Network initiated USSD in mixed networks

• US 7,720,489 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engelhart, Robert Lee Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/548,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20080090586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/560, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 370352-356, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• 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 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate sending a network initiated USSD message via a mixed network to user equipment. An application server component can communicate to user equipment. A location component can aggregate location data associated with the user equipment, wherein the location component can utilize the last known location data to send a network initiated USSD message to the user equipment via a mixed network.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates communicating data in a mixed network, comprising:

an application server component that communicates to user equipment, the user equipment is remotely located to the system;

a location component that aggregates location data associated with the user equipment to build a history of locations of previous activity by the user equipment, the location component utilizes the last known location data to send a network initiated unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) message to the user equipment via a mixed network, where the mixed network further comprises a global system for mobile communications (GSM) component and an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) component; and

an intelligence component that infers the current location of, and a transmission technique to be utilized to communicate with, the user equipment based at least in part upon the history of locations of previous activity, where the history of locations include an address associated with GSM or IP communication technologies.

2. The system of claim 1, the user equipment is at least one of a mobile device, a mobile communication device, a communication device, a gaming device, a portable media player, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop, a handheld, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable music player, a portable gaming device, a desktop device, a home media center, and a smartphone.

3. The system of claim 1, the location data relates to at least one of a last known location, a current location, an inferred location, a predicted location, a portion of data related to a location of user equipment, and previous activity data associated with user equipment.

4. The system of claim 1, the location component is integrated into the application server component.

5. The system of claim 1, the application component further comprising a data store that stores a portion of location data associated with user equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, the location component transmits the network initiated USSD message directly to at least one of a last known visitor location register (VLR) of the user equipment as indicated by a previous user equipment initiated message;

and a last known servicing call server control function (S-CSCF) address of the user equipment as indicated by a previous user equipment initiated message.

7. The system of claim 1, the location component utilizes at least one of a last known VLR L.164 address, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, an address that refers to a location of the system utilizing an identity appropriate for the type of network, and a last known S-CSCF L. 164 address to determine a transmission technique.

8. The system of claim 7, the transmission technique is at least one of a transmission utilizing a normal GSM defined by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a transmission utilizing S-CSCF using session initiated protocol (SIP) extensions to encapsulate the USSD message.

9. The system of claim 8, the transmission technique includes a network and a manner based on the address.

10. The system of claim 9, the network is at least one of a GSM and an IMS.

11. The system of claim 9, the manner is a mobile application part (MAP) message and an SIP message.

12. The system of claim 9, the address includes a format that can indicate which network the USSD message is to be sent over.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a range associated with the address that corresponds to a particular network type.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least one of a range that corresponds to a GSM, a range that corresponds to an IMS, a range that corresponds to a WiFi, and a range that corresponds to a WiMAX.

15. A method that facilitates communicating data in a mixed network, comprising:

collecting a portion of location data associated with a remotely located mobile communication device, the data relates to the communication path employed by the mobile communication device to communicate with the mixed network;

storing the portion of location data within an application server;

building a history of locations having previous activity for the mobile communication device, the location history includes an address as indicated by a previous user equipment initiated message, the address is associated with a communication technology that supports an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) message;

inferring from the history of locations a current location of the mobile communication device;

inferring from the history of locations a transmission technique to be employed to transmit a USSD message; and

utilizing the inferred current location data and inferred transmission technique to send a USSD message to the mobile communication device within a mixed network, based at least in part upon the inferred current location data and inferred transmission technique.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising utilizing the location data to lookup a network type to transmit the network initiated USSD message to the mobile communication device.

17. The method of claim 15, the mobile communication device is at least one of a mobile device, user equipment, a mobile communication device, a communication device, a gaming device, a portable media player, a cellular phone, a mobile phone, a portable device, a laptop, a handheld, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable music player, a portable gaming device, a desktop device, a home media center, and a smartphone.

18. A system that facilitates communicating data in a mixed network, comprising:

means for communicating to a mobile communication device utilizing an application server, the mobile communication device is remotely located to the application server;

means for aggregating location data associated with the user equipment to compile a location history of locations having activity for the user equipment, the location history includes an address as indicated by a previous user equipment initiated message, the address is associated with a communication technology that supports an unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) message;

means for inferring from the history of locations a current location of the mobile communication device;

means for inferring from the history of locations a transmission technique to be employed to transmit a USSD message; and

means for utilizing the inferred current location data and inferred transmission technique to send a USSD message to the mobile communication device within a mixed network, based at least in part upon the inferred current location data and inferred transmission technique.