Mobile telephone system

• US 6,775,546 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Fuller, Martin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Application Number:
  US09/762,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/416, 455/417, 455/445, 455/461, 455/462, 455/463, 455/518, 455/432.1, 455/426.1, 455/406, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location

Abstract

A mobile cellular telephone network is arranged such that calls are routed to a selected member of a group of handsets associated with a single number. The handset to which the call is routed is selected according to the current locations of the handsets, preference being given to handsets currently located within a predetermined cell or group of cells. This allows calls to be automatically routed to whichever handset is currently located in a cell where call tariffs are most favorable. Diversion arrangements can be made to allow calls to be re-routed when none of the handsets is detected within the specified group of cells.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone network operating system for controlling the operation of a mobile telephone network having a plurality of mobile handsets and a plurality of base stations for serving the mobile handsets, the operating system comprising:

means for identifying the base station currently serving a mobile handset, and

means for selectively routing incoming calls to the mobile handset or to another destination according to the location of the handset, wherein a plurality of handsets are associated with a single directory number, and a corresponding set of one or more radio base stations is associated with the directory number, and

routing means for selectively routing call attempts to the directory number to one or more of said plurality of handsets currently being served by the one or more radio base stations in said set in preference over any other handset also associated to said single directory number but not being currently served by the one or more radio base stations in said set.

2. A network according to claim 1, having means for diverting calls to another destination if none of said handsets is currently served by a base station in said set.

3. A mobile telephone network operating system according to claim 2 wherein the routing means is arranged so that if none of said handsets is currently served by said set of base stations, it diverts incoming calls to one or more of the handsets associated with the directory number and currently served by a base station not forming part of said set.

4. A mobile telephone network operating system according to claim 1, wherein the routing means is arranged to set up simultaneous call attempts with a plurality of handsets on receiving a call request to the directory number associated with said handsets.

5. A mobile telephone network operating system according to claim 1, in which each handset associated with a given directory number is allocated a unique priority rating and the routing means is arranged to route calls to the handset having the highest priority rating, of those currently served by said set of base stations.

6. A mobile telephone network operating system according to claim 5, further comprising means for changing the relative priority ratings of two or more of the handsets.

7. A method of operating a mobile telephone system, the mobile telephone system having a plurality of mobile handsets and a plurality of base stations for serving the mobile handsets, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of handsets associated with a single directory number,

associating a predetermined set of the plurality of radio base stations with the directory number, and

selectively routing incoming calls to said directory number to one or more of said plurality of handsets currently served by radio base stations in the set in preference over any other handset also associated to said single directory number but not being currently served by the one or more radio base stations in said set.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein calls are diverted to another destination if none of said handsets is currently served by any of said set of base stations.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein if none of the handsets associated with a given directory number is currently served by said set of base stations, calls are diverted to one or more of the handsets associated with the directory number but currently served by a base station not forming part of said set.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein simultaneous call attempts are made with a plurality of handsets on receiving a call request to the directory number associated with said handsets.

11. A method according to claim 7, in which each handset served by a given directory number is allocated a unique priority rating and calls are routed to the handset having the highest priority rating, of those currently served by said set of base stations.

12. A method according to claim 11, in which the relative priority ratings of two or more of the handsets may be changed.