Apparatus, and associated method, for broadcasting short codes for use in directing a call to service center during operation of a mobile communication system

Abstract

Apparatus ( 58 ), and an associated method, for facilitating delivery of network-specific dialing codes to a mobile node ( 12 ). Broadcasts of the network-specific dialing codes are scheduled by a broadcast scheduler 64 embodied at a cell broadcast center ( 38 ). Signals containing the codes are broadcast and detected by the mobile node ( 12 ), thereby to download the values to the mobile node. And, the downloaded dialing codes are indexed ( 88 ) together with the dialing codes normally used by the mobile node ( 12 ) to call the corresponding service centers ( 44 ). Subsequently, when a call is placed to a service center, the dialing codes are transposed ( 94 ), if necessary, to permit the call to a designated service center ( 44 ) to be completed.

1 . Apparatus for a radio communication system having a network part and a first service center to which a mobile-originated call is routable, said apparatus comprising:
 a network-positioned code-delivery detector adapted to receive a network-part identifier code that identifies the first service center, said network-positioned code-delivery detector configured to detect values of the network-part identifier code received thereat; and   an identifier-code broadcast scheduler coupled to said network-positioned code-delivery detector to receive indications of the values detected thereat, said identifier-code broadcast scheduler configured to schedule a broadcast of the values throughout at least a portion of an area encompassed by the network part.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the network part comprises part of a multi-part network and wherein said network-positioned code-delivery detector is embodied at the network part. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said identifier-code broadcast scheduler is further embodied at the network part. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the radio communication system operates pursuant to an operating specification that defines a cell broadcast center and wherein said network-positioned code-delivery detector and said identifier-code broadcast scheduler are embodied at the cell broadcast center. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the operating specification pursuant to which the radio communication system operates comprises a GSM/3PP (Global System for Mobile communications/Third Generation Partnership Project) operating specification and wherein the cell broadcast center at which said network-positioned code-delivery detector and said identifier-code broadcast center are embodied comprises a GSM3PP-compliant cell broadcast center. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a computer-network-positioned retriever configured to retrieve a network-part identifier code that identifies the first service center and to provide values thereof to said network-positioned code-delivery detector. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a data base element configured to store a value of the network-part identifier code that identifies the first service center, and wherein said computer-network-positioned retriever is configured to retrieve the network-part identifier code by accessing the value stored at said data base element. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein a mnemonic is further associated with the network-part identifier code and wherein said data base element is further configured to store values representative of the mnemonic. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the network part further comprises a first base transceiver station and a base station controller, and wherein said identifier-code broadcast scheduler is further configured to provide indicia of the scheduling scheduled thereat to the base station controller to cause effectuation of the broadcast of the values throughout the at least the portion of the area encompassed by the network part. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said identifier-code broadcast scheduler is configured to schedule broadcast of the values at selected intervals. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the radio communication system operates pursuant to an operating specification that defines a cell broadcast channel and wherein said identifier-code broadcast scheduler is configured to schedule broadcast of the values upon the cell broadcast channel. 
   
   
       12 . A method for facilitating placement of a mobile-originated call to a first service center of a radio communication system that has a network part, said method comprising:
 maintaining values, at the network-part, of a network-part identifier code that identifies the first service center; and   scheduling broadcast of the values maintained during said maintaining throughout at least a portion of an area encompassed by the network part.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising broadcasting the values, the broadcast of which is scheduled during said scheduling. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising detecting, at a mobile node, the values broadcast during said broadcasting. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising: indexing, at the mobile node, at least a first mobile-node identifier code that identifies, at the mobile node, the first service center, together with a corresponding first network-part identifier code, values of which are detected during said detecting. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising entering, at the mobile node, values of the mobile-node identifier code; and transposing the values into a corresponding network-part identifier code indexed together therewith. 
   
   
       17 . Apparatus for a mobile node operable in a radio communication system, said apparatus for facilitating placement of a call to a first service center, said apparatus comprising:
 a mobile node-positioned code-broadcast detector configured to detect values of a broadcast to the mobile node of a first network-part identifier code that identifies the first service center; and   an indexer coupled to said mobile node-positioned code-broadcast detector, said indexer configured to index values of the network-part identifier code detected by said mobile node-positioned code-broadcast detector together with values of a first mobile-node identifier code.   
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein said apparatus further comprises a user input actuator actuable and a transposer coupled to the user actuator and to said indexer, said transposer operable responsive to actuation of the user input actuator with values of a mobile-node identifier to transpose the values into corresponding values of a network-part identifier code. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17  further comprising a storage element configured to store the values of the network-part identifier code together with the values of the first mobile-node identifier code. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the first mobile-node identifier code is permanently stored at the mobile node.