Systems and methods for providing an intelligent network (IN) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference without requiring an intermediate hold state

• US 6,539,219 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Khan, Muhammad Arshad, Gallant, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ward, Ronald J
• Application Number:
  US09/414,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/416, 455/445, 455/560, 455/516, 455/518, 455/519, 455/186.1, 379/142.01, 379/202.1, 379/203.1, 379/204.1, 379/205.1, 379/206.1, 379/207.1, 379/216.01, 370/260, 370/261
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Systems and methods related to providing an Intelligent Network (in) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS), without requiring an intermediate hold state of an existing call connection between the MS and a second telephony device; such systems and methods can be adapted to implementation in any wireless communications network, such as a Global Services for Mobile Communication (GSM) network. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communications network adapted to provide the IN service includes a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC), and a Service Control Point (SCP), wherein the MSC is operative to send a request to the SCP to activate the IN service, and the SCP is operative to send a Prompt&Collect_User_Information command to the MSC. The Prompt&Collect_User_Information command instructs the MSC to monitor a control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from the MS; the dialed digits identify a third telephony device to be joined in conference with the MS and a second telephony device. The MSC sends an acknowledgment message to the SCP upon receipt of the dialed digits; the acknowledgment message includes the dialed digits. The SCP then controls the establishment of a call connection to the third telephony device, using the dialed digits, by sending a call setup request to the MSC.

Claims

1. A method for providing an Intelligent Network (IN) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS) while said MS is communicating with a second telephony device, said method comprising the steps of:

querying a Home Location Register (HLR) for subscriber information associated with said MS, said subscriber information identifying whether said IN service is to be provided to said MS;

sending an IN service activation request to a Service Control Point (SCP);

receiving a Prompt&

Collect_User_Information command from said SCP, said command instructing said MSC to monitor said control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from said MS

monitoring in a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC) for the transmission of dialed digits over a control channel associated with said MS, said dialed digits identifying a third telephony device;

sending an acknowledgment message to said SCP, said acknowledgment message including said dialed digits received over said control channel associated with said MS;

receiving a request from said SCP to establish a call connection to said third telephony device, said request including said dialed digits;

establishing a call connection to said third telephony device; and

joining said third telephony device in conference with said MS and said second telephony device, thereby establishing a conference call between said MS and said first and second telephony devices without requiring an intermediate hold state of an existing call connection between said MS and said second telephony device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a call connection to said third telephony device is controlled by a Service Switching Function (SSF) in said MSC.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein said step of joining is controlled by said SSF in said MSC.

4. A Service Control Point (SCP) adapted to provide an Intelligent Network (IN) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS) while said MS is communicating with a second telephony device, said SCP including a Service Control Function (SCF) operative to:

receive a request to activate said IN service from a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC) associated with a geographical service area in which said MS is located;

send a Prompt&

Collect_User_Information command to said MSC, said command instructing said MSC to monitor a control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from said MS, said dialed digits identifying a third telephony device to be joined in conference with said MS and said second telephony device; and

receive an acknowledgment message from said MSG, said acknowledgment message including said dialed digits received over said control channel associated with said MS.

5. The SCP recited in claim 4, wherein said SCF is further operative to control the establishment of a call connection to said third telephony device.

6. The SCP recited in claim 5, wherein said SCF controls the establishment of said call connection to said third telephony device by sending a call setup request to a Service Switching Function (SSF) in said MSC, said call setup request including said dialed digits.

7. A Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC) adapted to provide an Intelligent Network (IN) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS) while said MS is communicating with a second telephony device, said MSC including a Service Switching Function (SSF) operative to:

send a request to activate said IN service to a Service Control Point (SCP);

receive a Prompt&

Collect_User_Information command from said SCP, said command instructing said MSC to monitor a control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from said MS, said dialed digits identifying a third telephony device to be joined in conference with said MS and said second telephony device; and

send an acknowledgment message to said SCP, said acknowledgment message including said dialed digits received over said control channel associated with said MS.

8. The MSC recited in claim 7, wherein said SCF is further operative to control the establishment of a call connection to said third telephony device.

9. The MSC recited in claim 8, wherein said SSF establishes said call connection to said third telephony device upon receiving a call setup request from said SCP, said call setup request including said dialed digits.

10. The MSC recited in claim 8, wherein said SSF is further operative to join said call connection to said third telephony device in conference with said MS and said second telephony device.

11. A wireless communications network adapted to provide an Intelligent Network (IN) service to transparently established a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS) while said MS is communicating with a second telephony device, said network including:

a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC); and

a Service Control Point (SCP), wherein;

i) said MSC is operative to send a request to said SCP to activate said IN service;

ii) said SCP is operative to send a Prompt&

Collect_User_Information command to said MSC, said command instructing said MSC to monitor a control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from said MS, said dialed digits identifying a third telephony device to be joined in conference with said MS and said second telephony device; and

,

iii) said MSC is operative to send an acknowledgment message to said SCP, said acknowledgment message including said dialed digits received over said control channel associated with said MS.

12. The network recited in claim 11, wherein said SCP is further operative to control the establishment of a call connection to said third telephony device by sending a call setup request to said MSC, said call setup request including said dialed digits.