Using an integrated services for digital network message header to convey a battery state

• US 9,860,847 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jaiswal, Peeyush, Wang, Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUGHES, EBONI N
• Application Number:
  US14/580,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20160183194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This disclosure includes a method and system for conveying battery state information about a mobile communication terminal to a third-party caller using a voicemail system and an Integrated Services for Digital Network (ISDN) message. A battery state indicator corresponding to the battery state of a mobile communication terminal is inserted into ISDN header and transmitted to a voicemail system. The voicemail system extracts the ISDN header and determines which voicemail message to send to third-party callers based on the battery state of the mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for conveying a battery state to a caller, the method comprising:

receiving, by a voicemail system and from a mobile communication terminal, a call directed to a subscriber account at the voicemail system;

determining whether the call was placed by a subscriber, the subscriber being associated with the subscriber account, wherein determining whether the call was placed by the subscriber includes determining, using information received from a mobile telephone switching office, whether the call was forwarded to the voicemail system after a recipient did not answer;

responsive to the voicemail system determining that the call was not placed by the subscriber, determining whether the subscriber account is in an alerting state;

responsive to determining that the call was not placed by the subscriber and that the subscriber account is in the alerting state, determining whether the caller is on a notifications list

responsive to determining that the subscriber account is in the alerting state and that the caller is on the notifications list, transmitting a low battery notification message to the caller and continuing with voicemail operations;

responsive to determining that the call was placed by the subscriber, the method further comprising;

extracting an Integrated Services for Digital Network (ISDN) header from the call;

determining whether the ISDN header includes a low battery indicator; and

responsive to determining that the ISDN header includes the low battery indicator, setting the subscriber account to an alerting state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the ISDN header does not include the low battery indicator, determining whether the ISDN header includes a charged battery indicator; and

responsive to determining that the ISDN header includes the charged battery indicator, setting the subscriber account to a first state.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the ISDN header does not include the charged battery indicator, continuing with voicemail operations.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining that the caller is not on the notifications list, transmitting a first voicemail message to the caller.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing, in memory communicatively coupled to the voicemail system, a first voicemail message and a low battery notification message for the subscriber account, the first voicemail message being associated with a first state and the low battery notification message being associated with the alerting state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the ISDN header includes the low battery indicator includes:

identifying a battery state indicator within the ISDN header, wherein the battery state indicator is appended to a caller ID field of the ISDN header; and

determining whether the battery state indicator is the low battery indicator.

7. A system comprising:

a memory having a first voicemail message and a low battery notification message for a subscriber account, the first voicemail message being associated with a first state and the low battery notification message being associated with an alerting state;

a mobile communication terminal configured to perform a method comprising;

determining a battery state of the mobile communication terminal;

generating a battery state indicator by comparing the battery state to one or more battery thresholds;

inserting the battery state indicator into a battery state indicator field within a header of an Integrated Services for Digital Network (ISDN) message; and

sending the ISDN message with the battery state indicator to a processor; and

the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, by a voicemail system and from the mobile communication terminal, a call directed to the subscriber account at the voicemail system;

determine whether the call was placed by a subscriber, the subscriber being associated with the subscriber account, wherein determining whether the call was placed by the subscriber includes determining, using information received from a mobile telephone switching office, whether the call was forwarded to the voicemail system after a recipient did not answer;

extract, in response to determining that the call was placed by a subscriber, the ISDN header from the call;

determine whether the ISDN header includes a low battery indicator;

set, in response to determining that the ISDN header includes the low battery indicator, the subscriber account to the alerting state;

determine, in response to determining that the ISDN header does not include the low battery indicator, whether the ISDN header includes a charged battery indicator; and

set, in response to determining that the ISDN header includes the charged battery indicator, the subscriber account to the first state, wherein the call was sent by a caller.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

continue, responsive to determining that the ISDN header does not include the charged battery indicator, with voicemail operations.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, responsive to determining that the call was not placed by the subscriber, whether the subscriber account is in the alerting state; and

determine, responsive to determining that the subscriber account is in the alerting state, whether the caller is on a notifications list.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit, responsive to determining that the caller is not on the notifications list, the first voicemail message to the caller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit, responsive to determining that the caller is not on the notifications list, the low battery notification message to the caller.