MTEL Connect V2.x Notifications

The MTEL Connect APP is the mobile application that allows the auxiliary to send information to MTEL. The MTEL APP cannot contact the mobile directly. Therefore the mobile user must be alerted to prompt the user to use the APP. The alerting process is independent of the APP and uses a sophisticated system employed by Google to notify the user and is commonly referred to as Notifications. The system is used not only by MTEL Connect but most applications on a mobile phone.

Why Notifications

Notifications are a very well defined alerting system. They have many advantages over the old SMS message alerting system. They are very efficient and use data so the cost is negligible. They are reliable as they use a well defined Google Services platform which will operate on any mobile platform.

    They can be

• configured to activate within a fixed time period.
• configured to make a predefined sound as the alerting tone.
• configured to operate the alert tone for a fixed length of time.
• configured to appear on the lock screen of the mobile.

Notifications play a key part in alerting auxiliaries of a turnout. Notifications are used to alert the user that there is information for them, not unlike how a mobile rings to alert a user there is someone calling them.

This version uses Google Firebase Notifications to alert the user. Notifications were introduced in 2017 and operate between the users mobile and Google. Notification requests are sent to Google by MTEL. Google then finds the mobiles on the data network and forwards the notification to the mobile.

When a user downloads a mobile with the APP, the APP registers with Google over the internet to use the Firebase products using data on the mobile. Google has a dedicated connection and maintains contact with the mobile at all times. The mobile is identified in the Google space with a digital token which is created by Google and sent to the mobile to be stored on the mobile.

When Google wishes to send a notification to the mobile, it locates the mobile by the token.

MTEL collects the token from the mobile via the App registration and during normal interaction with the mobile. The token is a temporary device and can be changed quite regularly by Google.

To create a turnout for a group of mobiles, MTEL assembles a message and all the tokens for the mobiles in the group and sends them in a single transmission to Google. Google then takes the responsibility of sending the message to all mobiles using the tokens as identification for the mobiles.

The overall operation of a turnout requires the successful transmission of information from Comms and CAD to MTEL, MTEL to Google, Google to mobile and finally responses from the mobile to MTEL.

The token is a temporary address for the mobile. The token is established when Google connects to mobile. If the token is changed by Google, MTEL must be made aware of the change.

MTEL is unable to connect to the mobile directly to check the token. The mobile must contact MTEL to receive turnout and update information. When the mobile contacts MTEL, it will request the latest copy of its token. This method ensures that MTEL will always have the current token for the mobile.

It is MTEL's recommendation that the user hits the update button in the APP at least every 2 to 3 days. If the token is older than 1 day a token request is sent to the mobile. The APP responds by sending the current token to MTEL and will show this request and the mobile responding to the request in the log. The entries will appear as shown below.

There are many reasons for the notification failures.

Part of the problem of determining the failures is;

1. The number of different models in use
2. Varying levels of operating systems in use
3. User awareness of mobile applications
4. Subtle differences in the MTEL Connect application development as iPhone and Android are completely different operating systems. Whilst they look similar they operate completely differently.

Logic Problems:

• The user is not in the MTEL database.
• The user is not in the CAD database.

For the above problems contact MTEL and Comms or SOSU.

 

• The user mobile has notifications disabled.
• The mobile has some incorrect settings for the APP.
• The mobile has some incorrect settings for Notifications.

For the above problems click here Notification Settings

 

• The mobile has a new token from Google and has not sent it to MTEL.
• The user mobile does not have the APP installed correctly.

  For this problem click here Downloading the APP

• The user mobile is on silent.
• The user is talking on the mobile.
• The user is in the APP.

  For these problems the fix is very dependent on the type of mobile.

  For example;

  On some newer models the silent mode can be overridden. The user must select the setting to perform this feature.

  On the newer iPhones the mobile will simply beep if the user is talking on the mobile. Many Android mobiles will not give any audio indication but the notification appears on the banner or front screen.

   

   

Physical Problems:

• The mobile is out of 3G 4G 5G coverage area.
• The mobile is not in a Wi-Fi zone.
• The Wi-Fi zone has restrictions in use for mobile services.
• The mobile has no data connection to the internet.

For many users the mobile will be at home on the Wi-Fi network. This is normally fine, however on a turnout many users will start to respond on the APP as they leave home to drive to the station. This can be problematic as the mobile must change from being on Wi-Fi to a 3G/4G/5G network and this can take some time. The end result is as the user is leaving the APP loses connection to MTEL and the user has a problem responding.

It is MTEL's recommendation to simply respond before leaving the home.

This scenario will also apply to users at work where the mobile is logged onto the work Wi-Fi.

Where mobiles move out of coverage areas, MTEL always recommends that the user hits the Update button in the APP when the user returns to normal coverage. The MTEL servers will request the APP to send it the current token. Many users are aware of poor coverage areas in their zone of operation and this is a good technique to ensure the reliability of the notification process.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Enhancing Notifications ]  
Copyright © 2012-2021 MTEL Communications Pty Ltd
Last modified: 01-Jun-2022