System and method for providing a simultaneous ring service for multiple landline or wireless telecommunications units

• US 6,978,004 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levine, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Benny Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,399
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 37921101-21104, 379/207.02, 379/207.16, 37922108-22112, 379/229, 379/230, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/211.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained

Abstract

A system for providing a simultaneous ring service for a subscriber. The system allows a subscriber to identify one or more telecommunication units that should be rung simultaneously with the subscriber'"'"'s landline telecommunications unit when a call is directed to the landline unit. A list of numbers to be simultaneously rung is maintained by the subscriber and may be stored at a service control point. Ringing wireless numbers is initiated prior to ringing wireline numbers to account for timing delays inherent in wireless communications systems.

Claims

1. A system for providing a simultaneous ring service for a subscriber, comprising:

a switch in communication with a landline telecommunications unit associated with the subscriber for detecting a first terminating trigger specific to the service in response to an incoming communication to the landline telecommunications unit from a calling party;

a service control point in communication with the switch for determining, in response to detection of the first terminating trigger by the switch, whether two or more telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available; and

a services node in communication with the switch for receiving the incoming communication from the switch when the service control point determines that two or more telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available, and, in response thereto, for placing at least one outgoing communication for each of the available telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung,

wherein the switch is further for receiving the outgoing communications and for detecting a terminating trigger in response to receiving each of the outgoing communications, and

wherein the service control point, in response to detection of the terminating triggers generated by the outgoing communications received by the switch, is further for instructing the switch to route each of the outgoing communications to one of the two or more communications units to be simultaneously rung.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the services node is further for:

connecting the incoming communication to the outgoing communication associated with the one of the two or more telecommunications units simultaneously rung that is answered first.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the services node is further for:

dropping each of the outgoing communications other than the outgoing communication associated with the one of the two more telecommunications units simultaneously rung that is answered first.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the service control point includes an associated database storing directory numbers associated with each of the two or more telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung, and wherein the services node is not for storing the directory numbers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the services node is further for placing the outgoing communications associated with wireless directory numbers a predetermined time period before placing the outgoing communications associated with wireline directory numbers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more telecommunications units to be rung simultaneously may comprise wireless units or landline units and wherein the service control point is for determining whether landline telecommunications units are available by sending a query message to the switch requesting a status of the landline telecommunications units.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the service control point is for determining whether the wireless units are available by sending a query message to one or more home location registers requesting the status of the wireless telecommunications units.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the service control point is further for determining that one of the wireless units is available when the home location register does not respond to the query message within a predetermined time period.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the service control point is further for instructing the switch to route the incoming communication to the landline telecommunications unit when the service control point determines that the landline telecommunications unit is not available.

10. A method for providing a simultaneous ring service for a subscriber, comprising:

detecting an incoming communication from a calling party to a landline telecommunications unit associated with the subscriber;

determining, in response to detection of the incoming communication, whether each of a plurality of telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available;

receiving an indication of the number of telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung that are available and whether each telecommunication unit to be simultaneously rung is a landline unit or a wireless unit; and

placing outgoing communications to each of the plurality of telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung that are available, with a terminating trigger associated with each, and the landline telecommunications unit when the landline telecommunications unit and at least one of the telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

connecting the incoming communication to the first telecommunications unit to be answered of either the landline telecommunications unit or the plurality of telecommunications units that are available.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

dropping each of the outgoing communications other than the outgoing communication associated with the first telecommunications unit to be answered.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein placing the outgoing communications includes placing the outgoing communications to telecommunications units that are wireless a predetermined time period before placing the outgoing communications to telecommunications units that are wired units.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the landline telecommunications units are available includes sending a query message requesting a status of the landline telecommunications units.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether the wireless telecommunications units are available includes sending a query message to one or more home location registers requesting a status of the wireless telecommunications units.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether one of the wireless telecommunications units is available includes determining that the wireless telecommunications unit is available when the home location register does not respond to the query message within a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising routing the incoming communication to the landline telecommunications unit when it is determined that the landline telecommunications unit is not available.

18. A system for providing a simultaneous ring service for a subscriber, comprising:

means for detecting an incoming communication from a calling party to a landline telecommunications unit associated with the subscriber;

programmable determination means for determining, in response to detection of the incoming communication, whether the landline telecommunications unit and each of a plurality of telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available;

programmable service means for receiving an indication of the number of telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung that are available and whether each telecommunication unit to be simultaneously rung is a landline unit or a wireless unit and for placing outgoing communications to the landline telecommunications unit and each of the telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung that are available, with a terminating trigger associated with each; and

programmable switching means for connecting the incoming communication to the first unit answered of the landline telecommunications unit and the telecommunications units simultaneously rung.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the programmable service means further includes:

programmable means for dropping the first each of the outgoing communications other than the first unit answered.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the programmable service means for placing the outgoing communications includes programmable service means for placing outgoing communications to wireless telecommunications units a predetermined time period before placing second outgoing communications to wired telecommunications.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the programmable means for determining whether the landline telecommunications unit is available includes programmable means for sending a query message requesting a status of the landline telecommunications unit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the programmable means for determining whether each of the telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available includes programmable means sending a query message to a home location register requesting a status of any wireless telecommunications unit.