Wireless centrex automatic callback

• US 6,643,507 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Albert, Kim, Jinman, Wang, Spencer, Ying, Wenchu
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, SONNY
• Application Number:
  US09/460,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/422, 455/459, 455/414, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/555, 455/413, 455/415, 455/418, 455/554, 379/142.02, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.17, 379/25.06
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

The instant invention discloses a method and system for providing a novel wireless centrex service that untethers subscribers from the immobility associated with traditional desktop telephones. Essentially, the present invention extends the benefits of wireless voice and data services to subscribers having a need to move within a plurality of localities such as business and hospital campuses.

In accordance with the invention, a wireless telephone subscriber can use a standard cellular/PCS telephone as a wireless extension of their desktop phone, while in the proximity of a miniature radio base station capable of communicating with the PCS/cellular telephone. The advantage of such a system is that a subscriber can use the same cellular/PCS telephone that provides service in the public network in the wireless centrex environment. Additionally, the wireless centrex system provides services and features which are similar to those offered to regular centrex telephone subscribers. Exemplary features include, caller ID, call waiting, call hold, call transfer, call forwarding and voice messaging.

Claims

1. A method for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing a call in a wireless communication system, wherein the wireless communication system comprises:

a switched communications network, coupled to at least a first local digital switch;

at least a first network server platform, coupled to the at least first local digital switch;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to the at least first network server platform, and, where selected, to a voice message system;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to at least a first voice access port;

the at least first voice access port, coupled to the at least first local digital switch and arranged to communicate with at least a first mobile station;

the at least first mobile station, arranged to communicate with the at least first voice access port, wherein the at least first mobile station includes the wireless apparatus for automatically redialing the number;

and wherein the switched communications network, the at least first network server platform, the at least first local digital switch, the at least first voice access port and the at least first mobile station utilize a predetermined scheme to provide automatic callback for the wireless apparatus, the method comprising the steps of;

dialing a phone number for a call by a wireless apparatus, and where the phone number called is busy, automatically saving the phone number for the call; and

initiating, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, automatic redialing of the phone number for the call by the wireless apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, further including automatically displaying the phone number of the call on a display.

3. The method of claim 1, further including receiving at least one incoming call and automatically saving a phone number for the at least one incoming call.

4. The method of claim 3, further including providing for automatic display of the phone number of a most recent incoming call by one of:

pressing a predetermined button/buttons and providing a verbal command.

5. The method of claim 4, further including, where the phone number for the at least one incoming call is one of:

unknown or security-protected, indicating that the phone number for the at least one incoming call is unable to be displayed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein indicating that the phone number of the incoming call is unable to be displayed includes using one of a display, a voice prompt from the wireless apparatus, or a predetermined tone.

7. The method of claim 4, further including the step of disposing of a first displayed phone number by one of:

moving at least one first displayed phone number to an end of a list of phone numbers of incoming calls received; and

transposing the first displayed phone number with a next phone number of the incoming calls received.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of storing predetermined information of a wireless user in memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined information stored in the memory is wireless user information for authentication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined information is billing information for the wireless user.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

downloading billing information from a network server platform to the wireless user,

updating the billing information and

returning the billing information that has been updated to the network

12. A wireless apparatus for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing the number in a wireless communication system, wherein the wireless communication system comprises:

a switched communications network, coupled to at least a first local digital switch;

at least a first network server platform, coupled to the at least first local digital switch;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to the at least first network server platform, and, where selected, to a voice message system;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to at least a first voice access port;

the at least first voice access port, coupled to the at least first local digital switch and arranged to communicate with at least a first mobile station;

the at least first mobile station, arranged to communicate with the at least first voice access port, wherein the at least first mobile station includes the wireless apparatus for automatically redialing the number;

and wherein the switched communications network, the at least first network server platform, the at least first local digital switch, the at least first voice access port and the at least first mobile station utilize a predetermined scheme to provide automatic callback for the wireless apparatus, the wireless apparatus comprising;

a memory, for automatically saving the number, and, where selected, a phone number for an incoming call received; and

a wireless automatic callback processor, coupled to the memory, for initiating a wireless communication, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, by automatically redialing the number.

13. The wireless apparatus of claim 12, further including a display, coupled to the memory and the wireless automatic callback processor, for automatically displaying the number called, and where selected, of the incoming call.

14. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory further automatically saves a phone number for at least one incoming call.

15. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display indicates the phone number of the at least one incoming call upon one of:

a predetermined button/buttons being pressed and a verbal command.

16. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, where the phone number for the at least one incoming call is one of:

unknown or security-protected, the display indicates that the phone number for the at least one incoming call is unable to be displayed.

17. The wireless apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wireless apparatus indicates that the phone number of the incoming call is unable to be displayed using one of a display, a voice prompt from the wireless apparatus, or a predetermined tone.

18. The wireless apparatus of claim 15, wherein the display of the phone number of at least one incoming call is adjustable by one of moving at least one first displayed phone number to an end of a list of phone numbers of incoming calls received;

and transposing the first displayed phone number with a next phone number of the incoming calls received.

19. The wireless apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wireless apparatus is one of

a wireless phone and

another handheld wireless communications device.

20. The wireless apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores predetermined information of a wireless user.

21. The wireless apparatus of claim 20, wherein the predetermined information stored in the memory is wireless user information for authentication.

22. The wireless apparatus of claim 20, wherein the predetermined information is billing information for the wireless user.

23. The wireless apparatus of claim 22, wherein the billing information is obtained from a network server platform by the wireless user, updated and returned to the network server platform, wherein further access to the billing information is blocked by the network server platform during updating.

24. A wireless communication system having a wireless apparatus for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing the number, the wireless apparatus comprising:

a memory, for automatically saving the number called; and

a wireless automatic callback processor, coupled to the memory, for initiating, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, redialing the number,

wherein the wireless communication system comprises;

a switched communications network, coupled to at least a first local digital switch;

at least a first network server platform, coupled to the at least first local digital switch;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to the at least first network server platform, and, where selected, to a voice message system;

the at least first local digital switch, coupled to at least a first voice access port;

the at least first voice access port, coupled to the at least first local digital switch and arranged to communicate with at least a first mobile station;

the at least first mobile station, arranged to communicate with the at least first voice access port, wherein the at least first mobile station includes the wireless apparatus for automatically redialing the number;

and wherein the switched communications network, the at least first network server platform, the at least first local digital switch, the at least first voice access port and the at least first mobile station utilize a predetermined scheme to provide automatic callback for the wireless apparatus.

25. The wireless communication system of claim 24, further including a display, coupled to the memory and the wireless automatic callback processor, for automatically displaying the number called, and where selected, of the incoming call.

26. The wireless communication system of claim 25, wherein the memory further automatically saves a phone number for at least one incoming call.

27. The wireless communication system of claim 26, wherein the display indicates the phone number of the at least one incoming call upon one of:

a predetermined button/buttons being pressed and a verbal command.

28. The wireless communication system of claim 27, where the phone number for the at least one incoming call is one of:

unknown or security-protected, the display indicates that the phone number for the at least one incoming call is unable to be displayed.

29. The wireless communication system of claim 28 wherein the wireless apparatus indicates that the phone number of the incoming call is unable to be displayed using one of a display, a voice prompt from the wireless apparatus, or a predetermined tone.

30. The wireless communication system of claim 25, wherein the display of the phone number of at least one incoming call is adjustable by one of

moving at least one first displayed phone number to an end of a list of phone numbers of incoming calls received; and

transposing the first displayed phone number with a next phone number of the incoming calls received.

31. The wireless communication system of claim 24, wherein the wireless apparatus is one of

a wireless phone;

and

another handheld wireless communications device.

32. The wireless communication system of claim 24, wherein the memory further stores predetermined information of a wireless user.

33. The wireless communication system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined information stored in the memory is wireless user information for authentication.

34. The wireless communication system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined information is billing information for the wireless user.

35. The wireless communication system of claim 34, wherein the billing information is obtained from a network server platform by the wireless user, updated and returned to the network server platform, wherein further access to the billing information is blocked by the network server platform during updating.

36. The wireless communication system of claim 24 wherein the system includes:

at least a first remote digital terminal, coupled to the switched communications network, the at least first local digital switch, and the at least first voice access port,

wherein the switched communications network, the at least first network server platform, the at least first local digital switch, the at least first remote digital terminal, the at least first voice access port and the at least first mobile station utilize a predetermined scheme to provide automatic callback for the wireless apparatus.

37. A wireless communication platform for providing wireless automatic callback, comprising:

at least one mobile station;

a micro-cellular base station controller, arranged to communicate wirelessly with the at least one mobile station for, when a number called by the at least one mobile station is busy, automatically redialing the number in accordance with a predetermined scheme to provide automatic callback for the at least one mobile station;

a switching and database automatic callback processor for wireless automatic callback, coupled to the micro-cellular base station controller and a memory, for providing processing for wireless automatic callback for the at least one mobile station upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, by automatically redialing a phone number;

the memory, coupled to the micro-cellular base station controller and the switching and database processor, having a database for storing at least the number redialed; and

the switching and database processor, in communication with the micro-cellular base station controller via a wireline interface without being connected to any public cellular system.

38. The wireless communication platform of claim 37, wherein the memory further stores information for authentication of the at least one mobile station.

39. The wireless communication platform of claim 37, wherein memory further stores billing information for the at least one mobile station.

40. A method for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing a call in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

dialing a phone number for a call by a wireless apparatus, and where the phone number called is busy, automatically saving the phone number for the call;

initiating, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, automatic redialing of the phone number for the call by the wireless apparatus; and

downloading billing information from a network server platform to the wireless user, updating the billing information and returning the billing information that has been updated to the network server platform.

41. A wireless apparatus for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing the number in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a memory, for automatically saving the number, and, where selected, a phone number for an incoming call received; and

a wireless automatic callback processor, coupled to the memory, for initiating a wireless communication, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, by automatically redialing the number,

wherein the memory further stores predetermined information of a wireless user, wherein the predetermined information is billing information for the wireless user, and wherein the billing information is obtained from a network server platform by the wireless user, updated and returned to the network server platform, wherein further access to the billing information is blocked by the network server platform during updating.

42. A wireless communication system having a wireless apparatus for, where a number called by a wireless user is busy, automatically redialing the number, the wireless apparatus comprising:

a memory, for automatically saving the number called; and

a wireless automatic callback processor, coupled to the memory, for initiating, upon one of a predetermined button/buttons being pressed or a predetermined verbal callback command being issued, redialing the number,

wherein the memory further stores predetermined information of a wireless user, wherein the predetermined information is billing information for the wireless user, and wherein the billing information is obtained from a network server platform by the wireless user, updated and returned to the network server platform, wherein further access to the billing information is blocked by the network server platform during updating.