Cellular radio system

• US 7,406,309 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stratos Global Ltd. (Inmarsat PLC)
• Original Assignee: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Mead, Andrew Robert, Usher, Martin Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US09/833,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455430-431, 455/433, 455/561, 455/414.1, 455/420, 455/426.1, 455/417, 455/445, 455/554.1, 455/555, 455/12.1, 455/461, 379/207.05, 379/207.06, 379/207.07, 379/207.08, 379/201.07, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/88.25, 379/142.08, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A method for forwarding incoming cellular communications to an aircraft is provided. A request is received to divert incoming calls for a cellular telephone number to a communication system on board an aircraft. The request includes at least a temporary identification code representing a cellular telephone aboard the aircraft. A diversion instruction is associated with the cellular telephone number. The diversion instruction represents an instruction to forward an incoming call for the cellular telephone number to the communications system aboard the aircraft. A state of a cellular telephone associated with the cellular telephone number is considered as busy, regardless of an actual state of the cellular telephone. An incoming telephone call to the cellular telephone number is forwarded, consistent with said considering and in accordance with the diversion instruction, to the communications system on board the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding incoming cellular communications to an aircraft, comprising:

receiving a request to divert incoming calls for a cellular telephone number to a communication system on board an aircraft, the request including at least a temporary identification code representing a cellular telephone aboard the aircraft;

associating a diversion instruction with the cellular telephone number, the diversion instruction representing an instruction to forward an incoming call for the cellular telephone number to the communications system aboard the aircraft; and

considering a state of a cellular telephone associated with the cellular telephone number as busy, regardless of an actual state of the cellular telephone;

wherein, an incoming telephone call to the cellular telephone number is forwarded, consistent with said considering and in accordance with the diversion instruction, to the communications system on board the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating a diversion instruction comprises giving priority to an address of the communications system on board the aircraft over any previous diversion instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication system on board the aircraft is a communication device in wireless communication with the cellular telephone aboard the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating a diversion instruction comprises modifying a preset diversion instruction associated with the cellular telephone to include the communication system on board the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the cellular telephone number; and

forwarding the incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, the cellular telephone having at least one original diversion instruction prior to said associating a diversion instruction, the method further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the cellular telephone number;

diverting, in response to an actual state of the cellular telephone being busy, the incoming call consistent with the at least one original diversion instruction.

7. A method for routing incoming cellular telephone traffic through a land-based host network to a cellular device user aboard an aircraft, the cellular device user having an associated cellular telephone number, comprising:

receiving, at the host network, a request to register the presence of the cellular device user aboard the aircraft, the request including at least a temporary identification code representing a cellular telephone aboard the aircraft;

the host network advising the cellular device user'"'"'s home network that the cellular device user is within the operating jurisdiction of the host network;

associating, at the host network, a primary divert on busy instruction with the cellular telephone number, the divert on busy instruction representing an instruction to divert an incoming call to a communication system on board the aircraft; and

considering a current operational state associated with the cellular telephone number as busy, regardless of an actual operational state of the cellular telephone;

wherein, upon receipt of an incoming call to the cellular telephone number, the host forwards an incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft consistent with the primary divert on busy instruction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said associating a primary divert on busy instruction comprises giving an identifier of the communication system on board the aircraft priority over any preset divert on busy instruction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication system on board the aircraft is a communication device wirelessly coupled with the cellular telephone aboard the aircraft.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said associating the primary divert on busy instruction comprises modifying preset diversion instructions associated with the cellular telephone to include the communication system on board the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the cellular telephone number; and

forwarding the incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 7, the cellular telephone having at least one original divert on busy instruction prior to said associating a primary divert on busy instruction, the method further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the cellular telephone number; and

diverting, in response to an actual state of the cellular telephone being busy, the incoming call consistent with the at least one original divert on busy instruction.

13. A method for forwarding incoming telephone communications to an aircraft, compnsing:

receiving a request to divert incoming calls for a telephone number to a communication system on board an aircraft, the request including at least a temporary identification code representing a telephone aboard the aircraft;

associating a diversion instruction with the telephone number, the diversion instruction representing an instruction to forward an incoming call for the telephone number to the communications system aboard the aircraft; and

considering a state of a telephone associated with the telephone number as busy, regardless of an actual state of the telephone;

wherein, an incoming telephone call to the telephone number is forwarded, consistent with said considering and in accordance with the diversion instruction, to the communications system on board the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said associating a diversion instruction comprises giving priority to an address of the communications system on board the aircraft over any previous diversion instruction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication system on board the aircraft is a communication device in wireless communication with the telephone aboard the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said associating a diversion instruction comprises modifying a preset diversion instruction associated with the telephone to include the communication system on board the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the telephone number; and

forwarding the incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft.

18. The method of claim 13, the telephone having at least one original diversion instruction prior to said associating a diversion instruction, the method further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the telephone number;

diverting, in response to an actual state of the telephone being busy, the incoming call consistent with the at least one original diversion instruction.

19. A method for routing incoming telephone traffic through a land-based host network to a telephone device user aboard an aircraft, the telephone device user having an associated telephone number, comprising:

receiving, at the host network, a request to register the presence of the telephone device user aboard the aircraft, the request including at least a temporary identification code representing a telephone aboard the aircraft;

the host network advising the telephone device user'"'"'s home network that the telephone device user is within the operating jurisdiction of the host network;

associating, at the host network, a primary divert on busy instruction with the telephone number, the divert on busy instruction representing an instruction to divert an incoming call to a communication system on board the aircraft; and

considering a current operational state associated with the telephone number as busy, regardless of an actual operational state of the telephone;

wherein, upon receipt of an incoming call to the telephone number, the host forwards an incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft consistent with the primary divert on busy instruction.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said associating a primary divert on busy instruction comprises giving an identifier of the communication system on board the aircraft priority over any preset divert on busy instruction.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the communication system on board the aircraft is a communication device wirelessly coupled with the telephone aboard the aircraft.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said associating the primary divert on busy instruction comprises modifying preset diversion instructions associated with the telephone to include the communication system on board the aircraft.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the telephone number; and

forwarding the incoming call to the communication system on board the aircraft.

24. The method of claim 19, the telephone having at least one original divert on busy instruction prior to said associating a primary divert on busy instruction, the method further comprising:

receiving an incoming call for the cellular telephone number; and

diverting, in response to an actual state of the cellular telephone being busy, the incoming call consistent with the at least one original divert on busy instruction.