Method of wireless retrieval of information

Abstract

A mobile station subscriber can access data from an informational database and have it forwarded to a desired destination. A database associated with the informational database maintains subscriber profiles. When the informational database receives a data request, it uses a mobile station identifier to acquire subscriber profile information. Using that profile information, the requested data is forwarded to a destination designated in the profile in a SMS format.

1. A method of providing data from an informational database, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a call from a mobile station on a wireless network;    receiving an indentifier of the mobile station;    using said identifier to access a subscriber profile;    presenting data type options to a user of the mobile station;    receiving a request for data of a selected data type option during said call; and    transmitting, to a destination determined by said subscriber profile, SMS formatted data corresponding to said requested data.    
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of transmitting includes the substeps of:
 appending an identification number from said subscriber profile to the requested data;    transmitting the requested data and identification number to a message center within said group of destinations; and    forwarding SMS formatted data from the message center to said destination.    
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein said destination group includes said mobile station. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber identifier corresponds to said mobile station identifier. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data destination information includes a mobile identification number. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data destination information includes a telephone number. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data destination information includes a communication network address. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the data destination information includes an electronic mail address. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data type options are selected from a group of news, sports, weather and traffic. 
     
     
       10. A method for providing data from an informational database, comprising the steps of:
 presenting data type options to a mobile station;    receiving a request for data of a selected data type option, said request originating from the mobile station;    receiving an identifier of the mobile station;    selecting a destination for data transfer based on the received identifier;    transmitting SMS formatted data corresponding to the requested data to the selected destination.    
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein said selected destination is the mobile station. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein said selected destination group includes another mobile station. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10  wherein said step of receiving a request comprises the substeps of:
 receiving a call from the mobile station;    presenting data selection options to the mobile station; and    receiving a selection in response to the presentation of said options.    
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein said data type options are selected from a group of news, sports, weather and traffic. 
     
     
       15. A method of providing data in response to a request from a mobile station comprising the steps of:
 in a first communication, receiving a mobile station identifier;    accessing a subscriber profile using said mobile station identifier;    presenting data type options to the mobile station identified by the mobile station identifier;    generating a message containing requested data of a selected data type option; and    
       transmitting, in a second communication, said message to a destination determined by said subscriber profile. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein said message comprises Short Messaging Service formatted data. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein said destination group includes another mobile station. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of transmitting includes the substeps of:
 transmitting the generated message to a message center within said group of destinations; and    forwarding the requested data from the message center to said destination.    
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein in the substep of forwarding, the requested data is Short Messaging Service formatted. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the data destination information includes a telephone number. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the data destination information includes a communication network address. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the subscriber identifier corresponds to said mobile station identifier. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said data type options are selected from a group of news, sports, weather and traffic. 
     
     
       24. A method of providing information from a database, comprising:
 presenting data type options to a user of the mobile station;    receiving a call from a mobile station, the calling including a request for data of a selected data type option;    receiving a mobile station identifier;    accessing a subscriber profile having a subscriber identifier and data destination information using the mobile station identifier;    selecting a destination from a group of destinations using the data destination information; and    transmitting the information corresponding to the data requested by the request to the selected destination.    
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein said data type options are selected from a group of news, sports, weather and traffic. 
     
     
       26. A data transfer method, comprising, at a mobile station:
   establishing communication with a wireless system;        transmitting to a wireless system a request for data that is directed to an information server and includes an identifier of the mobile station and a subject matter identifier of requested data; and        receiving requested data in an SMS transmission from the wireless system, when a subscriber profile of the mobile station indicates that data requests are to be transmitted to the mobile station.     
     
     
       27. The data transfer method of  claim 26 , wherein the SMS transmission originates from a message center of the wireless system. 
     
     
       28. The data transfer method of  claim 26 , wherein the establishing and transmitting occur in a first call between the mobile station and the wireless system and the receiving occurs in a second call between the mobile station and the wireless system. 
     
     
       29. The data transfer method of  claim 26 , further comprising, when the subscriber profile of the mobile station does not indicate that data requests are to be transmitted to the mobile station, transmitting the requested data to the user at a destination identified by the subscriber profile. 
     
     
       30. The data transfer method of  claim 26 , further comprising, prior to the transmitting:
   outputting from the mobile station an audio prompt regarding selection of requested data; and        receiving from a user of the mobile station a selection of the subject matter of requested data.     
     
     
       31. The data transfer method of  claim 30 , wherein the user selection is received via a keypad of the mobile station. 
     
     
       32. The data transfer method of  claim 30 , wherein the user selection is received via a voice command. 
     
     
       33. A data transfer method, comprising, at a mobile station:
   establishing communication with a wireless system;        transmitting to a wireless system a request for data that is directed to a message center of the wireless system and includes an identifier of the mobile station and a subject matter identifier of requested data; and        receiving requested data in an SMS transmission from the wireless system, when a subscriber profile of the mobile station indicates that data requests are to be transmitted to the mobile station.     
     
     
       34. The data transfer method of  claim 33 , wherein the SMS transmission originates from the message center. 
     
     
       35. The data transfer method of  claim 33 , wherein the establishing and the transmitting occur in a first call between the mobile station and the wireless system and the receiving occurs in a second call between the mobile station and the wireless system. 
     
     
       36. The data transfer method of  claim 33 , further comprising, when the subscriber profile of the mobile station does not indicate that data requests are to be transmitted to the mobile station, transmitting the requested data to the user at a destination identified by the subscriber profile. 
     
     
       37. The data transfer method of  claim 33 , further comprising, prior to the transmitting:
   outputting from the mobile station an audio prompt regarding selection of requested data; and        receiving from a user of the mobile station a selection of the subject matter of requested data.     
     
     
       38. The data transfer method of  claim 37 , wherein the user selection is received via a keypad of the mobile station. 
     
     
       39. The data transfer method of  claim 37 , wherein the user selection is received via a voice command. 
     
     
       40. A data transfer method, comprising:
   receiving a request for data, the request originating from a mobile station and identifying requested data by subject matter;        receiving an identifier of the mobile station;        retrieving a subscriber profile from a database based upon the mobile station identifier, the subscriber profile identifying a destination of a response to the mobile station's request;        generating the response to the data request; and        if the destination is the mobile station, transmitting the response to the mobile station as SMS formatted data        otherwise, transmitting the response to the identified destination.     
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 40 , further including receiving the request at a message center. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 40 , further including receiving the request at a database service provider. 
     
     
       43. A data transfer method, comprising:
   receiving a request for data, the request originating from a mobile station and identifying requested data by subject matter;        receiving an identifier of the mobile station;        receiving a subscriber profile from a database based upon the mobile station identifier;        generating a response to the data request; and        transmitting the response toward a destination identified in the subscriber profile, the transmitted data in a format that is appropriate to the destination, wherein when the destination is the mobile station, the format is a SMS format.     
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 43 , further including:
   receiving an identification number from the subscriber profile; and        transmitting the response and the identification number toward a message center.     
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44 , wherein the identification number is a mobile identification number ( MIN ). 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 44 , wherein the identification number is a personal identification number ( PIN ). 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 43 , wherein the destination is a fax machine, the method further including formatting the response for fax transmission. 
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 43 , wherein the destination is an email server, the method further including formatting the response for email transmission.