Concurrent ringing on multiple network telephones

• US 20020160780A1
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mukerjee, Sandip, Taff, Louis Michael, Zaffino, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 6,584,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers

Abstract

A system and method for concurrently ringing a subscriber'"'"'s wired and mobile stations, where the wired station is served by a wired telecommunications network and the mobile station is served by a wireless telecommunications network. The call is routed to a network interface point of control from either the wired or wireless networks and the network interface becomes the point of control for the call. The call is initially offered to the mobile station by the network interface point of control, and before the mobile station rings, the call is offered to the wired station so that the wired and mobile stations ring concurrently.

Claims

1. A method of routing a telephone call from a calling party to a called party'"'"'s first station and to the called party'"'"'s second station so that the first station and the second station ring concurrently, the first station having a first set-up time and the second station having a second set-up time that is longer than the first set-up time, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) routing the call to a network interface point of control;

(b) offering the call to the second station having a longer set-up time; and

(c) offering the call to the first station after offering the call to the second station, but prior to ringing the second station, such that the called party'"'"'s first and second stations ring concurrently.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first station is a wired station served by a wired telecommunications network and the second station is a mobile station served by a wireless telecommunications network.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of determining whether the called party subscribes to the service offered by the network provider.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining step comprises the steps of:

(a) receiving a number dialed by the calling party to initiate the call to the called party;

(b) comparing the dialed number to a list of numbers corresponding to subscribers subscribing to the service offered by the network provider; and

(c) identifying the called party as a subscriber when the dialed number matches a subscriber'"'"'s number stored in the list.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a public cellular network.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a private cellular network.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of releasing the call from the wired telecommunications network when the mobile station is answered before the wired station.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of releasing the call from the wireless telecommunications network when the wired station is answered before the mobile station.

9. A telecommunications system for concurrently ringing a called party'"'"'s wired station and the called party'"'"'s mobile station for a call associated with a number dialed by a calling party, the wired station being served by a wired telecommunications network and the mobile station being served by a wireless telecommunications network, comprising:

a network interface point of control connected to the wired and wireless telecommunications networks for receiving a call placed to the called party, wherein the network interface point of control delays offering the call to the wired station until after the call has been offered to the mobile station, but before ringing the mobile station so that the wireless and mobile stations ring concurrently.

10. The telecommunications system according to claim 9, wherein the network interface point of control comprises:

(a) an interface switch for switching voice paths between the wired telecommunications network and the wireless telecommunications network; and

(b) a controller for controlling the interface switch.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network interface point of control concurrently rings the called party'"'"'s wired and mobile stations only when the called party subscribes to a service offered by a provider of the wired or wireless telecommunications networks.

12. The telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a database containing information corresponding to subscribers subscribing to the service offered by the network provider.

13. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a programmable switch control operatively connected to interface switch, said switch control being programmed to control calls through the interface switch.

14. The telecommunications system according to claim 9, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a public cellular network.

15. The telecommunications system according to claim 9, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a private cellular network.

16. The telecommunications system according to claim 9, wherein the network interface point of control releases the call from the wired telecommunications network when the mobile station is answered before the wired station.

17. The telecommunications system according to claim 9, wherein the network interface point of control releases the call from the wireless telecommunications network when the wired station is answered before the mobile station.

18. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the controller further comprises a visitor location register that maintains an entry for each user of wireless services within a particular coverage area of the network interface point of control.

19. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the network interface point of control further comprises a base station unit for communicating with the mobile station, the base station unit communicatively connected to the interface switch so that a voice path may be established between the base station, the wired telecommunications network and the wireless telecommunications network.

20. A method of operating a network interface point of control for concurrently ringing a called party'"'"'s wired and mobile stations, the wired station being served by a wired telecommunications network and the mobile station being served by a wireless telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the call so that the network interface point of control functions as point of control for the call;

(b) offering the call to the mobile station; and

(c) offering the call to the wired station after offering the call to the mobile station, but prior to ringing the mobile station, such that the called party'"'"'s wired and mobile stations ring concurrently.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of determining whether the called party subscribes to the service offered by the network provider.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the determining step comprises the steps of:

(a) receiving a number dialed by a calling party to initiate the call to the called party;

(b) comparing the dialed number to a list of numbers corresponding to subscribers subscribing to the service offered by the network provider; and

(c) identifying the called party as a subscriber when the dialed number matches a subscriber'"'"'s number stored in the list.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a public cellular network.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the mobile station is a cellular telephone and the wireless telecommunications network is a private cellular network.

25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of releasing the call from the wired telecommunications network when the mobile station is answered before the wired station.

26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of releasing the call from the wireless telecommunications network when the wired station is answered before the mobile station.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the controller comprises a database containing information corresponding to subscribers subscribing to a service offered by a provider of the wired or wireless telecommunication networks, the network interface point of control identifying whether the called party is a subscriber by comparing the dialed number to the information stored in the controller database, and the network interface point of control concurrently ringing the called party'"'"'s wired and mobile stations only when the called party is identified as a subscriber.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the controller comprises a switch control connected to the interface switch to control calls through the interface switch.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the wired station is a telephone and the mobile station is a cellular telephone.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the network interface point of control establishes a voice path between the mobile station and calling party and releases the call from the wired telecommunications network when the mobile station is answered before the wired station.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the network interface point of control establishes a voice path between the wired station and a calling party and releases the call from the wireless telecommunications network when the wired station is answered before the mobile station.

33. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the controller further comprises a visitor location register that maintains an entry for each user of wireless services within a particular coverage area of the network interface point of control.

34. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the network interface point of control further comprises a base station unit for communicating with the mobile station, the base station unit communicatively connected to the interface switch so that a voice path may be established between the base station, the wired telecommunications network and the wireless telecommunications network.

27. A network interface point of control for concurrently ringing a called party'"'"'s wired and mobile stations, the wired station being served by a wired telecommunications network and the mobile station being served by a wireless telecommunications network, comprising:

(a) an interface switch for providing switching of voice paths between the wired telecommunications network and the wireless telecommunications network; and

(b) a controller for controlling the interface switch to delay offering the call to the wired station until after the call has been offered to the mobile station, but before ringing the mobile station so that the wireless and mobile stations ring concurrently.