Neighborhood cordless service call handoff

• US 6,546,253 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ying, Wenchu, Kim, Jinman, Chow, Albert, Wang, Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/223,316
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436-445, 455/414, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/426, 455/552, 455/553, 455/462, 455/422
• US Class Current: 455/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8005 Flat-fee
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing telephone call hand offs between a local cordless service and a different wireless cellular service such as a macro-cellular service. The local cordless service may be configured such that a mobile telephone equipped subscriber may place or receive calls for a fixed rate, for example, per month without having to pay radio frequency air time charges any time they are located within their selected subscribed-to zones. If the subscribed-to zones are adjacent to one another and the mobile subscriber roams from one zone to another, the subscriber may continue their free call uninterrupted and without paying air time charges. However, when the subscriber roams outside their subscribed-to zones they may be switched from the present local cordless services to conventional personal communications services and pay air time charges. However for an active call, no air-time charges are incurred as the user transitions between the cellular/DPCS environment and the local cordless service environment. Associated apparatus comprises an IBS for automatically changing radio frequency channels as the subscriber roams within a subscribed-to neighborhood zone, roams to another subscribed-to zone or roams outside a subscribed-to zone. Subscribers may choose to use their mobile identification number, their current directory telephone number for wired public switched telephone service or obtain a new directory number.

Claims

1. A method comprising the step of:

handing off a telephone call involving a mobile station between a first subscribed zone of mobile wireless subscriber loop service to a different wireless cellular service, the first subscribed zone being associated with a mobile station,

wherein;

an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station is not affected by an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the first subscribed zone,

the mobile wireless subscriber loop service further provides a plurality of subscribed zones including the first subscribed zone, each of the plurality of subscribed zones being served by a different radio transmitter,

each of the different radio transmitters is connected to a line side of a digital communications switch,

an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station does not depend upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within any of the plurality of subscribed zones,

the step of handing off a telephone call involving a mobile station between a first subscribed zone of a mobile wireless subscriber loop service to a different wireless cellular service comprises the sub-steps of;

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone sending a handoff request to a mobile switching center (MSC) in the wireless cellular service,

the MSC connecting the mobile station to a designated target cell simultaneous with a connection between the mobile station and the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone, and

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone released a connection with the mobile station,

the handoff request includes the designated target cell, and

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone sending a handoff request to a MSC in the wireless cellular service includes;

a network service platform (NSP) receiving the handoff request from the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone,

the NSP sending the handoff request to the MSC on the wireless cellular service,

the NSP receiving a handoff request response from the MSC, wherein the handoff request response includes channel availability in the designated target cell, and

the NSP forwarding a transfer request from the NSP to the MSC.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different wireless cellular service is a macro-cellular wireless service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first subscribed zone has a radius in the range of about one and one-half mile to two miles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the different wireless cellular service is a Personal Communications Service (PCS) wireless service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the different wireless cellular service is a Digital Personal Communications Service (DPCS) wireless service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is performed such that the call is handed off from the first subscribed zone to the different wireless cellular service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is performed such that the call is handed off from the different wireless cellular service to the first subscribed zone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station depends upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the different wireless cellular service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is perform ed using the IS-41 protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscribed zone is one of a home zone and a visitor zone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the radio transmitters serving each of the plurality of subscribed zones is an intelligent base station.

12. A method comprising the step of handing off a telephone call involving a mobile station between a first subscribed zone of a local cordless service to a macro-cellular service different from the local cordless service,

wherein:

the local cordless service further provides a plurality of subscribed zones including the first subscribed zone, each of the plurality of subscribed zones being served by a different radio transmitter,

each of the different radio transmitters is connected to a line side of a digital communications switch,

an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station does not depend upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within any of the plurality of subscribed zones,

the step of handing off a telephone call involving a mobile station between a first subscribed zone of a mobile wireless subscriber loop service to a different wireless cellular service comprises the sub-steps of;

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone sending a handoff request to a mobile switching center (MSC) in the wireless cellular service,

the MSC connecting the mobile station to a designated target cell simultaneous with a connection between the mobile station and the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone, and

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone released a connection with the mobile station,

the handoff request includes the designated target cell, and

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone sending a handoff request to a MSC in the wireless cellular service includes;

a network service platform (NSP) receiving the handoff request from the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone,

the NSP sending the handoff request to the MSC on the wireless cellular service,

the NSP receiving a handoff request response from the MSC, wherein the handoff request response includes channel availability in the designated target cell, and

the NSP forwarding a transfer request from the NSP to the MSC.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the macro-cellular service is a Personal Communications Service (PCS) wireless service.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the different wireless cellular service is a Digital Personal Communications Service (DPCS) wireless service.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first subscribed zone has a radius in the range of about one and one-half mile to two miles.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is performed such that the call is handed off from the first subscribed zone to the macro-cellular service.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is performed such that the call is handed off from the macro-cellular service to the first subscribed zone.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station does not depend upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the first subscribed zone.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station depends upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the macro-cellular service.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of handing off the telephone call is performed using the IS-41 protocol.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the first subscribed zone is one of a home zone and a visitor zone.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the radio transmitters serving each of the plurality of subscribed zones is an intelligent base station.

23. A first wireless network configured to communicate with a mobile station and to communicate with a second wireless cellular network, the first wireless network comprising:

a first radio transmitter providing a mobile wireless subscriber loop service having a first subscribed zone, the first radio transmitter serving the first subscribed zone associated with the mobile station, a telephone call being in progress involving the mobile station within the first subscribed zone, wherein an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station is not affected by an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the subscribed zone; and

a switch connected to both the first wireless network and the second wireless cellular network, the switch being configured to assist in handing off a telephone call involving the mobile station to the second wireless cellular network,

wherein;

the first wireless network further includes a plurality of radio-transmitters each serving one of a plurality of subscribed zones including the first subscribed zone, wherein each of the different radio transmitters is connected to a line side of a digital communications switch,

an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station does not depend upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within any of the plurality of subscribed zones,

the switch receives a handoff request from the first radio transmitter and connects the mobile station in the first subscribed zone to a designated target cell in the second wireless cellular network simultaneous with a connection between the mobile station and the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone,

the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone releases a connection with the mobile station, and

the switch receives a handoff request from the radio transmitter in the first subscribed zone via a network service platform (NSP), sends a handoff request response to the NSP, wherein the handoff request response includes channel availability in the designated target cell, and receives a transfer request from the NSP.

24. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the second wireless cellular network is a macro-cellular wireless network.

25. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the second wireless cellular network is a Personal Communications Service (PCS) wireless network.

26. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the second wireless cellular network is a Digital Personal Communications Service (DPCS) wireless network.

27. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the first subscribed zone has a radius in the range of about one and one-half mile to two miles.

28. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the telephone call originates in the first subscribed zone, the telephone call being handed off from the first subscribed zone to the second wireless cellular network.

29. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the telephone call originates in the second wireless cellular network, the telephone call being handed off from the second wireless cellular network to the first subscribed zone.

30. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein an amount that is billed toward use of the mobile station depends upon an amount of airtime used by the mobile station within the second wireless cellular network.

31. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the switch performs the hand off using the IS-41 protocol.

32. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein the first subscribed zone is one of a home zone and a visitor zone.

33. The first wireless network of claim 23, wherein each of the radio transmitters serving each of the plurality of subscribed zones is an intelligent base station.