Real-time SMS application messaging using an SMSC-linked server

• US 6,125,281 A
• Filed: 03/04/1997
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huber, Rolf, Wells, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/811,550
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/412, 455/414, 455/472, 455/466, 455/552, 455/553, 455/556, 455/557, 370/352, 370/389, 370/392
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method is disclosed for operating a wireless mobile station of a type that is capable of bidirectional communication with a BMI having a SMS center. The method includes the steps of: (a) receiving a SMS message from the BMI; (b) determining if the SMS message has a first transfer format or a second transfer format; (c) if the SMS message is determined to have the first transfer format, processing the SMS message in a conventional manner; (d) if the SMS message is determined to have the second transfer format, parsing the SMS message to locate an Application Identifier entry; (e) determining from the Application Identifier entry if the mobile station supports the identified application; (f) if not, displaying a data entry of the SMS message with a first display format; else, (g) if the mobile station does support the identified application, starting the application and displaying the data entry with a second display format specified by the application. In a presently preferred embodiment of this invention the second format is a Data Exchange, Storage, and Command (DESC) format, and an application specified by the DESC formatted SMS message can be a Personal Messaging Calendar (PMC) application. Access to the PMC application can be via SMS messages from the mobile station, or through a network-connected data processor, such as a PC connected to the internet.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless mobile station of a type that is capable of bidirectional communication with a Base Station, Mobile Switching Center, Interworking Function (BMI) having a user messaging function, comprising the steps of:

providing a user application that comprises a database, the user application and database being bidirectionally coupled to the user messaging function;

at the mobile station, entering information that is descriptive of an event that is to occur at some future time;

sending the entered information from the mobile station to the user application using a message sent through the BMI and the user messaging function; and

storing the information in the database under the control of the user application for subsequent recall from the database and notification at a time that is a function of the specified future time, the notification occurring by using a message transferred from the user application to the user'"'"'s mobile station using another message sent through the BMI and the user messaging function.

2. A method for operating a wireless communications network of a type having a Base Station, Mobile Switching Center, Interworking Function (BMI), a user messaging function, and at least one mobile station that is bidirectionally coupled to the BMI through a wireless link, comprising the steps of:

providing a user application that comprises a database, the user application and database being bidirectionally coupled to the user messaging function and also to a data communications network;

using a data processor to enter information that is descriptive of an event that is to occur at some future time;

sending the entered information to the user application using a message sent through the data communications network;

storing the information in the database under the control of the user application; and

at a time specified by the stored information, sending a message to a mobile station using the messaging function and the BMI.

3. A method for operating a wireless communications network of a type having a Base Station, Mobile Switching Center, Interworking Function (BMI), a Short Message Service (SMS) function, and at least one mobile station that is bidirectionally coupled to the BMI through a wireless link, comprising the steps of:

providing a database and database controller that is bidirectionally coupled to the SMS function;

using the mobile station to enter information that is descriptive of an event;

sending the entered information from the mobile station to the database, via a first SMS message sent through the BMI and SMS function;

storing the information in the database;

adding to, revising, or deleting the stored information in the database from one of a data processor, that is coupled to the database controller through a data communications network connection, or from the mobile station; and

at a time specified by the stored information, sending a second SMS message from the database controller to the same subscriber'"'"'s mobile station that sent the entered information, via the SMS message function and the BMI, for alerting a user of the mobile station to the event.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first and second SMS messages are encoded in a Data Exchange, Storage, and Command (DESC) format.

5. A method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of storing includes a step of sending a confirmation SMS message from the database controller to the mobile station, via the SMS function and the BMI, for informing the user that the information was at least one of stored, modified, or deleted in the database.

6. A wireless communications network of a type having a Base Station, Mobile Switching Center, Interworking Function (BMI), a Short Message Service (SMS) center, and at least one mobile station that is bidirectionally coupled to the BMI through a radio link, and further comprising:

a database and database controller that is bidirectionally coupled to said SMS center and that is also bidirectionally coupled to at least one data processor through a data communications network;

a user interface in said mobile station for enabling a user to enter information that is descriptive of an event; and

a transmitter in said mobile station for sending the entered information to said database controller, via a first SMS message sent through said BMI and said SMS center, for storage in said database;

wherein

said data base controller comprises a data base user interface that is responsive to input from either said mobile station, via said SMS center, or from said data processor, via said data communications network, for adding to, revising, or deleting the stored information in the database; and

wherein

said database controller is responsive to a time specified by the stored information, for sending a second SMS message to the user'"'"'s mobile station, via said SMS center and said BMI, for alerting the user of said mobile station to an occurrence of a time related to the event.

7. A network as set forth in claim 6, wherein said first and second SMS messages are encoded in a Data change, Storage, and Command (DESC) format.

8. A network as set forth in claim 6, wherein said data communications network is comprised of the internet and is coupled to said data base controller through an internet interface between said database controller and the internet;

and wherein said data processor is coupled to the internet and comprises software for adding to, revising, or deleting the stored information in said database.

9. A network as set forth in claim 8, wherein said data processor communicates with said database controller through the internet using messages that are encoded in a Data Exchange, Storage, and Command (DESC) format.

10. A network as set forth in claim 6, wherein said database controller is responsive to the storage of received information in said database for sending a confirmation SMS message to said mobile station, via said SMS center and said BMI, for informing the user that the information was at least one of stored, modified, or deleted in said database.

11. A network as set forth in claim 6, wherein said database controller is coupled to said SMS center through a data link.

12. A network as set forth in claim 6, wherein said database controller is coupled to said SMS center through the internet.

13. A wireless communications system of a type having a Base Station, Mobile Switching Center, Interworking Function (BMI), a Short Message Service (SMS) center, and at least one mobile station that is bidirectionally coupled to the BMI through a radio link, and further comprising:

a database and database controller that is bidirectionally coupled to said SMS center;

a first user interface in said mobile station for enabling a user to enter information that is descriptive of an event;

a transceiver in said mobile station for sending the entered information to said database controller, via a first SMS message sent through said BMI and said SMS center, for storage in said database; and

a second user interface in a data processor that is bidirectionally coupled to said database through a network for sending a network message containing entered information to said database controller, via said network, for storage in said database;

wherein

a user is enabled to recall, revise, delete and add information in said database from either one of said first or second user interfaces; and

wherein

said database controller is responsive to a time, specified by at least one stored information entry, for sending a second SMS message to the user'"'"'s mobile station, via said SMS center, said BMI, and said transceiver, for alerting the user of said mobile station to an occurrence of a time that is related to the event.

14. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said SMS center copies SMS messages directed to said mobile station into said database, and wherein a user is enabled to review received SMS messages and originate new SMS messages, to one or more recipients, from either one of said first or second user interfaces.

15. A system as set forth in claim 13, and further comprising an email server coupled to said database for storing in said database an indication of a receipt of an email message that is addressed to said mobile station, and wherein a user is enabled to determine, from either one of said first or second user interfaces, that an email message has been received.

16. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said first and second SMS messages and said network message are encoded in a Data Exchange, Storage, and Command (DESC) format.

17. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein, for information that exceeds a predetermined length, the information is divided into a plurality of information portions that are sent in separate DESC-encoded SMS messages.

18. A system as set forth in claim 16, wherein a DESC-encoded SMS message received by said mobile station includes an Application identifier, and wherein said mobile station is responsive to said Application identifier for displaying received information in a format specified by the identified Application.

19. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said first and second user interfaces provide a unified and self-consistent user interface to a user.

20. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said network uses a TCP/IP protocol.

21. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said mobile station includes a read/write memory portion, and wherein said first user interface in said mobile station stores information in said read/write memory portion.

22. A system as set forth in claim 21, wherein said mobile station generates an alert when a time specified by the stored information equals a current time.

23. A system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said second user interface includes a screen saver function that comprises a window within which a message can be composed for transmission to said mobile station as a SMS message.

24. A method for operating a wireless communications network of a type having a wireless communication network, a wireless communication network user messaging function, and a plurality of mobile stations bidirectionally coupled to the network through radio channels, individual ones of said plurality of mobile stations being associated with individual ones of users of said wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

providing a personal messaging calendar (PMC) application that comprises a database for storing information for individual ones of at least some of said plurality of users of the wireless communication network, the PMC application and database being bidirectionally coupled to the wireless communication network user messaging function through at least one of a local data communications network or a global data communications network;

operating a first user interface of a data processor to enter information relating to a particular individual one of said users;

sending the entered information to the PMC application using a first message sent through the global data communications network;

storing the information in the database under the control of the PMC application; and

subsequently recalling the stored information from the database and sending a second message to an individual one of said plurality of mobile stations through the radio channel and the wireless communication network using the wireless communication network user messaging function, the second message being presented to the user with a second user interface of the same or a different mobile station.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the global data communication network employs TCP/IP for sending messages.

26. A method set in claim 24, wherein the wireless communication network user messaging function copies wireless communication network messages directed to the mobile station into the database, and wherein a user is enabled to review received wireless communication network messages and originate new wireless communication network messages, to one or more recipients, from either one of said first or second user interfaces.

27. A method as in claim 24, and further comprising an email server coupled to the database for storing in the database an indication of a receipt of an email message that is addressed to a particular one of the plurality of mobile stations, and wherein an associated user is enabled to determine, from either one of the first or the second user interfaces, that an email message has been received.

28. A method as in claim 24, wherein, for information that exceeds a predetermined length, the method further includes a step of partitioning the information into a plurality of information portions that are sent in separate formatted wireless communications network messages.

29. A method as in claim 24, wherein the first and the second messages are sent in a Data Exchange, Storage, and Command (DESC) format, wherein a DESC formatted wireless communication network message received by the mobile station includes an Application identifier, and further comprising a step of, responsive to the Application identifier, displaying received information in a format associated with the identified Application.

30. A method as in claim 24, wherein the first and second user interfaces provide a unified and self-consistent user interface to a user.

31. A method as in claim 24, wherein first user interface provides a data entry function that comprises a window within which text information can be entered for transmission to the mobile station.