Cellular-fixed call completion and call transfer service from a cellular network provider

• US 6,216,005 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Prathima, Ramanathan, Parameswaran
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US09/223,290
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/433, 455/435, 455/445, 455/461, 455/462, 455/465, 455/554, 455/555, 455/564, 455/408, 455/432, 455/406, 379/114, 379/115, 379/211, 379/212, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A cellular-fixed call transfer service is effected by introducing a Fixed-Cellular Mobility Agent (FCMA) into the cellular network, the FCMA having the functionality of a PSTN central office/CN mobile switching center for interconnecting incoming calls to the MSC as outgoing calls to the CN or the PSTN and which, in addition, monitors each call connection to carry out call transfers between the CN and the PSTN.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party utilizing the functionality of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N_f for accessing the called party through the serving CO, the method comprising the steps of

assigning another PSTN telephone number N_fc to the called party for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving MSC, and associating the N_f with the N_fc,

when the calling party initiates an incoming call to the called party using the N_fc, directing the incoming call to the MSC,

initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N_f associated with the N_fc, and

when the called party answers the outgoing call, switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path.

2. The method recited in claim 1 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

3. The method recited in claim 1 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

alerting the MSC of the call transfer request,

obtaining a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party,

initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to the N_c,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

4. A method for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party utilizing the functionality of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, the method comprising the steps of

assigning a first PSTN telephone number N_f to the called party for accessing the called party through the serving CO,

assigning a second PSTN telephone number N_fc to the called party for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving MSC,

associating the N_f with the N_fc in a cross-reference table in the MSC,

when the calling party initiates an incoming call to the called party using the N_fc, directing the incoming call to the MSC,

identifying the incoming call from the N_fc,

obtaining the N_f associated with the N_fc from the table, initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N_f, and

when the called party answers the outgoing call, switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path.

5. The method recited in claim 4 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

6. The method recited in claim 4 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

alerting the MSC of the call transfer request,

obtaining a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party,

initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to the N_c,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

7. A method for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party utilizing the functionality of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N_for accessing the called party through the serving CO, the method comprising the steps of

configuring a fixed-cellular mobility agent (FCMA) having the functionality of a CO, and coupling the FCMA to the MSC,

assigning another PSTN telephone number N_fc to the called party for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the FCMA through the MSC, and associating the N_f with the N_fc,

when the calling party initiates an incoming call to the called party using the N_fc, directing the incoming call to the FCMA,

initiating an outgoing call from the FCMA to the called party using the N_f associated with the N_fc, and

when the called party answers the outgoing call, switching the FCMA to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path.

8. The method recited in claim 7 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

initiating by the FCMA an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

9. A method for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party utilizing the functionality of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, the method comprising the steps of

configuring a fixed-cellular mobility agent (FCMA) having the functionality of a CO, and coupling the FCMA to the MSC,

assigning a first PSTN telephone number N_f to the called party for accessing the called party through the serving CO,

assigning a second PSTN telephone number N_fc to the called party for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving FCMA,

associating the N_f with the N_fc in a cross-reference table in the FCMA,

when the calling party initiates an incoming call to the called party using the N_fc, directing the incoming call to the FCMA,

initiating an outgoing call from the FCMA through the MSC to the N_f associated with the N_fc in the table, and

when the calling party answers the FCMA-initiated outgoing call, establishing the call path from the called party to the calling party, the call path including a switched path through the FCMA.

10. The method recited in claim 9 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the FCMA and a second connection between the called party and the FCMA, the method further including the steps of

monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

alerting the FCMA of the call transfer request,

obtaining a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party,

initiating by the FCMA an outgoing call to the N_c,

whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone, and

bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

11. In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N_for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N_for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising

a table stored in the MSC for associating the N_f with the N_fc,

processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N_fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC,

a call initiator, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N_f associated with the N_fc, and

a switch, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

12. In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N_f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N_fc for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising

a table stored in the MSC for associating the N_f with the N_fc,

means, responsive to an incoming call to the N_fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC,

means, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N_f associated with the N_fc, and

means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

13. In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N_f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N_fc for directing each call to the called party via the N_fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising

a fixed-cellular mobility agent (FCMA) having the functionality of a CO and being coupled to the MSC, the FCMA including a stored table for associating the N_f with the N_fc,

processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N_fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the FCMA,

the FCMA further including

a call initiator, responsive to the processing means, for initiating an outgoing call from the FCMA via the MSC to the called party using the N_f associated with the N_fc, and

switching means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the FCMA to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the FCMA and a second connection between the called party and the FCMA wherein

the FCMA includes a monitor, coupled to the second call connection, for monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party,

the call initiator includes an outgoing call initiator for initiating an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N_c assigned to the called party in response to the call transfer request, and

the switch further including a call connector for establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N_c is answered, a call bridge for bridging the first call connection and the third call connection, and a call terminator for terminating the second call connection.