Method and system for synchronizing pre-paid account balance information between a network based server and a mobile station

A network system for notifying a mobile station of a prepaid account balance of a user of the mobile station, the system comprising:

• at least one network element for establishing a communication link with the mobile station to provide a mobile communication service;
• a message service center (MSC) for receiving and sending one or more messages indicating a prepaid account balance of the mobile station user to the mobile station via the established communication link with the mobile station;
• and
• a prepaid server for managing prepaid accounts of mobile stations users, for retaining a time at which a last preceding message indicating the prepaid account balance of the mobile station user was sent, and for sending, independent of a state of delivery of the last message, a new message indicating the prepaid account balance of the mobile station user through the MSC when a predetermined time has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance has been sent to the mobile station,
• wherein the predetermined time is equal to or longer than a retention time of messages at the MSC, the retention time indicating a time in which the MSC will discard the messages when the messages have not been successfully delivered to the mobile station.

A prepaid server for providing prepaid account balance information to mobile stations, the mobile stations receiving messages showing the prepaid account information from a mobile communication service network to which the prepaid server is connected to a communication link, the prepaid server comprises:

• a customer database for storing prepaid account data of the mobile station users;
• a message control interface for controlling messages indicating the prepaid account balance information generated at the mobile communication service network;
• and
• a microprocessor to perform operations including:
• retaining a time at which a last preceding message indicating the prepaid account balance for one of the user's account was generated by the prepaid server;
• checking how long has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance for one of the user's account was generated by the prepaid server for the one user's mobile station;
• deciding whether a predetermined time has elapsed after said retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance was generated by the prepaid server;
• deciding to generate a new message showing the prepaid account balance for the one user's account when the predetermined time has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance was generated by the prepaid server;
• and
• sending, independent of a state of delivery of the last message, the new message to a message service center (MSC) for delivery to the one user's mobile station,
• wherein the predetermined time is equal to or longer than a retention time of messages at the MSC, the retention time indicating a time in which the MSC will discard the messages when the messages have not been successfully delivered to the mobile station.

A processor-readable medium tangibly embodying a set of processor-executable instructions, wherein execution of the instructions causes a processor of a prepaid server to perform functions comprising:

• retaining a time at which a last preceding message indicating a prepaid account balance of a mobile station was generated by the prepaid server;
• checking how long has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance of the mobile station was generated by the prepaid server, the prepaid account balance representing an available account balance to be used by the mobile station, the last message being sent to a message service center (MSC) for delivery to the mobile station via a wireless communication network;
• deciding whether a predetermined time has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance was generated by the prepaid server;
• and
• deciding to generate, independent of a state of delivery of the last message, a new message showing the prepaid account balance of the mobile station user when the predetermined time has elapsed after the retained time at which the last message indicating the prepaid account balance was generated by the prepaid server,
• wherein the predetermined time is equal to or longer than a retention time of messages at the MSC, the retention time indicating a time in which the MSC will discard the messages when the messages have not been successfully delivered to the mobile station.