Use of mobile unit to provide delivery path optimization to land-based unit

• US 6,618,590 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Service Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Howe, Walter Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): LELE, TANMAY S
• Application Number:
  US09/460,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 455/428, 455/435, 455/445, 455/461, 455/405, 455/406, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.1, 379/114.27
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

An improved telephone system is provided for handling a long distance call made by a mobile modem 5 to a remote land-based terminal 7 as a local call. A register in the system examines the number of the cellular telephone, and the location of the mobile, as represented by the identity of the serving switch. The register then instructs the system to connect the mobile modem 5 to a hard-wired modem 37 local to the visited switch 11. The modem designated is one of a pool of geographically dispersed modems 39 connected to an alternative network 41 such as the TCP/IP based Internet. The call is completed as a local call with data flowing from the mobile modem 5 to the local hard-wired modem 37. From the hard-wired modem 37 the data is then routed over the alternative network 41 to the land-based terminal 7, which is also connected to the alternative network 41. Such an approach eliminates the long distances fee connected with the use of the public switched telephone network 31.

Claims

1. A telephone system comprising both hard-wired and wireless components for completing a telephone call for data transmission, said system having a register for examining the characteristics of a first telephone number entered into a mobile unit as part of a call origination, using said first telephone number to determine a desired location for call completion, and substituting a second telephone number for said first telephone number to provide an alternative data path for said call completion to said desired location represented by said first telephone number, said desired location being the same whether using said first telephone number or said second telephone number, wherein said register routes the telephone call to said alternative path if said register determines that said first telephone number represents a long distance call.

2. A telephone system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said register receives information concerning a current location of said mobile unit and compares said current location with said first telephone number to determine that said first telephone number represents said long distance call.

3. A telephone system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said register receives information concerning a current location of said mobile unit and uses said current location to generate said second telephone number.

4. A telephone system for enabling a local call over a public switch telephone network to be rerouted to a remote location, which would otherwise represent a long distance call, comprising:

a mobile unit;

a serving switch for receiving a long distance call from said mobile unit;

a first data unit connected to the public switch telephone network local to said serving switch; and

a register for responding to a long distance call made by said mobile unit and received by said serving switch, said register providing information to said serving switch about said first data unit and directing said serving switch to connect said mobile unit to complete the long distance call as a local call.

5. A telephone system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the geographical location of said serving switch determines said first data unit local to said serving switch to be selected.

6. A telephone system as set forth in claim 4, further comprising

a plurality of second data units remote from said first data unit; and

an alternative data path connected between said first data unit and one of said plurality of second data units.

7. A telephone system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said alternative data path includes the Internet protocol.

8. A telephone system as set forth in claim 6, in which said register has stored therein the identity of all of said plurality of second data units and said register can identify a specific second data unit local to said serving switch and direct said serving switch to connect said specific second data unit to complete the long distance call as a local call.

9. A telephone system for completing long distance calls as local calls over an alternative non-public switch telephone network comprising:

switching means for interacting with a signal transmitted by a mobile unit requesting a long distance call;

a plurality of geographically distributed data units connected to said switching means and to the alternative network; and

register means for receiving a signal from said switching means and in response thereto selecting a specific data unit from said plurality of data units so that a long distance call can be completed as a local call through said specific data unit and connected alternative network.

10. A land-based telephone system for receiving and processing long distance telephone requests from a mobile unit comprising:

means for receiving signal information from said mobile unit requesting a long distance telephone call; and

means for processing said received signal information to determine the access number of a data unit connected to a non-public switch telephone network that is local to said means for receiving and for connecting said means for receiving to said data unit to complete a long distance call as a local call over said network.

11. A land-based telephone system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said data unit is in a pool of geographically dispersed data units all of which are connected to said network.

12. A land-based telephone system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said data unit is a modem and said network is an Internet protocol based network.

13. A land-based telephone system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said signal-receiving means is a serving switch and said processing means is a register.

14. A land-based telephone system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said register is associated with a home location register assigned to said mobile unit and said serving switch is assigned to a visited location register in selective communication with said home location register.

15. A method for one or more units receiving and processing long distance telephone requests from a mobile unit comprising:

said mobile unit sending a desired long-distance number;

receiving said long-distance number;

processing said long-distance number;

determining the access number of a data unit connected to a non-public switch telephone network that is local to said mobile unit;

altering said long-distance number to said access number;

sending said access number; and

completing a local call to said data unit from said mobile unit.