Call handling on dual-mode wireless handsets

• US 10,117,134 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: LaBauve, Lance, Cook, Charles I., Stevens, Gilman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming-Hall, Erica
• Application Number:
  US14/341,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 4555521, 4554141, 4554261, 455436, 455445, 455 902, 4551274, 4555501
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00224 between packet switched [PS] and circuit switched [CS] network technologies, e.g. circuit switched fallback [CSFB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide novel solutions, including systems, methods and/or software, for handling calls in a dual-mode VoIP/cellular environment. Merely by way of example, some systems can be configured to determine whether to use a VoIP system or a cellular system to handle a particular call, and/or to transition a call from one network to the other network. Other systems can be configured to substitute a public number (which might be, for example, a VoIP number) for a private number (which might be, for example, a cellular number) when routing a call originating from a dual-mode phone on a cellular network. Further systems can be configured to allow a VoIP system to serve as an anchor for calls originated and/or delivered on a cellular system, for instance to facilitate a transition between cellular and VoIP service during a call.

Claims

1. A telecommunication system for handling a call placed by a dual-model phone capable of operating in a cellular mode and in a Voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) mode, the system comprising;

a mobile switching center (“

MSC”

) in a cellular system configured to;

receive an outgoing call from the dual-mode phone to a destination telephone separate from the dual-mode phone, the outgoing call comprising call information originating from the dual-mode phone operating in the cellular mode in the cellular system, wherein the call information comprises a destination telephone number associated with the destination telephone that identifies a destination for the call and information identifying the dual-mode phone, wherein the destination telephone number is different from a telephone number of the dual-mode phone, and wherein the dual-mode phone is simultaneously registered with the cellular system and the VoIP system;

obtain information for transferring the call to a VoIP system from the cellular system;

transmit the destination telephone number to the VoIP system, wherein the destination telephone number is transferred to the VoIP system via at least one of in-band signaling or out-of-band signaling; and

transfer the call to the VoIP system from the cellular system while the dual-mode phone is operating in the cellular mode, such that the VoIP system can route the call to the destination telephone number received from the MSC while the dual-mode phone is operating in the cellular mode and can thereafter transition the call away from the cellular system when the dual-mode phone begins operating in the VoIP mode.

2. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the MSC comprises a translation index, and wherein obtaining information for transferring the call to the VoIP system comprises:

searching the translation index for information about a calling number associated with the phone; and

obtaining from the translation index information for transferring the call to a VoIP system.

3. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, further comprising a service control point (“

SCP”

) in communication with the MSC and the VoIP system, wherein;

obtaining information for transferring the call to the VoIP system comprises;

recognizing, with the MSC, that an origination attempt trigger has been set for the phone;

in response to the origination attempt trigger, communicating, by the MSC, with the SCP; and

receiving, by the MSC and from the SCP, the information for transferring the call to the VoIP system via a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

); and

transferring the call to the VoIP system from the cellular system, such that the VoIP system can route the call to the destination telephone number, comprises;

receiving, at the SCP, a query from the VoIP system for the destination number; and

in response to the query for the destination number, providing, with the SCP, the information to route the call to the destination number to the VoIP system, so that the VoIP system can route the call to the destination via the PSTN.

4. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the information for transferring the call to the VoIP system comprises:

instructions for substituting, for the destination telephone number, a new telephone number associated with the VoIP system; and

instructions for routing the call to the VoIP system via a trunk tandem.

5. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an end office in communication with a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) and with the VoIP system, the end office comprising an end office switch, wherein transferring the call to the VoIP system comprises the MSC routing the call via the PSTN to the end office switch.

6. The telecommunication system recited in claim 5, wherein the end office switch is configured to connect the call with the VoIP system.

7. The telecommunication system recited in claim 6, wherein the call is connected with the VoIP switch via an integrated services digital network (“

ISDN”

) connection between the end office and the VoIP switch.

8. The telecommunication system recited in claim 7, wherein the end office switch is further configured to provide the destination number to the VoIP system as part of a field in a primary rate interface (“

PRI”

) call setup message.

9. The telecommunication system recited in claim 6, wherein the-end office switch is further configured to obtain the destination number.

10. The telecommunication system recited in claim 9, wherein:

the MSC is further configured to provide the destination number to the end office switch as part of a specified field in an ISDN user part (“

ISUP”

) message transmitted to the end office; and

the end office switch is configured to obtain the destination number by parsing the specified field of the ISUP message.

11. The telecommunication system recited in claim 9, wherein:

the MSC is further configured to store the destination number at an additional device in communication with the MSC and the end office switch; and

the end office switch is configured to obtain the destination number by querying the additional device for the destination number.

12. The telecommunication system recited in claim 11, wherein the additional device is a service control point (“

SCP”

).

13. The telecommunication system recited in claim 9, wherein the destination number is provided to the end office via in-band signaling by the dual-mode phone.

14. The telecommunication system recited in claim 9, wherein the destination number is provided to the end office via out-of-band signaling by the dual-mode phone.

15. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the MSC is part of a global system for mobile communications (“

GSM”

) system.

16. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the MSC is part of a code division multiple access (“

CDMA”

) system.

17. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the MSC is further configured to:

recognize that the call has originated from a phone requiring special call handling.

18. The telecommunication system recited in claim 17, wherein the MSC is configured to obtain the information for transferring the call to the VoIP system based on the recognition that the call has originated from the phone requiring special handling.

19. The telecommunication system recited in claim 18, further comprising a service control point (“

SCP”

) in communication with the MSC, wherein;

obtaining information for transferring the call to the VoIP switch comprises the MSC requesting instructions from the SCP; and

the SCP is configured to;

receive the request;

obtain a redirection number associated with the VoIP system; and

transmit the redirection number for reception by the MSC.

20. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, wherein the message comprises the destination number, and wherein the SCP is further configured to store the destination number.

21. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, wherein the MSC is incorporated within a cellular system, and wherein the cellular system comprises the SCP.

22. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, wherein the request is a transaction capabilities application part (“

TCAP”

) request.

23. The telecommunication system recited in claim 22, wherein the TCAP request comprises the destination number.

24. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, wherein the SCP is configured to obtain the redirection number by performing a database lookup for the redirection number.

25. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, further comprising an application server in communication with the SCP, wherein the SCP is configured to obtain the redirection number from an application server.

26. The telecommunication system recited in claim 25, wherein the VoIP system comprises the application server.

27. The telecommunication system recited in claim 19, wherein the SCP is a first SCP, wherein the telecommunication system further comprises a second SCP in communication with the first SCP, and wherein the first SCP is configured to obtain the redirection number from the second SCP.

28. The telecommunication system recited in claim 27, wherein the MSC is incorporated within a cellular system, wherein the cellular system comprises the first SCP, and wherein the second SCP is associated with the VoIP system.

29. The telecommunication system recited in claim 1, wherein the information for transferring the call to the VoIP system comprises instructions for routing the call to the VoIP system via a dedicated connection from the MSC to the VoIP system.

30. In a telecommunication system for handling a call placed by a dual-mode phone capable of operating in a cellular mode and in a Voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) mode, a method comprising;

receiving, at a mobile switching center (“

MSC”

) in a cellular system, an outgoing call from the dual-mode phone to a destination telephone separate from the dual-mode phone, the outgoing call comprising call information originating from the dual-mode phone operating in the cellular mode in the cellular system, wherein the call information comprises a destination telephone number associated with the destination telephone that identifies a destination for the call and information identifying the dual-mode phone, wherein the destination telephone number is separate from a telephone number of the dual-mode phone, and wherein the dual-mode phone is simultaneously registered with the cellular system and the VoIP system;

obtaining, with the MSC, information for transferring the call to a VoIP system from the cellular system;

transmitting, with the MSC, the destination telephone number to the VoIP system, wherein the destination telephone number is transferred to the VoIP system via at least one of in-band signaling or out-of-band signaling; and

transferring the call from the MSC to the VoIP system from the cellular system while the dual-mode phone is operating in the cellular mode, such that the VoIP system can route the call to the destination telephone number received from the MSC while the dual-mode phone is operating in the cellular mode and can thereafter transition the call away from the cellular system when the dual-mode phone begins operating in the VoIP mode.