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  Method and system for reducing message instancesUSPTO Application #: 20080062905Title: Method and system for reducing message instances Abstract: A method and system for transmitting data with reduced message instances is disclosed. A wireless message network uses destination identifiers and message pointers to direct message data to multiple mobile units and avoid duplication of messages. In order to provide increased efficiency in the case of duplicate messages, a pointer to a message may be associated with multiple destination identifiers. (end of abstract) Agent: Volpe And Koenig, P.C. Dept. Icc - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventors: Steven Jeffrey Goldberg, Stephen E. Terry USPTO Applicaton #: 20080062905 - Class: 370312000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Multiplex Communications, Communication Over Free Space, Message Addressed To Multiple Destinations The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080062905. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/428,962 filed May 2, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/378,718, filed on May 6, 2002, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth. FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to the field of wireless communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to messaging within wireless transmission systems. BACKGROUND [0003] Messaging is an expanding part of wireless transmission systems. The prior art, however, fails to make efficient use of scarce radio resources with respect to the transmission of messages. [0004] In the case of general broadcasts, messages are transmitted at a specific time, on a specific channel, with a specific channelization code. Broadcast messages are only retransmitted if there is a problem with the robustness of delivery or timing (i.e., devices typically want to receive a message while being in the right place at the right time). Broadcast messages, however, are often transmitted over large geographical regions and therefore encompass a large number of cells. For this reason, broadcasting messages is only efficient where there will be a large number of users receiving the message. [0005] Multicasting, where messages are sent to a predetermined number of users, involves limited receivers and selective transmissions to each of the targeted receivers. In contrast to a broadcast message which is transmitted over large geographical regions, with multicasting, multiple instances of the same data (i.e., message) are transmitted, but only to the devices of the target group. Despite being more efficient than broadcasting, transmitting multiple instances of the same message is not an efficient use of radio resources. That is, with prior art multicast transmissions, messages and their associated pointers have a one-to-one correspondence which leads to multiple transmissions of the same message. [0006] Another approach is to assign a group identifier to a number of devices. The group identifier reduces one-to-one correspondence between messages and pointers and allows a single instance of a message to be received by each device having the assigned identifier. The group identifier approach, however, is efficient only where there is prior knowledge of the devices that should form the group and the group identifier is expected to be used a number of times over a period of time. Moreover, since the group identifier must be established in the devices via offline or online programming, it is not an efficient means of ad hoc (ad hoc with respect to at least the wireless network) message delivery. That is, a group page from an email source may indeed be a repeating group, but the RF network will not have a priori knowledge of the repeating group. [0007] Accordingly, a method and system is needed wherein a single message instance may be used for multiple recipients of the same message. SUMMARY [0008] The present invention is a method and system for transmitting messages with reduced message instances. A determination is made as to whether there are multiple WTRUs identified for receipt of the same message. If so, a single instance of the message may be transmitted for all of the receiving WTRUs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S) [0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a framed time sequence having a one-to-one correspondence between messages and pointers for a plurality of WTRUs receiving the same message in accordance with the prior art. [0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a mobile network in which multiple WTRUs receive messages in accordance with the present invention. [0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a framed time sequence wherein only a single instance of a message is transmitted despite the message being identified for delivery to a plurality of destination identifiers in accordance with the present invention. [0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram for more efficiently processing destination identifiers and pointers contained within a framed time sequence. [0013] FIG. 5 is a variation of the diagram shown in FIG. 4 wherein messages are included directly in the SIBs. [0014] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating method steps implemented by a message arrival analysis routine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating method steps for periodically checking to see if there is a recipient list that has been in a multicast queue past a predetermined hold time in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) [0016] The present invention will be described with reference to the drawing figures wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout. For purposes of describing the invention, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may have a transmit-only, a receive-only or a transmit and receive capability. An example would be a standard pager, which can receive but not transmit messages. In the present invention, a receive ability is important to the receipt of messages, in which case the particular unit would have at least a wireless receive function. On the other hand, a WTRU capable of both transmission and reception can generally be used to receive one-way messages. Therefore, for purposes of describing the invention, a WTRU may be any device capable of receiving and/or transmitting data in a wireless environment. [0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagram illustrating the manner in which multicast messages are transmitted according to the prior art is shown. In FIG. 1 a plurality of WTRUs 2, 4, 5 are identified, using unique destination identifiers, for receipt of the same message, message 1. In the prior art, a separate instance of the message 1 is provided for each WTRU (see WTRU 2 and pointer 6, WTRU 4 and pointer 8, and WTRU 5 and pointer 9). Consequently, in FIG. 1, there is a one-to-one correspondence between messages and pointers. [0018] According to the present invention, however, destination identifiers are coordinated so that only a single instance of a message is used where the same message is being sent to more than one destination identifier (i.e. to more than one WTRU(s), depending on whether the destination identifier is associated with a single WTRU or a plurality of WTRUs). Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and system for reducing message instances Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and system for reducing message instances patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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