Method and apparatus for supporting the delivery of short message service messages to sleeping mobile stations in a cellular communications system

Claim 2

A radio communications system, comprising: a plurality of mobile stations, each mobile station including means for temporarily placing the mobile station in a power conservation mode of operation wherein receipt of communications messages is not possible, and for generating a notification informing the system that the mobile station has terminated its power conservation mode of operation; a communications network for delivering received communications messages to the plurality of mobile stations, said network including: a message center node for storing received communications messages intended for delivery to the mobile stations; another network node connected to the message center node for setting a message flag indicating the storage of a received communications message for a designated one of the mobile stations when delivery of the communications message to the designated mobile station by the communications network fails; and means responsive to both the mobile station notification of the termination of the power conservation mode of operation in the designated mobile station and the setting of the message flag for retrieving and forwarding the stored communications message for delivery to the designated mobile station.

Claim 3

The system as in claim 1 wherein the means for temporarily placing the mobile station in the power conservation mode of operation comprises: a timer for alternatively counting a first time period and a second time period; and circuit means responsive to the counting of the second time period by the timer for controlling the consumption of power by the mobile station.

Claim 4

The system as in claim 2 wherein the circuit means comprises means for denying power to certain power consuming components of the mobile station.

Claim 5

The system as in claim 3 wherein the mobile station further includes a transceiver circuit and the means for denying restricts the supply of power to the transceiver circuit.

Claim 6

The system as in claim 2 wherein the circuit means comprises means for reducing the consumption of power by certain power consuming components of the mobile station.

Claim 7

A communications message delivery method for use in a radio communications system including a plurality of mobile stations each functioning to temporarily enter into a power conservation mode of operation wherein receipt of communications messages is not possible and further functioning to generate a notification indicative of the termination of the power conservation mode of operation, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a communications message addressed to a designated mobile station; attempting delivery of the received communications message to the designated mobile station; and if the attempted delivery of the received communications message fails: storing the received communications message in a message center node for subsequent retrieval; setting a message waiting flag in a node of the system other than the message center node indicative of the storage of the received communications message for the designated mobile station; and responsive to the mobile station supplied notification of the termination of the power conservation mode of operation in the designated mobile station, and further in response to the setting of the message waiting flag for the designated mobile station, retrieving from storage and forwarding via the radio communications system the stored communications message for delivery to the designated mobile station.

Claim 8

A communications message delivery method for use in a radio communications system including a plurality of mobile stations each functioning to temporarily enter into a power conservation mode of operation wherein receipt of communications messages is not possible and further functioning to generate a notification indicative of the termination of the power conservation mode of operation, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a communications message addressed to a designated mobile station; attempting delivery of the received communications message to the designated mobile station; and if the attempted delivery of the received communications message fails: storing the received communications message in a message center node for subsequent retrieval; setting a message waiting flag in a node of the system other than the message center node indicative of the storage of the received communications message for the designated mobile station; and responsive to the mobile station supplied notification of the termination of the power conservation mode of operation in the designated mobile station, and further in response to the setting of the message waiting flag for the designated mobile station, retrieving from storage and forwarding via the radio communications system the stored communications message for delivery to the designated mobile station.

Claim 9

The method as in claim 6 further including the step of repetitively placing the mobile station into and out of a mode of operation wherein power is conserved.

Claim 10

The method as in claim 7 wherein the step of repetitively placing includes the step of temporarily denying power supply to certain components of the mobile station.

Claim 11

The method as in claim 7 wherein the step of repetitively placing includes the step of temporarily reducing the amount of power supplied to certain components of the mobile station.

Claim 12

A cellular communications system providing communications with a plurality of mobile stations, comprising: a mobile switching center; a home location register for storing data concerning certain ones of the mobile stations home within an area serviced by the mobile switching center; a visitor location register for storing data concerning certain ones of the mobile stations believed to be currently located in the area serviced by the mobile switching center; a message center for storing messages intended for delivery to the certain ones of the mobile stations home within the area serviced by the mobile switching center; and means connected to the home location register, visitor location register and message center for routing a received message to an intended recipient mobile station, said means including: means in either the mobile switching center, home location resister or visitor location register for setting a flag in response to a failure to deliver the message to the intended recipient mobile station due to unavailability; and means responsive to a mobile station transmitted notification informing the system that the mobile station has terminated its power saving mode of operation along with the setting of the flag for retrieving the stored message from the message center, and for forwarding the retrieved message to the intended recipient mobile station.

Claim 13

A cellular communications system providing communications with a plurality of mobile stations, comprising: a mobile switching center; a home location register for storing data concerning certain ones of the mobile stations home within an area serviced by the mobile switching center; a visitor location register for storing data concerning certain ones of the mobile stations believed to be currently located in the area serviced by the mobile switching center; a message center for storing messages intended for delivery to the certain ones of the mobile stations home within the area serviced by the mobile switching center; and means connected to the home location register, visitor location register and message center for routing a received message to an intended recipient mobile station, said means including: means in either the mobile switching center, home location resister or visitor location register for setting a flag in response to a failure to deliver the message to the intended recipient mobile station due to unavailability; and means responsive to a mobile station transmitted notification informing the system that the mobile station has terminated its power saving mode of operation along with the setting of the flag for retrieving the stored message from the message center, and for forwarding the retrieved message to the intended recipient mobile station.

Claim 14

The system as in claim 10 wherein the means for routing utilizes the data stored in the home and visitor location registers for identifying the location of the intended recipient mobile station.

Claim 15

The system as in claim 10 wherein the means for routing further included means for clearing set flags following the delivery of the retrieved message to the intended recipient mobile station.

Claim 16

The system as in claim 10 further including means for interacting with other mobile switching centers to route and deliver messages to intended recipient mobile stations.

Claim 17

A cellular communications system, comprising a plurality of service areas; a plurality of mobile stations moving through the service areas, each mobile station including means for temporarily entering into a power conserving mode of operation wherein receipt of system communications messages is not possible, and for generating a notification informing the system that the mobile station has terminated its power conservation mode of operation; a message center for storing received system communications messages for the mobile stations; and a mobile switching center serving each one of the plurality of service areas, each mobile switching center including: means for transmitting received system communications messages to mobile stations located in its service area; means responsive to a failure in the delivery of a system communications message to a designated one of the mobile stations due to the power conserving mode of operation of the designated mobile station for storing the system communications message in the message center and for setting a message waiting flag in the mobile switching center for the designated mobile station; and means responsive to the mobile station notification of the termination of the power conserving mode of operation in the designated mobile station, and the setting of the message flag of the designated mobile station for retrieving the system communications message from storage in the message center, and for forwarding the retrieved communications message to the designated mobile station using the means for transmitting.

Claim 18

A cellular communications system, comprising a plurality of service areas; a plurality of mobile stations moving through the service areas, each mobile station including means for temporarily entering into a power conserving mode of operation wherein receipt of system communications messages is not possible, and for generating a notification informing the system that the mobile station has terminated its power conservation mode of operation; a message center for storing received system communications messages for the mobile stations; and a mobile switching center serving each one of the plurality of service areas, each mobile switching center including: means for transmitting received system communications messages to mobile stations located in its service area; means responsive to a failure in the delivery of a system communications message to a designated one of the mobile stations due to the power conserving mode of operation of the designated mobile station for storing the system communications message in the message center and for setting a message waiting flag in the mobile switching center for the designated mobile station; and means responsive to the mobile station notification of the termination of the power conserving mode of operation in the designated mobile station, and the setting of the message flag of the designated mobile station for retrieving the system communications message from storage in the message center, and for forwarding the retrieved communications message to the designated mobile station using the means for transmitting.

Claim 19

The cellular communications system as in claim 14 wherein the mobile switching center further includes means for clearing the set message flag following delivery of the message to the designated mobile station.

Claim 20

The cellular communications system as in claim 14 further including means for notifying other mobile switching centers when the mobile station terminates power conservation mode in a service area different from the service area where it entered power conservation mode.

Claim 21

The system of claim 1 further including means for restricting mobile station re-entry into the power conserving mode of operation until completion of delivery of the stored communications messages.

Claim 22

The system of claim 10 wherein the set flag is maintained in the visitor location register and further including means for transferring the set flag from one visitor location register to another visitor location register with mobile station movement.

Claim 23

The system of claim 10 further including means for clearing the set flag upon message delivery to the intended recipient mobile station.