Mobile activity status tracker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9467844-B2
Application number	US-201514828844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2000
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

A technique and apparatus to provide status tracking of presence and/or location of a mobile, wireless device to a requesting entity even outside of a particular wireless system. This allows wireless service providers the ability to monitor and log changes in the status of mobile stations within and/or outside their networks. Embodiments are disclosed wherein presence and/or location information is provided to entities outside of a particular servicing wireless network using the mechanisms of call processing components of a mobile network (e.g., call setup procedures), and using standard mechanisms currently available to any appropriately conforming Mobile Switching Center (MSC) element. A mobile activity status tracker (MAST) is disclosed which contains a database of information similar to the information contained in the Home Location Register. The MAST tracks and reports status and activity of mobile wireless devices in a wireless network using mobile registration message, mobile inactivity message forwarding, and/or mobile automatic notification of subscriber status to TCP/IP entities (e.g., application servers on the Internet or Intranet). The MAST system duplicates the same or similar information contained in a corresponding HLR, but is available as an external database entity which is not restricted by SS7 standards. The tracking need not track call-specific information, e.g., called telephone numbers or information regarding conversations sustained by the tracked wireless subscribers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile activity status tracker, comprising:
an activity receiver to receive a duplicate of a registration notification message from a network point independent of a home location register;
a TCP/IP communications channel for communicating a status data message associated with said registration notification message to at least one application server over an Internet protocol (IP) communication network;
a database to store registration notification messages associated with individual wireless devices, said registration notification messages having been previously forwarded by said home location register to a network point independent of said home location register; and
a transmitter to transmit said status data message to a destination device.

2. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a communications channel to allow entry of said registration notification message into said database from said network point to said mobile activity status tracker without reliance on a communication with said home location register.

3. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 2 , wherein:
said communications channel utilizes a TCP/IP communications protocol.

4. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said home location register is a stand-alone Home Location Register.

5. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said home location register is integrated with a message servicing center on a common platform.

6. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said mobile activity status tracker is external to said home location register servicing individual wireless device subscribers.

7. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said mobile activity status tracker is adapted to compare a temporary record with entries in said database to determine any changes in activity status relating to a relevant wireless device and overwrite an existing record in said database with said temporary record if a change in activity status is determined.

8. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said destination device is an application server.

9. The mobile activity status tracker according to claim 1 , wherein:
said Home Location Register is an integrated Home Location Register on a common platform with a message service center (MSC).

10. A method of providing a database of presence or location information regarding wireless system subscribers, comprising:
receiving, at a mobile activity status tracker, a duplicate of a registration notification message from a network point independent of a home location register;
communicating, with a TCP/IP communications channel, a status data message associated with said registration notification message to at least one application server over an Internet protocol (IP) communication network;
a database to store registration notification messages associated with individual wireless devices, said registration notification messages having been previously forwarded by said home location register independent of said home location register; and
transmitting said status data message to a destination device.

11. The method of providing a database of presence and location information regarding wireless system subscribers according to claim 10 , further comprising:
storing, at a database relating to individual wireless device subscribers, said registration notification message associated with at least one of said individual wireless device subscribers.

12. The method of providing a database of presence and location information regarding wireless system subscribers according to claim 10 , further comprising:
entering said registration notification message into said database from said network point to said mobile activity status tracker without reliance on a communication with said home location register.

13. The method of providing a database of presence and location information regarding wireless system subscribers according to claim 10 , further comprising:
comparing a temporary record with entries in said database to determine any changes in activity status relating to a relevant wireless device; and
at least one of overwriting an existing record with said temporary record if a change in activity status is determined, and keeping a log of at least one of history of activity and status changes for at least one wireless subscriber.

14. The method of providing a database of presence and location information regarding wireless system subscribers according to claim 10 , wherein:
said registration notification message is forwarded through a network point between said home location register and said mobile activity status tracker.

15. The method of providing a database of presence and location information regarding wireless system subscribers according to claim 10 , wherein:
said home location register is one of a stand-alone Home Location Register and an Integrated Home Location Register (IHLR).

Assignees

• Telecomm Systems Inc

Inventors

• Wallace Erik L
• Weichselbaumer Walter
• Hronek Daniel J
• Titus Mark
• Ung Dara

Classifications

• H04L69/329

  in the application layer [OSI layer 7] · CPC title

• H04W8/08 Primary

  Mobility data transfer · CPC title

• H04L69/16

  Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04L67/22

  Electricity · mapped topic