Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/42195—Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
  • H04Q3/0016—Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
  • H04Q3/0025—Provisions for signalling
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2203/00—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M2203/20—Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges related to features of supplementary services
  • H04M2203/2066—Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2207/00—Type of exchange or network, i.e. telephonic medium, in which the telephonic communication takes place
  • H04M2207/18—Type of exchange or network, i.e. telephonic medium, in which the telephonic communication takes place wireless networks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
  • H04M3/53—Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages, i.e. mailbox systems
  • H04M3/5322—Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages, i.e. mailbox systems for recording text messages

Definitions

• This invention relates to wireless digital telephony, and has particular relation to establishing non-voice data communication with a wireless terminal.
• a conventional network 100 can connect a wireless terminal 102, via wireless infrastructure (base stations, etc.) 104, to a host computer 106 by using either of two routes.
• the wireless terminal makes a non-voice digital wireless connection to the wireless infrastructure 108.
• the difference in routes comes from what the wireless infrastructure 108 does to the non- voice signal.
• the "non-voice" qualification is important.
• the wireless telephone system is, as noted above, digital.
• both voice and non-voice data are carried in a digital format.
• the two digital formats are different, though.
• the voice format tolerates more errors in order to minimize delay, while the non-voice format tolerates more delay in order to minimize errors.
• the wireless infrastructure 104 applies the signal as circuit switched data to a first modem 108, which modulates it as it enters a circuit switched network 110 (conventionally, the Public Switch Telephone Network, or PSTN).
• the PSTN 110 applies the modulated signal to a second modem 112, which demodulates it as it leaves the PSTN 110 and applies the demodulated signal to the host computer 106.
• the wireless infrastructure applies the signal as packet data to an interworking function 114, which applies the interworked data to the Internet 116, which applies it to the host computer 106.
• an interworking function 114 which applies the interworked data to the Internet 116, which applies it to the host computer 106.
• Both routes work well when the wireless terminal 102 wants to initiate a data connection with the host computer 106, since the host has a fixed electronic address, both on the PSTN 110 and on the Internet 116.
• FIG. 3 shows the chink in the prior art's armor which applicant has used to overcome this problem, without expensive infrastructure upgrades.
• the PSTN 110 has both a signaling network 302 (conventionally, Signaling System 7, or SS7) and a traffic network 304.
• SS7 302 locates both ends of the conversation (in this case, the two modems 108 and 112) and ensures that a circuit switched connection can be made through the traffic network 304 before attempting to set up such a connection. Since SS7 302 requires much less bandwidth than the traffic network 304, the entire PSTN 110 works much more efficiently.
• SS7 302 has, as networks technology evolved, been pressed into additional uses, which include mobility management through Mobile Application Parts (MAP) such as, for example IS-41.
• MAP Mobile Application Parts
• SMS Short Message System
• the MAP of SS7 302 is fully mobile, and that the host computer could thus easily send an SMS message to the wireless terminal.
• the SMS message could state, "Call the host computer back (here stating the host's PSTN number or Internet address), using non-voice format.” That is, the host computer does not initiate the non-voice data connection. Instead, it takes advantage of the wireless terminal's ability to initiate a non-voice data connection, and asks — by means of an SMS message — the wireless terminal to do so.
• FIG. 1 is block diagram 100 of a wireless terminal 102 conventionally succeeding in communicating with a host computer 106.
• FIG. 2 is block diagram 200 of the host computer 106 conventionally attempting (and failing) to communicate with the wireless terminal 102.
• FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the conventional Public Switch Telephone Network 110.
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram 400 of a wireless terminal 404 including a novel SMS call-back element 410.
• FIG. 5 is a flow chart 500 showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• FIGS. 1-3 show the prior art and have been adequately discussed above.
• the conventional wireless terminal 102 has been modified into a novel wireless terminal 402.
• Terminal 402 receives wireless signals through antenna 404, which applies them to a receiver 406.
• Receiver 406 passes these signals to an SMS call-back element 408.
• the SMS call-back element 408 is so called because it looks for control signals from the signaling network 302.
• this signaling network 302 it is conventional for this signaling network 302 to be a Mobile Application Part conveyed over signaling system #7. If it is, then one possible MAP control signal is a message in Short Message Service (SMS) format.
• SMS Short Message Service
• Such a message may readily be coded (through use of Teleservice identities or some other novel encoding format) to indicate that it is a call-back message, and include a designation of the host computer 106 which is to be called back.
• the callback element 408 passes this information on to a processor 410, which may be fully automatic or under the control of the terminal user.
• This processor 410 causes a transmitter 412 to initiate a data call through antenna 404.
• the receiving and transmitting antennas may be separate if desired.
• SMS messages may be used instead of SMS messages if desired. This is not preferred. If an SMS message is used, then only the host computer 106 and wireless terminal 102 need to be upgraded to send and process the call-back signal, and this upgrade might be nothing more than a software change. The infrastructure 104 and networks 110 and 116 may be left unchanged. If a new control signal is used, expensive changes may be required.
• FIG. 5 is a flow chart 500 showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 4.
• the wireless terminal 102 receives 502 an SMS message. It then determines 504 whether the message includes a call-back request. If it does 506, then it calls the host computer 106 back, using non-voice data format. If not 508, then the message is considered for further processing, and the next message is received 502.
• This invention is capable of exploitation in industry, and can be made and used, whenever is it desired for a host computer to establish non-voice data communication with a wireless terminal.
• the individual components of the apparatus and method shown herein, taken separate and apart from one another, may be entirely conventional, it being their combination which I claim as my invention.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=22633732

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-10-18 JP JP2000577858A patent/JP2002528979A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-10-18 WO PCT/US1999/024300 patent/WO2000024225A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-10-18 AU AU12100/00A patent/AU1210000A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-10-18 CN CN99812166A patent/CN1328760A/zh active Pending
  • 1999-10-18 KR KR1020017004791A patent/KR20010080192A/ko not_active Ceased
  • 1999-10-18 EP EP99970832A patent/EP1120006A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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