Telecommunication switching system having transparent wireless features

• US 5,598,458 A
• Filed: 01/11/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Prakash, Vijai, Griffith, Gary L., Bales, Bruce M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): OEHLING, GEORGE J
• Application Number:
  US08/371,652
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/63, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/230, 379/205, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 370/110.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A software application program terminating a directory number for all incoming calls directed to the directory number and determining the operations that should be performed with respect to a mobile unit and a telephone station set. The software application program then directs the incoming calls to the mobile unit and telephone station set regardless of where these units are connected to a telecommunication system. An outgoing call from the mobile unit or telephone station set is switched to the software application program which then switches the outgoing call to the destination telephone station set as if the outgoing call had originated at the location of the software application program. Also, the originating directory number used in placing the outgoing call is the directory number associated with the software application program. Two dialing number plans are used: the directory number plan which consists of standard telephone numbers and a secondary dialing plan. The secondary dialing plan is utilized by the software application program to direct and receive calls from the mobile unit and the telephone station set.

Claims

1. A method for providing telephone service to wireless telephones and telephone station sets by a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning by the telecommunication switching system a directory number of a directory dialing plan to both a wireless telephone and a telephone station set, a secondary number of a secondary dialing plan to the wireless telephone, and another secondary number of the secondary dialing plan to the telephone station set;

routing by the telecommunication switching system incoming call information for an incoming call from a calling telephone for the directory number to both the wireless telephone using the secondary number and to the telephone station set using the other secondary number while the incoming call is active;

transmitting first control information by the wireless telephone in response to the routing of the incoming call information addressed to the directory number to the telecommunication switching system;

transmitting second control information to the telephone station set by the telecommunication switching system in response to the first control information;

transmitting third control information to a calling terminal originating the incoming call by the telecommunication switching system in response to the first control information;

executing a directory number management application on the telecommunication switching system to manage incoming calls;

identifying the wireless telephone to a first switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the secondary number;

identifying the telephone station set to the first switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the other secondary number; and

identifying the wireless telephone and telephone station set as being connected to the first switching node to the directory number management application by the directory number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the incoming call information is call setup information.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises the step of establishing a voice path between the calling telephone and the wireless telephone by the telecommunication switching system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of routing comprises the steps of accepting by the directory number management application the incoming call information;

communicating the incoming call information to the first switching node for the wireless telephone by the directory number management application using the secondary number; and

communicating the incoming call information to the first switching node for the telephone station set by the directory number management application using the other secondary number.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of transmitting the first control information comprises the step of routing the first control information to the directory number management application using the directory number.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises the step of communicating other incoming call information to the wireless telephone using the other secondary number and to the telephone station set using the secondary number.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of assigning further comprises the steps of disconnecting the wireless telephone from the first switching node;

re-identifying the wireless telephone to a second switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the secondary number; and

re-identifying the wireless telephone as being connected to the second switching node to the directory number management application by the directory number.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of routing further comprises the step of communicating the incoming call information to the second switching node for the wireless telephone by the directory number management application using the secondary number.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the directory number management application is executing on the first switching node and the step of transmitting the first control information comprises the step of routing the first control information to the directory number management application by the wireless telephone using the directory number to route from the second switching node.

10. A method for providing transparency of call features across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes for a wireless telephone connectable to any of the switching nodes and routing calls through the telecommunication switching system using a directory dialing plan and secondary dialing plan, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a directory number management application on a first one of the switching nodes;

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

connecting the wireless telephone on a second one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having a secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

receiving by the directory number management application a first incoming call from the wireless telephone; and

retransmitting the first incoming call as a first outgoing call identified as originating from the first one of the switching nodes and the directory number with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number.

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

re-connecting the wireless telephone on a third one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having the secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

receiving by the directory number management application a second incoming call from the wireless telephone; and

retransmitting the second incoming call as a second outgoing call identified as originating from the first one of the switching nodes and the directory number with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprises the steps of receiving a second incoming call from a telephone terminal by the directory number management application with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number;

originating a second outgoing call by the directory number management application to the wireless telephone using the secondary number for routing the second outgoing call to the second one of the switching nodes in response to the second incoming call; and

interconnecting the second incoming and second outgoing calls together by the directory number management application.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises the steps of disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second one of the switching nodes;

re-connecting the wireless telephone on a third one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having the secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

receiving a third incoming call from the telephone station set by the directory number management application with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number;

originating a third outgoing call by the directory number management application to the wireless telephone using the secondary number for routing the third outgoing call to the third one of the switching nodes in response to the third incoming call; and

interconnecting the third incoming and third outgoing calls together by the directory number management application.

14. An apparatus for providing telephone service to wireless telephones and telephone station sets by a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes, the apparatus comprising:

means for assigning by the telecommunication switching system a directory number of a directory dialing plan to both a wireless telephone and to a telephone station set, a secondary number of a secondary dialing plan to the wireless telephone, and another secondary number of the secondary dialing plan to the telephone station set;

means for routing by the telecommunication switching system incoming call information for an incoming call from a calling telephone for the directory number to the wireless telephone using the secondary number and to the telephone station set using the other secondary number while the incoming call is active;

means for transmitting first control information by the wireless telephone in response to the routing of the incoming call information addressed to the directory number to the telecommunication switching system;

means for transmitting second control information to the telephone station set by the telecommunication switching system in response to the first control information;

means for transmitting third control information to a calling terminal originating the incoming call by the telecommunication switching system in response to the first control information;

means for executing a directory number management application on the telecommunication switching system to manage incoming calls;

means for identifying the wireless telephone to a first switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the secondary number;

means for identifying the telephone station set to the first switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the other secondary number; and

means for identifying the wireless telephone and telephone station set as being connected to the first switching node to the directory number management application by the directory number.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the incoming call information is call setup information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprises means for establishing a voice path between the calling telephone and the wireless telephone by the telecommunication switching system.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for routing comprises means for accepting by the directory number management application the incoming call information;

means for communicating the incoming call information to the first switching node for the wireless telephone by the directory number management application using the secondary number; and

means for communicating the incoming call information to the first switching node for the telephone station set by the directory number management application using the other secondary number.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for transmitting the first control information comprises means for routing the first control information to the directory number management application using the directory number.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises means for communicating other incoming call information to the wireless telephone using the other secondary number and to the telephone station set using the secondary number.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for assigning further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the first switching node;

means for re-identifying the wireless telephone to a second switching node of the telecommunication switching system by the secondary number; and

means for re-identifying the wireless telephone as being connected to the second switching node to the directory number management application by the directory number.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the means for routing further comprises means for communicating the incoming call information to the second switching node for the wireless telephone by the directory number management application using the secondary number.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the directory number management application is executing on the first switching node and the means for transmitting the first control information comprises means for routing the first control information to the directory number management application by the wireless telephone using the directory number to route from the second switching node.

23. An apparatus for providing transparency of call features across a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switching nodes for a wireless telephone connectable to any of the switching nodes and routing calls through the telecommunication switching system using a directory dialing plan and secondary dialing plan, the apparatus comprising:

means for executing a directory number management application on a first one of the switching nodes;

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

means for connecting the wireless telephone on a second one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having a secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

means for identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

means for receiving by the directory number management application a first incoming call from the wireless telephone; and

means for retransmitting the first incoming call as a first outgoing call identified as originating from the first one of the switching nodes and the directory number with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second one of the switching nodes;

means for re-connecting the wireless telephone on a third one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having the secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

means for identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

means for receiving by the directory number management application a second incoming call from the wireless telephone; and

means for retransmitting the second incoming call as a second outgoing call identified as originating from the first one of the switching nodes and the directory number with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprises means for receiving a second incoming call from a telephone terminal by the directory number management application with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number;

means for originating a second outgoing call by the directory number management application to the wireless telephone using the secondary number for routing the second outgoing call to the second one of the switching nodes in response to the second incoming call; and

means for interconnecting the second incoming and second outgoing calls together by the directory number management application.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprises means for disconnecting the wireless telephone from the second one of the switching nodes;

means for re-connecting the wireless telephone on a third one of the switching nodes and identifying the wireless telephone as having the secondary number from the secondary dialing plan;

means for identifying the wireless telephone to the directory number management application as using the directory number and the secondary number;

means for receiving a third incoming call from the telephone station set by the directory number management application with location sensitive features assuming the location of the first one of the switching nodes and directory number sensitive features assuming the directory number;

means for originating a third outgoing call by the directory number management application to the wireless telephone using the secondary number for routing the third outgoing call to the third one of the switching nodes in response to the third incoming call; and

means for interconnecting the third incoming and third outgoing calls together by the directory number management application.