Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Message storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-16
2001-02-13
Hunter, Daniel S. (Department: 2749)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Message storage or retrieval
C455S403000, C455S414200, C455S427000, C455S430000, C455S433000, C375S272000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188885
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of radiotelephone communications and more particularly to voice mail notifications for radiotelephone communications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a conventional mobile radiotelephone communications system, communications are provided between one or more mobile user terminals, a wired communications system, and the radiotelephone communications system. In other words, a radio link between a mobile user terminal and the radiotelephone communications system can be used to support communications between the mobile user terminal and a second mobile user terminal, or between the mobile user terminal and a telephone on the wired communications system.
When a call is placed to the mobile user terminal, the radiotelephone communications system sends an incoming call message to the mobile user terminal over a control channel indicating the presence of an incoming call. Upon reception of this incoming call message over the control channel, the user terminal and the radiotelephone communications system initiate a series of control communications to establish a link therebetween over a dedicated channel. If the user terminal is unavailable to receive the initial incoming call message, however, the telephone call may not be established.
Accordingly, a cellular radiotelephone communications system, such as the terrestrial Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM 03.38), may provide a voice mail feature allowing the calling party to leave a voice mail message for the user terminal if the telephone call is not established. In addition, GSM systems may provide a message to the user terminal indicating that voice mail has been received thereby alerting the user terminal to the presence of the voice mail so that the user can check the voice mail in a timely manner. In particular, the voice mail indicator message can be transmitted in a GSM system as a part of a Short Message Service (SMS) message.
Not all radiotelephone communications systems, however, support SMS messages. Furthermore, if the user terminal is unable to establish communications responsive to the initial incoming message (page), it may also be unable to receive the SMS message including the voice mail indicator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved methods of notifying a mobile user terminal that voice mail for the mobile user terminal has been received at the communications systems, and related systems and terminals.
This and other objects are provided according to the present invention by methods of transmitting a voice mail reception page at a power level greater than that used for other communications. Accordingly, the voice mail reception page may be received at the user terminal even if two way communications cannot be established. The use of a higher power voice mail reception page may be particularly advantageous in a satellite radiotelephone communications system where an inability to establish two way communications may occur with a greater frequency than in a terrestrial communications system.
In particular, a method according to the present invention is provided for notifying a user terminal that voice mail has been received for the user terminal at a radiotelephone communications system wherein the radiotelephone communications system supports communications with the user terminal at a first power level and pages to the user terminal at a second power level greater than the first power level. This method includes the steps of receiving voice mail for the user terminal at the radiotelephone communications system, and transmitting a page from the radiotelephone communications system at the second power level wherein the page includes an indication of voice mail reception at the radiotelephone communications system for the user terminal. This page is received at the user terminal, and this received page includes the indication of voice mail reception at the radiotelephone communications system for the user terminal.
More particularly, the radiotelephone communications system can be a satellite radiotelephone communications system so that the page is transmitted from a satellite of the satellite radiotelephone communications system. In addition, the page can be a high penetration page message transmitted over a high power alert channel.
The page can include a plurality of binary bits at least one of which indicates reception of voice mail. In addition, the page can include at least two binary voice mail indicator bits which are set to a first pattern to indicate reception of voice mail and which are set to a second pattern to indicate no reception of voice mail. Alternately, the page can include at least two binary voice mail indicator bits, wherein at least two binary voice mail indicator bits are set according to a first pattern to indicate no reception of voice mail, according to a second pattern to indicated reception of one voice mail message, and according to a third pattern to indicate reception of two voice mail messages. The method can also include providing indication of voice mail reception through a user interface of the user terminal.
According to an alternate aspect of the present invention, a user terminal provides communications to and from a radiotelephone communications system wherein the radiotelephone communications system supports communications with the user terminal at a first power level and paging to the user terminal at a second power level greater than the first power level. In particular, a page includes an indication when voice mail has been received at the radiotelephone communications system. This user terminal includes a transceiver, a processor, and a user interface. The transceiver receives communications from the radiotelephone communications system at the first power level, and transmits communications to the radiotelephone communications system. The transceiver also receives pages from the radiotelephone communications system at the second power level. The processor processes the pages to determine when voice mail for the radiotelephone has been received at the radiotelephone communications system, and the user interface provides an indication to a user when voice mail for the user terminal has been received at the radiotelephone communications system.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a radiotelephone communications system provides communications to and from at least one user terminal. This radiotelephone communications system includes a controller and a transceiver. In particular, the controller receives voice mail for a user terminal and the controller generates pages including voice mail reception indicators for transmission to the user terminal. The transceiver transmits communications to the user terminal at a first power level, transmits said pages generated by the controller and including the voice mail reception indicators to the user terminal at a second power level greater than said first power level, and receives communications from the user terminal.
The methods, user terminals, and communications systems of the present invention thus provide that voice mail information pages can be received by a user terminal even when two-way communications with the user terminal cannot be established.
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Draft, Digital cellular telecommunications system (Phase 2+); Alphabets and language-specific information (GSM 03.38 version 5.6.0),European Telecommunication Standard, 3 pages (3rdEd., Aug. 1997).
Kolev Javor
Solve Torbjorn
Ericsson Inc.
Hunter Daniel S.
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
Zewdu Meless
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