Methods and apparatus for accessing enhanced wireless services platforms via the public switched telephone network

• US 6,236,857 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zahnle, Jeffrey Arthur, Riley, Douglas Harvey, Gnesda, Nicholas John, Calabrese, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US09/107,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/414, 455/417, 455/422, 455/432, 455/406, 455/408, 455/426, 455/410, 455/418, 455/419, 455/409, 455/564, 455/405, 455/407, 455/435, 455/436, 379/111-112, 379/114-115, 379/121, 379/130, 379/131, 379/132, 379/143-144, 379/355, 379/366
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/67 Transmitting arrangements for sending billing related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/48 Sending information over a non-traffic network channel or another connection than the one actually used, e.g. signalling, D-channel, data and voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/06 using auxiliary connections for control or supervision , e.g. where the auxiliary connection is a signalling system number 7 link
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for providing enhanced wireless services such as interactive voice services to a serving mobile switching center which is originating a call for a mobile station that requires such services via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The serving mobile switching center has a trigger which causes it to respond to a call from the mobile station by sending a message according to the IS 41 protocols to the enhanced mobile switching center that provides the enhanced service. The enhanced mobile switching center responds to the message by associating the contents of the message with a temporary local dialing number (TLDN) and sending a message to the serving mobile switching center that contains the TLDN. The serving mobile switching center uses the TLDN to set up a call via the PSTN to the enhanced mobile switching center, which then uses the content of the message associated with the TLDN to establish which enhanced service is required. It calls the service node for the enhanced service and bridges the call from the serving mobile switching center to the service node. The call provides a voice channel for the enhanced service.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call which a first switching center makes for a station that has access to the first switching center, the method comprising the steps of:

in the first switching center, sending a first message containing a description of the call to a second switching center via a signaling channel that is independent of the public switched telephone network (PSTN);

in the second switching center, responding to the first message by associating the description with a first telephone number in the PSTN for the second switching center and sending a second message containing the telephone number to the first switching center via the signaling channel;

in the first switching center, using the first telephone number to make the call; and

in the second switching center, responding to the call by processing the call according to the description of the call associated with the first telephone number.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the call description includes a second telephone number in the PSTN for a destination of the call; and

in the step of processing the call, the second switching center uses the second telephone number to route the call to the destination via the PSTN.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the second switching center has access to an enhanced call processing service;

the call description specifies the enhanced call processing service; and

in the step of processing the call, the second switching center uses the enhanced call processing service to process the call.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the enhanced call processing service performs audio signal processing; and

the call provides a voice channel for the enhanced call processing service.

5. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the step of processing the call further comprises the step of receiving a result from the enhanced call processing service and sending a third message with the result via the signaling channel to the first switching center for use in processing the call.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein:

there is an indication associated with the station in the first switching center, the indication indicating that the call is to be processed by the second switching center; and

the step of sending the first message is performed in response to the indication.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 further comprising the steps performed in the first switching center of:

sending a fourth message via the signaling channel to obtain a description of the station;

responding to a fifth message containing the station description by using the station description to create the indication.

8. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein:

the messages conform to the IS-41 standard, the first message being an ORREQ message containing DIALEDDIGITS specifying the call processing,

the second message being an ORREQ message containing a TLDN belonging to the second switching center as the first telephone number,

the fourth message being a REGNOT message, and

the fifth message being a REGNOT message containing a trigger parameter as part of the station description; and

the step of using the station description to create the indication arms a trigger as specified in the trigger parameter.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the enhanced call processing service is accessible to the second switching center via a telephone network; and

the step of using the enhanced call processing service comprises the steps of making another call to the enhanced call processing service;

bridging the other call to the call while the enhanced call processing service is processing the call.

10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:

the messages conform to the IS-41 standard,

the first message being an ORREQ message containing DIALEDDIGITS specifying the call processing and

the second message being an ORREQ message containing a TLDN belonging to the second switching center as the first telephone number.

11. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:

the station is a mobile station.

12. A method employed in a first switching center of processing a call which the first switching center makes for a station that has access to the first switching center, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a first message containing a description of the call to a second switching center via a signaling channel that is independent of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the second switching center responding to the first message by associating the description with a first telephone number in the PSTN for the second switching center and sending a second message containing the telephone number to the first switching center via the signaling channel; and

responding to the second message by using the first telephone number to make the call, the second switching center responding to the call by processing the call according to the description of the call associated with the first telephone number.

13. The method set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the call description includes a second telephone number in the PSTN for a destination of the call; and

in processing the call, the second switching center uses the second telephone number to route the call to the destination via the PSTN.

14. The method set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the second switching center has access to an enhanced call processing service;

the call description specifies the enhanced call processing service; and

in processing the call, the second switching center uses the enhanced call processing service to process the call.

15. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

the enhanced call processing service performs audio signal processing; and

the call provides a voice channel for the enhanced call processing service.

16. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein in processing the call, the second switching center further receives a result from the enhanced call processing service and sends a third message with the result via the signaling channel to the first switching center;

and the method further comprises the step of using the third message to process the call.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein:

there is an indication associated with the station in the first switching center, the indication indicating that the call is to be processed by the second switching center; and

the step of sending the first message is performed in response to the indication.

18. The method set forth in claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

sending a fourth message via the signaling channel to obtain a description of the station; and

responding to a fifth message containing the station description by using the station description to create the indication.

19. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the messages conform to the IS-41 standard, the first message being an ORREQ message containing DIALEDDIGITS specifying the call processing,

the second message being an ORREQ message containing a TLDN belonging to the second switching center as the first telephone number,

the fourth message being a REGNOT message, and

the fifth message being a REGNOT message containing a trigger parameter as part of the station description; and

the step of using the station description to create the indication arms a trigger as specified in the trigger parameter.

20. The method set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the messages conform to the IS-41 standard,

the first message being an ORREQ message containing DIALEDDIGITS specifying the call processing and

the second message being an ORREQ message containing a TLDN belonging to the second switching center as the first telephone number.

21. The method set forth in claims 12 wherein:

the station is a mobile station.

22. A method of processing a call made by a first switching center for a station that has access to the first switching center, the method being employed in a second switching center and comprising the steps of:

responding to a first message, the first message being sent by the first switching center to the second switching center via a signaling channel that is independent of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and containing a description of the call, by associating the description with a first telephone number in the PSTN for the second switching center and sending a second message containing the telephone number to the first switching center via the signaling channel, the first switching center using the first telephone number to make the call; and

responding to the call by processing the call according to the description of the call associated with the first telephone number.

23. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein:

the call description includes a second telephone number in the PSTN for a destination of the call; and

the step of responding to the call includes the step of using the second telephone number to route the call to the destination via the PSTN.

24. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein:

the second switching center has access to an enhanced call processing service;

the call description specifies the enhanced call processing service; and

the step of responding to the call includes the step of using the enhanced call processing service to process the call.

25. The method set forth in claim 24 wherein:

the enhanced call processing service performs audio signal processing; and

the call provides a voice channel for the enhanced call processing service.

26. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a result from the enhanced call processing service and sending a third message with the result via the signaling channel to the first switching center for use in processing the call.

27. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein:

the enhanced call processing service is accessible to the second switching center via a telephone network; and

the step of using the enhanced call processing service comprises the steps of making another call to the enhanced call processing service; and

bridging the other call to the call while the enhanced call processing service is processing the call.