Method and system for transferring a cellular phone call

• US 20030022671A1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kallio, Juha, Huomo, Miikka
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for automatically switching cellular telephone calls, in which a cellular telephone monitors the level of its battery power, and when the battery power level dips below a predetermined threshold, the cellular telephone sends a signal to a mobile switching center, which will automatically transfer the call to an alternate phone to continue the call or leave a message. The same system could be used to transfer the call if the cellular telephone goes out of service, for example by leaving the service area, hitting a “dead zone” of service, or having a technical problem with the equipment, but in these circumstances, the signal for initiating the transfer will originate with the mobile switching center, since the cellular telephone will not be in position to send further instructions. If the cellular telephone user has a replacement battery, the system could be set to first attempt to return the call to the original cellular telephone after a predetermined delay period, so that the call is not lost, and, if unsuccessful, then to a secondary number for either continuation of the call or taking a voice message from the sender if the mobile user is not near the alternate phone.

Claims

1. A method for handing over a mobile wireless connection established over a network, said mobile wireless connection being between a mobile terminal having a first address on said network and a terminal having a second address on said network, said mobile wireless connection being established through a switching center, said method comprising:

monitoring a condition of at least one of said mobile wireless connection and said mobile terminal;

sending a handover request to said switching center when said condition attains a predetermined state to re-route said mobile wireless connection from said first address to a transfer address on said network through said switching center; and

establishing a transfer connection between said second address and said transfer address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined state is a disconnect of said mobile wireless connection not resulting from a disconnect signal generated by either said mobile terminal or said terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said condition is at least one of a level of power of a battery in said mobile terminal, and a break in said mobile wireless connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said condition is said level of said battery power and said predetermined state is that said battery power is less than a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

placing said mobile wireless connection on hold; and

attempting to re-establish said mobile wireless connection between said first address and said second address after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the time said mobile wireless connection has been broken, said transfer address being said first address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said predetermined period of time is sufficient to allow said battery of said mobile terminal to be changed.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

placing said mobile wireless connection on hold; and

attempting to re-establish said mobile wireless connection when said condition is no longer satisfied.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if said mobile wireless connection between said first address and said second address cannot be re-established, rerouting said mobile wireless connection to a second transfer address, said second transfer address being other than said first address.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

informing said second user that said mobile wireless connection is being rerouted.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said transfer address includes a hierarchy of alternate network addresses.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is said first address.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a second alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address having an alternate first user address for voice communication, so that said connection may be continued at said second alternate network address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a third alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may leave a message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may leave a message.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may reach a third party.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first address corresponds to a person in a specific class of user, and said third party is a person in said specific class of user.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of informing said second user that said mobile wireless connection is being re-routed includes offering said second user a choice of transfer addresses to which said second user may be re-routed.

18. A system for handing over a mobile wireless connection established over a network, said mobile wireless connection being between a mobile terminal having a first address on said network and a terminal having a second address on said network, said mobile wireless connection being established through a switching center, said system comprising:

means for monitoring a condition of at least one of said mobile wireless connection and said mobile terminal;

means for sending a handover request to said switching center when said means for monitoring determines that said condition has attained a predetermined state; and

means for re-routing said wireless mobile connection from said first address to a transfer address on said network through said switching center in response to said handover request to establish a transfer connection between said second address and said transfer address.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said predetermined state is a disconnect of said mobile wireless connection not resulting from a disconnect signal generated by either said mobile terminal or said terminal.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said condition is at least one of a level of power of a battery in said mobile terminal, and a break in said mobile wireless connection.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said condition is said level of said battery power and said predetermined state is that said battery power is less than a predetermined threshold.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for placing said mobile wireless connection on hold; and

means for attempting to re-establish said mobile wireless connection between said first address and said second address after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the time said mobile wireless connection has been broken, said transfer address being said first address.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said predetermined period of time is sufficient to allow said battery of said mobile terminal to be changed.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

placing said mobile wireless connection on hold; and

attempting to re-establish said mobile wireless connection when said condition is no longer satisfied.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising, means for re-routing said mobile wireless connection to a second transfer address, if said mobile wireless connection between said first address and said second address cannot be re-established, said second transfer address being other than said first address.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for informing said second user that said mobile wireless connection is being re-routed.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein said transfer address includes a hierarchy of alternate network addresses.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is said first address.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein a second alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address having an alternate first user address for voice communication, so that said connection may be continued at said second alternate network address.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein a third alternate address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may leave a message.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may leave a message.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein a first alternate network address in said hierarchy is an address at which said second user may reach a third party.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said first address corresponds to a person in a specific class of user, and said third party is a person also in said specific class.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for informing said second user that said mobile wireless connection is being re-routed includes means for offering said second user a choice of transfer addresses to which said second user may be re-routed.

35. The system of claim 18, wherein said means for monitoring is located in said switching center.