fig1 is a flow diagram illustrating in broad outline , the operation of the prior art . a copy of the source version of memory of the mobile stations to be updated is retained by the service provider , ( action block 51 ). this copy is edited by a systems administrator at the source level , ( action block 53 ). from the edited source , a new version of the contents of memory is compiled , ( action block 55 ). the new version is sent in binary form to each mobile station to be updated , ( action block 57 ). the disadvantage of this approach is that the editing at the source level of source version is much more complex than the process described below , wherein only the source changes are considered . secondly , by sending a full binary version of all of the parameters to each mobile station , the voice channel to each such station is occupied for a very much longer period of time than if only the changes were sent in accordance with applicants &# 39 ; invention as described with respect to fig2 and 3 . a glossary of abbreviations is being provided as an appendix to the detailed description . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating the applicants &# 39 ; invention . the example parameter blocks to be modified by the mobile object model ( mom ) can be categorized as prl and nam , with the nam blocks existing as several different types . for example , the mdn nam block holds the directory number for calling the mobile . the cdma nam block holds parameters used when the mobile is operating in the pcs spectrum . the dual mode nam block holds parameters used by a pcs or cdma mobile while it is being used in the cdma / analog spectrum . the imsi_t block holds the true imsi of the mobile station . the over - the - air parameter administration ( otapa ) control center 101 , originates the request for the over - the - air function ( otaf 100 ), to update the memory content of mobile station 181 . the parameters within appropriately equipped mobile stations , such as an is - 683a mobile station 181 , are abstracted in a software mobile station model , hereafter termed the mobile object model ( mom ). this mom has a full description of the properties and uses of each type of information stored for a ms . mom contains memory layout information for all features that are supported for compliant mobiles . specific sets of mobiles may not support and use all of the features , but the mom is ready to support all . the set of features available for a particular class of service and mobile , is determined by the mobile manufacturer and the service provider . in the preferred embodiment , mom 113 resides in the otapa control center , and as block 141 , in the otaf system 100 . the system administrator 107 is connected to the otapa control center , where it interfaces with a graphic interface 109 . the graphic interface communicates with an editor 111 , which in turn , communicates with mom 113 , mal 103 and mrl 105 . the mom defines a plurality of ms memory layouts for mss with different classes of service . the system administrator selects an object in the mom 113 , which represents a parameter block for update and provides new value ( s ) for attribute ( s ) in the block . there is no requirement that the system administrator have detailed knowledge of memory layouts in the mobile station 181 . in other embodiments , the system administrator may use a variety of editors , ( graphical or text - based ), to select objects in the mom 113 , and to provide new values for those objects . ultimately , the language of the mom 113 or 141 is represented as a file of commands , mobile . action list ( mal ) 103 , in the form of : the target represents the selected object in the mom 113 to be assigned a value . the value represents the new value for the selected object . the system administrator prepares a series of mal 103 statements , specifying only those objects which require updating . the system administrator must also specify the mobile station 181 , to which the updates will be applied . both the mal 103 statements , and the list of mobiles , mobile request list ( mrl ) 105 , are supplied to the over - the - air - function ( otaf ) 100 using a message protocol built upon the well known transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) suite . the mal 103 and mrl 105 files are transmitted to mal 123 and mrl 125 files in the otaf 100 . in the otaf 100 , mal 125 is provided to the mal interpreter 131 . mal processing is as follows : the target of each mal 125 statement uses a dotted notation (‘.’), to identify the particular mom 141 object , and its associated attribute ( parameter ), to be updated . the symbol to the left of the “.” is the highest level object , while the symbol to the right side of the ‘.’, is the attribute to be updated . this attribute will either be contained in the highest level object , or contained within an associated lower level object , as dictated by object oriented has - a ( composition ) and is - a ( inheritance ) relationship decomposition , of the implementation . mom defines these relationships . symbols in the dotted notation of the mobile action list ( mal ) 125 , identify the parameter blocks and parameters of is - 683a mobile stations . ultimately , the target is used to specify an offset and width within the electrically alterable memory of an is - 683a mobile , while the value represents the updated contents of that memory . the mobile object model contains a complete map of targets , including the mask associated with each target . the mobile object model is responsive to receipt of commands to manipulate inputs in order to identify a target and to assign a value to a target . among the inputs which the mobile object model processes are the following : the imsi_t nam block contains the true imsi of the mobile . this block can change , for example , if there is a change of the mobile &# 39 ; s area code . since each mobile station stores its own directory number , this is part of the information which must be retained by the mobile object model . the preferred roaming list is part of the data maintained in the model object model and governs the mobile station roaming behavior as previously stated in the problem section . the cdma nam data contained in the mobile object model holds that data that is used while the mobile is operating in the pcs spectrum . the dual nam data contained in the mobile object model holds that data that is used when a pcs or cdma mobile is operating in the cdma / analog spectrum . the object definition uses the unified modeling language ( uml ) described , for example , in d . bruce : real - time uml , developing efficient objects for embedded systems , addison wesley , redding , mass . ; 1998 . in order to update the non - volatile data stored in one or a group of mobile stations , it is necessary to build a mobile object model for the station , and to use this mobile object model to identify the masks and the values associated with each mask , which must be modified in the target mobile station . the target station is first downloaded into the mobile object model of the otaf system . for nam block processing , parameters to be updated use a simple mask and data insertion technique at the specified offset into the is - 683a memory layout associated with the parameter . the mal interpreter 131 , instantiates mom 141 objects creating memory layout data 132 , 133 . the first type of memory layout data 132 , is a mask that will be used to clear data in the parameter block when it is first read back from the mobile station 181 . the second type of memory layout data 133 , is an overlay of the new value ( s ) to be inserted into the appropriate positions of the parameter block to be written back to the mobile station 181 . the mal interpreter 131 performs an optimization step for the user by combining the mask and insertion memory layouts 132 , 133 , for each command in the mal 125 , generating memory layouts only for each updated parameter block . upon completion of processing the mal 125 , the mal interpreter 131 , stores the memory layouts 132 , 133 , from the mom 141 , as nam block update files ( nuf ) 125 . these files are read by the otaf update programs 121 , which control the mobile station update procedure . a command set parameter administration ( pa ) 127 file , is generated by the mal interpreter 131 , that contains specific instructions for the otaf update programs 121 , pertaining to operations to perform on the mask and data information within the nuf 125 . for prl updates , it is required that the prl 129 for the list of mobiles to be updated , be available to load into the mom 141 . this may require uploading the prl from one of the mobile station 181 &# 39 ; s , if the prl is not present on the otaf 100 . the mom 141 representation of the prl parameter block is then constructed based upon the current parameter information of the existing prl 129 . the prl attributes within the mom 141 are then updated based upon the information supplied at the otapa control center 101 . upon completion of processing mal 125 statements , the mal interpreter 131 formats the memory layout from the mom 141 , creating an updated prl 129 file . a corresponding command set parameter administration ( pa ) 127 file is generated , that contains specific instructions for the otaf update programs 121 . both the updated prl 129 and the pa 127 files are read by the otaf update program 121 , which performs the mobile station update procedure . since the prl can have a bit count larger than what can be sent in one message to a mobile , the prl may require is - 683a message segmentation . consequently , these parameter blocks must be transported in multiple messages , each message carrying a segment of the parameter block . the second level optimization step of the mom 141 , allows for the identification of the exact segment ( s ) that must be updated . only those segments would be written back to the mobile , rather than the entire prl . a reduction in messages to the mobile station required to update the prl would be realized , and is the most significant improvement offered over the prior art . as covered in the problem definition , the prior art can require up to five times the number of segments as the number made possible by the applicants &# 39 ; invention . the update program also provides change data to the home location register ( hlr ) 151 and the mobile switching center ( msc ) 161 serving the mobile station ( ms ) 181 . the msc transmits messages from the over - the - air function ( otaf ) system to a base station 171 for transmission to the ms 181 . in an alternate embodiment , another level of optimization could be achieved by having the mobile vendor install the mom within the mobile station , thereby performing parameter processing directly on the mobile . this would allow transferring only the specific parameter for update , rather than the entire segment that contains the raw memory overlay containing the parameter . this would further reduce message size , and further conserve bandwidth on the air interface . with the mom embedded within the mobile station , as little as an offset and specific bit to modify for a parameter , could be sent as the data to update in the mobile . one problem with this alternate embodiment is that changes in mom , resulting from changes in a generic program for controlling parameter updates , would have to be transmitted to , and thereby installed in , each affected mobile station . the mobile update protocol is defined by is - 725a , and is summarized as follows ( numeric references refer to fig2 ): 1 . the otaf must obtain the address of the msc 161 serving the mobile station by querying the home location register ( hlr ) 151 . the hlr 151 can immediately provide this address if the mobile station 181 is registered ( i . e ., powered up ) in an area served by the mobile station &# 39 ; s service provider . if the mobile station is not currently registered , the hlr 151 will asynchronously notify the otaf 100 of the address of the serving msc 161 when the mobile station does in fact register . 2 . the otaf 100 must then transport is - 683a messages as raw data in the data parameter portion of is - 725a ( is - 41 ) data delivery messages . the serving msc 161 will extract the is - 683 a message from the is - 725a message , and transmit the is - 683a message through the base station 171 to the mobile station 181 using is - 683a airwave transport . the first such message will page the mobile station , and request permission to perform a parameter update . 3 . if the mobile sation is satisfied of the otaf &# 39 ; s authority to perform the parameter update , the otaf 100 will proceed to update the mobile . 4 . once parameters in the mobile sation have been updated , the otaf 100 will transmit the is - 683a message that asks the mobile station 181 to commit the updates , after which the otaf will terminate the call . 1 . if the parameter update is for a nam block , the otaf first formats an is - 683a message that requests the mobile station &# 39 ; s ( 181 ) current memory layout of the selected parameter block . this must be done for each mobile in the list due to the unique characteristics per mobile within the block that must be preserved during the update . 2 . for nam block update , the otaf update program 121 is directed by instructions in the command set pa ( 127 ) file to clear the portions of the parameter block that will be updated using the mask layout 132 prepared by the mal interpreter 131 , ( performing a bitwise and operation ). 3 . continuing with the nam block update , the otaf then inserts ( performing a bitwise or operation ), the new memory parameters into the cleared portions of the selected parameter block 133 , which were read from the associated nam block &# 39 ; s nuf 125 file . an is - 683a message now transports the updated parameter block back to the mobile station completing the update . 4 . if the parameter update is for a prl , and the otaf 100 does not have a copy associated with the mobiles to be updated , then the entire prl 129 must be uploaded from one of the mobiles back to the otaf 100 . advantageously , this step can be performed only once for the entire list of mobile stations . 5 . the prl 129 of the specific set of mobiles 181 to be updated , must be loaded into the mom 141 to be modified by the mal 125 statements on the otaf . the mal interpreter 131 , having updated this prl 129 with the parameter changes , creates a new updated prl 130 file as well as the command set pa 127 file . under the direction of the commands within the pa 127 , the mobile update program 121 downloads the contents of the updated prl 130 to the mobiles in the list of mobiles , of the mrl 123 file . 1 . abstraction of the is - 683a mobile station parameter block memory layouts in the mom , reducing the expert level knowledge required to perform parameter administration . 2 . a reduction in the total number of messages that are needed to perform parameter administration . the mobile object model can be easily adapted to emerging standards in wireless technologies . the is - 2000 standard for third - generation cellular communications is backward compatible to the aforementioned is - 683a standard , and so , the mom will be able to meet provisioning requirements in this new standard as well . fig3 is a flow diagram , illustrating the operation of applicants &# 39 ; invention for prl parameter block processing . a service provider provides to an operation support system , the otapa control center , a change list , ( i . e ., a list of parameters to be changed ), and a phone list , ( a list of the mobile stations to which the parameter change is to be applied ), ( action block 301 ). the source changes are converted into object model update statements by the system administrator , and are assembled using a mobile object model as the target , ( action block 303 ). a first mobile station of the mobile stations to be updated , is uploaded to an otaf system , a system for generating the actual messages to be sent to the mobile stations to be updated , ( action block 305 ). the contents of the uploaded memory are converted to mobile object model source , ( action block 307 ). these source statements are then combined with the assembled source changes to generate a new version of the contents of memory for the mobile stations to be updated , ( action block 309 ). the revised contents of memory are compared with the contents of memory uploaded from a first mobile station in order to generate optimized change messages , i . e ., change messages which will overwrite only those portions of memory that have been changed , ( action block 311 ). the above description is of one preferred embodiment of applicants &# 39 ; invention . many other variants of this embodiment will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . the invention is limited only by the attached claims .