Handoff of phone calls from wireless to wireline network

• US 6,584,316 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sparber, Richard G., Sand, Paul R., Akhteruzzaman, Akhtar
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/565,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/461, 455/436, 455/466, 455/456, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/326 by proximity to another entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Telephone calls are handed off from a wireless network to a wireline network under the control of a subscriber. When at a given location, the subscriber enters the directory number of the wireline terminal (typically the closest) to which a future wireless call is to be transferred. The entered directory number is then stored in memory in the subscriber'"'"'s wireless terminal with the current location of the subscriber as determined by a satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) for future use. If the subscriber wants to transfer a call to a wireline terminal, the subscriber selects a transfer handoff key on the subscriber'"'"'s wireless terminal. After the subscriber'"'"'s location is determined using the GPS, it is then determined if a directory number (DN) of a designated wireline terminal has previously been entered and stored in memory for the subscriber'"'"'s present location. If so, the call is transferred to the designated wireline terminal using the local cellular network and the wireless call is terminated. If the DN of a wireline terminal associated with the subscriber'"'"'s present location has not previously been entered, the wireless call is allowed to continue. Automatic call forwarding to a designated wireline terminal is also provided for in the event of a weak received signal link using a table of previously entered wireline terminal DN'"'"'s. In both manual and automatic transfer of a wireless call, the subscriber must pick up the ringing wireline terminal to complete call transfer.

Claims

1. A method for handing off a telephone call from a first terminal in a wireless network to a second terminal in a wireline network, wherein said second terminal has an associated directory number, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory in the first terminal the directory number of the second terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

determining the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

storing the geographic coordinates with the directory number in said memory in an associated manner;

placing a telephone call on the wireless network using the first terminal;

selecting a telephone call handoff selector key on the first terminal for transferring the telephone call to the wireline network;

determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal and comparing said current geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

generating a signal to initiate the transfer of the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

or

comparing a signal strength of a telephone call from the first terminal in the wireless network with a reference signal level and, if the signal strength of the telephone call is less than said reference signal level, determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal for automatically transferring the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory associated with the second terminal; and

terminating the telephone call on the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing in said memory the directory numbers of plural second terminals in the wireline network when the first terminal is in the vicinity of each respective second terminal and further determining and storing the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when in the vicinity of each respective second terminal, wherein each directory number is stored in an associated manner with the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of a respective second terminal for transferring a telephone call from the wireless network to any of said second terminals in the wireline network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of comparing the directory number of the designated wireline terminal with the contents of said memory to determine the presence in said memory of a previously stored directory number associated with the geographic coordinates of said designated wireline terminal and for overriding a directory number previously stored in said memory with the directory number of the designated wireline terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of changing a billing rate chargeable to a subscriber when the telephone call is switched from the wireless network to the wireline network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a voice message to the second terminal for identifying an intended recipient of the telephone call where the second terminal is a public telephone.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of routing the telephone call to the intended recipient'"'"'s voice mail if the intended recipient of the telephone call does not respond on the second terminal within a designated time period.

7. A method for handing off a telephone call from a first terminal in a wireless network to a second terminal in a wireline network, wherein said second terminal has an associated directory number, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory in the first terminal the directory number of the second terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

determining the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

storing the geographic coordinates with the directory number in said memory in an associated manner;

placing a telephone call on the wireless network using the first terminal;

selecting a telephone call handoff selector key on the first terminal for transferring the telephone call to the wireline network;

determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal and comparing said current geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

generating a signal to initiate the transfer of the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

verifying the identity of a person answering the public telephone as an intended recipient of the telephone call including using voice recognition of the intended recipient of the telephone call; and

terminating the telephone call on the wireless network.

8. A method for handing off a telephone call from a first terminal in a wireless network to one of a plurality of second terminals in a wireline network, wherein each of said second terminals has an associated directory number, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory in the first terminal the directory number of each of said plural second terminals in the wireline network when the first terminal is in the vicinity of each respective second terminal;

determining the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of each respective second terminal;

storing the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when in the vicinity of each respective second terminal with the directory number of the second terminal that the first terminal is in the vicinity of in said memory in an associated manner;

placing a telephone call on the wireless network using the first terminal;

determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal and comparing said current geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

comparing a signal strength of a telephone call from the first terminal in the wireless network with a reference signal level and, if the signal strength of the telephone call is less than said reference signal level, automatically generating a signal to initiate transfer of the telephone call to one of the second terminals if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory associated with said one of the second terminals; and

terminating the telephone call on the wireless network.

9. A method for the automatic forwarding of a telephone call placed to a first terminal in a wireless network to a second terminal in a wireline terminal via a mobile switching center, wherein said second terminal has an associated directory number, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory in the first terminal the directory number of the second terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

determining the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

storing the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when in the vicinity of the second terminal with the directory number in said memory in an associated manner;

activating a call forwarding mode of operation in the mobile switching center;

placing a telephone to the first terminal via the wireless network;

determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal and comparing said current geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

generating a signal to initiate the transfer of the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

or

comparing a signal strength of a telephone call to the first terminal in the wireless network with a reference signal level and, if the signal strength of the telephone call is less than said reference signal level, determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal for automatically transferring the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory associated with the second terminal; and

terminating the telephone call on the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of changing a billing rate chargeable to a subscriber when the telephone call is switched from the wireless network to the wireline network.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of providing a voice message to the second terminal for identifying an intended recipient of the telephone call where the second terminal is a public telephone.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of routing the telephone call to the intended recipient'"'"'s voice mail if the intended recipient of the telephone call does not respond on the second terminal within a designated time period.

13. A method for the automatic forwarding of a telephone call placed to a first terminal in a wireless network to a second terminal in a wireline terminal via a mobile switching center, wherein said second terminal has an associated directory number, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory in the first terminal the directory number of the second terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

determining the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when the first terminal is in the vicinity of the second terminal;

storing the geographic coordinates of the first terminal when in the vicinity of the second terminal with the directory number in said memory in an associated manner;

activating a call forwarding mode of operation in the mobile switching center;

placing a telephone to the first terminal via the wireless network;

determining the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal and comparing said current geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

generating a signal to initiate the transfer of the telephone call to the second terminal if the current geographic coordinates of the first terminal match the geographic coordinates stored in said memory;

verifying the identity of a person answering the public telephone as an intended recipient of the telephone call including using voice recognition of the intended recipient of the telephone call; and

terminating the telephone call on the wireless network.