Integrated wireless/wireline registration

• US 7,894,814 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Christopher C., Christie, Oral A., Alston, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Creighton
• Application Number:
  US12/852,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20100297987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/435.1, 455/422.1, 455/433, 455/461, 379/207.02
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• 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: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for routing telephone calls directed to a wireless unit located in the wireless network to a landline device located in the landline network. The system utilizes a location register in the form of a service control point (SCP) located in the landline network to store certain information pertaining to landline numbers and respective routing numbers associated with landline devices. The SCP is functionally coupled to a Visitors'"'"' Location Register (VLR) as well as to a landline network element that facilitates the routing of communications to both landline devices and over to the MTSO and its associated Home Location Register (HLR) in the wireless network. The system provides for the registering of the wireless unit with the landline network by the dialing of an administrative number from a landline device and causes the VLR in the landline network to directly communicate with the HLR in the wireless network to keep both the landline and the wireless networks up to date as to the registration status and specific routing for the various subscribers. The system is thereby able to route calls efficiently and to alleviate the tromboning effect that often occurs when calls are redirected from a wireless unit to a landline device.

Claims

1. A method for routing a communication directed to a wireless number to a landline device, the method comprising:

registering a wireless unit with a landline network element, wherein a landline telephone number of the landline device is identified during registration and a plurality of wireless units is previously registered with the landline telephone number;

after registering the wireless unit, transmitting a signal from the landline network element to a wireless switching office identifying the wireless unit as being registered; and

in response to the signal being sent to the wireless switching office, causing the wireless switching office to route the communication intended for one of the plurality of wireless units to the landline telephone number of the landline device such that certain ring patterns will be caused to occur at the landline device in accordance with which one of the plurality of wireless units is an intended recipient of the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering the wireless unit comprises:

receiving identification information associated with a call from the landline telephone number directed to an administrative number associated with the wireless unit;

making a recognition of the call directed to the administrative number as indicative of a request for registration of the wireless unit, the recognition being based on the identification information associated with the call; and

making the registration of the wireless unit with the landline network element.

3. The method of claim 2, after the making a recognition of the call, further comprising validating the landline number with respect to entitlement of the registration.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a menu of options to the call after making the recognition of the call and making a confirmatory announcement of a selection of an option to the call.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the menu of options includes options for activating service features through use of the administrative number.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising, after making a registration of the wireless unit, triggering a query in the landline network element after receiving a call directed to the wireless unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering a query in the landline network element comprises determining the landline number associated with the wireless unit.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a confirmatory message to the landline network element from the wireless switching office confirming the registration of the wireless unit with the landline network element.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising making a confirmatory announcement of the registration to the call after the confirmatory message is received.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising canceling the registration of the wireless unit after receiving a power up signal transmitted from the wireless unit.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising canceling the registration of the wireless unit after receiving instructions from the landline device.

12. A communications system comprising:

a wireless network serving a plurality of wireless units associated with respective wireless numbers;

a landline network serving a landline device associated with a landline number, the landline network being functionally coupled to the wireless network to facilitate the routing of telecommunications therebetween;

switching means operatively associated with the wireless network;

routing means functionally coupled to the landline network and being selectively operative for routing telecommunications directed to one of the respective wireless numbers to the landline device associated with the landline number; and

control means functionally coupled to the routing means and to the switching means, the control means being operative to receive and to store a registration signal corresponding to a registration of one of the wireless units and to transmit an activation signal to the switching means after receiving the registration signal; and

whereby the switching means is operative in response to receipt of the activation signal to route a signal intended for a wireless number of a wireless unit to the landline device, the wireless unit being one of the plurality of wireless units and the wireless number being one of the respective wireless numbers, wherein;

the respective wireless units are registered with the landline number; and

in response to the activation signal being sent to the switching means, the switching means causes the wireless switching office to route a communication intended for one of the respective wireless numbers to the landline number of the landline device such that certain ring patterns will be caused to occur at the landline device in accordance with which one of the plurality of wireless units is an intended recipient of the communication.

13. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the routing means comprises:

means for receiving identification information associated with a call directed to an administrative number from the landline device;

means for recognizing the call directed to the administrative number as indicative of a request for registration of the wireless unit, the recognizing being based on the identification information associated with the call and on information associating the wireless number and the administrative number; and

means for providing the control means with data after the recognizing step, the data comprising the identification information associated with the call, whereby the control means makes the registration of the wireless unit with the landline network in accordance with the data.

14. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the control means comprises a service control point having a visitor location register functionally coupled thereto, and the switching means comprises a mobile telephone switching office having a home location register functionally coupled thereto.

15. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the routing means further comprises means for validating the landline number with respect to entitlement of the registration.

16. The communications system of claim 12, the landline network comprising:

a landline network element; and

a service control point (SCP) functionally coupled to the landline network element and operative to make a registration of the wireless unit, and to transmit a message to the landline network element after the registration, the message identifying the wireless unit such that the landline network element routes a communication received for the wireless number to the landline device; and

an intelligent peripheral functionally coupled to the landline network element and the service control point, the intelligent peripheral operative to provide a menu of options to a current call and making a confirmatory announcement after a selection of an option to the current call.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the menu of options includes options for activating service features through use of the administrative number.

18. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the landline network further comprises:

means for receiving identification information associated with the call directed to the administrative number from the landline device;

means for making a recognition of the call directed to the administrative number as indicative of a request for the registration of the wireless unit, the recognition being based on the identification information associated with the call; and

means for providing the service control point with data after the recognition is made, the data comprising the identification information associated with the call and the information associating the wireless number with the landline number, whereby the service control point makes the registration of the wireless unit with the landline network element in accordance with the data.

19. The communications system of claim 12 further comprising means for canceling the registration of the wireless unit after receiving a power up signal transmitted from the wireless unit.

20. The communications system of claim 12 further comprising means for canceling the registration of the wireless unit after receiving instructions from the landline device.