Personal phone number system

• US 5,673,308 A
• Filed: 10/12/1994
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Akhavan, Hamid
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/321,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/61, 379/63, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/54.1, 455/56.1
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A Personal Communication System (PCS) is operated using a Personal Phone Number (PPN) associated with each portable subscriber station within the system. Each portable subscriber station has an associated "home" cordless telephone base station associated therewith. When a particular portable subscriber station is within a range of its home base station, that base station controls the transmission of a cellular call forwarding request to a cellular telephone system servicing that area. The cellular telephone function of the portable subscriber station is deactivated, and all incoming calls addressed to that particular PPN are routed over a telephone landline connected to the associated cordless telephone base station servicing the portable subscriber station. Upon leaving the range of communication of the associated cordless telephone base station, the portable subscriber station reactivates its own cellular telephone function so that communication can be carried out with the cellular telephone system servicing that area.

Claims

1. A Personal Communication System (PCS) comprising:

a cellular telephone network having cellular call forwarding capabilities to a landline telephone communication network;

a base station connected to the landline telephone communication network, said base station including,

a transceiver for communicating with a portable subscriber station over cordless telephone frequencies,

a means for detecting when a selected portable station is within range of said transceiver, and

a means for requesting activation of the cellular call forwarding by the cellular telephone network when the selected portable station comes within range of said transceiver;

at least one portable subscriber station having a personal phone number (PPN), said portable subscriber station including,

a first transceiver for communicating with said base station over cordless telephone frequencies, and

a second transceiver for communicating with said cellular telephone network;

wherein, when the subscriber station comes within range of the base station transceiver operating at cordless frequencies, the base station initiates a wireless transmission causing a cellular call forwarding message to be transmitted over a cellular signaling channel to activate call forwarding of incoming calls for the PPN via a landline to the base station.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said operation of cellular call forwarding directs communication to said PPN over a landline connected to said cordless base station.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said cordless base station further comprises means for establishing communication with a pre-selected subscriber portable station having a PPN.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said means for establishing communication comprise means for recognizing a coded identification of said subscriber portable station.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for establishing communication further comprise means for recognizing a PPN assigned to said portable subscriber station.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said cordless base station further comprises means for deactivating cellular transceiver operation in a subscriber portable station having established communication with said cordless base station.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said deactivation of said cellular transceiver is carried out in response to recognizing a PPN associated with said subscriber portable station.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for cancelling said cellular call forwarding operation when said subscriber portable station is out of range of communication of said cordless base station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for cancelling is arranged in said subscriber portable station.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein said cordless base station comprises means for establishing communication with more than one subscriber portable station.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said base station comprises means for recognizing a different PPN for each subscriber portable station in communication with said cordless base station.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said cordless base station comprises means for requesting cellular call forwarding for more than one PPN.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said cordless base station instructs said subscriber portable station to request cellular call forwarding operation with respect to a PPN assigned to said subscriber portable station.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said cordless base station further comprises means for assigning priority to said subscriber portable stations in communication with said cordless base station.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein a first priority assigned to a first subscriber portable station pre-empts communication between said cordless base station and said landline telephone system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a second subscriber portable station in communication with said cordless base station, having a lower priority defaults to cellular communication when said first subscriber portable station is communicating over said landline through said cordless base station.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) associated with said cellular telephone network and storing the indicated location of the subscriber station.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said cellular telephone network comprises a home location register storing the indicated location of the subscriber station.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said cellular telephone network further comprises a visitor location register.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) associated with an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and forwarding said activation request to the cellular telephone network via said landline telephone network.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein said PPN is a cellular number associated with a respective subscriber portable station.

2. A Personal Communication System (PCS), comprising:

a cellular telephone network having cellular call forwarding capabilities to a landline telephone communication network;

a base station connected to the landline telephone communication network, said base station including,

a transceiver for communicating with a portable subscriber station over cordless telephone frequencies,

a means for detecting when a selected portable station is within range of said transceiver, and

a means for requesting activation of the cellular call forwarding by the cellular telephone network when the selected portable station comes within range of said transceiver;

at least one portable subscriber station having a personal phone number/PPN), said portable subscriber station including,

a first transceiver for communicating with said base station over cordless telephone frequencies, and

a second transceiver for communicating with said cellular telephone network;

wherein, when the subscriber station comes within range of the base station transceiver operating at cordless frequencies, the base station initiates a wireless transmission causing a cellular call forwarding message to be transmitted over a cellular signaling channel to activate call forwarding of incoming calls for the PPN via a landline to the base station, and

wherein said base station further comprises a cellular transceiver arranged to communicate over cellular telephone frequencies.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said cellular transceiver of the cordless base station communicates only on cellular control frequencies.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said cordless base station communicates on at least one of cellular control frequencies and cellular voice frequencies.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said cordless base station comprises means for carrying out cellular voice operation for communication to a subscriber portable station over cordless telephone frequencies.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for carrying out cellular voice operation comprise a vocoder.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein said cordless base station further comprises bridging means for conducting three-way communication.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein communication is carried out between a subscriber portable station in communication with said cordless base station over cordless telephone frequencies, a second party in communication with said cordless base station over said landline telephone system, and a third party in communication with said cordless base station over cellular voice frequencies.

29. A cordless telephone base station comprising:

a first transceiver for operation over cordless telephone frequencies with a portable subscriber station having a personal phone number (PPN);

a second transceiver for operation over cellular telephone frequencies with a cellular telephone system; and

a connection to a landline telephone system;

wherein, when the subscriber station comes within range of the base station transceiver operating at cordless frequencies, the base station initiates a wireless transmission causing a cellular call forwarding message to be transmitted over a cellular signaling channel to activate call forwarding of incoming calls for the PPN via a landline to the base station.

30. The cordless telephone base station of claim 29, wherein the second transceiver outputs a cellular call forwarding request for said cordless telephone in response to communication between the first transceiver and the cordless telephone.

31. The cordless telephone base station of claim 30, wherein the second transceiver outputs the cellular call forwarding request to the cordless telephone.

32. The cordless telephone base station of claim 30, wherein the second transceiver outputs the cellular call forwarding request to the cellular base station.

33. The cordless telephone base station of claim 30, wherein the second transceiver outputs the cellular call forwarding cancellation request to reactivate communication between the second transceiver and the cordless telephone.

34. The cordless telephone base station of claim 33, wherein the second transceiver outputs the cellular call forwarding cancellation request in response to a detected unavailability of the landline telephone system.

35. The cordless telephone base station of claim 33, wherein the second transceiver outputs the cellular call forwarding cancellation request in response to a detected inability of the first transceiver to communicate with the cordless telephone.

36. A hand-set for use in a Personal Communication System (PCS) having at least one cellular base station and at least one cordless telephone base station, said hand-set comprising:

(a) a memory arranged to store a Personal Phone Number (PPN) associated with said hand-set, said memory also arranged to store a recognition code used to authorize communication between said hand-set and an associated cordless telephone base station;

(b) a cellular transceiver;

(c) a cordless transceiver; and

(d) means for cancelling a cellular call forwarding request previously applied to said PPN, wherein said PPN is a cellular telephone number;

said hand-set further comprising, a means for deactivating said cellular transceiver in response to an instruction from said cordless telephone base station when said hand-set is within communication range of an associated cordless telephone base station.

37. The hand-set of claim 36, further comprising means for detecting cordless telephone base station paging signals.

38. A Personal Communication System (PCS) having at least one cellular base station for communicating with a cellular telephone system, said PCS comprising:

at least one portable station containing a cellular transceiver and a cordless telephone transceiver; and

a cordless telephone base station connected to a landline telephone network,

the cordless telephone base station sending a wireless transmission request to said portable station for deactivating said cellular transceiver in said portable station terminal in response to establishment of a communication link between the cordless telephone base station and the cordless telephone transceiver.

39. The PCS of claim 38, further comprising means for reactivating said cellular transceiver if the one portable station is not within range of the cordless telephone base station.

40. A method of operating a Personal Communication System (PCS) having at least one cellular telephone base station connected to a cellular telephone system, at least one cordless telephone base station connected to a landline telephone network and at least one subscriber portable station, said method comprising steps of:

(a) detecting when a portable station is within communication range of an associated cordless telephone base station;

(b) sending a cellular call forwarding request upon detecting that a portable station is within range of an associated cordless telephone base station; and

(c) deactivating a cellular transceiver within said portable station in response to an instruction from said cordless telephone base station while said portable station is within communication range of said associated cordless telephone base station.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of reactivating said cellular telephone transceiver in said portable station when said portable station is outside of communication range of said associated cordless telephone base station.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of sending a Personal Phone Number (PPN) associated with said portable station and an identification of said associated cordless telephone base station to said cellular telephone system.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of completing calls directed to said PPN via a landline telephone interface with said associated cordless telephone base station while said portable station is in communication with said associated cordless telephone base station.