Starting a short message transmission in a cellular communication system

• US 5,987,323 A
• Filed: 04/01/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huotari, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US08/776,071
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/458, 455/466, 455/462, 455/517, 455/518, 455/521, 455/414
• US Class Current: 455/433
• 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 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method for starting a short message transmission in a cellular communication system, a cellular communication system, and a cellular communication system subscriber location register includes the subscriber location register which stores information on the fact that at least one short message service center stores short messages to be transmitted to a subscriber to whom the messages cannot be transmitted for the time being, and the subscriber location register of the subscriber which transmits to at least one short message service center a short message transmission starting message when it is again possible to transmit short messages to the subscriber. In order that short messages can be transmitted to subscribers selectively, the subscriber location register maintains short message service center and subscriber-specific information on the conditions under on which the short message service center is to be transmitted short message transmission starting messages.

Claims

1. A method for starting a short message transmission in a cellular communication network, comprising:

storing information in a subscriber location register based on the fact that at least one short message service center stores short messages to be transmitted to a subscriber to whom said short messages cannot be transmitted for the time being;

transmitting from said subscriber location register of said subscriber to said at least one short message service center, a short message transmission starting message when it is possible again to transmit short messages to said subscriber, wherein

information on conditions under which said short message service center is transmitted short message transmission starting messages is maintained specific to said short message service center and to said subscriber in said subscriber location register.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber location register transmits said short message transmission starting messages concerning one subscriber to desired short message service centers, selectively, based on said maintained information so that starting messages are transmitted to only first short message service centers, which are desired to transmit short messages, and starting messages are not transmitted to second short message service centers, which are not desired to transmit short messages, even if said second short message service centers contain short messages to be transmitted to said subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber controls said conditions included in said information maintained in said subscriber location register so that said subscriber location register transmits short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said subscriber.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein in response to a control instruction transmitted by said subscriber, said subscriber location register does not transmit said starting messages.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an operator controls said conditions included in said information maintained in said subscriber location register so that said subscriber location register transmits short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said operator.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber location register does not transmit said starting messages, if said subscriber is situated in a location other than a desired area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber location register transmits short message transmission starting messages to desired short message service centers in an order prioritized according to addresses of said short message service centers.

8. A cellular communication system, comprising

a subscriber;

at least one short message service center which transmits short messages to said subscriber via a cellular communication network and which stores short messages when the subscriber is not reachable; and

a subscriber location register of said subscriber, which contains information based on the fact that said at least one short message service center stores short messages to be transmitted to an unreachable subscriber, said subscriber location register comprising a transmitter which transmits a short message transmission starting message to said at least one short message service center when it is possible again to transmit short messages to said subscriber, wherein the subscriber location register comprises a database, maintaining information on conditions under which said short message service center is transmitted short message transmission starting messages specific to said short message service center and to said subscriber.

9. The cellular communication system according to claim 8, wherein said subscriber location register further comprises a transmitter which transmits short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said subscriber at the times desired by said subscriber.

10. A subscriber location register of a cellular communication system, comprising:

a transmitter which transmits a short message transmission starting message to at least one short message service center

a database, in which information on conditions under which said short message service center is transmitted short message transmission starting, messages is maintained specific to said short message service center and to said subscriber.

11. The subscriber location register according to claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitter which transmits short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said subscriber at times desired by said subscriber.

12. The subscriber location register according to claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitter which transmits short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said subscriber in an order prioritized according to said addresses of said short message service centers.

13. The subscriber location register according to claim 10, further comprising:

an inhibitor which prevents transmission of short message transmission starting messages to said short message service centers desired by said subscriber, if said subscriber is situated in a location other than a desired area.

14. The subscriber location register according to claim 10, wherein said subscriber location register is a GSM system home location register.