Call setup method for use with a network having mobile end users
First Claim
1. A method of operating a mobile unit for communication to facilitate setting up calls for said mobile unit for communication which are accessible through a communications network, said method comprising steps of:
- determining a location of said mobile unit;
reporting said location of said mobile unit to said communication network over a communication channel;
receiving a log-on message by said mobile unit, said log-on message transmitted from said network over said communication channel, said log-on message informing said mobile unit that said mobile unit may engage in said setting up calls;
keeping track of a current location for said mobile unit;
determining when said current location causes a predetermined threshold distance to be exceeded; and
repeating said reporting step when said threshold is exceeded.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed communication network includes switching offices (SOs), moving-orbit satellites, and subscriber information managers (SIMs). A population of mobile units (MUs) communicates through the network. A MU automatically determines its location and communicates with the network so that this information is kept current at a SO serving the MU and at a home SIM for the MU. The terrestrial nodes of the network have information showing which MUs are logged on at any given time. This knowledge is used to block calls to MUs known to be logged off. Calls are setup through cooperation between SOs. When calls are being setup to MUs, call-originating SOs determine appropriate SIMs and obtains the current location of the MUs from those SIMs. This current location corresponds to a call-destination SO with which the originating SO may cooperate in setting up a call.
156 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of operating a mobile unit for communication to facilitate setting up calls for said mobile unit for communication which are accessible through a communications network, said method comprising steps of:
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determining a location of said mobile unit; reporting said location of said mobile unit to said communication network over a communication channel; receiving a log-on message by said mobile unit, said log-on message transmitted from said network over said communication channel, said log-on message informing said mobile unit that said mobile unit may engage in said setting up calls; keeping track of a current location for said mobile unit; determining when said current location causes a predetermined threshold distance to be exceeded; and repeating said reporting step when said threshold is exceeded.
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2. A method of operating a mobile unit for communication to facilitate setting up calls for said mobile unit for communication which are accessible through a communications network, said method comprising steps of:
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determining a location of said mobile unit; reporting said location of said mobile unit to said communication network over a communication channel; receiving a log-on message by said mobile unit, said log-on message transmitted from said network over said communication channel, said log-on message informing said mobile unit that said mobile unit may engage in said setting up calls; gaining synchronization by said mobile unit with said communication channel of said network, said gaining step occurring before said reporting step; and losing synchronization with said communication channel after said receiving step. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of operating a mobile unit for communication to facilitate setting up calls between said mobile unit and other mobile units for communication which are accessible through a communications network, said method comprising steps of:
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determining a location of said mobile unit; reporting said location of said mobile unit to said communication network over a communication channel; receiving a log-on message by said mobile unit, said log-on message transmitted from said communication network over said communication channel, said log-on message informing said mobile unit that said mobile unit may engage in said setting up calls; wherein said mobile unit includes a user input device for identifying said other units and for identifying when to place an outgoing call to one of said other mobile units; losing synchronization with said communication channel; monitoring said user input device to detect a command for placing an outgoing call; gaining synchronization with said communication channel of said communication network; and sending an outgoing-call message to said communication network, said outgoing-call message informing said communication network of a request to place a call from said mobile unit and of an identify of one of said other mobile units.
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11. A method of operating a mobile unit for communication to facilitate setting up calls between said mobile unit and other mobile units for communication which are accessible through a communications network, said method comprising steps of:
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determining a location of said mobile unit; reporting said location of said mobile unit to said communication network over a communication channel; receiving a log-on message by said mobile unit, said log-on message transmitted from said communication network over said communication channel, said log-on message informing said mobile unit that said mobile unit may engage in said setting up calls; wherein said mobile unit includes a user input device for controlling the energization of said mobile unit; monitoring said user input device to detect a command to de-energize said module unit; reporting de-energization of said mobile unit to said communication network; and de-energizing said mobile unit.
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12. A method of operating a home subscriber information manager (SIM) portion of a network having a population of mobile units selectively in communication with a plurality of switching offices, and having a plurality of SIMs similar to said home SIM, said switching offices and said SIMs being in data communication with one another, and said method comprising steps of:
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maintaining a database of subscriber records, each subscriber record having a mobile unit ID and activation status data associated therewith; receiving a log-on message, said log-on message conveying a request for logging a mobile unit on said network, and said log-on message including a mobile unit ID value; selecting one of said records in response to said mobile unit ID value from said log-on message; and modifying said activation status data of said selected record to indicate that said mobile unit is logged on said network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a home subscriber information manager (SIM) portion of a network having a population of mobile units selectively in communication with a plurality of switching offices, and having a plurality of SIMs similar to said home SIM, said switching offices and said SIMs being in data communication with one another, and said method comprising steps of:
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maintaining a database of subscriber records, each subscriber record having a mobile unit ID and location data associated therewith; receiving a request for logging a mobile unit on said network, said request including a mobile unit ID value and data describing a location of said mobile unit; selecting one of said records in accordance with said mobile unit ID value from said receiving step; and modifying said location data of said selected record to reflect said location describing data from said receiving step. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of operating a servicing switching office position of a network having a constellation of mobile repeaters through which communications are routed to a population of mobile units, having a plurality of switching offices similar to said servicing office, and having a plurality of subscriber information managers (SIMs), said switching offices and said SIMs being in data communication with one another, said method comprising steps of:
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receiving a request for logging a mobile unit on said network, said request including a mobile unit ID value; evaluating said mobile unit ID value to identify a SIM to which said mobile unit is assigned; communicating with said identified SIM to obtain service data descriptive of said mobile unit; and creating a record for said mobile unit said record including said service data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a distributed telecommunications network having a constellation of mobile repeaters through which communications are routed to a population of mobile units, having a plurality of switching offices in communication with said constellation, and having a plurality of subscriber information managers (SIMs) in communication with said constellation, said method comprising steps of:
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receiving, at a servicing one of said switching offices, a request for logging a mobile unit on said network, said request including a mobile unit ID value; evaluating, at said servicing office, said mobile unit ID value to identify a SIM to which said mobile unit is assigned; communicating between said servicing office and said identified SIM to provide said servicing office with service data descriptive of said mobile unit; and creating, in said servicing office, a record for said mobile unit, said record including said service data. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification