Communications system having pre-defined calling group
First Claim
1. A method of communicating within a pre-defined calling group having a plurality of members, the method comprising:
- providing a pre-defined calling group having a plurality of members, each member of the group being assigned a respective personal communication device (PCD) having a system ID and a group ID that are unique from system IDs and group IDs of PCDs of other members of the group;
entering, into a first PCD of a first member of the group, a group ID of a second PCD;
transmitting, from the first PCD to a communications switch, a system ID of the first PCD and the group ID of the second PCD; and
locating a record for the first PCD in a database based on the system ID of the first PCD;
determining, based on the record for the first PCD, that the first PCD is allowed to contact the second PCD by way of the group ID of the second PCD;
determining the system ID of the second PCD based on the group ID of the second PCD; and
establishing a telecommunications connection between the first PCD and the second PCD.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system having a pre-defined calling group with a plurality of members is disclosed. A plurality of personal communication devices (PCDs) each have a system ID and a group ID, and each member of the group is assigned one of the PCDs. The system ID and the group ID both have a predetermined characteristic, where each system ID has a first variation thereof and each group ID has a second variation. A first group -member having a first PCD contacts a second member having a second PCD by entering into the first PCD the second PCD group ID. The first PCD transmits the first PCD system ID and the second PCD group ID to a communications switch. Based on the first PCD system ID, the communications switch locates a record for the first PCD in a switch database and determines therefrom that the first PCD can contact the second PCD by way of the second PCD group ID. A group database in switchable communication with the communications switch has the system ID and group ID for each group member PCD. The communications switch forwards the contact and the second PCD group ID to the group database for further processing. The group database determines that the second PCD group ID is located therein, locates the second PCD system ID based on the second PCD group ID, and forwards the attempted contact and the second PCD system ID to an appropriate communications switch for further processing.
59 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of communicating within a pre-defined calling group having a plurality of members, the method comprising:
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providing a pre-defined calling group having a plurality of members, each member of the group being assigned a respective personal communication device (PCD) having a system ID and a group ID that are unique from system IDs and group IDs of PCDs of other members of the group;
entering, into a first PCD of a first member of the group, a group ID of a second PCD;
transmitting, from the first PCD to a communications switch, a system ID of the first PCD and the group ID of the second PCD; and
locating a record for the first PCD in a database based on the system ID of the first PCD;
determining, based on the record for the first PCD, that the first PCD is allowed to contact the second PCD by way of the group ID of the second PCD;
determining the system ID of the second PCD based on the group ID of the second PCD; and
establishing a telecommunications connection between the first PCD and the second PCD. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification