System for reducing paging channel occupancy for message waiting indication in mobile switching centers

A message waiting indication system, operable in a cellular communication network, for maintaining a count of the messages stored for a subscriber who uses a mobile subscriber station served by said cellular communication network, comprising:

• voice mail means, located in said cellular communication network, for storing voice mail messages for subscribers served by said cellular communication network;
• message waiting indication means, located in said cellular communication network, comprising:
• subscriber profile means for storing, in a Home Location Register that serves said mobile subscriber station, data indicative of a present count of voice mail messages stored in said voice mail means for said subscriber's mobile subscriber station;
• subscriber acknowledgement means for storing data, in said Home Location Register that serves said mobile subscriber station, indicative of a present count of acknowledged voice mail messages stored in said voice mail means for said subscriber's mobile subscriber station;
• and
• message notification means, responsive to the presence of voice mail messages not inclusive of those identified in said present count of acknowledged voice mail messages for said subscriber's mobile subscriber station, for transmitting data to said subscriber's mobile subscriber station indicative of said count, comprising:
• location means for identifying a present predefined paging zone of a serving Mobile Switching Center in said cellular communication network in which said subscriber's mobile subscriber station was last located,
• paging means for activating paging of said subscriber's mobile subscriber station via a paging channel of said cellular communication network exclusively in all cells of said identified predefined paging zone of said cellular communication network, and
• Home Location Register update means, responsive to said subscriber's mobile subscriber station acknowledging receipt of said data to said subscriber's mobile subscriber station indicative of said count, for transmitting said acknowledgement to said subscriber's Home Location Register.