Wireless backup telephone device and associated support system

• US 6,757,528 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Management Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Management Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Link, Charles M. II, Cardina, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US10/055,212
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/445, 455/554.2, 455/557, 379/32.04, 379/33
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/10 Providing fault- or trouble-signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0096 Trunk circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A wireless telephone backup device for landline telephone equipment that may be located on the customer side of the landline service connection, typically in a restricted access location, such as an attic, basement, or utility closet. An interconnection circuit in the backup device detects service interruptions in the subscriber'"'"'s landline connection and, in response, powers on a wireless communication device to provide backup telephone service to the customer premises equipment. The interconnection circuit also provides the other features standard landline telephone service, including dial tone, ring voltage, and normal dialing for outgoing calls. The backup device also forwards incoming landline calls to the wireless unit in the backup device, and may send a message notifying a maintenance center of the service interruption. Further, the backup device may initiate an indicator in an alarm system at the site of the customer premises equipment to notify the subscriber of the service interruption.

Claims

1. A system for supporting wireless backup emergency telephone service to customer premises telephone equipment connected to a landline telephone network, the system operable for:

receiving a message from a wireless communication device functionally connected to the customer premises telephone equipment, the message indicating that landline telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment is interrupted; and

in response to receiving the message indicating that the landline telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment is interrupted,

informing a maintenance center of the interruption of the landline telephone service,

sending a query to a database to retrieve a directory number for assignment to the wireless communication device, and

forwarding an incoming telephone call directed to a first directory number assigned to the customer premises telephone equipment to the directory number assigned by the database to the wireless communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is further operable for:

assigning a temporary line directory number to the wireless communication device when landline telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment is interrupted.

3. The system of claim 2, further operable for configuring a telephone service redirection device to forward incoming telephone calls directed to the first directory number assigned to the customer premises telephone equipment to the temporary line directory number assigned to the wireless communication device.

4. The system of claim 3, further operable for:

automatically receiving an unforward message from the wireless communication device when landline telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment is restored; and

configuring the telephone service redirection device to discontinue forwarding incoming telephone calls directed to the first directory number assigned to the customer premises telephone equipment to the temporary line directory number assigned to the wireless communication device.

5. The system of claim 3, further operable for releasing the temporary line directory number assigned to the wireless unit in response to the unforward message.

6. The system of claim 1, further operable for:

in response to receiving a message from a wireless communication device connected to a wireless telephone network when landline telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment is interrupted, checking for adverse weather conditions, multiple interruptions, and power outages before informing a monitoring center of the interruption of the landline telephone service.

7. A method for supporting wireless backup emergency telephone service to customer premises telephone equipment connected to a landline telephone network, the method comprising:

receiving a forwarding message from a wireless communication device in a backup device;

in response to receiving a forwarding message from a backup device, executing a call forwarding routing comprising;

entering a forwarding record into a call redirection device to redirect calls to a directoyr number of a subscriber'"'"'s landline connection to the wireless communication device of the backup device; and

forwarding an incoming call to the customer premises equipment through the wireless network to the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initiating an alarm indicator at the site of the customer premises equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alarm indicator further comprises a message indicating that a landline failure condition exists.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the call redirection device is a switch.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the switch may be a local cellular serving switch.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the call redirection device is a local number portability platform.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the switch sets a trigger in the switch.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the trigger contains call forwarding information to route incoming calls directed to the landline directory number to the directory number assigned to the wireless device.

15. A method for supporting a wireless backup telephone device for providing emergency backup telephone service to customer premises telephone equipment connected through a landline to a telephone network, the method comprising:

receiving a forwarding message from a wireless communication device in a backup device;

in response to receiving a forwarding message from a backup device, executing a call forwarding routine comprising;

entering a forwarding record into a database, wherein the database is configured for;

receiving a message with a directory number query,

assigning a directory number to the wireless communication device based upon the query;

providing emergency backup telephone service to the customer premises telephone equipment through the wireless communication device; and

notifying the customer of the landline interruption by activating a telephone backup indication device located at the customer premises.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the database consists of at least one of the following:

a common channel signaling database, an ancillary database configured to communicate with a network, a local number portability platform database in communication with at least one local number portability platform, or a modified local number portability database configured with advanced intelligent network programming.