Subscriber information service center (SISC)

• US 20020042277A1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sws Development LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,771,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• 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

Abstract

A Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) in a wireless telecommunications network provides location and status information about identified mobile subscribers to a requesting subscriber. The requesting subscriber may access the SISC by e-mail. The SISC retrieves the location information from the mobile subscriber'"'"'s HLR, and returns the requested information by e-mail or by posting the information on a Web site associated with the SISC. A SIP proxy in the SISC enables a second-generation mobile subscriber to request information for other mobile subscribers. The SISC may also retrieve status information from the MSC serving the mobile subscriber relating to any ongoing call by the mobile subscriber.

Claims

1. A system in a wireless telecommunications network for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber, said system comprising:

means within the network for receiving an information request from the first subscriber, said information request requesting location information for the mobile subscriber;

means within the network for determining a location for the mobile subscriber;

means within the network for converting the location for the mobile subscriber to a corresponding common geographic name; and

means for sending the common geographic name to the first subscriber through a packet-switched network.

2. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving the information request from the first subscriber includes means for receiving an e-mail message from the first subscriber requesting the information.

3. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 1 wherein the means for sending the common geographic name to the first subscriber includes a Web page where the information is posted, said Web page being accessed by the first subscriber to retrieve the information.

4. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 3 wherein the Web page is associated with a Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) that retrieves the requested information from a Home Location Register (HLR).

5. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 4 wherein the SISC compiles the requested information in accordance with instructions in a subscriber profile for the first subscriber.

6. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 4 wherein the SISC posts on the Web page, the common geographic name of the location of the mobile subscriber, as reported in a most recent location update.

7. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 6 wherein the SISC also posts on the Web page, a time at which the most recent location update was performed.

8. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 7 wherein the SISC also posts on the Web page, the common geographic name of the location of the mobile subscriber immediately prior to the most recent location update.

9. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 6 wherein the SISC includes logic that determines that the mobile subscriber is moving if a time since the mobile subscriber changed cells is less than a predefined threshold.

10. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 9 wherein the SISC also posts on the Web page, an indication of whether the mobile subscriber is moving or stationary.

11. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 6 wherein the SISC includes a signaling mechanism that requests a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the mobile subscriber to report whether the mobile subscriber is engaged in an ongoing call.

12. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 11 wherein the SISC also posts status information for the mobile subscriber on the Web page, said status information including an indication of whether the mobile subscriber is currently engaged in an ongoing call.

13. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 6 wherein the SISC also retrieves status information from the HLR relating to whether the mobile subscriber'"'"'s mobile terminal is active or inactive, and posts the status information on the Web page.

14. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 4 wherein the SISC includes a proxy device that provides an address usable in the packet-data network to the first subscriber, and that maps circuit-switched signaling used by the first subscriber into packet-switched signaling used by the packetswitched network.

16. The system for providing a first subscriber with location information for a plurality of mobile subscribers of claim 15 wherein the means for sending the common geographic names to the first subscriber includes a Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) and an associated Web page where the information is posted, said Web page being accessed by the first subscriber to retrieve the information.

18. The method of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 17 wherein the method is performed without requiring the first subscriber to originate a telephone call.

19. The method of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 17 wherein the step of receiving the information request from the first subscriber includes receiving an e-mail message from the first subscriber requesting the information.

20. The method of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 17 wherein the step of sending the common geographic name to the first subscriber includes posting the information on a Web page that is accessed by the first subscriber to retrieve the information.

21. The method of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 20 wherein the network includes a Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) and a Home Location Register (HLR), and the method further comprises the step of retrieving by the SISC, the requested information from the HLR.

22. The method of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber of claim 20 wherein the network includes a Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) and a Home Location Register (HLR), and the method further comprises the step of periodically sending the requested information from the HLR to the

24. The SISC of claim 23 wherein the first signaling mechanism includes means for receiving the request for information in a first e-mail message, and sending the requested information to the requesting subscriber in a second e-mail message.

25. The SISC of claim 23 wherein the first signaling mechanism includes means for receiving the request for information in an e-mail message, and posting the requested information on a Web site that is accessed by the requesting subscriber to retrieve the information.

26. The SISC of claim 23 further comprising a database that stores a profile for the requesting subscriber, said profile indicating the location and status information desired by the requesting subscriber.

27. The SISC of claim 26 wherein the profile includes an indication that the requesting subscriber desires information for a plurality of mobile subscribers, and the SISC retrieves information for the plurality of mobile subscribers and posts the information on the Web site for retrieval by the requesting subscriber.

28. The SISC of claim 23 further comprising aproxy device that provides an address usable in the packet-data network to the first subscriber, and that maps circuit-switched signaling used by the first subscriber into packet-switched signaling used by the packet-switched network, thereby enabling the first subscriber to request information for the mobile subscriber when the first subscriber is a second-generation (2G) mobile subscriber.

29. The SISC of claim 23 wherein the second signaling mechanism includes means for retrieving from the MSC, status information relating to an ongoing call by the mobile subscriber.

15. A system in a wireless telecommunications network for providing a first subscriber with location information for a plurality of mobile subscribers, said system comprising:

means within the network for receiving an information request from the first subscriber, said information request requesting location information for the plurality of mobile subscribers;

means within the network for determining a location for each ofthe plurality of mobile subscribers;

means within the network for converting the location for each of the mobile subscribers to a corresponding common geographic name; and

means for sending the plurality common geographic names to the first subscriber through a connectionless packet-switched network.

17. A method in a wireless telecommunications network of providing a first subscriber with location information for a mobile subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving in the network, an information request from the first subscriber, said information request requesting location information for the mobile subscriber;

determining within the network, a location for the mobile subscriber;

converting within the network, the location for the mobile subscriber to a corresponding common geographic name; and

sending the common geographic name to the first subscriber through a packet-switched network.

23. A Subscriber Information Service Center (SISC) in a wireless telecommunications network having a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serving a mobile subscriber and a Home Location Register (HLR) storing location information for the mobile subscriber, said SISC providing location and status information about the mobile subscriber to a requesting subscriber, said SISC comprising:

a first signaling mechanism for receiving a request for information about the mobile subscriber from the requesting subscriber and sending the requested information to the requesting subscriber over a packet-switched network; and

a second signaling mechanism for retrieving location information for the mobile subscriber from the HLR.