Integration of a private cellular system into a unified communications solution

• US 8,305,993 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altobridge Limited (Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Altobridge Limited (Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited)
• Inventors: Li, Yongqing, Vardi, Ilan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Yong
• Application Number:
  US12/242,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a communication system includes a private cellular base station subsystem to communicate, using a cellular radio frequency air radio interface, with home cellular wireless devices and visiting cellular wireless devices located within a coverage area associated with the private cellular base station subsystem. Each of the home cellular wireless devices having associated therewith (i) a public cellular number from a home public land mobile network, and (ii) a private cellular number from a private network associated with the communication system. The communication system further includes a private cellular switching subsystem to provide cellular switching functionality within the private network for the home cellular wireless devices in connection with sessions that are associated with the respective private cellular numbers of the respective home cellular wireless devices. The communication system further includes unified communications (UC) functionality to interface the private cellular switching subsystem to a unified communications server in order to provide unified communications services using the home cellular wireless devices.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a private cellular base station subsystem to communicate, using a cellular radio frequency air radio interface, with home cellular wireless devices and visiting cellular wireless devices located within a coverage area associated with the private cellular base station subsystem, each of the home cellular wireless devices having associated therewith (i) a public cellular number from a home public land mobile network, and (ii) a private cellular number from a private network associated with the communication system;

a private cellular switching subsystem to provide cellular switching functionality within the private network for the home cellular wireless devices in connection with sessions that are associated with the respective private cellular numbers of the respective home cellular wireless devices; and

unified communications (UC) functionality to interface the private cellular switching subsystem to a unified communications server in order to provide unified communications services using the home cellular wireless devices; and

a base station subsystem/mobile switching center interface gateway to, on a session-by-session basis, cause;

calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area made to a telephone number associated with the public land mobile network to be routed to the public land mobile network for the switching thereof; and

calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area made to a telephone number associated with the private network to be routed to the private cellular switching subsystem for the switching thereof;

wherein;

the unified communications functionality is configured to provide presence information related to the home cellular wireless devices to the unified communications server;

the unified communications functionality is configured to convert an instant message sent to an address associated with a home cellular wireless device to a short message service (SMS) message to send the SMS message to the home cellular wireless device; and

the unified communications functionality is configured to convert a short message service (SMS) message addressed to an instant messaging client sent from a home cellular wireless device, wherein the SMS message is converted to an instant message to send to the instant messaging client.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular switching subsystem comprises private mobile switching center (MSC) functionality, a private home location register (HLR), and a private visitor location register (VLR).

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular switching subsystem is configured to provide supplementary services to the home cellular wireless devices in connection with the private telephone numbers associated therewith.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the private cellular switching subsystem comprises a private voice mail server (VMS) to provide voice mail service to the home cellular wireless devices in connection with the private telephone numbers associated therewith.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the home public land mobile network comprises a public voice mail server (VMS) to provide voice mail service to the home cellular wireless devices in connection with the public telephone numbers associated therewith.

6. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the private VMS is configured to cause a SMS message to be sent to the respective home cellular wireless device when a new voice message for the respective home cellular wireless device has been received by the private VMS.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein a SMS indicator message is sent to a respective home cellular wireless device when a new unified message for the respective home cellular wireless device has been received by the unified message server.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, when a home cellular wireless device moves into the coverage area, a first location update is performed to the public land mobile network for the public telephone number associated with the respective home cellular wireless device and a second location update is performed to the private cellular switching subsystem associated with the respective private telephone number.

9. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a media gateway.

10. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a private branch exchange.

11. The communication system of claim 1, comprising a mobility gateway that includes the private cellular switching subsystem, wherein the mobility gateway is coupled to a local area network, wherein the local area network is coupled to the unified communication server and at least one of a plurality of unified communications end points and a plurality of other internet protocol devices.

12. A method comprising:

providing a private cellular base station subsystem within a coverage area associated with an enterprise, wherein the private cellular base station is configured to communicate, using a cellular radio frequency air radio interface, with home cellular wireless devices and visiting cellular wireless devices located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise, wherein each of the home cellular wireless devices having associated therewith (i) a public cellular number from a home public land mobile network, and (ii) a private cellular number from a private network associated with the enterprise;

performing cellular switching functionality within the private network for the home cellular wireless devices in connection with sessions that are associated with the respective private cellular numbers of the respective home cellular wireless devices;

interfacing the private cellular switching subsystem with a unified communications server in order to provide unified communications services using the home cellular wireless devices;

providing presence information related to the home cellular wireless devices to the unified communications server;

selectively routing calls originating from home wireless devices located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise, on a session-by-session basis, to be switched by either the public land mobile network or the private network, including routing calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise made to a telephone number associated with the public land mobile network to the public land mobile network for the switching thereof; and

routing calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise made to a telephone number associated with the private network to a private cellular switching subsystem included in the private network for the switching thereof;

converting an instant message sent to an address associated with a home cellular wireless device to a short message service (SMS) message to send the SMS message to the home cellular wireless device; and

converting a short message service (SMS) message addressed to an instant messaging client sent from a home cellular wireless device, wherein the SMS message is converted to an instant message to send to the instant messaging client.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a SMS indicator message to a respective home cellular wireless device when a new unified message for the respective home cellular wireless device has been received by the unified message server.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing, when a home cellular wireless device moves into the coverage area associated with the enterprise, a first location update to the public land mobile network for the public telephone number associated with the respective home cellular wireless device and a second location update to a private cellular switching subsystem included in the private network associated with the respective private telephone number.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising authenticating home cellular wireless devices, at least in part, using authentication keys from the home public land mobile network.

16. A communication system comprising:

a private cellular base station subsystem to communicate, using a cellular radio frequency air radio interface, with home cellular wireless devices and visiting cellular wireless devices located within a coverage area associated with an enterprise, each of the home cellular wireless devices having associated therewith (i) a public cellular number from a home public land mobile network, and (ii) a private cellular number from a private network associated with the enterprise;

a private cellular switching subsystem to provide cellular switching functionality within the private network for the home cellular wireless devices in connection with sessions that are associated with the respective private cellular numbers of the respective home cellular wireless devices; and

a base station subsystem/mobile switching center interface gateway to, on a session-by-session basis, cause;

calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise made to a telephone number associated with the public land mobile network to be routed to the public land mobile network for the switching thereof; and

calls originating from a home wireless device located within the coverage area associated with the enterprise made to a telephone number associated with the private network to be routed to the private cellular switching subsystem for the switching thereof;

wherein;

the private cellular switching subsystem is interfaced to a unified communications server in order to provide unified communications services using the home cellular wireless devices;

the communication system is configured to convert an instant message sent to an address associated with a home cellular wireless device to a short message service (SMS) message to send the SMS message to the home cellular wireless device;

the communication system is configured to convert a short message service (SMS) message addressed to an instant messaging client sent from a home cellular wireless device, wherein the SMS message is converted to an instant message to send to the instant messaging client; and

the communication system is configured to provide presence information related to the home cellular wireless devices to the unified communications server.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the private cellular switching subsystem comprises private mobile switching center (MSC) functionality, a private home location register (HLR), and a private visitor location register (VLR).