Means and method for notification

• US 20060274701A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Albertsson, Henrik
• Application Number:
  US11/143,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A method for notification in packet-switched communication networks is provided. An application server (40) that wants to notify a mobile terminal (42) transmits a notification message intended for this mobile terminal. The notification is forwarded to a notification server (45), typically via control logic (44). If the status of the mobile terminal corresponds to a first predefined status, for example “non-available”, the notification (41) is stored at the notification server until it receives an indication of a status change to a second predefined status, for example “available”. In response to the status change, the notification is transmitted from the notification server to the mobile terminal, typically via the control logic.

Claims

1. A method for notification in a packet-switched communication system including an application server and a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a notification message for the mobile terminal from the application server;

forwarding the notification message to a notification server in the communication system and storing the notification message at the notification server if the mobile terminal is associated with a first predefined status;

receiving, at the notification server, an indication of a status change at the mobile terminal from the first predefined status to a second predefined status; and

transmitting the notification message from the notification server to the mobile terminal in response to the indication of the status change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predefined status and the second predefined status of the mobile terminal are related to the IP connectivity thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the status change is associated with the step of registering the mobile terminal in the communication system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing of the notification message is preceded by a non-successful attempt of sending the notification message to the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing of the notification message is preceded by a storage decision based on knowledge of the current status of the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the status change received at the notification server originates from a communication unit selected from the group of:

a Call Session Control Function (CSCF), a Home Subscriber Server (HHS), a location server, and a presence server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether to store the notification message based on the type of message or the identity of the sender.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating a plurality of notification messages for the mobile terminal; and

sending the aggregated notification messages together to the mobile terminal in response to the status change.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification server comprises a SIP application server arranged at the terminating domain of the communication system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet-switched communication system comprises an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network.

12. A notification server with means for notification in a packet-switched communication system including an application server and a mobile terminal, comprising:

means for receiving a notification message originating from the application server and being intended for the mobile terminal;

means for storing the notification message if the mobile terminal is associated with a first predefined status;

means for receiving an indication of a status change at the mobile terminal from the first predefined status to a second predefined status; and

means for transmitting the notification message to the mobile terminal in response to the indication of the status change.

13. The notification server of claim 12, wherein the first predefined status and the second predefined status of the mobile terminal are related to the IP connectivity thereof.

14. The notification server of claim 13, wherein the status change is associated with registration of the mobile terminal in the communication system.

15. The notification server of claim 12, wherein the means for storing the notification message is adapted for storing the notification message in response to a non-successful attempt of sending the notification message to the mobile terminal.

16. The notification server of claim 12, comprising means for deciding whether to store the notification message based on knowledge of the current status of the mobile terminal.

17. The notification server of claim 12, arranged to receive the indication of the status change from a communication unit selected from the group of:

a Call Session Control Function (CSCF), a Home Subscriber Server (HHS), a location server, and a presence server.

18. The notilication server of claim 12, further comprising means for determining whether to store the notification message based on the type of message or the identity of the sender.

19. The notification server of claim 12, further comprising:

means for aggregating a plurality of notification messages for the mobile terminal; and

means for sending the aggregated notification messages together to the mobile terminal in response to the status change.

20. The notification server of claim 12, adapted for handling notification messages based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

21. The notification server of claim 12, comprising a SIP application server arranged at the terminating domain of the communication system.

22. A packet-switched communication system with means for notification comprising the notification server;

of claim 12.

23. The communication system of claim 22, being an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network.