Location dependent service for a wireless telephone

• US 5,502,757 A
• Filed: 12/22/1993
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moran, John C., Bales, Bruce M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoll, Thomas L.
• Application Number:
  US08/173,813
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Using a plurality of terminal service profiles (TSP) that are selected on the basis of the switching system to which a wireless mobile unit is registered. Each TSP defines the operation of features associated with the wireless mobile unit, and a service profile defines features associated with a directory number shared by a stationary station set and the wireless mobile unit. This allows some features to be associated only with the wireless mobile unit and other features to be associated with the shared directory number. These other features are usable by the wireless mobile unit and any other unit sharing the shared directory number. These other features are performed on a permanent switching system to which the shared directory number is assigned. When the wireless mobile unit is not associated with a stationary telephone station set, different TSPs are selected based on the particular switching system to which the wireless mobile unit is registered. ISDN messages are used to provide those features which should appear to be performed on a permanent switching system as if the wireless mobile unit was registered on the permanent switching system.

Claims

1. A method for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a telecommunication unit across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the telecommunication unit is connectable to any of the switching nodes, comprising the steps of:

providing the location dependent features in a first manner at first switching node in response to a first set of control information upon the telecommunication unit being connected to the first switching node;

providing the location dependent features in a second manner at second switching node in response to a second set of control information upon the telecommunication unit being connected to the second switching node; and

providing location independent features in a fixed manner regardless of which switching node the telecommunication unit is connected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the telecommunication unit is a wireless telephone.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of providing location dependent features at a first switching node comprises the steps of executing a terminal application program on the first switching node;

and

receiving, by the terminal application program, the first set of control information from a network management system via the first switching node whereby the terminal application program provides the location dependent features in the first manner; and

step of providing the location dependent features at the second switching node comprises the steps of executing the terminal application program on the second switching node; and

receiving, by the terminal application program, the second set of control information from a network management system via the second switching node whereby the terminal application program provides the location dependent features in the second manner.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprises the step of sharing a directory number, by a wired telephone and the wireless telephone, with the location independent features being provided to the wired telephone and the wireless telephone.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of sharing comprises the steps of executing a directory number application program on the switching node to which the directory number is assigned.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of sharing comprises the step of controlling the provisioning of the location independent features by the directory number application program.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises steps of disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node;

executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

receiving, by the terminal application program, a third set of control information from the network management system via the third switching node; and

providing the location dependent features in a third manner by the terminal application program in response to the third set of control information.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprises the step of providing the location independent features by terminal application program in response to the first control information when the wireless telephone is connected to the first switching node and in response to the second control information when the wireless telephone is connected to the second switching node.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprises the steps of disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node;

executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

receiving, by the terminal application program, a third set of control information from the network management system via the third switching node; and

providing the location dependent features in a third way by the terminal application program in response to the third set of control information.

10. A method for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a wireless telephone across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the wireless telephone is connectable to any of the switching nodes and the routing of calls through the telecommunication switching system uses a directory dialing plan and a secondary dialing plan, comprising the steps of:

executing a directory number application program on a first switching node;

receiving first control information, by directory number application program, from a network mangement system, with feature control being specified by the first control information;

assigning a directory number to the directory number application program for originating and terminating calls;

connecting the wireless telephone on a second switching node, and identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number application program as having a secondary number and being connected to the second switching node, and executing a terminal application program on the second switching node;

receiving second control information, by the terminal application program, from the network management system;

receiving a first incoming call requiring one of the location independent features, by the directory number application program, and controlling the implementation of the one of the location independent features by the directory number application program with the implementation of the one of the location independent features being defined by the first control information;

receiving a second incoming call requiring one of the location dependent features, by the directory number application program, and transferring control of the implementation of the one of the location dependent features to the terminal application program by communicating the second call to the terminal application program from directory number application program using a secondary number to identify the terminal application program; and

controlling the implementation of the one of location dependent features by the terminal application program in response to receipt of the second call with the implementation of the one of the location dependent features being defined by the second control information.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprises the steps of disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node, identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number application program as having the secondary number and being connected to the third switching node, and executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

receiving a third incoming call requiring the one of the location dependent features, by the directory number application program, and transferring control of the implementation of the one of the location dependent features to the terminal application program by communicating the third call to the terminal application program from directory number application program using the secondary number to identify the terminal application program; and

controlling the implementation of the one of location dependent features by the terminal application program in response to receipt of the third call with the implementation of the one of the location dependent features being defined by the third control information.

12. A method for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a telecommunication unit across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the telecommunication unit is connectable to any of the switching nodes, comprising the steps of:

connecting the telecommunication unit on a first switching node and executing a terminal application program on the first switching node;

receiving a first set of control information from a network management system via the first switching node;

receiving a first call requiring one of the location independent features and implementing the one of the location independent features in a first manner as defined by the first set of control information;

receiving a second call requiring one of the location dependent features and implementing the one of the location dependent features in a second manner as defined by the first set of control information;

disconnecting the telecommunication unit from the first switching node;

reconnecting the telecommunication unit to a second switching node;

executing the terminal application program on the second switching node;

receiving, by the terminal application program, a second set of control information from the network management system via the second switching node;

receiving a third call requiring the one of the location independent features and implementing the one of the location independent features in the first manner as defined by the second set of control information; and

receiving a fourth call requiring the one of the location dependent features and implementing the one of the location dependent features in a third manner as defined by the second set of control information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the telecommunication unit is a wireless telephone.

14. An apparatus for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a telecommunication unit across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the telecommunication unit is connectable to any of the switching nodes, comprising:

means for providing the location dependent features in a first manner at a first switching node in response to a first set of control information, upon the telecommunication unit being connected to the first switching node;

means for providing the location dependent features in a second manner at a second switching node in response to a second set of control information, upon the telecommunication unit being connected to the second switching node; and

means for providing location independent features in a fixed manner regardless of which switching node the telecommunication unit is connected.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the telecommunication unit is a wireless telephone.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for providing location dependent features at a first switching node comprises means for executing a terminal application program on the first switching node;

means for receiving in the terminal application program the first set of control information from a network management system via the first switching node whereby the terminal application program provides the location dependent features in the first manner,

means for providing the location dependent features at the second switching node comprises means for executing the terminal application program on the second switching node; and

means for receiving in the terminal application program the second set of control information from a network management system via the second switching node whereby the terminal application program provides the location dependent features in the second manner.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprises means for sharing a directory number, by a wired telephone and the wireless telephone, with the location independent features being provided to the wired telephone and the wireless telephone.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for sharing comprises means for executing a directory number application program on the switching node to which the directory number is assigned.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the means for sharing comprises means for controlling the provisioning of the location independent features in the directory number application program.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

means for reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node;

means for executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

means for receiving, in the terminal application program, a third set of control information from the network management system via the third switching node; and

means for providing the location dependent features in a third manner in the terminal application program in response to the third set of control information.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprises means for providing the location independent features in the terminal application program in response to the first control information when the wireless telephone is connected to the first switching node and in response to the second control information when the wireless telephone is connected to the second switching node.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

means for reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node;

means for executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

means for receiving in the terminal application program a third set of control information from the network management system via the third switching node; and

means for providing the location dependent features in a third manner in the terminal application program in response to the third set of control information.

23. An apparatus for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a telecommunication unit across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the telecommunication unit is connectable to any of the switching nodes and the routing of calls through the telecommunication switching system uses a directory dialing plan and a secondary dialing plan, comprising:

means for executing a directory number application program on a first switching node;

means for receiving first control information in the directory number application program from a network mangement system with feature control being specified by the first control information;

means for assigning a directory number to the directory number application program for originating and terminating calls;

means for connecting the telecommunication unit on a second switching node, and for identifying the telecommunication unit to the directory number application program as having a secondary number, and being connected to the second switching node, and for executing a terminal application program on the second switching node;

means for receiving second control information, in the terminal application program, from the network management system;

means for receiving a first incoming call requiring one of the location independent features, in the directory number application program, and for controlling the implementation of the one of the location independent features in the directory number application program with the implementation of the one of the location independent features being defined by the first control information;

means for receiving a second incoming call requiring one of the location dependent features, in the directory number application program, and for transferring control of the implementation of the one of the location dependent features to the terminal application program by communicating the second call to the terminal application program from directory number application program using a secondary number to identify the terminal application program; and

means for controlling the implementation of the one of location dependent features in the terminal application program in response to receipt of the second call with the implementation of the one of the location dependent features being defined by the second control information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the telecommunication unit is a wireless telephone.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second switching node;

means for reconnecting the wireless telephone to a third switching node, for identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number application program as having the secondary number and being connected to the third switching node, and for executing the terminal application program on the third switching node;

means for receiving a third incoming call requiring the one of the location dependent features, in the directory number application program, and for transferring control of the implementation of the one of the location dependent features to the terminal application program by communicating the third call to the terminal application program from directory number application program using the secondary number to identify the terminal application program; and

means for controlling the implementation of the one of location dependent features in the terminal application program in response to receipt of the third call with the implementation of the one of the location dependent features being defined by the third control information.

26. An apparatus for providing location dependent features and location independent features for a telecommunication unit across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes where the telecommunication unit is connectable to any of the switching nodes, comprising:

means for connecting the telecommunication unit on a first switching node and for executing a terminal application program on the first switching node;

means for receiving a first set of control information from a network management system via the first switching node;

means for receiving a first call requiring one of the location independent features and for implementing the one of the location independent features in a first manner as defined by the first set of control information;

means for receiving a second call requiring one of the location dependent features and for implementing the one of the location dependent features in a second manner as defined by the first set of control information;

means for disconnecting the telecommunication unit from the first switching node;

means for reconnecting the telecommunication unit to a second switching node;

means for executing the terminal application program on the second switching node;

means for receiving in the terminal application program a second set of control information from the network management system via the second switching node;

means for receiving a third call requiring the one of the location independent features and for implementing the one of the location independent features in the first manner as defined by the second set of control information; and

means for receiving a fourth call requiring the one of the location dependent features and for implementing the one of the location dependent features in a third manner as defined by the second set of control information.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the telecommunication unit is a wireless telephone.