Method of conditionally routing a call made to a fixed telephone number

• US 20080108357A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Dekkers, Helmuth, Goeijers, Peter, Bot, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of routing a call made by a calling party to a fixed telephone number of a called party, wherein the call is routed to one or more mobile terminals (34) via an Internet Protocol network (12) and a wireless access point (10) associated with the fixed telephone number if the one or more mobile terminals (34) are located in an area covered by the wireless access point (10), or to an alternative terminating point if the one or more mobile terminals (34) are located outside the area. A specific Service Control Point is arranged to store a list that comprises alternative terminating points for the calls to the fixed number.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call made by a calling party to a fixed telephone number of a called party, comprising:

routing said call to one or more mobile terminals via an Internet Protocol network and a wireless access point associated with said fixed telephone number if said one or more mobile terminals are located in an area covered by said wireless access point, or

routing the call to an alternative terminating point if said one or more mobile terminals are located outside said area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said alternative terminating point comprises an answering service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said alternative terminating point comprises another telephone number.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein if a first mobile terminal associated with said fixed telephone number is not in said predefined area, not switched on or, has no connection left, said call is routed to a second mobile terminal associated with said fixed telephone number.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call is routed to every mobile terminal associated with said fixed telephone number and present in said area.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein if said one or more mobile terminals are located outside said area, but said calling party is on a hot list, said call is routed to a mobile telephone number associated with said fixed telephone number.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein if said calling party is calling with a calling party mobile terminal, said call is routed via said IP network only if said calling party mobile terminal is connected via a further wireless access point.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein information on whether said one or more mobile terminals are located inside or outside said area is received from a Home Base Station Controller.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein information on whether said one or more mobile terminals are located inside or outside said area is received from a Home Location Register by means of subscription or Any Time Interrogation.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein information on whether said one or more mobile terminals are located inside or outside said area is received from an Secure Gateway.

11. The Service node for use in a telecommunication network, said Service node being arranged to receive a routing request from a Service Switching Point of a fixed telephone network and to send a routing order to said Service Switching Point, said Service node being arranged to

means for storing for a plurality of subscribers a fixed number, one or more related areas associated with said fixed telephone number, and a list comprising one or more associated alternative terminating points and for each alternative terminating point an area presence indicator, said Service node further having means for:

receiving entry/exit triggers from an area presence service;

updating said area presence indicators based on received entry/exit triggers so that when an entry trigger is received, the area presence indicator is given a value ‘

in’ and

when an exit trigger is received, the area presence indicator is given a value ‘

out’

,

determining said routing order by finding an alternative terminating point in said list for which its area presence indicator has a value ‘

in’

indicating that a the corresponding subscriber comprised in a received routing request; and

sending the routing order to said Service Switching Point.

12. The Service node according to claim 11, wherein said Service node comprises a database arranged to store said list.

13. The Service node according to claim 11, wherein said alternative terminating points associated with one fixed telephone number is sorted in a predefined order of priority.

14. The Service node according to claim 11, wherein said list has at least one alternative endpoint with an area in/out indication with a fixed “

in”

value.

15. The Service node A according to claim 11, wherein said Service node comprises a Service Control Point.

16. A telecommunication network comprising:

a fixed telephone network comprising a Telephony switch comprising a Service Switching Point;

an IP network in communication with said telephony switch;

one or more wireless access points in communication with said IP network, said wireless access points being arranged to connect telephone calls received from said IP network via WIFI/WLAN to one or more mobile terminals, and a Service node.

17. The telecommunication network according to claim 16, further comprising

a Security Gateway in communication with said Service node and arranged to send said entry/exit triggers to said Service node, said telecommunication network further comprising a media gateway, wherein said one or more mobile terminals may be connected via said Security Gateway and said media gateway to the Telephony switch.

18. The telecommunication network according to claim 16, further comprising a Home Base Station Controller connected to said Secure Gateway and said mobile telephone network, wherein said Home Base Station Controller is arranged to provide entry/exit status information on requests by said Service node.