System and method for virtual wireless roaming

• US 20080152118A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bugenhagen, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A system and method is provided for call routing from a wired telephone switch. A wireless device is registered with a database of the wired telephone switch. Incoming wireless calls destined for the wireless device are routed to a standard telephone. The wireless device is unregistered to disable the call routing to the standard telephone.

Claims

1. A method for call routing from a wired telephone switch, said method comprising:

registering a wireless device with a database of the wired telephone switch;

routing incoming wireless calls destined for the wireless device to a standard telephone; and

unregistering the wireless device to disable the call routing to the standard telephone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wired telephone switch is a class 5 switch used in a publicly switched network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registering step is performed in response to receiving a user input.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unregistering step further comprises:

receiving user input to terminate the call routing; and

terminating the call routing to the standard telephone.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the user input comprises dialing a phone number on the wireless device, turning on the wireless device, entering an identifier, or using the cell phone in a different wireless network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registering step further comprises:

updating a home locator record and a home mobile switching center of the wireless device with a number of the wireless device, a mobile service identifier and a temporary locator number that links to the standard telephone.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the wireless device is registered for roaming to the wired telephone switch.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein registering the wireless device further comprises:

sending a home locator record a wireless phone number, a mobile service identifier, and a phone number of a standard telephone.

9. A mobile switching center for routing calls from a wireless device to a standard telephone, said system comprising:

a home location register for managing routing information about a plurality of devices and routing calls and data to the wireless device; and

a virtual location register for storing a temporary locator number for the wireless device, the temporary locator number being operatively associated with a standard telephone for routing incoming calls destined for the wireless device to the standard telephone.

10. The mobile switching center according to claim 9, wherein the virtual locator register receives the temporary locator number from a database associated with a class 5 switch.

11. The mobile switching center according to claim 9, wherein the home locator record registers the wireless device as roaming with the class 5 switch in response to receiving the temporary locator number.

12. The mobile switching center according to claim 10, wherein an agreement between an wireless service provider operating the mobile switching center and a telephone provider operating the class 5 switch allows the incoming calls to be routed through the class 5 switch to the standard telephone.

13. The mobile switching center according to claim 10, wherein the agreement allocates a portion of the fees collected for the incoming calls to an owner of the class 5 switch.

19. The wired telephone switch according to claim 13, wherein the routing trigger unregisters the wireless device based on any of a user making a call on the wireless device, entering a different wireless network and entering a code.

14. A wired telephone switch comprising:

a processor for executing instructions within software modules;

a memory operatively connected to the processor for storing the software modules including;

a record indicating a plurality of wireless devices that may roam to the wired telephone switch;

a routing trigger operative to register a wireless device as roaming with the wired telephone switch operative to route incoming calls destined for the wireless device to a standard telephone; and

a database operative to store a temporary locator number associated with the standard telephone for routing the incoming calls through the wired telephone switch.

15. The wired telephone switch according to claim 14, wherein the wired telephone switch is a class 5 switch or an voice over Internet protocol server.

16. The wired telephone switch according to claim 14, wherein the software modules further comprise:

an addressing table for storing a cell phone number, a mobile service identifier, and a phone number of a standard telephone for updating a home location register of a mobile switching center in communication with the wired telephone switch.

17. The wired telephone switch according to claim 14, wherein the temporary locator number is the phone number of the standard telephone.

18. The wired telephone switch according to claim 14, wherein the routing trigger registers the wireless device in response to receiving a routing command from a user.

20. The wired telephone switch according to claim 15, wherein the software modules are part of an externally linked artificial intelligence network device or a virtual locator record in communication with the wired telephone switch.