System for the extended provision of cellular mobile radiotelephone service
First Claim
1. A method for enabling a roaming CMR subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area, the method comprising the steps:
- (a) receiving at a foreign service area MTSO request information indicating that the roaming CMR subscriber desires to receive, in the foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area;
(b) validating the roaming subscriber;
(c) upon validation of the roaming subscriber, assigning the roaming subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) for use in the foreign service area; and
(d) providing command information to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO so as to enable the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO to call forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for enabling a peregrinating Cellular Mobile Radiotelephone (CMR) subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area (that is, an area outside his home service area), calls placed to his MID at his home service area. A roaming processor is coupled through a cable or LAN to a switch associated with a foreign MTSO and is coupled, preferably through a private data network, to a switch associated with the subscriber'"'"'s home MTSO. Within the roaming processor resides a program that detects the reception at the foreign switch of a predetermined code indicating that calls placed to the roamer'"'"'s home MID are to be forwarded to the foreign MTSO. Subsequent to the "validation" of the roamer and to the performance of certain software housekeeping tasks, the roamer is assigned a Temporary Directory Number (TDN) for use in the remote service area. The FMR processor then commands the subscriber'"'"'s home MTSO switch to forward calls, placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID at the home MTSO, to the TDN. Calls are subsequently forwarded, via the PSTN, from the subscriber'"'"'s home MTSO to the foreign MTSO.
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Citations
78 Claims
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1. A method for enabling a roaming CMR subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area, the method comprising the steps:
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(a) receiving at a foreign service area MTSO request information indicating that the roaming CMR subscriber desires to receive, in the foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area; (b) validating the roaming subscriber; (c) upon validation of the roaming subscriber, assigning the roaming subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) for use in the foreign service area; and (d) providing command information to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO so as to enable the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO to call forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for activating a procedure that enables calls placed to a CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID to be automatically forwarded to a service area outside the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area, the method comprising the steps:
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(a) accepting a predetermined code initiated by the subscriber, which code indicates that calls received in the subscriber'"'"'s home area to his MID are to be forwarded outside his home service area; (b) assigning the roaming subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN), to which TDN calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area are to be forwarded; and (c) commanding an MTSO in the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for enabling a roaming CMR subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area, the apparatus comprising a computer for coupling both to a switch associated in the home service area and to a switch associated with the roaming service area and programmed to:
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(1) receive information indicating that calls placed to the home service area are to be forwarded to the foreign service area; (2) assign the subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) in the foreign switch; and (3) command the home switch to forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the home service area. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A CMR system that automatically forwards, to a foreign service area outside a CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area, calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s home service area, the system comprising:
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home MTSO means associated with the home service area and including a home switch for receiving calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID; foreign MTSO means associated with a foreign service area and including a foreign switch; control computer means coupled to the home switch and to the foreign switch for (1) receiving information indicating that calls placed to the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home MTSO are to be forwarded to the foreign MTSO;
(2) assigning the CMR subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) in conjunction with the foreign switch for use in the foreign service area; and
(3) providing information to the home switch that enables the home switch to forward, to the TDN at the foreign switch, calls placed to the CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in the home service area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A CMR processing system for automatically enabling predetermined calls placed to a home CMR service area to be forwarded to a foreign service area, the system comprising:
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(i) means associated with the foreign service area for receiving information that predetermined calls placed to the home service area are to be directed to the foreign service area; (ii) means associated with the foreign service area for assigning a temporary directory number (TDN) to which the calls are to be directed; and (iii) means associated with the foreign service area for providing information to the home service area so as to enable the home service area to direct the calls to the TDN. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for enabling a CMR subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area, the method comprising the steps:
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(a) receiving at a foreign service area MTSO a request indicating that the CMR subscriber desires to receive, in the foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area; (b) validating the roaming subscriber; (c) upon validation of the roaming subscriber, assigning the roaming subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) for use in the foreign service area; (d) accessing the subscriber'"'"'s feature package in his home service area and ensuring that the feature package includes Call Forwarding for the purpose of enabling the subscriber to receive calls in the foreign service area; and (e) providing information to the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO so as to enable the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO to call forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for activating a procedure that enables calls placed to a CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area to be automatically forwarded to a foreign service area outside the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area, the method comprising the steps:
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(a) receiving a request indicating that calls received in the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to his MID are to be forwarded to the foreign service area; (b) determining whether the request is a duplicate request; (c) validating the subscriber, that is, verifying that calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to his MID are entitled to be transferred to the foreign service area; (d) upon validation of the subscriber, assigning the subscriber a temporary directory number, TDN, to which TDN calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area are to be forwarded; (e) accessing the subscriber'"'"'s feature package in his home service area and ensuring that the feature package includes Call Forwarding for the purpose of enabling the subscriber to receive calls in the foreign service area; and (f) commanding an MTSO in the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for activating a process that enables calls placed to a CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area to be automatically forwarded to a foreign service area outside the CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area, the method comprising the steps:
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(a) receiving an activation request indicating that calls received in the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to his MID are to be forwarded to the foreign service area; (b) determining whether the activation request is a duplicate request; (c) assigning the subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN), to which TDN calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area are to be forwarded; and (d) commanding an MTSO in the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. In a method for enabling a roaming CMR subscriber to automatically receive, in a foreign service area, calls placed to his home service area, which method comprises the steps:
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(a) receiving at a foreign service area MTSO an activation request indicating that the roaming CMR subscriber desires to receive, in the foreign service, calls placed to his home service area; (b) validating the roaming subscriber; (c) upon validation of the roaming subscriber, assigning the roaming subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) for use in the foreign service area; and (d) providing command information to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO so as to enable the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s home service area MTSO to call forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the roaming CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in his home service area, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING; (e) determining whether the activation request is a duplicate application request. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. In a CMR system that includes a home MTSO associated with a home service area of a CMR subscriber, said home service area for receiving calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s MID, and that includes a foreign MTSO associated with a foreign service area, an apparatus for causing calls placed to the subscriber'"'"'s home service area to be automatically call forwarded to the foreign service area when the subscriber is present in the foreign service area, the apparatus comprising a processor for coupling, via a communications link, to the home MTSO, said processor comprising:
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(i) means for receiving information indicating that the CMR subscriber is present in the foreign service area, (ii) means for assigning the CMR subscriber a temporary directory number (TDN) in conjunction with the foreign MTSO for use in the foreign service area, and (iii) means for providing information to the home MTSO that enables the home MTSO to automatically call forward, to the TDN, calls placed to the CMR subscriber'"'"'s MID in the home service area.
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Specification