METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING THE ELECTRONIC LOCATION OF A MOBILE CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

摘要

Identifying and registering the electronic location of a mobile data reporting device (MDRD) operating within the paging areas of a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system. The MDRD travels freely between CMR systems and is operative to communicate selected data collected from data sources to a data service provider via control channels of the CMR system. The location registration system enables the data collection system to transmit a data message to the mobile data reporting device via the control channels of the particular CMR system within the paging areas of which the MDRD resides. Each MDRD contains a list of System Identification Numbers that identify CMR systems that support data message communications. The SID list can be periodically updated through a series of update control messages transmitted to the MDRD. The MDRD can also identify supportive CMR systems by monitoring the data traffic on the control channels of the CMR system. Once the MDRD has determined that a particular CMR system supports data message communications, the MDRD can generate a maintenance message that apprises the data service provider as to the electronic location of the MDRD. Once the data service provider has been apprised of the electronic location of the MDRD, the service provider can transmit control messages to the MDRD via the paging area corresponding to the electronic location identified. The identification of the electronic location of the MDRD eliminates the necessity of flood paging all paging areas in which the MDRD might be located.