Dispatch communication forwarding

• US 7,991,389 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lemish, Michael Lee, Sharma, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US11/314,417
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/458, 455/517, 455/519, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/417, 455/518, 455/521, 370/335
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Systems and methods for forwarding dispatch communications are provided. A dispatch communication forwarding request is sent to a dispatch processor or a dispatch communication forwarding server. A record associated with the dispatch station initiating the dispatch communication forwarding request is updated in a home location register to indicate that dispatch communications intended for the dispatch station should be forwarded to another dispatch station. The communication forwarding can be absolute such that all communications intended for one dispatch station are forwarded to another dispatch station. Alternatively, the communication forwarding can be conditional such that all dispatch communications meeting certain criteria intended for one dispatch station are forwarded to another dispatch station.

Claims

1. A method for forwarding dispatch communications intended for a first dispatch station to a second dispatch station, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a dispatch processor or a dispatch communication forwarding server from the first dispatch station, a communication forwarding request for the first dispatch station that indicates a forwarding address for dispatch communications intended for the first dispatch station;

updating a record for the first dispatch station to indicate the forwarding address for dispatch communications intended for the first dispatch station, wherein the record is located in a home location register and the dispatch processor, the dispatch processor is arranged to recognize a dispatch call forwarding call type, and the dispatch processor updates the record in response to receipt of the communication forwarding request or in response to information sent from the dispatch communication forwarding server;

receiving, by the dispatch processor, a dispatch communication request for the first dispatch station; and

establishing, by the dispatch processor, a dispatch communication with a dispatch station associated with the forwarding address, wherein the first dispatch station is not involved in the established dispatch communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication forwarding request is received by the dispatch processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication forwarding request is received by the dispatch communication forwarding server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the dispatch communication request for the first dispatch station is received, the method comprises the acts of:

accessing the record for the first dispatch station; and

determining the forwarding address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatch network is a public communication network.

5. A method for forwarding dispatch communications intended for a first dispatch station to a second dispatch station, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a communication forwarding request for the first dispatch station to a dispatch network;

updating a record for the first dispatch station to indicate a forwarding address for dispatch communications intended for the first dispatch station wherein the record is located in a home location register and the dispatch processor, the dispatch processor is arranged to recognize a dispatch call forwarding call type, and the dispatch processor updates the record in response to receipt of the communication forwarding request or in response to information sent from a dispatch communication forwarding server;

receiving a dispatch communication request for the first dispatch station;

determining, by the dispatch processor after receiving the dispatch communication request, that the record stored in one of the home location register and the dispatch processor for first dispatch station indicates that dispatch communication forwarding is conditional;

establishing, by the dispatch processor, a dispatch communication with a dispatch station associated with the forwarding address when the condition is satisfied; and

establishing, by the dispatch processor, a dispatch communication with the first dispatch station when the condition is not satisfied.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the dispatch communication forwarding is conditional on a time of day, day of a week, or calling dispatch station identifier.

8. A method for dispatch communications, the method comprising the acts of:

updating a record for a second dispatch station to indicate a forwarding address for dispatch communications intended for the second dispatch station wherein the record is located in a home location register and a dispatch processor, the dispatch processor is arranged to recognize a dispatch call forwarding call type, and the dispatch processor updates the record in response to receipt of a communication forwarding request or in response to information sent from a dispatch communication forwarding server;

receiving a dispatch communication request from a first dispatch station for the second dispatch station;

determining that dispatch communications for the second dispatch station are subject to a dispatch communication forwarding service; and

establishing a dispatch communication between the first dispatch station and another dispatch station in accordance with the dispatch communication forwarding service, wherein the establishing the dispatch communication comprises accessing a home location register of the another dispatch station to determine a location of the another dispatch station, and wherein the second dispatch station is not involved in the established dispatch communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act of determining that the dispatch communications are subject to a dispatch communication forwarding service, comprises the act of:

determining that a condition of the dispatch communication forwarding service is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the condition is a time of day, day of a week, or calling dispatch station identifier.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the acts of:

receiving a dispatch communication request from a third dispatch station for a fourth dispatch station;

determining that dispatch communications for the fourth dispatch station are subject to a dispatch communication forwarding service; and

establishing a dispatch communication between the third dispatch station and the another dispatch station in accordance with the dispatch communication forwarding request.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination that dispatch communications are subject to a dispatch communication forwarding service is based on the record in the home location register.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination that dispatch communications are subject to a dispatch communication forwarding service is based on the record in the dispatch processor.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the home location register of the another dispatch station is different from a home location register of the second dispatch station.