Communications system for providing multiple services and hold capability of at least one service, and method therefor

• US 6,650,908 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belkin, Anatoly S., Coombes, Daniel J., Epsom, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DAVID Q
• Application Number:
  US09/541,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/560, 455/561, 455/414, 455/521, 455/507, 455/508, 455/422, 455/442
• US Class Current: 455/560
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A communications system infrastructure (100), such as an integrated services radio system, is provided with a hold processor (126). The hold processor is operably coupled to at least one base station controller (114). If a mobile subscriber unit (102) is actively engaged in a first communication service, such as a telephone interconnect call, and desires to use a second communication service, such as making or responding to a dispatch call, the mobile subscriber unit request the first service to be held. The base station controller then switches the first service to the hold server, which in turn generates an identifier for transmittal to the mobile subscriber unit for storage and call retrieval at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for holding a call in a communications system, the communications system providing a plurality of communications services, the method comprising the steps of:

sending, from a mobile subscriber unit actively engaged in the call and located in a first serving area, to a first hold processor associated with a first base site controller associated with the serving area, a request to hold the call;

generating, in a first hold processor, an identifier to be associated with the call to be held;

sending the identifier to the mobile subscriber unit; and

switching the call, at a base station controller, from the mobile subscriber unit to the hold processor, thus holding the call;

wherein the base site controller processes the request to hold the call.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of handing the held call over to a second hold processor if the mobile subscriber unit moves to a second serving area.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of re-establishing the call to the mobile subscriber unit upon receiving a request to re-establish from the mobile subscriber unit.