KR19990072196A - Method of providing a service to a communication system and a terminal in the communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

The communication system 100 includes a service provider 200 that provides a plurality of services to a plurality of terminals 400, 401, 402. The controller 300 with the user identifier stored in the communication system may be associated with the reader at the terminal to read the user identifier. The selector in terminal 400 selects one or more of the plurality of services associated with the user identifier. The transmitter transmits user service information corresponding to the user identifier and the information about the selected service to the service provider 200. The service provider 200 receives user service information and determines from which service provisioning area user service information has been transmitted. The service provision controller determines whether specific information is provided to the user and the determining means determines whether the service is provided in the first set of selected services. A paging message with paging information corresponding to the user service information is then sent to the service provisioning area. The terminal 400 responds to the service provider 200 when it can receive the paging message and accept the service.

Description

Method for providing a service to a communication system and a terminal in the communication system

Communication systems are providing an increasingly complex set of services to end users. For example, in a global system for mobile communications (GSM), many new services such as high speed circuit switch data, packet data services, etc. will be introduced in the coming years. Next-generation communication systems, such as the Universal Mobile Communication System (UMTS), are expected to provide even more available services to end users. An end user may reserve many different services and may require many different terminals or sets of services to use different services. For example, an end user can select one terminal (mobile phone) for voice telephony service, another terminal (fax machine) for fax service and another terminal for packet data service. Of course, one or more services may be accessed by one terminal.

The user preferably has one dialable number for all his communication requests. Pending British Patent Application No. 9516870.4, filed by the Applicant, discloses a system in which an identifier of a single user is associated with a user identification module (UIM) for accessing a series of specific services by a particular terminal. A UIM is associated with the terminal and the user selects a service available at the terminal. Thus, the user can select an operating mode of the terminal where the terminal is still available when the UIM is canceled from the terminal and repeats the process in different terminals for different sets of services.

In known systems, when a service provider provides a service to a user, the service provider sends a paging message with a single identifier to identify the receiving terminal. In the system, since there is a single user identity associated with multiple terminals providing different services, all terminals will respond to the paging message if the service provider attempts to deliver the service for that user identity. In this way, the service provider does not know which terminal the service is to be provided with.

Moreover, if another terminal has different mobilities, i.e., a terminal, such as a fax terminal, is fixed at one location, and another terminal, such as a mobile phone or pager, can move to another location, then move If the terminal is relocated in a different cell than where the fixed terminal is located, the service provider will not know which cell the paging message should be sent to.

Summary of the Invention

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the present invention,

A service provider for providing a plurality of services;

A controller having a user identifier in which contents related to the user are stored;

At least one terminal receiving at least one of the plurality of services,

The terminal,

A reader that reads a user identifier,

First storage means associated with the reader for storing the read user identifier,

A selector for selecting one or more of a plurality of services associated with the user identifier as the first set of selected services,

Second storage means coupled with the selector to store the selected first set of services,

A communication system comprising a transmitter coupled with the first and second storage means to transmit service provider user-service information corresponding to the user identifier and information about the selected first set of services,

The service provider,

A receiver for receiving the user-service information from a terminal;

First storage means coupled to the receiver to store the user service-information,

A location input device coupled to the receiver to determine whether user-service information is transmitted from a service provision area;

A service provision controller for determining whether a specific service should be provided to a user,

Determination means coupled to the service provision controller and first storage means for determining whether the particular service is included in the selected first set of services, and

Transmission means coupled to the first storage means, location input means, and determining means for transmitting a paging message having paging information corresponding to the user-service information to the service providing area,

The terminal,

Receiving means for receiving the paging message, and

And a response means coupled to the receiving means and responsive to a service provider capable of accepting a service.

In a second embodiment of the invention the service provider further comprises generating means for generating a unique alias identifier in the user-service information received from the terminal, wherein the transmitting means is further configured to receive the alias identifier from the terminal. Means for determining that a particular service is included in the selected first set of services, the alias identifier is included in the paging information, and the terminal receiving means, when the paging message is received, Recognition means coupled to the receiving means for recognizing the alias identifier.

Alternately or additionally, the paging message includes information regarding a particular service to be provided to a user, and the terminal is coupled to the receiving means and the response means to include the specific service in the selected set of services. And a third storage means, coupled to the determiner, for storing information about whether the particular service is included in the selected first set of services, wherein the first set of selected services is selected. The response means responds only when it is determined that the determination means is included in.

In another embodiment, the terminal has a unique terminal identifier for the user service information, the terminal transmitter sends a terminal identifier in user-service information, the service provider receiver receives the terminal identifier, The paging message includes the terminal identifier if the determining means determines that the particular service is included in the first set of the selected service.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for providing at least one of a plurality of services to a terminal side in a telecommunication system having a service provider for providing a plurality of services.

Connecting a controller having a user identifier stored therein to the terminal;

The terminal reading the user identifier from the controller;

The terminal selecting one or more of the plurality of services to be connected with the user identifier as a first set of selected services;

The terminal transmitting user service information corresponding to the user identifier and information regarding the first set of selected services to the service provider side;

Receiving, by the service provider, the user service information sent from the terminal;

Determining, by the service provider, from the user service information, a service providing area in which the user service information is transmitted;

Determining, by the service provider, whether a particular service should be provided to a user;

Determining, by the service provider, whether the particular service is included in the first set of selected services;

Transmitting, by the service provider, a paging message having paging information corresponding to the user service information to the service providing area side;

Receiving, by the terminal, the paging message;

And responding to the service provider that the terminal can receive the service.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of issuing, by the service provider, an alias identifier unique to the user service information received from the terminal and transmitted by the transmitting means to the terminal receiving means, wherein the service provider further comprises: When determining that a particular service is included in the first set of selected services, the paging message includes an alias identifier and the terminal recognizes the alias identifier when the paging message is received.

Alternatively or additionally, the paging message may include information regarding a particular service to be provided to the user, the method further comprising determining by the terminal whether the particular service is included in the first set of selected services. Further comprising, the terminal responds only if it determines that the particular service is included in the first set of selected services.

In another embodiment, the method further comprises issuing a terminal identifier unique to the user service information by the terminal, sending the terminal identifier to the service provider by the terminal, and receiving the terminal identifier at the service provider, If the terminal determines that a particular service is included in the first set of selected services, the paging message includes a terminal identifier.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the drawings.

The present invention relates to a communication system, and more particularly to a communication system and method for providing a plurality of different types of services, such as voice telephone, fax, data transmission, paging, video, etc. to a number of different types of terminals. It is about.

1 illustrates a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 shows in more detail a first embodiment of a terminal used in the system of FIG.

3 illustrates in more detail a first embodiment of a service provider used in the system of FIG.

4 illustrates in more detail a second embodiment of a terminal that may be used in a system similar to that of FIG.

5 illustrates in more detail a second embodiment of a service provider that may be used in a system similar to that of FIG.

6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of the second embodiment of the terminal and the service provider.

8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the first embodiment of the system.

10 illustrates in more detail a third embodiment of a terminal that may be used in a system similar to that of FIG.

11 and 12 are flowcharts showing the operation of the third embodiment of the terminal and the service provider similar to that of the first embodiment.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, communication system 100 comprises at least one service provider 200, a terminal set of users that is used by an end user to use one or more services provided by service providers. It is a smart card with 400, 401, 402, microprocessor 310 and memory 320, and includes a controller 300 having one user identifier for the end user.

The service provider 200 may add more services as a means of competing revenue and market sharing. Under these circumstances, an end user can purchase more than one terminal. Probably, the user may initially start with a basic voice terminal 401 such as a cellular telephone. And if you do not want to invest in a voice terminal, you decide to hire a fax terminal 400 and a voice and data terminal 402, such as a lap-top computer, rather than buying one more expensive terminal that supports all services. Can be. These three terminals perform the same function as more expensive integrated service complexes.

Each terminal is, for example, a first embodiment of the terminal 400 shown in FIG. 2, which has a reader 410 that reads a user identifier stored in a memory 320 of the controller 300 and a read user identifier. And a first storage means 420 connected to the reader 410. The reader 410 may, for example, insert a controller 300 into a slot (not shown) in the terminal to request contact with the controller 300 or to be in a non-contact state. The terminal also comprises a transmitter 450 which is connected to the first storage means 420 to occupy the information stored at the service provider via the antenna 455. A service selector 430 is provided that selects one or more of the plurality of services associated with the user identifier. Therefore, the user can select the required services among the services provided by the surge provider. If the terminal has a display or can request the user to press buttons corresponding to the selected service, the service selector 430 is driven in a menu form. Information about the selected services is stored in and coupled to the second storage means 440 in connection with the transmitter 45 for delivery to the service provider along with the user identifier. In addition, when a paging message is used to indicate that one of the services associated with the user identifier at this terminal is invoked, the terminal 400 sends a response to the service provider and a response coupled to the receiver 460. And a receiver 460 for receiving the paging messages from the means 470 and the service provider via the antenna 455.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first embodiment of the service provider 200 includes information about selected services delivered from the user identifier and the antenna 455 of the terminal 400 through the antenna 205. And a memory 220 coupled to the receiver 210 for storing information indicating which services are selected for a particular user identifier, and a receiver 210 and a user identifier received via 205. . Locator 230 also determines which service providing area the terminal is in when the user identifier and selected services are received at receiver 210 and is coupled to receiver 210. The service provision controller 240 determines whether the specific service for which the service call is being attempted is provided to the user. The processor 250 is connected to the service providing controller 240, the locator 230, and the memory 220. Processor 250 determines whether a particular service is included in the currently selected sets of services. The transmitter 260 is connected to the processor 250, the locator 230, and the memory 220 to transmit the paging message to the terminal 400 through the antenna 205.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 4, the service provider 200 includes the same elements with the same reference numerals as in Fig. 3, and also corresponds to a single alias corresponding to the associated set of user identifiers and user services. alias identifier and includes an alias generator 270 coupled to the memory 220. This single alias identifier is stored in memory 220 for the service provider and communicated to terminal 400 via antenna 205. Terminal 400 of FIG. 5 having the same elements as in the embodiment of FIG. 2 has the same reference number, also stores an alias identifier, and is connected to receiver 460 and response means 470. Alias storage 480 is included.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the structures shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 are used using the steps indicated by the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. In step 600, a registration attempt is made for the selected set of services. And, for example, as described in British Patent Application 9516870, service provider 200 determines whether a valid registration attempt has been made. In step 605, alias generator 270 generates a single alias identifier to correspond to the selected set of services for which registration attempts were successfully made. And the corresponding set of selected services and the corresponding user identification state are stored in the memory 220 of the service provider 200. Therefore, consistency is preserved. In step 615, the single alias identifier and the successful state of the registration attempt are communicated to the terminal 400 using the transmitter 260. In step 620, the single alias identifier and the successful state of the registration attempt are received by the terminal 400 using the receiver 460. In step 625, the alias identifier is stored in the alias storage 480. This sequence is repeated for other sets of selected services in other terminals, as shown by step 630.

In this second embodiment, an alias identifier is used during the location update procedure of the system. This location update procedure is well known in the art. As a result of the location update procedure, the service provider may keep accurate information about the current location of each terminal associated with each alias identifier. This functionality is provided by the locator 230 in the service provider 200.

In this embodiment, the appropriate terminal 400 is accessed by the service provider 200 to deliver to the terminal one of the services in one of the sets of selected services according to the step shown in FIG. Need to be. Upon receipt of the hand signal attempt, as shown by step 700, for a particular service and specific called user identification, service provision controller 240 may display the user in this form, as shown by step 705. Test to see if it can receive calls. If not, the service provider 200 rejects the call, as shown in step 710. If so, processor 250 reads memory 220 to recover the alias identification associated with the set of services for this user identification that includes the requested service, as shown in step 715. do. In step 720, processor 250 recovers the current location of the terminal associated with the alias identifier from the locator. In step 725, terminal 400 is paged at the correct location by transmitter 260, which delivers at least an alias identifier to the cell in which terminal 400 is located. In step 730, the rest of the call setup process is completed according to known methods.

In the first embodiment, the service provider is configured in the same form as in the second embodiment. The difference is that no alias generator 270 is present, as shown in FIG. The terminal 400 is configured in the same manner as the second embodiment except for the fact that there is no alias storage device 480 as shown in FIG. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the steps shown in the flowchart in FIG. 8 are used to register various sets of selected services. In step 800, registration for the selected set of services is attempted and the service provider 200 determines if a valid registration attempt is made, for example as described in British Patent Application No. 9516870.4 described above. In step 810, the selected set of services and corresponding user identities are stored in the memory of the service provider 200 such that communication is maintained. At step 815, the successful state of the registration attempt is sent to terminal 400 using transmitter 260. At step 820, the successful state of the registration attempt is received by terminal 400 using receiver 460. This sequence is repeated for another selected set of services at another terminal as shown by step 830.

In this first embodiment, the appropriate terminal 400 is accessed by the service provider 200 to display one of the services in one of the selected set of services according to the steps shown in FIG. To transmit. Upon receiving an incoming call attempt as shown in step 900, for a particular service and a specific called user identity, the service provision controller 240 causes the user to create such type of information as shown in step 905. FIG. Test to see if you are entitled to receive the call. If not, the service provider 200 rejects this call as shown in step 910. If so, the processor 250 retrieves the current location of the terminal associated with the service coming from the locator 230 as shown in step 920. In step 925, terminal 400 is paged at the correct location by transmitter 260, which transmits a paging message that includes at least the called user identifier and the service called in the cell in which the terminal is located. In step 927, each terminal that receives a paging message first checks to see if the paging message is for a user identifier associated with the terminal and a second set of selected services whose service is associated with the user identifier at this terminal. Check to see if it is one of these sets. If this test fails, the paging message is ignored, and if the test passes, the paging message is answered by the terminal. If the terminal responds to the paging message, this step precedes step 930 where the remaining call setup procedure is completed according to a conventionally known method.

In the third embodiment, the service provider 200 is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3, where the service identifier is stored in the memory 220. Terminal 400 is provided in the same manner as in the second embodiment except that a zero terminal ID storage 490 is provided that stores a permanent terminal identifier instead of an alias store 480. It is configured as shown in 10.

In the third embodiment of the present invention, the steps described in the flowchart shown in Fig. 11 are used to register for service access. In step 1000, registration for a selected set of services is attempted and the service provider 200 determines if a valid registration attempt is made, as described, for example, in the UK application number 9516870.4 described above. As part of this registration procedure, the terminal identifier is sent to the service provider 200. In step 1010, the terminal identifier and the corresponding set of selected services and corresponding user identities are stored in the memory 220 of the service provider 200 such that communication is maintained. In step 1015, the successful status of the terminal identifier and registration attempt is sent to terminal 400 using transmitter 260. In step 1020, the successful status of the terminal identifier and registration attempt is received by terminal 400 using receiver 460. This sequence is repeated for another selected set of services at another terminal as shown in step 1030.

In this third embodiment, the appropriate terminal 400 is accessed by the service provider 200 to provide one of the services in one of the selected service sets to the terminal in accordance with the steps shown in FIG. send. Upon receiving an incoming call attempt as shown in step 1100, for a particular service and a particular called user identity, service provision controller 240 determines whether the user is entitled to receive such a type call. Examine as shown in step 1105 to see. If not, the service provider 250 rejects this call as shown in step 1110. If so, processor 250 reads memory 220 and retrieves a terminal identifier associated with the set of services for this user identity that includes the requested service, as shown in step 1115. In step 1120, processor 250 retrieves from locator 230 the current location of the terminal associated with the alias identifier. In step 1125, terminal 400 is paged at the correct location by transmitter 260, which transmits at least a terminal identifier to the cell in which terminal 400 is located. In step 1130, the remaining call setup procedure is completed according to the conventional method.

Although only three embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (13)

A service provider for providing a plurality of services; A controller having a user identifier in which contents related to the user are stored; At least one terminal receiving at least one of the plurality of services, The terminal, A reader that reads a user identifier, First storage means associated with the reader for storing the read user identifier, A selector for selecting one or more of a plurality of services associated with the user identifier as the first set of selected services, Second storage means coupled with the selector to store the selected first set of services, A communication system comprising a transmitter coupled with the first and second storage means to transmit service provider user-service information corresponding to the user identifier and information about the selected first set of services, The service provider, A receiver for receiving the user-service information from a terminal; First storage means coupled to the receiver to store the user service-information, A location input device coupled to the receiver to determine whether user-service information is transmitted from a service provision area; A service provision controller for determining whether a specific service should be provided to a user, Determination means coupled to the service provision controller and first storage means for determining whether the particular service is included in the selected first set of services, and Transmission means coupled to the first storage means, location input means, and determination means for transmitting a paging message having paging information corresponding to the user-service information to the service providing area, The terminal, Receiving means for receiving the paging message, and Response means coupled to the receiving means and responsive to a service provider capable of accepting a service. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider, Generating means for generating a unique alias identifier in the user-service information received from the terminal, and Second storage means coupled to the generating means and the transmitting means to store the alias identifier, The transmitting means transmits the stored alias identifier to the terminal receiving means. 3. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein if the determining means determines that a particular service is included in the selected first set of services, the alias identifier is included in the paging information, and the terminal receiving means, upon receiving the paging message, receives the receiving means. Communication means comprising a recognition means coupled to recognize an alias identifier. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the paging message includes information about a particular service that should be provided to a user, wherein the terminal is coupled to the receiving means and the response means so that the particular service is selected. A determiner for determining whether the service is included in the first set, and third storage means coupled to the determiner for storing information regarding whether the specific service is included in the selected service first set; The response means only to respond when the determiner determines that is included in the selected first set of services. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the terminal has a unique terminal identifier and the transmitter transmits a terminal identifier in user-service information. 6. A communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the terminal identifier is included in paging information if the determining means determines that the particular service is included in the selected first set of services. A method of providing at least one of the plurality of services to a terminal side in a telecommunication system having a service provider providing a plurality of services, the method comprising: Connecting a controller having a user identifier stored therein to the terminal; The terminal reading the user identifier from the controller; The terminal selecting one or more of the plurality of services to be connected with the user identifier as a first set of selected services; The terminal transmitting user service information corresponding to the user identifier and information on the first set of selected services to the service provider side; Receiving, by the service provider, the user service information sent from the terminal; Determining, by the service provider, from the user service information, a service providing area in which the user service information is transmitted; Determining, by the service provider, whether a particular service should be provided to a user; Determining, by the service provider, whether the particular service is included in the first set of selected services; Transmitting, by the service provider, a paging message having paging information corresponding to the user service information to the service providing area side; Receiving, by the terminal, the paging message; And And responding to the service provider that the terminal can receive the service. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the service provider generates an alias identifier specified for the user service information received from the terminal, and Sending the alias identifier to a terminal receiving means side. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein if the service provider determines that the particular service is included in the first set of selected services, the alias identifier is included in the paging information and the paging message is received when the paging message is received. The terminal recognizes the alias identifier. 10. The method of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the paging message includes information about a particular service to be provided to the user. Determining, by the terminal, whether the particular service is included in the first set of selected services, wherein the terminal responds only if it is determined that the particular service is included in the first set of selected services. How to include more steps. The method of claim 7, wherein the terminal is provided with a specific terminal identifier, Sending, by the terminal, the terminal identifier to the service provider side; Receiving, by the service provider, the terminal identifier; And If the service provider determines that the particular service is included in the first set of selected services, the service provider further includes including the terminal identifier in the paging information. The telecommunications system described substantially above with reference to the drawings. A method of providing at least one of a plurality of services to a terminal side in a telecommunication system having a service provider that provides a plurality of services substantially described above with reference to the drawings.