ENHANCED GROUP CALLING FEATURES FOR CONNECTED PORTFOLIO SERVICES IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20100304724A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kodiak Networks (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheedella, Shiva K. K., Patel, Chetan M., Kundu, Gorachand, Ayyasamy, Ravi, Patel, Krishnakant M., Kumar, Ravi Shankar, Vempati, Brahmananda R., Lawler, Bruce D., Ardah, Basem A., Kandula, Ramu, Negalaguli, Harisha M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2033 Call handling or answering restrictions, e.g. specified by the calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Enhanced Group Calling Features for Connected Portfolio Services in wireless communications networks, such as a mobile or cellular phone communications networks. The Connected Portfolio Services include Mobile Conferencing (Scheduled/Instant/Reservationless Conference), Family Connect, Buddy Connect, and Quick Reach, while the Enhanced Group Calling Features include Voicemail Diversion (the recognition of a diversion to voicemail and dropping the leg), Reverse Quick Reach (where a terminating subscriber defines how a call dialed to his/her mobile number should be handled and directed), and Single Number Group Calling (an optimal design implementation of single number based group calling).

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing connected portfolio services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between handsets, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the handsets by at least one mobile switching center across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a real-time exchange that interfaces to at least one mobile switching center in the wireless network to provide connected portfolio services therein, without requiring any changes to the mobile switching center or other equipment of the wireless network to provide the connected portfolio services;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the connected portfolio services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network, such that at least one mobile switching center routes an originating leg of the connected portfolio services from an originating handset to the real-time exchange, the real-time exchange initiates one or more terminating legs of the connected portfolio services to one or more terminating handsets through at least one mobile switching center, and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the connected portfolio services from the originating handset to the terminating handsets across the bearer paths and through at least one mobile switching center that switches the voice frames for both the calls and the connected portfolio services in the wireless network; and

wherein the real-time exchange drops one or more of the terminating legs that has been diverted to voice mail from the connected portfolio services.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the real-time exchange recognizes that the one or more of the terminating legs has been diverted to voice mail when a diversion indicator is received by the real-time exchange.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the diversion indicator includes a diversion number that is compared by the real-time exchange to a list of voice mail numbers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the real-time exchange recognizes that the one or more of the terminating legs of the advanced voice services has been diverted to voice mail when no indicator confirming participation is received by the real-time exchange.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indicator confirming participation comprises a key on the handset pressed by a user upon answering the terminating leg to confirm participation in the connected portfolio services.

6. An apparatus for providing connected portfolio services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between handsets, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the handsets by at least one mobile switching center across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a real-time exchange that interfaces to at least one mobile switching center in the wireless network to provide connected portfolio services therein, without requiring any changes to the mobile switching center or other equipment of the wireless network to provide the connected portfolio services;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the connected portfolio services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network, such that at least one mobile switching center routes an originating leg of the connected portfolio services from an originating handset to the real-time exchange, the real-time exchange initiates one or more terminating legs of the connected portfolio services to one or more terminating handsets through at least one mobile switching center, and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the connected portfolio services from the originating handset to the terminating handsets across the bearer paths and through at least one mobile switching center that switches the voice frames for both the calls and the connected portfolio services in the wireless network; and

wherein the real-time exchange initiates a plurality of the terminating legs to a plurality of numbers configured for one of the terminating handsets.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a subscriber for the terminating handset defines the plurality of numbers to be dialed when the advanced voice services is directed to the terminating handset.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the real-time exchange initiates the plurality of terminating legs to the plurality of numbers simultaneously or sequentially.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when one of the plurality of terminating legs is answered, the real-time exchange drops unanswered ones of the plurality of terminating legs.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when one of the plurality of terminating legs is answered, and an indicator confirming participation is received by the real-time exchange, the real-time exchange drops unanswered ones of the plurality of terminating legs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the indicator confirming participation comprises a key on the handset pressed by a user upon answering the terminating leg to confirm participation in the connected portfolio services.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when one of the plurality of terminating legs is answered, the real-time exchange excludes itself from the bearer path, when there is a single terminating leg connected to the originating leg.

13. An apparatus for providing connected portfolio services in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network for making calls between handsets, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the handsets by at least one mobile switching center across bearer paths in the wireless network; and

a real-time exchange that interfaces to at least one mobile switching center in the wireless network to provide connected portfolio services therein, without requiring any changes to the mobile switching center or other equipment of the wireless network to provide the connected portfolio services;

wherein both the real-time exchange and the handsets that use the connected portfolio services communicate with each other using the call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless network, such that at least one mobile switching center routes an originating leg of the connected portfolio services from an originating handset to the real-time exchange, the real-time exchange initiates one or more terminating legs of the connected portfolio services to one or more terminating handsets through at least one mobile switching center, and the real-time exchange switches the voice frames for the connected portfolio services from the originating handset to the terminating handsets across the bearer paths and through at least one mobile switching center that switches the voice frames for both the calls and the connected portfolio services in the wireless network; and

wherein the real-time exchange allocates a single number to represent a logical group of numbers for the terminating legs of the connected portfolio services.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a call addressed to the single number is distributed to one of a plurality of real-time exchanges deployed in the network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the single number is translated to a temporary routing number to re-direct the call to the real-time exchange designated for handling the single number or re-direct the call to a geographically redundant real-time exchange.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the temporary routing number is used by the real-time exchange to retrieve an original number and the logical group of numbers.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a redundant real-time exchange positioned at a geographically different location that performs the same functions as the real-time exchange when the real-time exchange is unavailable.