Advanced voice services architecture framework

• US 20050254464A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kodiak Networks Inc (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kodiak Networks Inc (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ayyasamy, Ravi, Patel, Krishnakant M., Chiou, Shan-Jen, Shanbhag, Vyankatesh V., Horton, Stephen R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Advanced voice services, such as Push-to-Talk (P2T), Push-to-Conference (P2C), Upgrade to Conference (upgrade from P2T to P2C), Push-to-Message (P2M) and group SMS (Short Message Service), are provided for wireless networks. These services are provided by an architectural framework that interfaces into the wireless network in order to provide group call setup and messaging. Handset pre-provisioning reduces customer interaction in the process of activating handsets for use in the network. Presence messages are communicated between handsets and a real-time exchange using the Short Message Service (SMS), but without having to transmit the messages through a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) gateway, but instead the messages are transmitted using Mobile Application Part (MAP) interface connecting the real-time exchange directly to a mobile switching center.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing advanced voice services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between handsets, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the handsets across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a real-time exchange that interfaces to the wireless network to provide advanced voice services therein;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the advanced voice services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the advanced voice services from an originating handset to all terminating handsets across the bearer paths in the wireless network; and

wherein the handsets are pre-provisioned for the advanced voice services before being delivered to a customer in order to reduce customer interaction during activation of the handsets for use in the network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the advanced voice services comprise Push-to-Talk (P2T), Push-to-Conference (P2C), Upgrade to Conference, Push-to-Message (P2M) or Group SMS (Short Message Service).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handsets are pre-provisioned with a client application.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the client application executes when the handset is turned on for the first time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the client application transmits an advanced voice services activation request to the real-time exchange.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the real-time exchange activates the advanced voice services for the handset in response to the activation request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is not changed during activation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed during activation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed by contacting a customer service representative to have the number changed, wherein the customer service representative invokes a function within the network to change the number associated with the handset to a new number and the real-time exchange transmits a “

reconfiguration”

message to the handset that causes the handset to change its number to the new number.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed after the handset is powered on.

11. A method of providing advanced voice services in a wireless network, comprising:

making calls between handsets in a wireless network, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the handsets across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

providing advanced voice services in the wireless network using a real-time exchange that interfaces to the wireless network;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the advanced voice services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the advanced voice services from an originating handset to all terminating handsets across the bearer paths in the wireless network; and

wherein the handsets are pre-provisioned for the advanced voice services before being delivered to a customer in order to reduce customer interaction during activation of the handsets for use in the network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the advanced voice services comprise Push-to-Talk (P2T), Push-to-Conference (P2C), Upgrade to Conference, Push-to-Message (P2M) or Group SMS (Short Message Service).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the handsets are pre-provisioned with a client application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the client application executes when the handset is turned on for the first time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the client application transmits an advanced voice services activation request to the real-time exchange.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the real-time exchange activates the advanced voice services for the handset in response to the activation request.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is not changed during activation.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed during activation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed by contacting a customer service representative to have the number changed, wherein the customer service representative invokes a function within the network to change the number associated with the handset to a new number and the real-time exchange transmits a “

reconfiguration”

message to the handset that causes the handset to change its number to the new number.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the handset'"'"'s number is changed after the handset is powered on.

21. An apparatus for providing advanced voice services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between handsets and including a mobile switching center, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched by the mobile switching center between the handsets across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a real-time exchange that interfaces to the mobile switching center in the wireless network to provide advanced voice services therein;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the advanced voice services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the advanced voice services from an originating handset to all terminating handsets across the bearer paths in the wireless network; and

wherein presence messages are exchanged between the handsets and the real-time exchange using a Short Message Service (SMS) between the real-time exchange and the mobile switching center.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the advanced voice services comprise Push-to-Talk (P2T), Push-to-Conference (P2C), Upgrade to Conference, Push-to-Message (P2M) or Group SMS (Short Message Service).

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a Mobile Application Part (MAP) interface connects the real-time exchange to the mobile switching center.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the presence messages are exchanged between the handsets and the real-time exchange without having to transmit the messages through a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) gateway.

25. A method of providing group voice services in a wireless network, comprising:

making calls between handsets in a wireless network including a mobile switching center, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched by the mobile switching center between the handsets across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

providing advanced voice services in the wireless network using a real-time exchange that interfaces to the mobile switching center in the wireless network;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the advanced voice services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the advanced voice services from an originating handset to all terminating handsets across the bearer paths in the wireless network; and

wherein presence messages are exchanged between the handsets and the real-time exchange using a Short Message Service (SMS) between the real-time exchange and the mobile switching center.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the advanced voice services comprise Push-to-Talk (P2T), Push-to-Conference (P2C), Upgrade to Conference, Push-to-Message (P2M) or Group SMS (Short Message Service).

27. The method of claim 25, wherein a Mobile Application Part (MAP) interface connects the real-time exchange to the mobile switching center.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the presence messages are exchanged between the handsets and the real-time exchange without having to transmit the messages through a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) gateway.