Method and apparatus for event notification for wireless devices

[0003] 1. Technical Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention pertains in general to event notification in a client/server environment, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for message waiting notification in a client/server environment wherein the client and server communicate via a wireless network.

[0005] 2. Description of Related Art

[0006] Wireless data systems which use a client/server architecture are being developed with the principal data service of these data systems being messaging such as, E-mail, fax-mail and voice-mail, among others. In a client/server environment, when a server receives messages for a client, it would be beneficial if a message waiting notification could be sent to alert the client. Although the server could “call” the client to provide the client message waiting notification, all public standards for client/server architectures do not allow the server to call the client. Instead, the client is required to call the server and establish a “session” before notification and other information can be transferred from the server to the client.

[0007] In certain applications, such as a circuit data system used in standard analog cellular telephone systems, no notification mechanism exists. In other applications, solutions to address the problem of message waiting notification have been developed, however, each has a drawback. For example, in a Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) system, mobile clients are assigned a fixed Internet Protocol (IP) address. Mobile clients are required to “log into” the server and maintain a continuous connection. The server can then deliver information to the mobile client at any time since a virtual connection is continuously maintained. IP addresses, however, are limited in number and the use of fixed IP addresses required by the Cellular Digital Packet Data system requires the coordination of all mobile device manufacturers.

[0008] It has also been suggested that a Short Message Service (SMS) of a mobile telephone system be used as a message waiting notification vehicle. SMS allows a short message to be delivered to a mobile client. This message can be coded with a standard format such that the client recognizes the SMS message as a message waiting notification. SMS, however, is not a reliable notification system. In many mobile telephone systems, SMS is only provided as a secondary service to voice traffic. Therefore, in heavily loaded mobile telephone systems, SMS messages can be delayed indefinitely making SMS an unreliable notification mechanism. Additionally, SMS messages are typically delivered for a fee and many users may not wish to pay for notification messages.

[0009] There is a need therefore, for an efficient, reliable and inexpensive method and apparatus for providing message waiting notification from a server to a client in a wireless client/server architecture.

[0010] The present invention comprises a method and an apparatus for effectuating message waiting notification to a client that a server has received a message for the client. Upon receiving a message addressed to the client, the server initiates a telephone call to the client which includes caller identification information. The server inserts a telephone number assigned for message waiting notification into a calling party number field and information pertaining to the message received into a calling party name field of the sent caller identification information. The telephone network then pages the client in response to the initiated telephone call. The server then terminates the telephone call.

[0011] Upon receiving the page, a caller identification device positioned within the client receives the caller identification information sent with the initiated telephone call. The client compares the telephone number contained within the calling party number field of the caller identification information against the assigned telephone number. A match indicates that the call is a message waiting notification. The client further reads the calling party name field of the caller identification information to receive the information pertaining to the received message.

[0012] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an apparatus for communicating a message waiting notification to a client from a server;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for sending a message waiting notification to a client from a server; and

[0015] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for receiving a message waiting notification by a client from a server.

[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a functional block diagram of an apparatus for communicating a message waiting notification to a client from a server. A server 100 communicates with a client 110 via a wireless telephone network 120. The server 100 and the client 110 further communicate with various other devices via a plurality of communication networks 130.

[0017] When a message is received by the server 100 addressed to the client 110, the server 100 stores the message in a storage device 140. A message detector 150 detects the arrival of the message and alerts a controller 160. In response to the message detection, the controller 160 initiates a telephone call from telephone functionality 162 connected to the server 100 to telephone functionality 230 connected to the client 110.

[0018] When the telephone call is initiated by the server 100, caller identification information 170 is created. The caller identification information 170 includes a telephone number field 180 containing the telephone number of a calling party and a name field 190 typically containing a name of the calling party assigned the telephone number listed in the telephone number field 180. The telephone number field 180 and the name field 190 are typically inserted with information by the telephone network 120; however, in the preferred embodiment, the server 100 is integrated into the telephone network 120 so as to allow the server 100 to insert the information 170. The server 100 inserts a telephone number 165 into the telephone number field 180. The telephone number 165 is preprogrammed into both the server 100 and the client 110 and is indicative of a waiting message and is used solely by the server 100 to notify the client 110 that the message has arrived at the server 100. Since the client 110 is programmed with the telephone number 165, the client 110 does not require calling party name information to be inserted into the name field 190. Rather than inserting the server 100 name information into the name field 190, the server 100 instead, inserts information pertaining to the particular message received such as, message type, message size, or message source, among others into the name field 190.

[0019] To establish the telephone connection between the server 100 and the client 110, the telephone network sends a page to the client 110. Once the page is sent, however, the server 100 terminates the telephone call. Nevertheless, a caller identification device 200, located within the client 110, is alerted by the page and receives the caller identification information 170 sent with the initiated telephone call. The caller identification device 200 communicates the contents of the telephone number field 180 and the name field 190 of the caller identification information 170 to a controller 210 located within the client 110. The controller 210 compares the contents of the telephone number field 180 against the preprogrammed telephone number 165. If the controller 210 identifies the contents of the telephone number field 180 as matching the telephone number 165, the controller 210 determines that the incoming telephone call is a message waiting notification and not an actual telephone call. As such, the controller 210 activates a ringer disabler 220 to prevent the telephone functionality 230 from ringing in response to the page and initiated telephone call.

[0020] The client 110 also includes a message waiting indicator 240. The message waiting indicator 240 comprises any indicating device such as, an audible tone, a light emitting diode, or an alphanumeric display, among others. Upon receipt of the caller identification information 170 indicative of the message waiting notification, the controller 210 activates the message waiting indicator 240. The information pertaining to the received message contained in the name field 170 and communicated to the controller 210 is stored in the controller 210. This information can either be retrieved from the controller 210 by the user or, in applications where the message waiting indicator 240 is an alphanumeric display, the controller 210 displays the information on the display 240.

[0021] Referring additionally now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a flow diagram of a preferred method for sending message waiting notification to the client 110 from the server 100. The telephone number 165 is assigned as the calling party telephone number indicative of the message waiting notification (step 300) and is programmed into the server 100 and the client 110 (step 320). The server 100 receives a message addressed to the client (step 320) and stores the message in the storage device 140 (step 330). The server 100 initiates a telephone call to the client 110 over the telephone network 120 (step 340). The server 100 inserts the telephone number 165 into the telephone number field 180 of the caller identification information 170 (step 350). Alternatively, the telephone number 165 can be inserted into the telephone number field 180 by the telephone network 120 (step 350). The server 100 inserts information pertaining to the particular message received, such as, message type, message size or message source, among others, into the name field 190 of the caller identification information 170 (step 360). The telephone network 120 sends a page to the client 110 (step 370) and the server 100 terminates the telephone call (step 380).

[0022] Referring additionally now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a flow diagram of a preferred method for receiving a message waiting notification by the client 110 from the server 100. The telephone number 165 is assigned as the telephone number indicative of the message waiting notification (step 300) and is programmed into the server 100 and the client 110 (step 320). The client 110 receives a page including caller identification information 170 (step 400). The caller identification device 200 reads the caller identification telephone number field 180 and communicates its contents to the controller 210 (step 410). The controller 210 compares the contents of the telephone number field 170 against the preprogrammed telephone number 165 (step 420). If the two numbers do not match, the client 110 proceeds as if the incoming call is a non-notification telephone call (step 430). Otherwise, if the numbers match, the incoming telephone call is the message waiting notification and the controller 210 reads the name field 190 of the caller identification information 170 (step 440). The controller 210 disables the ringer of the telephone functionality 230 connected to the client 110 (step 450) and activates the notification indicator 230 (step 460).

[0023] Although a preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.