Concurrent ringing on multiple network telephones

• US 6,584,317 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaffino, Richard, Mukerjee, Sandip, Taff, Louis Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US10/123,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/416, 455/417, 455/433, 455/445, 455/461, 455/560, 455/561, 370/280, 379/202, 379/211, 379/167
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• 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: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

A system and method for concurrently ringing a subscriber'"'"'s wired and mobile stations, where the wired station is served by a wired telecommunications network and the mobile station is served by a wireless telecommunications network. The call is routed to a network interface point of control from either the wired or wireless networks and the network interface becomes the point of control for the call. The call is initially offered to the mobile station by the network interface point of control, and before the mobile station rings, the call is offered to the wired station so that the wired and mobile stations ring concurrently.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call such that a called party'"'"'s first station and second station ring concurrently, the method comprising:

(a) routing the call to a network interface point of control;

(b) offering the call from the network interface point of control to the first station; and

(c) delaying offering the call from the network interface point of control to the second station for a predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to a ring-initiating time associated with the first station.

3. A telecommunications system for concurrently ringing a plurality of stations upon receiving a call, the telecommunications system comprising:

a network interface point of control connected to the plurality of stations, the network interface point of control offering the call to a first station of the plurality of stations and delaying, for a predetermined period of time, offering the call to a second station of the plurality of stations.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 3 wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to a ring-initiating time associated with the first station.

5. A network interface point of control within a telecommunications system for concurrently ringing a plurality of called party'"'"'s stations, comprising:

an interface switch for providing switching of voice paths between stations; and

a controller for controlling the interface switch to offer a call to a first station and to delay offering the call to a second station for a predetermined period of time.

6. The network interface point of control of claim 5 wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to a ring-initiating time associated with the first station.

7. A method of routing a call such that a plurality of stations associated with a called party ring concurrently, the method comprising:

(a) routing the call to a network interface point of control; and

(b) offering the call from the network interface point of control to each of the plurality of stations at predetermined different times.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the offering of calls to each of the plurality of stations is performed at predetermined times according to a ring-initiating time associated with each station.

9. A network controller that controls concurrent ringing of plural communication devices including a wireless communication device and a wired communication device, wherein the network controller delays offering of a call to the wired communication device after offering of the call to the wireless communication device to compensate for an offering time difference between the wired communication device and the wireless communication device.

10. The network controller of claim 9 wherein the network controller includes a timer with a duration related to the offering time difference, and wherein the offering of the call to the wired communication device occurs after expiration of the timer.

11. The network controller of claim 10 wherein the duration of the timer is predetermined.

12. The network controller of claim 9 wherein the offering time difference is based at least in part upon a ring initiating time of the wireless communication device.

13. The network controller of claim 9 wherein the wired communication device is a landline telephone and the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone.

14. The network controller of claim 9 wherein a mobile switching center performs the offering of the call to the wireless communication device, and wherein a network switch performs the offering of the call to the wired communication device.

15. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a network interface point of control programmed thereby to perform a method of controlling concurrent ringing of plural communication devices including a wireless communication device and a wired communication device, the method comprising:

delaying relaying a call to the wired communication device after relaying the call to the wireless communication device to offset a call setup time difference between the wired communication device and the wireless communication device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the call setup time difference includes a ring initiating time difference between the wired communication device and the wireless communication device, wherein the delaying includes starting a timer with a duration related to the call setup time difference, and wherein the relaying the call to the wired communication device occurs after expiration of the timer.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the duration of the timer is predetermined.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the wired communication device is a landline telephone and the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone, wherein a mobile switching center performs final routing of the call to the wireless communication device, and wherein a network switch performs final routing of the call to the wired communication device.

19. A network controller that controls concurrent ringing of plural communication devices including a wireless communication device and a wired communication device, wherein the network controller delays offering of a call to the wired communication device for a predetermined time after offering of the call to the wireless communication device.

20. The network controller of claim 19 wherein the predetermined time offsets a call setup time difference between the wired communication device and the wireless communication device.

21. The network controller of claim 19 wherein the network controller includes a timer set to the predetermined time, and wherein the offering of the call to the wired communication device occurs after expiration of the timer.

22. The network controller of claim 19 wherein the wired communication device is a landline telephone and the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone, wherein a mobile switching center performs the offering of the call to the wireless communication device, and wherein a network switch performs the offering of the call to the wired communication device.

23. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a network computer system programmed thereby to perform a method comprising:

relaying a call to a wireless communication device;

delaying relaying the call to a wired communication device to offset a call setup time difference between the wireless communication device and the wired communication device; and

relaying the call to the wired communication device, whereby the wireless communication device and the wired communication device ring concurrently.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the call is to a called party, and wherein the method further comprises:

checking whether the called party subscribes to a concurrent ringing service.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the delaying includes starting a timer with a predetermined duration related to the call setup time difference, and wherein the relaying of the call to the wired communication device occurs after expiration of the timer.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the wired communication device is a landline telephone and the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone.

27. A network computer system comprising:

means for offering a call to a wireless communication device;

means for delaying offering of the call to a wired communication device to compensate for a ring initiating time of the wireless communication device; and

means for offering the call to the wired communication device, whereby the wireless communication device and the wired communication device ring concurrently.

28. The network computer system of claim 27 wherein the means for offering the call to the wireless communication device comprises:

means for paging the wireless communication device; and

means for, after receiving a page response from the wireless communication device, instructing the wireless communication device to ring.

29. The network computer system of claim 27 wherein the call is to a called party, and wherein the network computer system further comprises:

means for checking whether the called party subscribes to a concurrent ringing service.

30. The network computer system of claim 27 wherein the means for delaying includes a timer with a duration related to the ring initiating time.

31. The network computer system of claim 27 wherein the wired communication device is a landline telephone and the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone.