Method and apparatus for providing calling number identification alias in communications system

• US 20020168968A1
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: David R. Glass
• Inventors: Glass, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,662,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide a calling number identifier alias in a communications system having a wireless telephone associated with a wired telephone number, such as a wireless office service communications system. When a telephone call is placed from the wireless telephone, an alias database is searched to determine the associated wired telephone number. The telephone number of the wired telephone is used as an alias for the purpose of the calling number identifier.

Claims

1. A method to provide a calling number identifier for a wireless telephone associated with a wired telephone number, comprising the steps of:

processing a telephone call placed from the wireless telephone;

searching an alias database for the wired telephone number associated with the wireless telephone; and

transmitting the wired telephone number as the calling number identifier for the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless telephone and a wired telephone having the associated wired telephone number are part of a wireless office service communications system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said steps of searching and transmitting are performed when the telephone call is processed by a communications node other than a wireless switch associated with the home location of the wireless telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alias database stores a plurality of wireless telephone numbers each associated with a wired telephone number.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the alias database stores a plurality of mobile identification numbers each associated with a wired telephone number.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of searching is performed using information stored in a home location register.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of searching and transmitting are performed at an intelligent network node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said steps of searching and transmitting are performed at a mobile switching office.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of searching is performed at a service control point.

10. An apparatus to provide a calling number identifier for a wireless telephone associated with a wired telephone number, comprising:

a wireless switch coupled to a communications network and configured to route a telephone call from the wireless telephone to the communications network;

an alias database associating the wired telephone number with a mobile identification number representing the wireless telephone; and

a service control point coupled to said wireless switch and said alias database, said service control point configured to use the wired telephone number as the calling number identifier of the telephone call from the wireless telephone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wireless telephone and a wired telephone having the associated wired telephone number are part of a wireless office service communications system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a private branch exchange coupled between said wireless switch and the communications network, and further coupled to the wired telephone, said private branch exchange configured to use the wired telephone number as the calling number identifier of a telephone call from the wired telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless telephone and a wired telephone having the associated wired telephone number are part of a wireless office service communications system.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alias database stores a plurality of wireless telephone numbers each associated with a wired telephone number.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for searching is a service control point.

13. An apparatus to provide a calling number identifier for a wireless telephone associated with a wired telephone number, comprising:

means for processing a telephone call placed from the wireless telephone;

means for searching an alias database for the wired telephone number associated with the wireless telephone; and

means for transmitting the wired telephone number as the calling number identifier for the telephone call.