Initiating a push session by dialing the push target

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for initiating the delivery of a push message to a push destination associated with a communication device connected to a telephony network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 , illustrates a telephone system 10 of the prior art of push initiation. A push initiator 19 sends an SMS PSI (Short Message Service Push Session Inititation) request 11 to an SMSC (Short Message Service Controller) 12 for delivery to mobile phone 29 (for example, using the SMPP protocol). The SMSC 12 sends the SMS 13 to the phone 29 using the appropriate network dependant means. The SMS Processor 14 executing in the phone 29 examines the incoming SMS 13 and if it recognizes it as a Push Session Initiation request 11 forwards it to a specific Session Initiation Application (SIA) 16 via a connection 15 in the phone 29 that will establish a push session 17 using an established session initiation mechanism 18 with the push initiator 19 . FIG. 2 , illustrates a preferred embodiment 20 of this invention where the invention utilizes the equipment already being used by the mobile carriers. The push initiator 19 attempts to place a call 21 using a telephony device or a special network gateway via the central exchange or mobile network 22 to a device 29 such as a mobile phone 29 . The device 29 is sent a control message 23 by the network advising it of an incoming call 21 with the push initiator's 19 caller ID encoded in the message. A call processor 24 executing in the phone 29 examines the incoming call request 23 and retrieves the calling party ID embedded in the call request 23 . Once retrieved, this number is checked at 25 against a database of push initiators' caller IDs or Push Initiator Data Base (PIDB) 26 . If the calling ID matches one of the number is the database 26 the call 23 is rejected via connection 27 and the Session Initiation Application 16 is informed via connection 28 that it should establish a push session 17 with the push initiator 19 using the standard push session mechanism 18 . FIG. 3 illustrates a telephone set-up service 30 using a preferred embodiment of this invention. Using services 31 on the phone 29 a menu is accessed. On this menu a section is reserved for one or more push servers 32 . Once the menu for the push server 32 is displayed it is then updated by either adding or deleting or modifying the push server information at 33 . Typically, the push server name 34 is updated and then the push server caller ID and Session Initiation Application (SIA) information 35 is updated. At step 36 the set-up is completed and the phone 29 has been updated to be able to identify a call from and communicate with a Push Initiator 19 . FIG. 4 , is a process for establishing a session 40 with a Push Initiator 19 using a preferred embodiment of this invention. At step 41 a Push Initiator 19 initiates a phone call 21 via the central exchange or mobile network 22 as already discussed with reference with FIG. 2 . Once the call reaches the phone 29 , the phone 29 at step 42 checks the incoming phone call against a list of Push Initiator numbers which the phone 29 had been programmed as discussed with reference with FIG. 3 . If the incoming phone number does not match at 47 against the list of Push Server numbers 26 , the phone call is routed at 43 and the phone rings at 44 so that the phone 29 can be answered as a regular incoming phone call. However, if the incoming phone number matches at 47 against the list of Push Server numbers 26 , the phone call is then routed at 45 and the phone call is rejected at 46 and a session with the Push Initiator 19 is established at step 48 via the communication link 17 . FIG. 5 illustrates the preferred embodiment of an alternative setup procedure 50 for updating the Push Initiators Database 26 in the phone 29 with the information needed to identify a push initiation call 20 from a push initiator 19 and to establish a push session 17 with the push initiator 19 by sending a provisioning message. The push initiator 19 sends an SMS Provisioning message 51 through SMSC 12 to mobile phone 29 . The SMS processor 14 receives the SMS message 52 and identifies it as provisioning message. The processor 14 then invokes the provisioning application 54 executing in the phone 29 with the provisioning request 53 . The provisioning application 54 informs the user of the provisioning request and seeks approval to provision the phone according to the provisioning request. Once the approval is granted, the information is updated 55 in the push initiators' database 26 . FIG. 6 is a flow chart describing in detail the preferred process 60 for this invention. A push message is constructed by an information provider 62 and the Push message is staged for delivery 64 . At step 66 the system could investigate if there is a session with the push target. If there is a session then the push message could be delivered to the target 68 via the communication link 67 . However, if it is established at step 66 that there is no session with the push target then the message could be sent via link 69 to see if the target is “call-to-initiate-push session” enabled, at 72 . If it is thus enabled, the call could then be routed to the push target 74 . Once the push target is called the push target could then look at its resident directory to see if the calling party's number is or is not on the list at 76 . If the calling party's number is not on the list then the target could continue processing the call as usual at 82 via the link 79 as a regular incoming telephone call. However, if the calling party's number is on the list then the call could be rejected at 78 , and a link 77 could be established with the Push Message initiator and the communication could be routed to a call session initiation application 86 and the Push Message could be delivered to the target at 68 . If the target is not “call-to-initiate-push session” enabled, one could use other means of push initiation 84 and communicate with the call session initiation application 86 and then establish a session and deliver a push message to the target at 68 . As stated earlier that the initiation of a push session by using a system message is cumbersome and costly and therefore this invention lends itself very nicely as a set-up to initiated a push session. With this invention no major alterations have to be made to an existing telephone software or hardware. In order for this invention to work on an existing phone system the existing phones can be altered in two ways. In one case a list (PI (Push Initiator) List) of phone numbers representing acceptable push initiators (similar to the current phone list) could be maintained in the phones along with the means to update the PI list. While, in the second case the call acceptance procedure in the phone could be altered to check and see if an incoming call is from a number which appears on the PI list. If the incoming number is not on the PI List then the processing of the phone call could continues as a normal phone call. However, if the incoming number is on the PI list, then the call could be rejected and the Session Initiation Application (SIA) could be invoked with the appropriate parameters to contact the push initiator. This invention does not preclude a message based push initiation or any other push initiation schemes to coexist on the phone. A third alteration to the phone which is possible is the ability to accept remote set-up or provisioning of the push initiator identification an session initiation information via a provisioning message, for example, via SMS. This set-up can be done manually or automatically, and it can be done remotely or on location. During the set-up if the entry is accepted the entry is inserted in the PIDB and its associated parameters for session set-up. However, if the entry already exists in the PIDB then the information is updated with or without user acknowledgement. It is also very clear that with this invention the network software and the network configuration could not be affected, and that the existing network software and configuration can easily be accommodated with this invention. To use this invention effectively the push initiator should be able to generate a phone call with the caller ID which corresponds to the number stored on the phones. The push initiator must also be able to manage the list of targets that are capable of initiating the push session by dialing to them. Similarly, the PI must also be able to provide some reasonable response in case the phone call is inadvertently answered. An advantage of this invention is that it allows any push initiator to quickly and efficiently access a push target which is addressable through a telephony network, in a manner which is controlled by the user of the telephony device, without requiring any changes to the existing communication network infrastructure. The system will ring over land lines where the ID is embedded as a caller ID. However, for a digital network, such as, an ISDN or cellular network where the ID is embedded as a caller ID in the call set-up message. The ID typically comprises of a caller identification number corresponding to at least one push initiator 19 . In most cases the identification number is a telephone number which corresponds to a caller ID. However, it should be understood that the number is a real telephone number, i.e., this is the number associated with the phone line, and attached as the caller ID by the local switch. However, in some cases the number can be a pseudo telephone number, i.e., the number is generated by a switch on the network as a result of a request which was directed to it from a specific PI 19 , for example, using HTTP Post. In this case, no phone line were used, so the switch needs to fabricate one, which may be a real or bogus telephone number, and with this invention it does not matter, as long as the phone, when searching the PIDB 26 discovers that identification number. While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.