WIRELESS COMMUNICATION USING A PICOCELL STATION HAVING ITS OWN PHONE NUMBER

• US 20080132222A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Brady, Colin P.
• Application Number:
  US11/564,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A communication system includes a communication device that has its own picocell station phone number. Any one of a plurality of authorized mobile stations communicates over an air interface with the communication device such that the mobile station can participate in a call or a communication session using the picocell station phone number instead of the mobile station'"'"'s unique mobile phone number. In a disclosed example, a plurality of mobile stations can communicate simultaneously using the picocell station phone number to facilitate a variety of call scenarios.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a picocell station transceiver that has a picocell station phone number and is configured to communicate over an air interface with a plurality of mobile stations that each have a unique mobile phone number such that any of the plurality of mobile stations can communicate using the picocell station phone number instead of the corresponding unique mobile phone number.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the picocell station transceiver is configured to permit more than one of the plurality of mobile stations to simultaneously communicate using the picocell station phone number.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising

a conferencing module for managing a communication session that includes the picocell station transceiver and at least one of the mobile stations.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the picocell station transceiver or the conferencing module determines a status of the call;

notifies any available ones of the plurality of mobile stations of the determined status; and

facilitates participation in the call by a user using an available one of the mobile stations.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the conferencing module is configured to determine whether to grant a requested access from one of the mobile stations and to provide an indication for communicating the determination to at least the one of the mobile stations.

6. The device of claim 1, comprising

a memory portion configured to maintain

a list of the plurality of mobile stations authorized to communicate using the picocell station phone number and

a list of any of the mobile stations actively participating in a current communication session.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the picocell station transceiver

determines when a call is placed from an outside caller to the picocell station phone number;

and

notifies any available ones of the plurality of mobile stations of the call.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the picocell station transceiver communicates with a notified mobile station to allow a user of the notified mobile station to answer the call, using the notified mobile station.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the picocell station transceiver is configured to allow any of the mobile stations to place a call to another device using the picocell station phone number.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the picocell station transceiver is configured to communicate with a telephony network through at least one of a line-based connection or an over-the-air interface using the picocell station phone number.

11. A method of communicating, comprising

using at least one mobile station and a picocell station phone number of a picocell station transceiver instead of a mobile phone number of the at least one mobile station.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising

simultaneously using the picocell station phone number by a plurality of mobile stations, each having a unique mobile phone number.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising

managing a communication session that includes the picocell station transceiver and the at least one of the mobile stations.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising

maintaining a list of the plurality of mobile stations authorized to communicate using the picocell station phone number and

determining a list of any of the mobile stations actively participating in a current communication session.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising

determining whether to grant a requested access from one of the mobile stations;

and

communicating the determination to at least the one of the mobile stations.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising

determining when a call is placed from an outside caller to the picocell station phone number;

and

notifying any available ones of the plurality of mobile stations of the call.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising

communicating with a notified mobile station to allow a user of the notified mobile station to answer the call, using the notified mobile station.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising

determining a status of the call;

notifying any available mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations of the determined status; and

facilitating participation in the call by a user using an available one of the mobile stations.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising

allowing any of the mobile stations to place a call to another device using the picocell station phone number.

20. The method of claim 11, comprising

communicating between the picocell station transceiver and a telephony network through at least one of a line-based connection or an over-the-air interface using the picocell station phone number.