Wireless digital personal communications system having voice/data/image two-way calling and intercel hand-off

• US 7,738,886 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1997
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel N., Bannack, Gary J., Holt, Lewis, Westerhold, Morris W., Connolly, David A., Ciannella, Frank A. Jr., Hallman, Kenneth B., Czaplewski, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/926,187
• Time in Patent Office: 4,662 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/60, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/53.1, 455/56.1, 455/403, 455/422, 455/461, 455/435, 455/436, 455/524, 455/550, 455410-411, 455/450, 370/431, 370/433, 370/442, 370/522, 370/437, 380/28, 380/46, 380/47
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13515 authentication, authorisation - fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication

Abstract

A wireless digital personal communications system (or PCS) having a plurality of radio cell base stations, fixed terminals, and portable handset terminals, each having a predetermined radio cell coverage area. The wireless PCS has a full digital network interface. The personal communications system facilitates the interconnection and switching of PCS call traffic through the digital network interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network. The personal communications system has voice/data/image (or any combination thereof) and incoming and outgoing calling capability. The PCS is fully operational and compatible with any and all modulation approaches selected for wireless communications. The intercell protocol hand-off being provided through distributed logic which is implemented in software that is resident in the intelligent portable handset terminals, in the intelligent fixed terminals, in the intelligent base stations, and in the public switched telephone network (or any switched network). Alternative embodiments of the present invention include a wireless digital personal communications system having authentication means for authenticating a remote device; a wireless digital personal communications system having a combination of authentication means for authenticating a remote device and security means for securing signal and message content between an intelligent base station and a remote device, the security means including a predetermined encryption and decryption technique; a wireless digital personal communications system having dynamic zone grouping of portable handset terminals or fixed terminals; and a wireless digital personal communications system having call forwarding for unanswered calls.

Claims

1. A wireless digital personal communications system, said system having a plurality of predetermined areas of radio cell coverage, said system having incoming and outgoing calling capability for either voice/data/image information, or any combination thereof, said system having an ISDN interface which allows for the interconnection and switching of wireless traffic through a switched network and for connecting at least one radio cell with a switched network, said system having a service control point data base using transaction application protocols, said system having intercell hand-off provided through distributed logic that is resident in the portable handset terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the fixed terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the radio cell base stations, and distributed logic that is resident at predetermined locations in the switched network, said system comprising in combination:

a plurality of radio cell base station means, each radio cell base station means having a predetermined radio cell coverage area, each radio cell base station means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each radio cell base station means including;

means for digital communications with the ISDN interface;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific portable handset terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific fixed terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for registration of a portable handset terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for registration of a fixed terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for effectuating communications between each portable handset terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means; and

means for effectuating communications between each fixed terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means;

a plurality of portable handset terminal means, each portable handset terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each portable handset terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each portable handset terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison; and

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means;

a plurality of fixed terminal means, each fixed terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each fixed terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each fixed terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison; and

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means;

at least one switched network means, each switched network means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each switched network means including;

means for connecting the digital network to each of the radio cell base station means to the switched network means;

means for effectuating intercell hand-off from a first radio cell coverage area to a second radio cell coverage area;

means for converting a first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol for interconnection to a service control point data base means; and

means for determining and accepting calls to and from a plurality of switched networks means; and

a service control point data base means including;

means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area; and

means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area,

whereby the personal communications system facilitates interconnection and switching of wireless call traffic through the ISDN interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network.

2. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the means for converting the first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol, said second protocol is a transaction application protocol.

3. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 2 where said transaction application protocol is the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) protocol.

4. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 2 where said transaction application protocol is the X.25 protocol.

5. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal feature profiles.

6. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the means for registration of the fixed terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal feature profiles.

7. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal user profiles.

8. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the means for registration of the fixed handset terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal user profiles.

9. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 1 where the radio cell coverage area has a radius of less than 5,280 feet.

10. A wireless digital personal communications system, said system having a plurality of predetermined areas of radio cell coverage, said system having incoming and outgoing calling capability for either voice/data/image information, or any combination thereof, said system having an ISDN interface which allows for the interconnection and switching of wireless traffic through a switched network and for connecting at least one radio cell with a switched network, said system having a service control point data base using transaction application protocols, said system having a predetermined authentication routine for validating a remote device, said system having intercell hand-off provided through distributed logic that is resident in the portable handset terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the fixed terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the radio cell base stations, and distributed logic that is resident at predetermined locations in the switched network, said system comprising in combination:

a plurality of radio cell base station means, each radio cell base station means having a predetermined radio cell coverage area, each radio cell base station means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each radio cell base station means including;

means for digital communications with the ISDN interface;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific portable handset terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific fixed terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for registration of a portable handset terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for registration of a fixed terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for effectuating communications between each portable handset terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means;

means for effectuating communications between each fixed terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means;

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner; and

means for authenticating each fixed terminal means in a predetermined manner;

a plurality of portable handset terminal means, each portable handset terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each portable handset terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each portable handset terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison;

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means; and

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner;

a plurality of fixed terminal means, each fixed terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each fixed terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each fixed terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison; and

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means;

at least one switched network means, each switched network means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each switched network means including;

means for connecting the digital network to each of the radio cell base station means to the switched network means;

means for effectuating intercell hand-off from a first radio cell coverage area to a second radio cell coverage area;

means for converting a first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol for interconnection to a service control point data base means; and

means for determining and accepting calls to and from a plurality of switched networks means; and

a service control point data base means including;

means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area;

means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area;

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner; and

means for authenticating each fixed terminal means in a predetermined manner,

whereby the personal communications system facilitates interconnection and switching of wireless call traffic through the ISDN interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network.

11. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the means for converting the first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol, said second protocol is a transaction application protocol.

12. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 11 where said transaction application protocol is the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) protocol.

13. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 11 where said transaction application protocol is the X.25 protocol.

14. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal feature profiles.

15. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the means for registration of the fixed terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal feature profiles.

16. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal user profiles.

17. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the means for registration of the fixed handset terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal user profiles.

18. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 10 where the radio cell coverage area has a radius of less than 5,280 feet.

19. A wireless digital personal communications system, said system having a plurality of predetermined areas of radio cell coverage, said system having incoming and outgoing calling capability for either voice/data/image information, or any combination thereof, said system having an ISDN interface which allows for the interconnection and switching of wireless traffic through a switched network and for connecting at least one radio cell with a switched network, said system having a service control point data base using transaction application protocols, said system having a predetermined authentication and security routine for validating a remote device and for securing communications between a remote device and a radio cell base station means, said system having intercell hand-off provided through distributed logic that is resident in the portable handset terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the fixed terminals, distributed logic that is resident in the radio cell base stations, and distributed logic that is resident at predetermined locations in the switched network, said system comprising in combination:

a plurality of radio cell base station means, each radio cell base station means having a predetermined radio cell coverage area, each radio cell base station means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each radio cell base station means including;

means for digital communications with the ISDN interface;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific portable handset terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for assigning a communications channel to a specific fixed terminal means in the coverage area from a plurality of available communications channels;

means for registration of a portable handset terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for registration of a fixed terminal means within a radio cell coverage area for incoming or outgoing calling on the assigned communications channel;

means for effectuating communications between each portable handset terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means;

means for effectuating communications between each fixed terminal means in said radio cell coverage area and a switched network means;

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner;

means for authenticating each fixed terminal means in a predetermined manner;

means for securing communications between each portable handset terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique; and

means for securing communications between each fixed terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique;

a plurality of portable handset terminal means, each portable handset terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each portable handset terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each portable handset terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison;

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means;

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner; and

means for securing communications between each portable handset terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique;

a plurality of fixed terminal means, each fixed terminal means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each fixed terminal means having means for receiving and transmitting signal messages and a plurality of communications messages, each fixed terminal means including;

means for initially selecting a radio cell base station means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a switched network means;

means for selecting a communications channel of an operatively disposed radio cell base station means by scanning the available channels, comparing the quality of the signals, and then selecting the communications channel based upon said comparison;

means for seeking and determining an intercell hand-off from an existing radio cell base station means to a second radio cell base station means;

means for authenticating each fixed terminal means in a predetermined manner; and

means for securing communications between each fixed terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique;

at least one switched network means, each switched network means operatively disposed with said radio cell base station means, each switched network means including;

means for connecting the digital network to each of the radio cell base station means to the switched network means;

means for effectuating intercell hand-off from a first radio cell coverage area to a second radio cell coverage area;

means for converting a first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol for interconnection to a service control point data base means; and

means for determining and accepting calls to and from a plurality of switched networks means; and

a service control point data base means including;

means for registration of the portable handset terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area;

means for registration of the fixed terminal means with a specific radio cell coverage area;

means for authenticating each portable handset terminal means in a predetermined manner;

means for authenticating each fixed terminal means in a predetermined manner;

means for securing communications between each portable handset terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique; and

means for securing communications between each fixed terminal means and said radio cell base station means, said means for security including means for security in accordance with a predetermined encryption and decryption technique,

whereby the personal communications system facilitates interconnection and switching of wireless call traffic through the ISDN interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network.

20. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the means for converting the first predetermined digital network protocol to a second protocol, said second protocol is a transaction application protocol.

21. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 20 where said transaction application protocol is the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) protocol.

22. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 20 where said transaction application protocol is the X.25 protocol.

23. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal feature profiles.

24. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the means for registration of the fixed terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal feature profiles.

25. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the means for registration of the portable handset terminal means includes a means for storing the portable handset terminal user profiles.

26. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the means for registration of the fixed handset terminal means includes a means for storing the fixed terminal user profiles.

27. The wireless digital personal communications system of claim 19 where the radio cell coverage area has a radius of less than 5,280 feet.