System and method for connecting a call to a mobile subscriber connected to the Internet

• US 6,519,252 B2
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Sallberg, Krister
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US09/002,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/355, 370/356, 370/493, 370/522, 370/346, 370/349, 370/354, 370/358, 370/328, 379/215, 379/93.35, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/210-212, 379/93.15, 379/308, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.09, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/156 On-line status dependent routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for providing interoperability between a cellular system'"'"'s direct access to the Internet and the telephony service provided by the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), in order to allow a mobile subscriber to receive calls from the PSTN while engaged in data communication, for example, over the Internet. When a Mobile Station (MS) has an active connection to a server or router running Internet Protocol, an incoming PSTN call can be forwarded to a voice gateway within the serving Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR), which transforms the call to an Internet phone call. During the direct access connection to the Internet, the MS can signal specific information, using, e.g., a prefix, to activate the call forwarding to voice gateway feature.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for connecting an incoming voice call to a mobile terminal in wireless communication with a mobile switching center within a cellular network, said telecommunications system comprising:

a data network connected to said cellular network via said mobile switching center, said mobile terminal being involved in a data call connection with said data network via said mobile switching center;

a voice gateway within said mobile switching center, said voice call received at said mobile switching center during said data call connection being forwarded to said voice gateway when said mobile terminal has activated a call forward feature associated therewith, said voice gateway transforming said voice call into an Internet call; and

an Internet router connected to said mobile switching center and said data network for said data call connection, said Internet call being connected from said voice gateway to said mobile terminal via said Internet router.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said Internet call is connected between said mobile terminal and a calling subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein said calling subscriber receives a busy signal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said voice call is forwarded to said voice gateway when said mobile terminal sends a service code to said mobile switching center, said service code activating said call forward feature.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein parameters associated with said call forward feature are obtained by a visitor location register connected to said mobile switching center from a home location register connected to said visitor location register when said mobile terminal enters a location area served by said mobile switching center, said call forward feature being activated when said mobile terminal initiates said data call connection.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said Internet router is a direct access unit within said mobile switching center.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein said Internet call is connected to said mobile terminal from said voice gateway via said direct access unit and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said Internet router is an Internet Service Provider connected to said mobile switching center.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein said Internet call is connected to said mobile terminal from said voice gateway via said Internet Service Provider and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when bandwidth requirements associated with said Internet call cannot be met by said mobile switching center.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal rejects said Internet call.

13. A method for connecting an incoming voice call to a mobile terminal in wireless communication with a mobile switching center within a cellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a data call connection between said mobile terminal and a data network, said data network being connected to said cellular network via an Internet router connected to said mobile switching center;

activating, by said mobile switching center, a call forward feature associated with said mobile terminal in response to said step of initiating;

receiving, by said mobile switching center, said voice call during said data call connection;

forwarding, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice gateway within said mobile switching center;

transforming, by said voice gateway, said voice call into an Internet call; and

connecting said Internet call from said voice gateway to said mobile terminal via said Internet router.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said Internet call is connected between said mobile terminal and a calling subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, before said step of forwarding, the step of:

receiving, by said calling subscriber, a busy signal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of activating is performed when said mobile terminal sends a service code to said mobile switching center, said service code activating said call forward feature.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising, before said step of activating, the step of:

obtaining, by a visitor location register connected to said mobile switching center, parameters associated with said call forward feature from a home location register connected to said visitor location register when said mobile terminal enters a location area served by said mobile switching center.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said Internet router is a direct access unit within said mobile switching center.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of connecting said Internet call to said mobile terminal is performed from said voice gateway via said direct access unit and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said Internet router is an Internet Service Provider connected to said mobile switching center.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of connecting said Internet call to said mobile terminal is performed from said voice gateway via said Internet Service Provider and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising, before said step of activating, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising, before said step of forwarding, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when bandwidth requirements associated with said Internet call cannot be met by said mobile switching center.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after said step of transforming, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal rejects said Internet call.

25. A telecommunications system for connecting an incoming voice call to a mobile terminal in wireless communication with a mobile switching center within a cellular network, said mobile terminal being alternately connected to said cellular network or a data network connected to said cellular network via said mobile switching center, said telecommunications system comprising:

means for activating a call forward feature associated with said mobile terminal;

a voice gateway within said mobile switching center, said voice call being received at said mobile switching center during a data call connection between said mobile terminal and said data network via said mobile switching center, said received voice call being forwarded to said voice gateway when said call forward feature is activated, said voice gateway transforming said voice call into an Internet call; and

an Internet router connected to said mobile switching center and said data network for said data call connection, said Internet call being connected from said voice gateway to said mobile terminal via said Internet router.

26. The telecommunications system of claim 25, wherein said means for activating said call forward feature comprises said mobile terminal sending a service code to said mobile switching center to activate said call forward feature.

27. The telecommunications system of claim 26, wherein said means for activating said call forward feature comprises sending said service code to said mobile switching center prior to said mobile switching center receiving said incoming voice call.

28. The telecommunications system of claim 25, wherein said means for activating said call forward feature comprises said mobile switching center obtaining subscriber data including said call forward feature from a home location register associated with said mobile terminal.

29. The telecommunications system of claim 28, wherein said subscriber data is retrieved by said mobile switching in response to a location update by said mobile terminal.