Method for accomplishing a mobile telecommunications connection using abbreviated dialing

• US 5,758,286 A
• Filed: 02/26/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telecom Finland OY
• Inventors: Leppanen, Osmo
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/602,803
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 370/85.13, 455/403, 455/405, 455/406, 455/408, 455/461
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method for placing a call from a first mobile station to a second mobile station using predetermined abbreviated dialing. An A-subscriber dials a short number at the first mobile station which is received by a mobile telephone exhange. The short number is compared to a group of short numbers each having an associated public telephone number corresponding to a unique second mobile station. If a match is found, the associated public telephone number is dialed and a coomunication path is established between the first and the second mobile stations. A billing record of this communication path is recorded at the mobile telephone exchange. Furthermore, the communication between the first and the second mobile stations may be marked as a transferred call to prevent further call transfers.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communications path originating from an A-subscriber connection at a first mobile station of a first mobile communication network to a B-subscriber connection of one of the first mobile communication network, a second mobile communication network and a telecommunication network, the first mobile communication network comprising a plurality of mobile stations each associated with one of a plurality of A-subscribers, a base station having a limited coverage area and with which said plural mobile stations connect for communicating with one of a plurality of B-subscribers, and a mobile phone exchange to which the base station is connected for switching connections within the first mobile communication network and between the first mobile communication network and the second mobile communication network and telecommunication network, said method comprising the steps of:

prestoring at the mobile phone exchange a table identifying, for each of a plurality of public telecommunication network numbers each delineating a sequence of alphanumeric digits normally dialed by a communication-originating A-subscriber and used by the mobile phone exchange for directing a telecommunication connection to a particular one of the plural B-subscribers, a corresponding short number comprising a prefix number common to the plural A-subscribers and an A-subscriber-dependent selected abbreviated number for identifying the corresponding public telecommunication network number associated with a particular one of the plural B-subscribers;

entering, at the A-subscriber connection at a first mobile station, a short number for initiating establishment of a communications path from the A-subscriber connection to a selected B-subscriber connection;

receiving at the mobile phone exchange the short number entered at the A-subscriber connection;

analyzing at the mobile phone exchange the received short number entered at the A-subscriber connection to identify the A-subscriber from whom the received short number was received and to verify the identified A-subscriber'"'"'s right to use short number service;

comparing the received short number to the plural short numbers prestored in the table at the mobile phone exchange to identify the corresponding public telecommunication network number associated with a particular one of the plural B-subscribers; and

using the identified corresponding public telecommunication network number at the mobile phone exchange to establish a communication path from the A-subscriber connection at which the received short number was entered to the particular B-subscriber connection associated with the corresponding public telecommunication network number.

2. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of recording, at the mobile phone exchange, a billing record associated with said receipt of the A-subscriber entered short number and in which the B-subscriber connection is identified by the short number entered by the A-subscriber.

3. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying, at the mobile phone exchange, the established communication path as a transferred call to thus prevent further call transfer thereof.

4. In a method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the mobile phone exchange comprises a mobile phone center of an intelligent network and is associated and communicates with an intelligent network center having an intercommunicating upper level control part and lower level switching part,

further comprising the step of recording, at the mobile phone center, a billing record associated with said receipt of the A-subscriber entered short number and in which the B-subscriber connection is identified by the short number entered by the A-subscriber,

wherein said analyzing step further comprises changing the received short number to a modified dialing comprising a service key,

further comprising the steps of:

communicating the service key and an identification of the A-subscriber from whom the received short number was received from the mobile phone center to the intelligent network center, and

using at the intelligent network center the transmitted A-subscriber identification to verify the A-subscriber'"'"'s right to use short number service, and

wherein said using step further comprises preventing establishment of a communication path from the A-subscriber connection to a B-subscriber connection and directing to the A-subscriber a busy tone where at least one of the A-subscriber is determined to not have the right to use short number service, the A-subscriber entered short number is not found in the table of prestored short numbers, and the A-subscriber entered short number exceeds a largest prestored short number in the table of prestored short numbers.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising the step of recording at the intelligent network center, in association with said verifying at the intelligent network center of the A-subscriber'"'"'s right to use short number service, a redundant billing record in which the B-subscriber connection is identified by the short number entered by the A-subscriber.

6. A method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising the step of recording at the intelligent network center, in association with said verifying at the intelligent network center of the A-subscriber'"'"'s right to use short number service, a redundant billing record in which the B-subscriber connection is identified by the public telecommunication network number corresponding to the short number entered by the A-subscriber.

7. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein said communications between the mobile phone center and the intelligent network center are carried out through one of a public telecommunication network, a closed dedicated network, a permanent connection, and a direct channel.

8. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the lower level switching part comprises an integral part of the mobile phone center and communicates with the intelligent network center through one of a public telecommunication network, a closed dedicated network, a permanent connection, and a direct channel.