Method and system for autoreconnect of wireless calls

• US 6,032,040 A
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gundanna, Veda, Choy, Vincent H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/788,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/414, 455/416, 455/417, 455/422, 455/432, 455/436, 455/458, 455/459, 455/460, 455/560, 455/564, 455/31.3, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/67.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for automatically reconnecting wireless call(s) to a wireless terminal user when a communications link carrying the call is disconnected. In one illustrative embodiment, the wireless communications system maintains and updates call information associated with the wireless terminal when the communications link between the wireless communications system and the wireless terminal is disconnected. The present invention then automatically determines whether the wireless terminal is available for communications in the wireless communications system. If the wireless terminal is available, then the wireless communications system reestablishes communications between the wireless terminal and all other parties on all calls, and restores the updated call information associated with all calls at the wireless terminal.

Claims

1. A method for automatic reconnection of a communications link between a wireless terminal and a communications network with which said wireless terminal is in communication, responsive to a loss of said communication link, the method comprising the

during an interval beginning with an initial establishment of said communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network, for placing a call to a destination terminal served by said communications network, and ending with the establishment of a connection with said destination terminal via said communications link, detecting said loss of communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network;

preserving call information associated with the wireless terminal, wherein said call information includes call-associated indicators;

reestablishing said communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network; and

restoring said call information associated with said wireless terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of updating said call information associated with the wireless terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preserving further includes the step of releasing system and wireless resources associated with the wireless terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reestablishing further includes the step of determining automatically whether the wireless terminal is available for communications in the wireless communications system.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of determining includes the step of initiating location registration by the wireless terminal.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of determining includes the step of sending a page to determine whether the wireless terminal is available for communications in the wireless communications system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of restoring includes the steps of:

sending a reconnect indication to the wireless terminal; and

,

updating at least one call-associated indicator on the wireless terminal, wherein each said indicator conveys given information to the user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said reconnect indication is selected form the group consisting of a ring, tone, vibration and display.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of restoring further includes the steps of:

reconnecting said call between said user and at least one destination user; and

transmitting a reconnect indication to said destination user.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein when said at least one call is an active call, said step of restoring includes the step of reinstating a path, wherein said path is selected from the group of a voice path and a data path.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein when said at least one call is one selected from the group consisting of a on hold call, a ringing call, dialing a call, and a destination ringing call, said step of restoring includes the step of reoffering said call to the user.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of dropping the call within a set duration unless the call is reconnected.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call is disconnected from a first base station and said call is autoreconnected using a second base station.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said first base station and said second base station are the same.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said first base station and said second base station are different, said second base station being located anywhere in said system.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of restoring further includes the step of determining whether said call needs to be reconnected.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication link is characterized by a calling state and said loss of communication link occurs during a calling state selected from the group consisting of dialing, hearing ring back, and ringing calling states.

17. A wireless communication system comprising:

a processor operable to automatically reconnect a wireless terminal and a communications network served by said wireless communications system after detecting a loss of a communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network, said loss occurring during an interval beginning with an initial establishment of said communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network, for placing a call to a destination terminal served by said communications network, and ending with the establishing of a connection with said destination terminal via said communications link; and

a storage medium for maintaining call information associated with said wireless terminal when said communications link is disconnected, wherein said call information includes call-associated indicators.

18. A wireless communication system as in claim 17, wherein said processor includes:

means for preserving said call information associated with said wireless terminal in said storage medium;

means for reestablishing a communications link between said wireless terminal and the wireless communications system if said wireless terminal is available to the wireless communications system; and

means for restoring said call information associated with said wireless terminal.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes means for updating said call information associated with said wireless terminal.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes means for releasing system and wireless resources associated with said wireless terminal.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes:

means for restoring a path when said at least one call is an active call, said path being selected from the group of a voice path and a data path; and

,

means for reoffering a call to said user when said at least one call is one selected from the group consisting of a on hold call, a ringing call, dialing a call and a destination ringing call.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes:

means for determining automatically whether said wireless terminal is available for communications in the wireless communications system;

means for sending a reconnect indication to said wireless terminal; and

,

means for reestablishing at least one call-associated indicator on said wireless terminal,

wherein each said indicator conveys given information to said user.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor is operable to drop the call within a set duration unless said call is reconnected.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor includes:

means for reconnecting said call between said user and at least one destination user; and

means for transmitting a reconnect indication to said destination user.

25. The system according to claim 17, wherein said call is disconnected from a first base station and said call is autoreconnected with a second base station.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said first base station and said second base station are the same.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said first base station and said second base station are different, said second base station being located anywhere in said system.

28. The system according to claim 17, wherein said processor is operable to determine whether said call needs to be reconnected.

29. An apparatus for reconnecting a wireless terminal in a wireless communications system, said apparatus comprising:

a storage medium for retaining call information associated with said wireless terminal, wherein said call information includes call-associated indicators;

a processor being operable to automatically preserve said call information associated with said wireless terminal on said storage medium;

said processor being further operable to detect a loss of a communications link between said wireless terminal and a communications network served by said wireless communications system, said loss occurring during an interval beginning with an initial establishment of said communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network, for placing a call to a destination terminal served by said communications network, and ending with the establishment of a connection with said destination terminal via said communications link;

said processor being operable to automatically reestablish said communications link between said wireless terminal and said communications network; and

said processor being operable to automatically restore said call information associated with said wireless terminal from said storage medium to said wireless terminal.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said processor is further operable to update said call information associated with said wireless terminal.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said processor is further operable to release system and wireless resources associated with said wireless terminal.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein:

said processor is operable to restore a path when said at least one call is an active call, said path being selected from the group of a voice path and a data path; and

said processor is operable to reoffer a call to said user when said at least one call is one selected from the group consisting of a on hold call, a ringing call, dialing a call and a destination ringing call.

33. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said processor is operable to reconnect said call between said user and at least one destination user, and further operable to transmit a reconnect indication to said destination user.

34. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said call is disconnected from a first base station and said call is autoreconnected with a second base station.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said first base station and said second base station are the same.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said first base station and said second base station are different, said second base station being located anywhere in said system.

37. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said processor is operable to determine whether said call needs to be reconnected.

38. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said processor is operable to send a reconnect indication to said wireless terminal.