The telecommunications method according to claim 1, wherein:

said prepaid module calculates a remaining airtime with the aid of at least one tariff table, and

said prepaid module transmits the remaining airtime to said callback computer.

3. The telecommunications method according to claim 2, wherein said prepaid module calculates said remaining airtime on the basis of an indication of location of said participant stored in a database.

4. The telecommunications method according to claim 3, wherein said database is a home location register of a home public land mobile network of said participant and the indication of location is a visitor location register address of said participant.

5. The telecommunications method according to claim 1, wherein said connection is truncated by said callback computer if the remaining credit of said participant has run out.

6. The telecommunications method according to claim 1, wherein:

said mobile device is a GSM device, and

said message is at least one of an unstructured supplementary services data message or a short message.

7. The telecommunications method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a prefix in addition to the destination number, the prefix identifying a special service.

8. The telecommunication method of claim 1, wherein said information includes instructions for the call back computer.

9. The telecommunication method of claim 1, wherein said second step of establishing said connection between said mobile device and said destination number further comprises:

transferring to said prepaid module said message with said destination number, and a mobile subscriber number for said participant.

10. The telecommunication method of claim 9, further comprising transferring to said prepaid module a location indication for said participant, and

wherein said checking said remaining credit of said participant comprises taking into consideration said location indication for said participant.

11. The telecommunication method of claim 9, wherein said prepaid module passes on said remaining credit of said participant to said callback computer, and said callback computer compares said remaining credit to said predetermined amount.

12. The telecommunication method of claim 9, wherein said prepaid module passes on said remaining credit of said participant to said callback computer, and said callback computer passes on said remaining credit to said participant.

13. The telecommunication method of claim 9, wherein said prepaid module decides that said remaining credit of said participant exceeds said predetermined amount and that said connection can be established.

14. The telecommunication method of claim 9, wherein said step of calling the mobile device by the callback computer comprises:

transmitting said mobile subscriber number of said participant from said callback computer to a mobile switching center.

15. The telecommunication method of claim 14, wherein said step of calling the mobile device by the callback computer further comprises:

transmitting said mobile subscriber number of said participant from said mobile switching center to a home location register.

16. The telecommunication method of claim 15, wherein said step of calling the mobile device by the callback computer further comprises:

transmitting a number from the home location register to said mobile switching center.

17. The telecommunication method of claim 16, wherein said step of calling the mobile device by the callback computer further comprises:

calling said number from said switching center.

18. A system for establishing a connection between a mobile device of a participant and destination number, wherein the system is configured to receive a message and to identify the participant who has sent the message, the system comprising:

a callback computer configured to establish said connection between said mobile device of said participant and the destination number indicated in said message by at least calling the mobile device after the participant transmits the message to the system, the message including said destination number and information which requests a call from the mobile device to the destination number in order to establish said connection between said participant and said destination number; and

a prepaid module connected to said callback computer and configured to store a prepaid amount for at least certain participants, wherein said prepaid module contains at least one tariff table configured to be used to calculate a remaining airtime associated with said participant, and

wherein said callback computer is configured to call said destination number thereby establishing said connection only if said remaining airtime is sufficient to establish said connection.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said prepaid module is connected to a home location register of the system via a mobile application part interface.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the prepaid module is configured to:

calculate the remaining airtime of said participant on the basis of indications of location of said participant stored in a home location register of the system and with the aid of said tariff table, and

transmit the remaining airtime to said callback computer.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein:

said mobile device is a GSM device, and

said message is at least one of a short message or an unstructured supplementary services data message.

22. The system according to claim 18, further comprising:

a home location register configured to receive the message and to store a location indication associated with the participant; and

an interface module configured to receive the message from the home location register, and to transmit the destination number, a call number of the participant, and the location indication to the prepaid module.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein:

the interface module is configured to access the home location register with a mobile application part protocol via a SS7 signaling system, and

said message is an unstructured supplementary services data message.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the message includes a prefix in addition to the destination number, the prefix identifying a special service.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein said information includes instructions for the call back computer.