Auxillary communication service routing

• US 5,506,888 A
• Filed: 06/30/1994
• Issued: 04/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hayes, John, Schmid, Glen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/268,721
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 379/59, 379/60, 379/67, 379/88, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and method for routing a call through the PSTN to an auxiliary communications services mailbox, such as voice mail, of a mobile subscriber. The call is received in the nearest exchange and routed to the exchange where the mobile subscriber is located. If the mobile subscriber, for example, does not answer, a voice mail number is used to route the call to the exchange where the voice mailbox is located.

Claims

1. In a cellular radio network including a first exchange connected to a calling subscriber, a second exchange connected to a called subscriber and a third exchange connected to said first exchange through a public switched telephone network and to an auxiliary communications services mailbox for said called subscriber, a method for routing a call from said calling subscriber to said auxiliary communications services mailbox of said called subscriber comprising the steps of:

receiving said call at said first exchange;

routing said call to said second exchange;

directing said call to said called subscriber;

detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber;

sending from said second exchange to said first exchange a request to transfer said call;

sending to said third exchange via said cellular radio network in response to said request to transfer a request for an auxiliary communications services number recognizable by said public switched telephone network;

sending an auxiliary communications services number from said third exchange to said first exchange; and

routing said call from said first exchange to the auxiliary communications services mailbox of the called subscriber connected to said third exchange via said public switched telephone network.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of routing said call to said second exchange includes the steps of:

sending to said second exchange a request for a roaming number;

allocating a roaming number to said called subscriber; and

sending said roaming number to said first exchange for use in routing said call to said second exchange.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber includes the steps of:

paging said called subscriber; and

detecting that said called subscriber does not respond to said paging.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber includes the steps of:

detecting that said called subscriber is busy.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of sending an auxiliary communications services number from said third exchange to said first exchange includes generating said auxiliary communications services number at said third exchange by accessing a telephone number assigned to said auxiliary communications services mailbox of said called subscriber.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of generating said auxiliary communications number at said third exchange includes the steps of:

selecting an idle telephone number from a list of telephone numbers;

allocating said telephone number to said request for an auxiliary communications service number; and

associating said telephone number with said called subscriber.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said auxiliary communications services is voice mail and said step of routing said call from said third exchange to the voice mailbox of said called subscriber includes the steps of:

identifying the called subscriber associated with said telephone number;

accessing the address of said voice mailbox of said called subscriber; and

routing the call from said third exchange to said voice mailbox indicated by said address.

8. In a cellular radio network including a first exchange connected to a calling subscriber, a second exchange connected to a called subscriber and a third exchange connected to said first exchange through a public switched telephone network and to an auxiliary communications services mailbox for said called subscriber, a system for routing a call from said calling subscriber to said auxiliary communications services mailbox of said called subscriber comprising:

means for receiving said call at said first exchange;

means for routing said call to said second exchange;

means for directing said call to said called subscriber;

means for detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber;

means for sending from said second exchange to said first exchange a request to transfer said call;

means for sending to said third exchange via said cellular radio network in response to said request to transfer a request for an auxiliary communications services number recognized by said public switched telephone network;

means for sending an auxiliary communications services number from said third exchange to said first exchange; and

means for routing said call from said first exchange to the auxiliary communications mailbox of the called subscriber connected to said third exchange via said public switched telephone network.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said means for routing said call to said second exchange includes:

means for sending to said second exchange a request for a roaming number;

means for allocating a roaming number to said called subscriber; and

means for sending said roaming number to said first exchange for use in routing said call to said second exchange.

10. A system according to claim 8 wherein said means for detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber includes:

means for paging said called subscriber; and

means for detecting that said called subscriber does not respond to said paging,

11. A system according to claim 8 wherein said means for detecting at said second exchange that said call cannot be completed to said called subscriber includes:

means for detecting that said called subscriber is busy.

12. A system according to claim 8 wherein said means for sending an auxiliary communications services number from said third exchange to said first exchange includes means for generating said auxiliary, communications services number at said third exchange by accessing a telephone number assigned to said auxiliary- communications services mailbox of said called subscriber.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein said means for generating said auxiliary communications services number at said third exchange includes:

means for selecting an idle telephone number from a list of telephone numbers;

means for allocating said idle telephone number to said request for an auxiliary communications services number; and

means for associating said idle telephone number with said called subscriber.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said auxiliary communications services is voice mail and the means for routing said call from said third exchange to the voice mailbox of said called subscriber includes:

means for identifying the called subscriber associated with said telephone number;

means for accessing the address of said voice mailbox of said called subscriber; and

means for routing the call from said third exchange to said voice mailbox indicated by said address.

15. A method for routing an incoming call intended for a mobile subscriber to an auxiliary communications services equipment in a cellular radio network comprising the steps of:

connecting said auxiliary communications services equipment to a selected exchange in said cellular radio network;

routing said incoming call to the nearest exchange in said cellular radio network;

locating the exchange currently serving said mobile subscriber;

routing the call from said nearest exchange to said serving exchange;

directing the call from said serving exchange to said mobile subscriber;

detecting that said incoming call cannot be completed to said mobile subscriber;

requesting a transfer of said incoming call from said serving exchange;

determining whether said mobile subscriber has auxiliary communications services;

requesting an auxiliary communications services number from said selected exchange;

routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange using said auxiliary communications services number; and

routing said incoming call from said selected exchange to said auxiliary communications services equipment.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of locating the exchange currently serving said mobile subscriber includes:

sending a location request to a home location register containing location and service information for said mobile subscriber;

reading the location of said mobile subscriber from the memory of said home location register;

sending a roaming number request to said serving exchange;

allocating to said roaming number request a roaming number provided by said serving exchange;

sending said roaming number from said serving exchange to said home location register; and

sending said roaming number from said home location register to said nearest exchange for use in routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said serving exchange.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein said step of requesting a transfer of said incoming call from said serving exchange includes the step of sending a transfer request from said serving exchange to said nearest exchange.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said step of determining whether said mobile subscriber has auxiliary communications services includes the steps of:

sending a service request from said nearest exchange to said home location register in response to said transfer request;

accessing the service profile of said mobile subscriber from the memory of said home location register in response to said service request; and

reading the location of said arbitrary exchange to which said auxiliary communications services equipment is connected from the memory of said home location register.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said step of requesting a telephone number from said arbitrary exchange includes the step of sending an auxiliary communications services number request from said home location register to said selected exchange.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein said step of routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange using said auxiliary communications services number includes the steps of:

generating said auxiliary communications services number at said selected exchange;

sending said auxiliary communications services number from said selected exchange to said home location register; and

sending said auxiliary, communications services number from said home location register to said nearest exchange for use in routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein said step of generating said auxiliary communications services number at said selected exchange includes the steps of:

selecting an idle telephone number from a list of telephone numbers;

allocating said idle telephone number to said auxiliary communications services number request; and

associating said auxiliary communications services number with said mobile subscriber.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein said auxiliary communications services is voice mail and said step of routing said incoming call from said selected exchange to voice mail equipment includes the steps of:

identifying said mobile subscriber associated with voice mail number;

accessing the address of the voice mailbox in said voice mail equipment assigned to said mobile subscriber; and

routing the call from said arbitrary exchange to said voice mailbox indicated by said address.

23. A system for routing an incoming call intended for a mobile subscriber to an auxiliary communications services equipment in a cellular radio network comprising:

means for connecting voice mail equipment to a selected exchange in said cellular radio network;

means for routing said incoming call to the nearest exchange in said cellular radio network;

means for locating the exchange currently serving said mobile subscriber;

means for routing the call from said nearest exchange to said serving exchange;

means for directing the call from said serving exchange to said mobile subscriber;

means for detecting that said incoming call cannot be completed to said mobile subscriber;

means for requesting a transfer of said incoming call from said serving exchange;

means for determining whether said mobile subscriber has voice mail service;

means for requesting an auxiliary communications services number from said selected exchange;

means for routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange using said auxiliary communications services number; and

means for routing said incoming call from said selected exchange to said auxiliary communications services equipment.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein said means for locating the exchange currently serving said mobile subscriber includes:

means for sensing a location request to a home location register containing location and service information for said mobile subscriber;

means for reading the location of said mobile subscriber from the memory of said home location register;

means for sending a roaming number request to said serving exchange;

means for allocating to said roaming number request a roaming number provided by said serving exchange;

means for sending said roaming number from said serving exchange to said home location register; and

means for sending said roaming number from said home location register to said nearest exchange for use in routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said serving exchange.

25. A system according to claim 23 wherein said means for requesting a transfer of said incoming call from said serving exchange includes means for sending a transfer request from said serving exchange to said nearest exchange.

26. A system according to claim 23 wherein said means for determining whether said mobile subscriber has auxiliary communications services includes:

means for sending a service request from said nearest exchange to said home location register in response to said transfer request;

means for accessing the service profile of said mobile subscriber from the memory of said home location register in response to said service request; and

means for reading the location of said selected exchange to which said auxiliary communications services equipment is connected from the memory of said home location register.

27. A system according to claim 23 wherein said means for requesting a telephone number from said selected exchange includes means for sending an auxiliary communications services number request from said home location register to said selected exchange.

28. A system according to claim 23 wherein said means for routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange using said auxiliary communications services number includes:

means for generating said auxiliary communications services number at said selected exchange;

means for sending said auxiliary communications services number from said selected exchange to said home location register; and

means for sending a voice mail number from said home location register to said nearest exchange for use in routing said incoming call from said nearest exchange to said selected exchange.

29. A system according to claim 28 wherein said means for generating said auxiliary communications services number at said selected exchange includes:

means for selecting an idle telephone number from a list of telephone numbers;

means for allocating said idle telephone number to said auxiliary communications number request; and

means for associating said auxiliary communications number with said mobile subscriber.

30. A system according to claim 23 wherein said auxiliary communications services is voice mail and said means for routing said incoming call from said selected exchange to voice mail equipment includes:

means for identifying said mobile subscriber associated with a voice mail number;

means for accessing the address of the voice mailbox in said voice mail equipment assigned to said mobile subscriber; and

means for routing the call from said selected exchange to said voice mailbox indicated by said address.