Multiple communication system, exchange, and terminal device

• US 6,188,902 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoshiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMOS FELICIANO, ELISEO
• Application Number:
  US09/392,453
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/427, 455/428, 455/461, 455/422, 455/445, 455/560, 455/575, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2687 Inter base stations synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A multiple communication system is comprised of a plurality of communication networks including mobile communication networks. The plurality of communication networks are connected to each other by exchanges. Terminal devices including mobile terminal devices belong to respective communication networks and can communicate with each other via the exchange in the communication network in which the terminal device is accommodated. When a call is originated, the terminal device sends a designated call incoming code for specifying a destination mobile communication network for connection. The exchange connects to the mobile communication network corresponding to the designated incoming call code received from the terminal device.

Claims

1. A multiple network communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile communication networks and at least one terrestrial communication network, each of the plurality of communication networks being connected to each other via exchanges; and

a plurality of terminal devices, including at least a plurality of mobile terminal devices each belonging to a respective one of said plurality of mobile communication networks, and at least one terrestrial communication device belonging to said terrestrial communication network;

each of said plurality of terminal devices being capable of communicating with another terminal device via said exchanges,

wherein said mobile terminal devices are capable of moving from an area corresponding to the mobile communication network to which said mobile terminal devices belong to an area served by another one of said mobile communication networks;

wherein

upon originating a call to a mobile terminal device, a terminal device originating said call sends to its associated exchange, in addition to a destination telephone number of said called mobile terminal device, a designated call incoming code specifying a destination mobile communication network on which to attempt to connect to said called mobile terminal device; and

said associated exchange sends the destination telephone number to the destination mobile communication network designated by said call incoming code to connect said called mobile terminal device with the call originating terminal device via said destination mobile communication network.

2. The multiple network communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communication networks includes satellite communication networks and cellular communication networks.

3. The multiple network communication system according to claim 1, wherein the exchange in the communication network accommodating a call origination terminal device reconnects to a home communication network to which a call destination mobile terminal device originally belongs, when the call destination mobile terminal device is not found to be accommodated in the mobile communication network corresponding to the designated call incoming code.

4. The multiple network communication system according to claim 3, wherein, when the home communication network to which the call destination mobile terminal device originally belongs is a satellite communication network, the exchange in the communication network accommodating the call origination terminal device confirms with the call origination terminal device as to whether to connect to the satellite communication network.

5. An exchange for use in a multiple communication network system comprised of a plurality of communication networks including mobile communication networks, each of the plurality of communication networks being connected via exchanges;

terminal devices, including mobile terminal devices, belonging to respective ones of the plurality of communication networks being capable of communicating with each other via the exchange in the communication network accommodating the terminal device, wherein said accommodating exchange connects to the mobile communication network specified by a designated call incoming code received from an accommodated terminal device, in addition to a destination telephone number corresponding to a mobile terminal device received from said accommodated terminal device, and sends said destination telephone number to the mobile communication network specified by said designated call incoming code.

6. The exchange according to claim 5, when in said exchange sends a message to a call origination terminal device when a call destination terminal device is not accommodated in the mobile communication network corresponding to the designated call incoming code, said message prompting confirmation as to whether a reconnection is to be made to a home communication network to which the call destination terminal device originally belongs.

7. A terminal device for use in a multiple communication network system comprised of a plurality of communication networks including mobile communication networks, each of the plurality of communication networks being connected via exchanges;

terminal devices, including mobile terminal devices, belonging to respective ones of the plurality of communication networks being capable of communicating with each other via the exchange in the communication network accommodating the terminal device, wherein said terminal device enables a key input of a designated call incoming code specifying a destination mobile communication network for connection, when a call is issued to a destination mobile terminal device, in addition to a key input of a destination telephone number corresponding to said destination mobile terminal device, and terminal device sends said designated call incoming code and said destination telephone number to its associated exchange, which sends the destination telephone number to the mobile communication network specified by said designated call incoming code.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said terminal device outputs a message in the form of a display or voice when a call destination terminal device is not accommodated in the mobile communication network corresponding to the designated call incoming code, said message being sent from an exchange and prompting confirmation as to whether a reconnection is to be made to a home communication network to which the call destination terminal device originally belongs.