Terminating notification message for terminals in a target network area

• US 9,155,113 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Witzel, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US13/416,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/432.1, 455/434, 455/436, 455/442, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments herein include a method of notifying terminals located in a target network area. The method is executed by a call control node. The call control node is associated with a serving network area, wherein the serving network area at least partially comprises the target network area. In order to provide an efficient, easily accomplishable, and network capacity sparing notification of terminals located in a target network area, the method comprises receiving a result of a scanning of a visitor location register database associated with the call control node for terminals registered for the target network area, and sending a notification message to the terminals located in the target network area based on the received result of the scanning.

Claims

1. A method executed by a call control node associated with a serving network area for notifying terminals located in a target network area, wherein the serving network area at least partially comprises the target network area, the method comprising:

receiving a result of a scanning of a visitor location register database associated with the call control node for terminals registered for the target network area;

based on the received result of the scanning, determining which of the registered terminals are actually located in the target network area and identifying terminals that are actually located in the target network area despite not being registered in the visitor location register database;

during a delivery period, sending a notification message to each of the registered terminals that are determined to be actually located in the target network area and sending a notification message to each of the unregistered terminals identified as actually located in the target network area;

monitoring for terminals that enter the target network area by roaming or by executing a handover during the delivery period; and

sending a notification message to any of the terminals that enter the target network area before the end of the delivery period.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether one of the registered terminals has been handed-over from the target network area to another network area, and wherein said sending comprises sending the notification message to that registered terminal if the terminal has not been handed-over from the target network area to another network area.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising scanning established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for any terminal having been handed over into the target network area, and wherein said sending comprises sending the notification message based on a result of that scanning.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein scanning established calls comprises scanning established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for any terminal having been handed over into the target network area from another network area in the serving network area of the call control node.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein scanning established calls comprises scanning established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for terminals having been handed over into the target network area from another serving network area of another call control node.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the notification message from another call control node for the sending of the notification message to the terminals.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein receiving the notification message from the another call control node comprises receiving the notification message from the another call control node in response to the another call control node receiving the notification message from a notification center node.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising sending request information to the another call control node, to an interface node located between the call control node and the another call control node, or to a notification message delivery node, wherein the request information indicates a request to generate the notification message, and wherein receiving the notification message from the another call control node comprises receiving the notification message from the another call control node in response to sending the request information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sending comprises sending the notification message to a notification message delivery node configured to send the notification message to the terminals.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the notification message from a notification center node for sending of the notification message to terminals located in the target area network;

and reporting to the notification center at least one of a number of terminals having received a notification message.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving from a notification center node time period information indicating the delivery period during which the notification message is to be sent to the terminals, and wherein said sending comprises sending the notification message within the indicated delivery period.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises:

location area information indicating a location area of a terminal; and

notification text information indicating a notification text to be provided to a terminal.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises:

at least one of;

filter information to be used by a terminal for filtering the notification message to be provided to a subscriber associated with the terminal; and

time period information indicating the delivery period during which the notification message is to be sent to the terminal located in the target network area.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification message comprises information about an emergency, information about an advertisement, or service related information.

15. A call control node associated with a serving network area for notifying terminals located in a target network area, wherein the serving network area at least partially comprises the target network area, the call control node comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a result of a scanning of a visitor location register database associated with the call control node for terminals registered for the target network area;

a processing circuit configured to determine which of the registered terminals are actually located in the target network area and identify terminals that are actually located in the target network area despite not being registered in the visitor location register database;

a transmitter configured to, during the delivery period, send a notification message to each of the registered terminals that are determined to be actually located in the target network area and to send a notification message to each of the unregistered terminals identified as actually located in the target network area;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to monitor for terminals that enter the target network area by roaming or by executing a handover during the delivery period; and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to send a notification message to any of the terminals that enter the target network area before the end of the delivery period.

16. The call control node according to claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine whether one of the registered terminals has been handed-over from the target network area to another network area, and wherein the transmitter is configured to send the notification message to that registered terminal if the terminal has not been handed-over from the target network area to another network area.

17. The call control node according to claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is configured to scan established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for any terminal having been handed over into the target network area, and wherein the transmitter is configured to send the notification message based on a result of that scanning.

18. The call control node according to claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to scan established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for any terminal having been handed over into the target network area from another network area in the serving network area of the call control node.

19. The call control node according to claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is configured to scan established calls in the serving network area of the call control node for terminals having been handed over into the target network area from another serving network area of another call control node.

20. The call control node of claim 15,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive the notification message from a notification center node for sending of the notification message to terminals located in the target area network;

and

wherein the transmitter is configured to report to the notification center at least one of a number of terminals having received a notification message.

21. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor associated with a call control node, cause the call control node to notify terminals located in a target network area, wherein the call control node is associated with a serving network area that at least partially comprises the target network area, the computer program instructions causing the call control node to:

receive a result of a scanning of a visitor location register database associated with the call control node for terminals registered for the target network area;

based on the received result of the scanning, determine which of the registered terminals are actually located in the target network area and identifying terminals that are actually located in the target network area despite not being registered in the visitor location register database;

during a delivery period, send a notification message to each of the registered terminals that are determined to be actually located in the target network area; and

send a notification message to each of the unregistered terminals identified as actually located in the target network area;

monitor for terminals that enter the target network area by roaming or by executing a handover during the delivery period; and

send a notification message to any of the terminals that enter the target network area before the end of the delivery period.