SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING A CALL TO A MOBILE SUBSCRIBER CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET

• US 20010043588A1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: SALLBERG, KRISTER
• Granted Patent: US 6,519,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/156 On-line status dependent routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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: 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 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for providing interoperability between a cellular system'"'"'s direct access to the Internet and the telephony service provided by the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), in order to allow a mobile subscriber to receive calls from the PSTN while engaged in data communication, for example, over the Internet. When a Mobile Station (MS) has an active connection to a server or router running Internet Protocol, an incoming PSTN call can be forwarded to a voice gateway within the serving Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR), which transforms the call to an Internet phone call. During the direct access connection to the Internet, the MS can signal specific information, using, e.g., a prefix, to activate the call forwarding to voice gateway feature.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for connecting a voice call to a mobile terminal in wireless communication with a mobile switching center when said mobile terminal is connected to the Internet, said telecommunications system comprising:

a voice gateway within said mobile switching center, said voice call being forwarded to said voice gateway when said mobile terminal has a call forward feature associated therewith, said voice gateway transforming said voice call into an Internet call; and

an Internet router connected to said mobile switching center and the Internet, said Internet call being connected from said voice gateway to said mobile terminal via said Internet router.

2. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said Internet call is connected between said mobile terminal and a calling subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network.

3. The telecommunications system of

claim 2

, wherein said calling subscriber receives a busy signal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

4. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said voice call is forwarded to said voice gateway when said mobile terminal sends a service code to said mobile switching center, said service code activating said call forward feature.

5. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein parameters associated with said call forward feature are obtained by a visitor location register connected to said mobile switching center from a home location register connected to said visitor location register when said mobile terminal enters a location area served by said mobile switching center, said call forward feature being activated when said mobile terminal connects to the Internet.

6. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said Internet router is a direct access unit within said mobile switching center.

7. The telecommunications system of

claim 6

, wherein said Internet call is connected to said mobile terminal from said voice gateway via said direct access unit and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

8. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said Internet router is an Internet Service Provider connected to said mobile switching center.

9. The telecommunications system of

claim 8

, wherein said Internet call is connected to said mobile terminal from said voice gateway via said Internet Service Provider and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

10. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

11. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when bandwidth requirements associated with said Internet call cannot be met by said mobile switching center.

12. The telecommunications system of

claim 1

, wherein said voice call is connected, by said mobile switching center, to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal rejects said Internet call.

13. A method for connecting a voice call to a mobile terminal in wireless communication with a mobile switching center when said mobile terminal is connected to the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:

activating, by said mobile switching center, a call forward feature associated with said mobile terminal, when said mobile terminal connects to the Internet;

forwarding, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice gateway within said mobile switching center;

transforming, by said voice gateway, said voice call into an Internet call; and

connecting said Internet call from said voice gateway to said mobile terminal via an Internet router connected to said mobile switching center and the Internet.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said Internet call is connected between said mobile terminal and a calling subscriber within the Public Switched Telephone Network.

15. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising, before said step of forwarding, the step of:

receiving, by said calling subscriber, a busy signal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

16. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said step of activating is performed when said mobile terminal sends a service code to said mobile switching center, said service code activating said call forward feature.

17. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising, before said step of activating, the step of:

obtaining, by a visitor location register connected to said mobile switching center, parameters associated with said call forward feature from a home location register connected to said visitor location register when said mobile terminal enters a location area served by said mobile switching center.

18. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said Internet router is a direct access unit within said mobile switching center.

19. The method of

claim 18

, wherein said step of connecting said Internet call to said mobile terminal is performed from said voice gateway via said direct access unit and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

20. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said Internet router is an Internet Service Provider connected to said mobile switching center.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein said step of connecting said Internet call to said mobile terminal is performed from said voice gateway via said Internet Service Provider and a base station system connected to said mobile switching center.

22. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising, before said step of activating, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal does not have said call forward feature associated therewith.

23. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising, before said step of forwarding, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when bandwidth requirements associated with said Internet call cannot be met by said mobile switching center.

24. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising, after said step of transforming, the step of:

connecting, by said mobile switching center, said voice call to a voice mail system associated with said mobile terminal when said mobile terminal rejects said Internet call.