Missed call notification to cellular telephone using short text messaging

A method of providing missed call notification, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a telephone call from a first cellular telephone, which is directed to a second cellular telephone, at a mobile switching center;
• (b) forwarding call setup information that is representative of the first cellular telephone call from the mobile switching center to a SS7 gateway and sending a location request communication to a home location register;
• (c) receiving an access denied response with a reason code of at least one of MS Inactive, Busy, No Page Response and Unavailable from the home location register;
• (d) generating, in response to step (c), a message at the SS7 gateway including information identifying the origin of the telephone call;
• (e) sending the message to a message center;
• and
• (f) forwarding the message to the second cellular telephone when the second cellular telephone registers with the home location register, thereby providing notification of a missed call.

A system for providing missed call notification to a cellular telephone, comprising:

• (a) a central office operable to receive a telephone call, which is directed to a cellular telephone;
• (b) a SS7 gateway in communication with a central office operable to receive call setup information that is representative of the telephone call and send a location request communication to a home location register based on the call set up information;
• (c) means for receiving an access denied response with a reason code of at least one of MS Inactive, Busy, No Page Response and Unavailable from the home location register;
• (d) a message generator operable to generate, in response to the home location register, a message at the SS7 gateway including information identifying the origin of the telephone call;
• (e) means for sending the message to a message center;
• and
• (f) means for forwarding the message to the cellular telephone when the cellular telephone registers with the home location register, thereby providing notification of a missed call.

A system for providing missed call notification, comprising:

• (a) a mobile switching center operable to receive a telephone call from a first cellular telephone, which is directed to a second cellular telephone;
• (b) means for forwarding call setup information that is representative of the first cellular telephone call from the mobile switching center to a SS7 gateway and sending a location request communication to a home location register;
• (c) means for receiving an access denied response with a reason code of at least one of MS Inactive, Busy, No Page Response and Unavailable from the home location register;
• (d) a message generator operable to generate, in response to receipt of the access denied response, a message at the SS7 gateway including information identifying the origin of the telephone call;
• (e) means for sending the message to a message center;
• and
• (f) means for forwarding the message to the second cellular telephone when the second cellular telephone registers with the home location register, thereby providing notification of a missed call.

An apparatus to provide missed call notification to a mobile communication device, comprising a control signaling facility configured to:

• receive call setup information regarding a call to said mobile communication device;
• send an inquiry to a facility for maintaining status of said mobile communication device;
• receive a response to said inquiry indicating that said mobile communication device cannot receive communications;
• and,
• in response to receiving said response, provide a message containing information identifying the origin of said call to a message forwarding facility for subsequent forwarding to said mobile communication device when said mobile communication device is able to receive the message.

A system to provide missed call notification to a mobile communication device, comprising:

• a control signaling facility configured to:
• receive call setup information regarding a call to mobile communication device;
• send an inquiry to a facility for maintaining status of said mobile communication device;
• receive a response to said inquiry indicating that said mobile communication device cannot receive communications;
• and,
• in response to receiving said response, generate a message containing information identifying the origin of said call;
• and
• a message center configured to receive said message from said control signaling facility and forward said message to said mobile communication device when said mobile communication device is able to receive the message.