Personal phone number system

• US 5,920,815 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• 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): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Application Number:
  US08/841,373
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/414, 455/417, 455/422, 455/426, 455/445, 455/461, 455/552, 455/421, 455/561
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• 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 cordless telephone base station comprising:

(a) a connection to a line of a landline telephone system, the line having a directory number assigned thereto;

(b) a first radio telephone transceiver for direct coupling to the connection and arranged for operation on cordless telephone frequencies;

(c) a second radio telephone transceiver for coupling to a cellular telephone system and for requesting cellular call forwarding;

(d) means for recognizing an encoded number associated with a subscriber portable station indicative of compatibility with said cordless telephone base station; and

(e) means for correlating a cellular telephone number different from the encoded number with said subscriber portable station, the cellular call forwarding request indicating that calls to the cellular telephone number be forwarded to the directory number,

wherein the subscriber portable station comprises a cellular telephone transceiver for operations in a cellular mode and a cordless telephone transceiver for operations in a cordless mode, the subscriber portable station providing direct communication with the cellular telephone system in the cellular mode, the cellular mode being deactivated when the subscriber portable station comes within communication range of the cordless telephone base station.

2. A method for receiving incoming cellular telephone calls over a cordless telephone frequency, comprising the steps of:

detecting when a portable station having a cellular telephone transceiver and a cordless telephone transceiver is within communication range of an associated cordless telephone base station, the portable station having an assigned cellular telephone number, wherein the cordless telephone base station is coupled to a land line, the land line having a directory number different from an encoded number associated with the subscriber portable station indicative of compatibility with the cordless telephone base station, the cordless telephone base station comprising a base station cellular transceiver and a base station cordless transceiver, the portable station being capable of directly communicating with the cellular telephone network via the cellular telephone transceiver;

transmitting a cellular call forwarding request related to said portable station to a cellular telephone network when the portable station comes within range of the associated cordless telephone base station;

activating call forwarding at the cellular telephone network for incoming calls addressed to the portable station in response to the cellular call forwarding request;

forwarding an incoming call addressed to the cellular telephone number of the portable station from the cellular telephone network to the directory number of the cordless telephone base station over a landline telephone system;

transmitting the incoming call from the cordless telephone base station over the cordless telephone frequency; and

receiving the incoming call at the portable station on the cordless telephone frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, including the step of:

transmitting the cellular call forwarding request from the cordless base station to the cellular telephone network.

4. The method of claim 2, including the steps of:

instructing the portable station to send the cellular call forwarding request, and

transmitting the cellular call forwarding request from the portable station to the cellular telephone network in response to the instruction.

5. The method of claim 2, including the further steps of:

monitoring the availability of the landline telephone system, at the cordless telephone base station, and

if the landline telephone system becomes unavailable for a predetermined period of time, canceling the cellular call forwarding request to permit cellular operation with the portable station.

6. The method of claim 5, including the further step of:

retransmitting a request for cellular call forwarding from the cordless base station to the cellular telephone network when the landline telephone system becomes available again.

7. The method of claim 2, including the further step of:

increasing the cordless telephone frequency range of the portable station by using a detachable antenna.

8. The method of claim 2, including the further step of:

increasing the cordless telephone frequency range of the cordless telephone base station by placing its antenna on a roof of a building or close to one of the building windows.

9. The method of claim 2, including the further step of:

generating an audible tone when the portable station reaches the limit of cordless base station coverage.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving the incoming call includes:

receiving cellular phone calls on the cordless frequency while the portable station is within communication range of the cordless telephone base station only during specified periods of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

said specified periods of time are days of a month or times of a day.

12. The method of claim 2, including the further step of:

providing a distinctive ringing tone for a forwarded call from the cellular telephone network.

13. The method of claim 2, including the further steps of:

overriding cordless frequency operation while the portable station is within range of the cordless telephone base station by selectively deactivating call forwarding; and

defaulting to cellular operation.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving the incoming cellular call comprises the steps of:

programming default actions for the incoming cellular call addressed to the portable station into the portable station;

entering a pass word for overriding the default actions of the portable station; and

selectively receiving the incoming cellular call addressed to the portable station over cellular or cordless frequencies while the portable station is within cordless frequency range of the cordless telephone base station.