Mobile station and application server for providing a service to the mobile station and operation methods for the same

1. A mobile station for use in a communication network comprising an application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in said communication network, said mobile station comprising an application associated with said service, said mobile station further comprising

a communication section adapted to receive from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

an SMS mailer adapted to cause a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

said communication section is adapted to receive from said application server a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; and the mobile station further comprising

a selector for selecting from said plurality of addresses an address of a mobile station of said plurality of mobile stations;

wherein said selected address corresponds to said address of said second mobile station.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said communication section is adapted to receive at least one of said at least one address and service related information via a packet switched network communication between the mobile station and said application server.

3. The mobile station of claim 2 , wherein

the packet switched network communication between the mobile station and said application server is configured to connect said application of said mobile station to said application server.

4. The mobile station of claim 3 , wherein

said SMS mailer is adapted to receive an SMS message configured to start the application of the mobile station to enable said mobile station to use packet switched network communication with said application server to obtain at least one of said at least one address and said service related information from said application server.

5. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said communication section is adapted to transmit service related information to said application server.

6. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said SMS mailer is adapted to cause an SMS message comprising said plurality of addresses of mobile stations without said selected address to be sent to said second mobile station.

7. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said SMS message comprises service related information managed by the application server.

8. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said SMS message is a SMS control message comprising control information for starting said application upon receipt of the message.

9. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein

said application is connectable to said application server to provide for a client server communication via a packet switched network.

10. The mobile station of claim 4 , further comprising

a controller adapted to determine whether said received SMS message comprises control information and to load said application in a memory of the mobile station, if control information is present, to start said application.

11. An application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said application server comprising

a communicating unit for communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

a determining unit for determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

a providing unit for providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station using said communicating unit; wherein

said communicating unit is adapted to communicate to said application on the first mobile station a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; and wherein the first mobile station selects an address corresponding to an address of one of the plurality of said mobile stations of said group.

12. The application server of claim 11 , wherein

said communicating unit is adapted to receive service related information and said providing unit is adapted to provide said at least one address in response thereto.

13. The application server of claim 11 , wherein

said determining unit is adapted to determine the at least one second mobile station based on at least one of a specific protocol, previous active times of an application of a mobile station of said group, number of previously sent SMS messages by a mobile station and distribution of sent SMS messages between the mobile stations of said group.

14. The application server of claim 11 , wherein

said communicating unit is adapted to receive a confirmation confirming receipt of said at least one address at said first mobile station, and

said providing unit is adapted to provide said at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to another mobile station using said communicating unit, if no confirmation is received.

15. A wireless communication system, comprising

a mobile station for use in a communication network comprising an application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in said communication network, said mobile station comprising an application associated with said service, said mobile station further comprising

a communication section adapted to receive from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

an SMS mailer adapted to cause a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

said communication section is adapted to receive from said application server a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; and the mobile station further comprising

selector for selecting from said plurality of addresses an address of a mobile station of said plurality of mobile stations;

wherein said selected address corresponds to said address of said second mobile station; and

the application server, for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said application server comprising

a communicating unit for communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

a determining unit for determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

a providing unit for providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station using said communicating unit.

16. A method for operating a mobile station in a communication network comprising an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations, each comprising an application associated with said service, the method comprising

receiving at a first mobile station from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station the application associated with said service is inactive; and

causing a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

the first mobile station receives from said application server a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; and further comprising

selecting from said plurality of addresses an address of a mobile station of said plurality of mobile stations;

wherein said selected address corresponds to said address of said second mobile station.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

receiving at least one of said at least one address and service related information via a packet switched network communication between said first mobile station and said application server.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising

connecting said application of said first mobile station to said application server using the packet switched network communication.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

receiving an SMS message at said first mobile station, and

starting the application of the first mobile station in response to said received SMS message.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising

starting the application of said at least one second mobile station upon receipt of said SMS message at said second mobile station.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

carrying out packet switched network communication between said application server and at least one of the first and second mobile station to connect the application to said application server after starting the application, and

receiving service related information from said application server by using said packet switched network communication.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

requesting said application server to send at least one of service related information or said at least one address.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

receiving at said first mobile station from said application server at least two addresses of said at least one second mobile station and a third mobile station of said group; and the method further comprising

causing SMS messages to be sent until at least one SMS message has been sent to all received addresses of mobile stations.

24. The method of claim 16 , wherein

said SMS message is a SMS control message comprising information for starting said application upon receipt of the message.

25. The method of claim 16 , wherein

said application is connectable to said application server to provide for a client server communication via a packet switched network.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein

starting said application comprises determining whether said received SMS message comprises control information and loading said application in a memory of the first mobile station, if control information is present.

27. A method for operating an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said method comprising

communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station by communicating with said active application; wherein

communicating to said application on the first mobile station includes communicating a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; wherein the first mobile station selects an address corresponding to an address of one of the plurality of mobile stations of said group.

28. A method for operating a wireless communication system comprising operating a mobile station in a communication network comprising an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations, each comprising an application associated with said service, the method comprising

receiving at a first mobile station from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station the application associated with said service is inactive; and

causing a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

the first mobile station receives from said application server a plurality of addresses of mobile stations of said group, in which plurality of mobile stations an application associated with said service is inactive; and further comprising

selecting from said plurality of addresses an address of a mobile station of said plurality of mobile stations;

wherein said selected address corresponds to said address of said second mobile station, and

operating an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said method comprising

communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station by communicating with said active application.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product, which when a processor or microcontroller, causes the processor or microcontroller to carry out a method of claim 16 .

30. A mobile station for use in a communication network comprising an application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in said communication network, said mobile station comprising an application associated with said service, said mobile station further comprising

a communication section adapted to receive from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

an SMS mailer adapted to cause a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

said communication section is adapted to receive from said application server at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive, and

said SMS mailer is adapted to cause said SMS message to be addressed to said at least second and third mobile stations according to said at least two addresses to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service.

31. An application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said application server comprising

a communicating unit for communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

a determining unit for determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

a providing unit for providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station using said communicating unit, wherein

said communicating unit is adapted to communicate to said application on the first mobile station at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service.

32. A wireless communication system, comprising

a mobile station for use in a communication network comprising an application server for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in said communication network, said mobile station comprising an application associated with said service, said mobile station further comprising

a communication section adapted to receive from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

an SMS mailer adapted to cause a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

said communication section is adapted to receive from said application server at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive, and

said SMS mailer is adapted to cause said SMS message to be addressed to said at least second and third mobile stations according to said at least two addresses to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service; and

the application server, for providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said application server comprising

a communicating unit for communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

a determining unit for determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

a providing unit for providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station using said communicating unit.

33. A method for operating a mobile station in a communication network comprising an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations, each comprising an application associated with said service, the method comprising

receiving at a first mobile station from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station the application associated with said service is inactive; and

causing a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein the first mobile station receives from said application server at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive, and

said SMS message is caused to be addressed to said at least second and third mobile stations according to said at least two addresses to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service.

34. A method for operating an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said method comprising

communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station by communicating with said active application; wherein

said communicating with said application on the first mobile station includes communicating at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service.

35. A method for operating a wireless communication system comprising operating a mobile station in a communication network comprising an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations, each comprising an application associated with said service, the method comprising

receiving at a first mobile station from said application server at least one address of at least one second mobile station of said group, in which second mobile station the application associated with said service is inactive; and

causing a short message service, SMS, message to be addressed to said at least one second mobile station to start on said at least one second mobile station the inactive application associated with said service upon receipt of said SMS message; wherein

the first mobile station receives from said application server at least two addresses of said at least second and a third mobile station of said group, in which second and third mobile stations the application is inactive, and

said SMS message is caused to be addressed to said at least second and third mobile stations according to said at least two addresses to start on said at least second and third mobile stations the applications associated with said service; and

operating an application server providing a service to a group of mobile stations in a communication network, said method comprising

communicating with an application active on a first mobile station of said group and associated with said service;

determining at least one second mobile station from said group of mobile stations, in which at least one second mobile station an application associated with said service is inactive; and

providing at least one address of said at least one second mobile station to said first mobile station by communicating with said active application.