Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W48/00—Access restriction; Network selection; Access point selection
  • H04W48/08—Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery
  • H04W48/12—Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery using downlink control channel
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
  • H04W4/16—Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to cellular telecommunication networks, more specifically, the invention relates to a method and system for providing feedback to users on service feature support in unfamiliar cellular telecommunication networks.
• dialling service Another example of a value-added feature useful to mobile users is abbreviated dialling service, and one form of which is international access code dialling.
• This feature is particularly useful to subscribers that roam internationally since it eliminates the need for subscribers to know the international code access codes that apply to each serving area or country encountered.
• the international access code when followed by the dialled number, indicates to the serving cellular network that the dialled number is an international call and should be routed accordingly.
• International access codes typically vary by region or country and, for roaming subscribers, are often inconvenient to recall in the event that they need to make an international call.
• a caller in North America desiring to making an international call must dial Oil (international access code) which is typically followed by the country code, city code (or network code if calling a cellular number), and finally the telephone number.
• Oil international access code
• Table A depicts some international access codes (LAC) necessary for placing international calls for some exemplary countries.
• GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
• the GSM standard initially introduced as a pan-European digital standard, was designed from its inception to expedite international roaming between CEPT (Conference Europeenne des Postes et Telecommunications) countries.
• the GSM solution also referred to as Plus Code Dialling, permits the caller to perform abbreviated dialling by entering a specific symbol ("+" key on the mobile terminal) in place of the international access code followed by the rest of the digit string.
• the mobile terminal translates the "+"symbol and defines the digit string as an "international" call.
• the mobile terminal When transmitting the digit string to the network, the mobile terminal deletes the "+” symbol from the string and transmits the string to the network while indicating it is an international call.
• the string In the serving network mobile switching center (MSC), the string is identified as "international” wherein the indication is translated into the appropriate international access code which is added to the digit string and routed accordingly.
• the invention discloses a method and system for notifying a roaming subscriber, operating a mobile terminal on, e.g., a visiting cellular network, of whether an abbreviated dialling service feature, such as Plus Code Dialling, is supported by the network.
• the method includes monitoring the control channels for broadcast information transmitted on the broadcast control channel. Included on the broadcast control channel is a Service Menu Message containing a plurality of Information Elements that characterize the service features supported by the network. If an "Address Information Map" Information Element is available and supported by the network, the Plus Code Dialling service feature is supported and vice versa.
• a predetermined notification message in the terminal is immediately displayed indicating that the feature is not supported.
• the method may optionally utilize the step notifying the subscriber by using a Reorder/Intercept message 5 sent from the network to the terminal announcing the warning.
• FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary format of the Service Menu Message for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is an exemplification of an Information Element containing an "Address Information Map" suitable for use with the embodiment.
• FIG. illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary procedure operating in accordance the present invention.
• the present invention is directed toward a mechanism for notifying mobile 20 subscribers that specified features, such as abbreviated international access code dialling (Plus Code Dialling), are not supported by a serving network.
• a cellular network operating in accordance with the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) IS-136 Rev A digital wireless standard as specified by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry 25 Association (EIA/TIA) is characteristically described.
• EIA/TIA Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry 25 Association
• GSM Global System for Mobile Communication
• PDC Personal Digital Cellular
• the term mobile terminal will henceforth be referred to simply as the te ⁇ ninal.
• Registration is a process by which the terminal informs the current network of its identification, location and other associated information such that the subscriber's home network can be interrogated to determine if access to the network should be granted. Exemplary factors used in the determination may include the subscriber's credit worthiness and current billing information, for example.
• the IS- 136 terminal makes an initial reading, during power up or at reselection, of the Digital Control Channel (DCCH) for broadcast information on the Fast Broadcast Control Channel (F-BCCH).
• DCCH Digital Control Channel
• F-BCCH Fast Broadcast Control Channel
• a Service Menu Message that provides a list of services supported by the network specified by a plurality of Information Elements (IE) may be broadcast on either the F-BCCH or the Extended Broadcast Control Channel (E-BCCH) depending, e.g., on the priority the operator places on the information and available bandwidth on the F-BCCH.
• IE Information Elements
• E-BCCH Extended Broadcast Control Channel
• reading the E-BCCH at this time is also optional and typically up to the te ⁇ ninal manufacturer when to do this.
• FIG. l illustrates an exemplary format of the Service Menu Message for use in accordance with the embodiment
• the Service Menu contains parameters, indicated by reference numeral 100, for determining features and/or functions operable within the network.
• the Service Menu contains flags that indicate whether a feature is supported by the network
• Over-the- Air Activation (OATS) having a value of 1 in the Service Menu indicates support for the function, and a value of 0 indicates no support.
• the SMS (Short Message Service) map identifies the extent to which the network supports Cellular Messaging Teleservice, for example:
• the terminal is able to determine from the Service Menu Message whether abbreviated dialling service feature such as Plus Code Dialling is supported by reading an Information Element "Address Information Map" 110.
• This element provides the te ⁇ ninal with information as to whether the network is able to route the call using the "Address hrformation” IE. If the IE indicates that calls may be routed using data provided by the "Address Information” map, the network translates the, e.g., "+" symbol in the digit string to the appropriate international access code and routes the call accordingly.
• the terminal will indicate to the subscriber that the Plus Code Dialling feature is not supported by the network.
• the notification occurs when the subscriber, in an attempt to place an international call, enters the "+" key wherein a predetermined warning message is immediately shown on the te ⁇ ninal display indicating that the feature is not operable.
• the implementation of the Plus Code feature should be universally supported by the operating standard by submission to a relevant standardization body such as (TIA TR 45.3) as, for example, an addendum to the existing Service Menu Message.
• FIG.2 is a detailed exemplification of an "Address Information" map (for IE 110 of FIG. 1) suitable for use with the described embodiment
• IE 110 of FIG. 1 An "Address Information” map
• the information element shown also identifies various other addressing information that can be supported the network.
• the National Number or country code can be mapped into the Service Menu Message and used for abbreviated dialling such as, e.g., when the subscriber enters a designated key representing a special character such as "*", "/", "#” etc. or entering a number code in the digit string.
• dialling cellular numbers the network code used for identifying a specific cellular network may be abbreviated along with company phone extensions, for example.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary procedure operating in accordance with the present invention, for notifying the subscriber when an abbreviated dialling feature such as international access code service (Plus Code Dialling) is not supported by the network.
• An operating terminal is initially camped on the DCCH, as shown in step 300.
• the subscriber attempts to place an international call by entering a "+" followed by a digit string, as shown in call origination step 310.
• the te ⁇ ninal makes a determination to identify whether the "Address Information" IE is available by reading the Service Menu Message on the control channel broadcast information.
• the Service Menu Message may be broadcast on either the F-BCCH or E- BCCH, wherein the broadcast of which decided by the operator.
• step 330 This step occurs because it may be possible for the subscriber to originate a call prior to reading the E-BCCH (when the Service Menu Message is broadcast on the E-BCCH) since the IS-136 specification only requires the terminal to read the F-BCCH prior to performing a call origination.
• the subscriber is notified, e.g., via the terminal display or recorded audio message, as shown in step 340.
• the call origination message is sent together with the number "Type", i.c., the number is designated as "international” in which the appropriate international access code is translated and the call is routed accordingly by the MSC, as shown in step 350.
• notification of unsupported service features may be sent to the teiminal by way of a Reorder/Intercept message with 'Cause' set to "Address Info ⁇ nation not supported.”
• the Reorder/Intercept procedure is used to inform subscribers of the cause of the failure to carry out an intended action, e.g., dialling a wrong number etc.
• the terminal can use the same user interface as previously described to alert the subscriber in the form of a displayed message or audio message, for example.
• This procedure unlike the previous technique, requires the use of a traffic channel resource in order to transmit the warning announcement which may not be desirable.
• die invention is not limited to networks operating in accordance with the IS-136 standard.
• the inventive concept is applicable to networks having different broadcast info ⁇ nation formats wherein the Service Menu Message may be adapted for use with, e.g., the GSM or personal digital cellular (PDC) standard.
• the exemplary Plus Code Dialling method is not restricted to using the "+” key exclusively, since characters such as, e.g., the "*", "/” or a predefined number code may be used to represent the various types of abbreviated dialling supported by the "Address Information" IE. It is therefore, the intention that the following claims not be given a restrictive interpretation but should be viewed to encompass variations and modifications that are derived from the inventive subject matter disclosed.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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• 2000
  • 2000-03-28 AU AU44423/00A patent/AU4442300A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-03-28 WO PCT/SE2000/000601 patent/WO2000062573A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-03-28 EP EP00925787A patent/EP1173994A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-03-28 BR BR0009745-4A patent/BR0009745A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-03-28 CN CN 00808859 patent/CN1356008A/zh active Pending
  • 2000-04-14 AR ARP000101775 patent/AR023518A1/es unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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