Informing mobile stations of an important message

Abstract

A method for informing mobile stations in a geographic area of an important message is provided. The method includes identifying a geographic area, or zone, comprising at least one base station associated with a cell. A standard registration message associated with each cell in the zone is modified, which modifying results in a modified registration message with a command that is directed towards instructing mobile stations (MSs) that are already registered in the zone to re-register with the zone. The modified registration message then is broadcast from the base station. In response to the transmitting of the modified registration message, the method performs a processing of registration request messages sent from each of the MSs to the base station. In response to the processing, an acknowledge registration message is transmitted to each of the MSs, which acknowledge registration message includes data informing each of the MSs of the important message.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.