System and method of querying a device, checking device roaming history and/or obtaining device modem statistics when device is within a home network and/or complementary network

• US 7,024,199 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: XRS Corporation (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Motient Communications, Inc. (Terrestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Franklin, Julian M., Massie, Rodney E., Speaks, Chantel M., Leboulanger, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US10/614,391
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/426.2, 455/428, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/403, 455/414.1, 370/351, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/368, 370/389
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a user to query availability, roaming history and/or modem statistics of a wireless device that can roam between at least two different wireless networks, without assistance from network service provider personnel.

Claims

1. A system enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said system comprising:

a primary wireless network comprising a routing switch for;

a) receiving the wireless device query;

b) retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

c) determining whether the wireless device last used the primary or secondary wireless network;

d) adding a radio frequency header to the query in accordance with the last used network as determined in said part c);

e) transmitting the query to the wireless device in the network as determined in said part c);

f) adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts to the primary network, a transmission header in accordance with a communication protocol used by at least one of the primary and secondary wireless network to which the query has not yet been transmitted;

g) transmitting the query to the wireless device in network as determined in said part f); and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and at least a portion of the message transmission header transmitted by said routing switch, transmitting the query and the message transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting a query response from the wireless device to the first device.

2. A method for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to query a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a query from the first device to at least the primary wireless network;

retrieving a profile of the wireless device, the profile comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

adding a radio frequency header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header characteristic of second communication requirements associated with the secondary network to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the secondary wireless network;

receiving the query at the secondary wireless network and further transmitting the query to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network; and

displaying the results of the query at the first device.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of queuing each query prior to transmitting to at least one of the primary and secondary wireless networks.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

7. A method for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a query from the first device to at least the primary wireless network, wherein the query comprises at least one of a device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report;

b) retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

c) determining at least one of the primary and secondary wireless network with which the wireless device was last communicating;

d) adding a first transmission header to the query in accordance with network communication requirements as determined in said step c);

e) transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the network as determined in said step c);

f) adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header in accordance with a communication protocol used by at least one of the primary and secondary wireless networks to which the query has not yet been transmitted;

g) transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the wireless device in the wireless network as determined in said step f); and

h) displaying the results of the query at the first device.

8. A method for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to query a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said method comprising:

transmitting a query from the first device to at least the primary wireless network;

attaching to the query a transmission header for internal routing within the primary wireless network;

retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

adding a radio frequency header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network;

transmitting the query to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network; and

displaying the results of the query at the first device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of queuing queries prior to transmitting to the wireless device in the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

13. A method for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a query from the first device to a host computer operatively communicable with the primary wireless network;

providing at least a first line handler for receiving the query from the host computer;

retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising network data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

adding a first transmission header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the first transmission header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network;

transmitting the query and the second transmission header to the secondary wireless network;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network; and

displaying the query results on a display device operatively connected to the first device.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of queuing the query prior to transmission to at least one of the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of receiving a negative acknowledgement message from the secondary wireless network.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first device is a wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device registered with at least the primary wireless network.

18. A communication system enabling communication devices to query devices across complimentary networks, comprising:

a first communication device transmitting a query and communicating substantially consistent with a first communication format;

a primary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said first communication device and receiving the query, said primary wireless network determining responsive to the query whether the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, and when the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, formatting the query to be received substantially consistent with the first communication format, routing the query to a device destination within said primary wireless network, and when the query is not to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, said primary wireless network formatting the query in accordance with a second communication format and routing the query to a network destination, optionally via the primary wireless communication;

a second communication device not capable of directly communicating with said primary wireless network and communicating in accordance with the second communication format;

a secondary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said second communication device and said primary wireless network, said secondary wireless network receiving the query from said primary wireless network as the network destination when the query is not to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, optionally via secondary wireless communication and routing the query to said second communication device as the device destination responsive to said second communication format formatted by said primary wireless network.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said first communication device is at least one of a wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network and a non-wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the query comprises a second communication device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

21. A communication system enabling communication devices to communicate across complimentary networks, comprising:

a first communication device transmitting a device query and communicating substantially consistent with a first communication format;

a primary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said first communication device and receiving the query, said primary wireless network determining responsive to the query whether the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, and when the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, formatting the query to be received substantially consistent with the first communication format, transmitting the query to a device destination within said primary wireless network, and when the query is not to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, said primary wireless network formatting the query in accordance with a second communication format and transmitting the query to a network destination, optionally via the primary wireless communication;

a second communication device not capable of directly communicating with said primary wireless network and communicating in accordance with the second communication format;

a secondary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said second communication device and said primary wireless network, said secondary wireless network receiving the query from said primary wireless network as the network destination when the query is not to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, optionally via secondary wireless communication and transmitting the query to said second communication device as the device destination responsive to said second communication format formatted by at least in part by said primary wireless network.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said first communication device is at least one of a wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network and a non-wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the query comprises a second communication device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

24. A communication system enabling communication devices to communicate across complimentary networks, comprising:

a first communication device transmitting a device query and communicating in accordance with a first communication format;

a primary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said first communication device and receiving the query, said primary wireless network determining responsive to the query whether the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network and outside said primary wireless network, and when the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, formatting the query to be received in accordance with the first communication format, routing the query to a device destination within said primary wireless network via primary wireless communication, and when the query is to be transmitted outside said primary wireless network, optionally in addition to routing the query within said primary wireless network, said primary wireless network formatting the query in accordance with a second communication format and routing the query outside said primary wireless network;

a second communication device not capable of directly communicating with said primary wireless network and communicating in accordance with the second communication format;

a secondary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said second communication device and said primary wireless network, said secondary wireless network receiving the query from said primary wireless network and routing the query to said second communication device responsive to said second communication format formatted by said primary wireless network.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the first communication device is at least one of a wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network and a non-wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein the query comprises at least one of a second communication device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

27. A communication system enabling communication devices to communicate across complimentary networks, comprising:

a first communication device transmitting a device query and communicating in accordance with a first communication format;

a primary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said first communication device and receiving the query, said primary wireless network determining responsive to the query whether the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network and outside said primary wireless network, and when the query is to be transmitted within said primary wireless network, formatting the query to be received in accordance with the first communication format, transmitting the query to a device destination within said primary wireless network via primary wireless communication, and when the query is to be transmitted outside said primary wireless network, optionally in addition to the transmitting the query within said primary wireless network, said primary wireless network formatting the query in accordance with a second communication format and transmitting the query outside said primary wireless network;

a second communication device not capable of directly communicating with said primary wireless network and communicating in accordance with the second communication format;

a secondary wireless network operatively connected to, and directly communicating with, said second communication device and said primarily wireless network, said secondary wireless network receiving the query from said primary wireless network and transmitting the query to the second communication device responsive to said second communication format formatted by said primary wireless network.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the first communication device is at least one of a wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network and a non-wireless device registered with at least said primary wireless network.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein the query comprises at least one of a second communication device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

30. A system enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with said primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, the query comprising at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report, said system comprising:

means for processing, operatively communicable with said primary wireless network, a device query from the first device;

said primary wireless network comprising switching means for;

receiving the query from said means for processing;

reading a profile of the wireless device comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

adding a first transmission header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the first transmission header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network; and

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the secondary wireless network; and

a switch operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network for receiving the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header transmitted by said switching means, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to at least one of the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting the query result to said routing switch for display at the first device.

31. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, the device query comprising at least one of a device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report, said system comprising:

means for processing, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network, a device query from the first device;

said primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

an internal routing server receiving the query from said means for processing and attaching to the query a transmission header for internal routing within the primary wireless network;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server adding a radio frequency header to the query, transmitting the query to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

a complementary network server for receiving the query, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, from said routing server and adding a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network; and

means for switching, operatively communicable with the primary and secondary wireless networks, receiving the query transmitted by said complementary network server, transmitting the query to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, and transmitting the query results to said routing switch; and

display means operatively connected to the first device for displaying the query result.

32. In a data communication system having a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and at least a secondary wireless network, wherein the system has means for processing, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network and capable of receiving a query from the first device, and wherein the primary wireless network has:

a routing switch comprising an internal routing server receiving the query from the means for processing and attaching to the query transmission headers for internal routing within the primary wireless network, a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable, a routing server operatively communicable with the request server for adding a radio frequency header to the query, transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network and, a complementary network server for receiving, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, the query from the routing server and adding a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network, and wherein the secondary wireless network has means for switching, operatively communicable with the secondary wireless network, that receives the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header transmitted by the complementary network server and transmits the query to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network, a method of enabling the first device to transmit a query to the wireless device, said method comprising the steps of;

transmitting a device query from the first device to at least the primary wireless network;

retrieving a profile of the wireless device, the profile comprising data pertaining to at least the primary wireless network and the secondary wireless network with which the wireless device is communicable;

adding a first transmission header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the first transmission header to the wireless device in the primary wireless network;

adding, after a predetermined number of transmission attempts, a second transmission header to the query in accordance with a communication protocol used by the secondary wireless network;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the second transmission header to the secondary wireless network;

receiving the query at the secondary wireless network and further transmitting the query to the wireless device via the secondary wireless network; and

displaying the results of the query at the first device.

33. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to query a wireless device, said system comprising:

a host computer, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network, capable of receiving a query from the first device;

the primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

a middleware server enabling said host computer to operatively communicate with said routing switch;

an internal routing server receiving the query from said host computer and attaching to the query transmission headers for internal routing within said primary wireless network;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server adding a radio frequency header to the query and transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device;

a query server operatively communicable with at least one of said request server, said routing server, and said complementary network server managing the flow of each query from the first device to the wireless device; and

a web server operatively communicable with said host computer and said query server for electronically formatting query results for transmission to the first device and transmitting query results to the first device.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the first device is a wireless device.

36. The system according to claim 33, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device.

37. A system for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device, said system comprising:

a host computer, operatively communicable with the primary wireless network, receiving a query from the first device;

the primary wireless network comprising a routing switch comprising;

at least a first line handler for receiving the query from said host computer;

a middleware server enabling said host computer to operatively communicate with said routing switch via a first line handler;

a request server retrieving a profile of the wireless device;

a routing server operatively communicable with said request server for appending a radio frequency header to the query;

at least a second line handler for receiving the query and the radio frequency header from said routing server; and

a web server operatively communicable with said host computer and said query server for electronically formatting query results for transmission to the first device and transmitting query results from the wireless device to the first device.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein said routing switch further comprises a query queue operatively communicable with at least one of said request server and said routing server that manages the flow of each query.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

40. The system according to claim 37, wherein the first device is a wireless device.

41. The system according to claim 37, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device.

42. A method for enabling a first device operatively communicable with at least a primary wireless network to transmit a device query to a wireless device, said method comprising:

transmitting a query via a first device, the query being transmitted to a routing switch within the network via a host computer operatively connected thereto;

receiving the query at the routing switch from the host computer via at least a first line handler, said routing switch performing the steps of;

retrieving a profile of the wireless device;

adding a radio frequency header to the query;

transmitting the query and at least a portion of the radio frequency header to the wireless device via at least a second line handler;

electronically formatting query results from the wireless device for transmission to the first device; and

transmitting query results to the first device.

43. The method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of queuing the query prior to transmitting the query to the wireless device.

44. The method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of queuing the query results prior to transmitting the query results to the first device.

45. The method according to claim 42, wherein the query comprises at least one of a wireless device availability check, a roaming history report and a modem statistics report.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein the first device is a wireless device.

47. The method according to claim 42, wherein the first device is a non-wireless device.