Systems and methods for handling calls in a wireless enabled PBX system using mobile switching protocols

• US 8,509,786 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, Douglas, Ford, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irace, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/499,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/435.1, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

Methods of routing an incoming call to a mobile telephone received at a wireless enabled private branch exchange (PBX) include issuing a location request query to an element of a wireless communications network to which the mobile telephone may be subscribed, receiving a location request response from the element indicative of a status of the mobile telephone on the wireless communications network, and forwarding the incoming call to a voicemail mailbox associated with the at least one mobile telephone if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is not available to receive a call on the wireless communications network. The incoming call is forwarded to a telephone number associated with the mobile telephone on the wireless communications network if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive a call on the wireless communications network. Corresponding communications systems and private branch exchanges are also provided.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a wireless enabled private branch exchange for routing and managing telephone calls to terminals in the communications system including a mobile telephone;

an interface unit coupled to the wireless enabled private branch exchange for issuing a location request query to an element of a public wireless communications network to which the mobile telephone is subscribed for receiving a location request response from the element indicative of a status of the mobile telephone on the public wireless communications network, and configured to provide the location request response to the private branch exchange

wherein the private branch exchange, upon receipt of the location request response, to forwards a call directed to the mobile telephone to a voicemail mailbox in the private branch exchange associated with the mobile telephone if the location request response indicating that the mobile telephone is not available to receive a call on the public wireless communications network

wherein the interface unit further sends a provisioning request establishing a secondary call handling protocol in the public wireless communications network for the mobile telephone before transferring the call directed to the mobile telephone to the public wireless communications network, the secondary call handling protocol defining a call handling protocol for handling calls to the mobile telephone in response one of a busy and a no answer condition of the mobile telephone, in response to the location request response indicating that the mobile telephone is available to receive the call on the public wireless communications network.

2. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base station coupled to the wireless enabled private branch exchange and configured to establish a wireless communications link with the mobile telephone when the mobile telephone is within range of the base station.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the provisioning request sets one of a call forward-no answer and a call forward-busy setting in the wireless communications network for the mobile telephone.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the interface unit is sends the provisioning request to one of the mobile telephone and a mobile switching center serving the mobile telephone.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the private branch exchange forwards an incoming call received at the private branch exchange for the mobile telephone to a telephone number associated with the mobile telephone on the wireless communications network if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive a call on the wireless communications network.

6. The communications system of claim 5, wherein the interface unit sends the provisioning request establishing a secondary call handling protocol for the mobile telephone to an element of the wireless communications network.

7. The communications system of claim 5, wherein the private branch exchange alters a call setting in the private branch exchange associated with the mobile telephone when the incoming call is forwarded to the mobile telephone in the wireless communications network.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the call setting comprises a timeout value associated with the incoming call, and wherein the private branch exchange increases the timeout value associated with the incoming call.

9. A method of routing an incoming call to a mobile telephone received at a wireless enabled private branch exchange, comprising:

issuing a location request query to an element of a public wireless communications network to which the mobile telephone is subscribed;

receiving a location request response from the element indicative of a status of the mobile telephone on the public wireless communications network,

and forwarding the incoming call to a voicemail mailbox associated with the mobile telephone if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is not available to receive a call on the public wireless communications network;

and sending a provisioning request before a the incoming call is transferred to the public wireless communications network, establishing a secondary call handling protocol for the mobile telephone if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive the call on the public wireless communications network the secondary call handling protocol defining a call handling protocol for handling calls to the mobile telephone in response to one of busy and no answer condition of the mobile telephone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing a wireless communications link with the mobile telephone when the mobile telephone is within range of a base station coupled to the wireless enabled private branch exchange.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the provisioning request sets one of a call forward-no answer and a call forward-busy setting in the wireless communications network for the mobile telephone.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the provisioning request comprises sending the provisioning request to one of the mobile telephone and a mobile switching center serving the mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forwarding the incoming call to a telephone number associated with the mobile telephone on the wireless communications network if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive a call on the wireless communications network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending the provisioning request establishing a secondary call handling protocol for the mobile telephone in the wireless communications network to an element of the wireless communications network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

altering a call setting in the private branch exchange associated with the mobile terminal when the incoming call is forwarded to the mobile telephone in the wireless communications network, wherein the call setting comprises a timeout value associated with the incoming call, and wherein altering the call setting comprises increasing the timeout value associated with the incoming call.

16. An apparatus comprising a wireless enabled private branch exchange telephone calls to terminals in a private communications system including mobile telephone for issuing a location request query to an element of a public wireless communications network to which the mobile telephone is subscribed and for receiving a location request response from the element indicative of a status of the mobile telephone on the public wireless communications network, and for forwarding, upon receipt of the location request response, to forward a call directed to the mobile telephone to a voicemail mailbox in the private branch exchange associated with the mobile telephone if the location request response indicating that the mobile telephone is not available to receive a call on the public wireless communications network

wherein the private branch exchange is sends a provisioning request establishing a secondary call handling protocol for the mobile telephone to the element of the public wireless communications network before transferring the call directed to the mobile telephone to the public wireless communications network the secondary call handling protocol defining a call handling protocol for handling calls to the mobile telephone in response to one of a busy and no answer condition of the mobile telephone in response to the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive the call on the public wireless communications network.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the private branch exchange forwards an incoming call received at the private branch exchange for the mobile telephone to a telephone number associated with the mobile telephone on the wireless communications network if the location request response indicates that the mobile telephone is available to receive a call on the wireless communications network.