Personal communications service using wireline/wireless integration

• US 5,469,496 A
• Filed: 04/19/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Brenda N., Schwartz, Laurie D., Emery, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/229,891
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/61, 379/63, 455/33.1, 455/54.1
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• 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 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13222 PBX circuits in public exchange, centrex
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13513 UPT - personal as opposed to terminal mobility, inc. number portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 : Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 : PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 : Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/909 : Alternatives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 : Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

The Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) wireline system connects to and controls processing of calls to a Personal Communication Service subscriber'"'"'s wireless handset via a home base station or a wireless communication network. Depending on its current location, the subscriber'"'"'s handset automatically registers with the base station or with a mobility controller of the wireless network. A new registration with the base station when the handset comes within range causes that station to update the subscriber'"'"'s home location register in a central data base of the AIN. Similarly, when a handset first registers with a mobility controller, that controller updates the subscriber'"'"'s home location register in the central data base of the AIN. In response to calls directed to the subscriber, the AIN accesses the home location register to determine the current location where the handset is registered. The AIN then uses that data to route the call to the current location. In response to calls from the handset, the central data base provides instruction data to the land line network and/or a mobility controller to extend a requested special service to the calling subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cordless telephone including a wireless handset and a microprocessor-controlled base station to perform registration of said wireless handset with a land line telephone system having an advanced intelligent network (AIN) including an integrated service control point (ISCP) and a service switching point (SSP), the method comprising the steps of:

(a) automatically registering said wireless handset with said base station when said wireless handset comes within range of said base station;

(b) in response to the automatic registration, out-pulsing a predetermined telephone number to said land line telephone system;

(c) in response to said predetermined telephone number, sending a data query from said SSP to said ISCP;

(d) in response to said data query sending instructions from said ISCP, to said SSP to play a first announcement and collect digits from said base station;

(e) in response to said first announcement, out-pulsing digits from said base station representing a number associated with said wireless handset;

(f) in response to step (e) sending instructions from said ISCP to said SSP to play a second announcement to said base station and collect digits from said base station;

(g) in response to said second announcement outputting a serial number from said base station;

(h) storing data indicating registration of the handset with said base station in said ISCP; and

(i) cancelling previous registrations of said wireless handset with other radio-link system controllers than said base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at step (g) a user of said wireless handset manually outputs said serial number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein announcements are output from said SSP in the form of interactive instructions for a user of said wireless handset.

4. A system for registering a handset with a land line telephone network comprising:

a microprocessor-controlled handset having first transceiver means;

a base station including second transceiver means for establishing a radio link with said handset;

registration means for verifying the identity of said handset with said base station;

automatic dialer means for automatically assuming an "off-hook" state and outputting a predetermined number in response to the verification of the handset identity with said base station;

service switching means in said land line telephone network for receiving said predetermined number and sending data; and

a service control system comprising;

(i) means responsive to the data from said service switching means for storing an indication that said handset is registered at the location of said base station, and

(ii) means controlling routing of calls through the telephone network in response to the stored indication.

5. A system of claim 4 wherein said service control means further comprises means for sending a deregistration message signal to radio link controller with which said handset previously registered.

6. A method of registering a wireless handset with a land line telephone system using a radio link controller comprising the steps of:

(a) registering said handset with said radio-link controller;

(b) storing data concerning said handset in a visitor location register associated with said radio-link controller;

(c) in response to placing data in said visitor location register searching for a home location register associated with said handset;

(d) sending a message to a service control means arranged as part of said land line telephone system requesting validation of said handset;

(e) sending data from said service control means to said visitor location register in response to said request for validation;

(f) storing data in said service control means identifying said radio-link controller; and

(g) sending a de-registration message from said service control means to a radio-link controller formerly registered with said handset.

7. A cordless telephone system comprising:

a wireless handset including a transceiver operating at cellular frequencies and capable of meeting cellular signalling protocols;

a base station connected to a land line telephone system, said base station including;

means for registering said wireless handset with said base station when said wireless handset comes within range of said base station, and

means for automatically registering said base station via a land line telephone system with a central data base for storing an indication that a wireless handset is registered at the location of a base station;

wherein

said wireless handset includes a means for prioritizing a scanning function for registering with said base station in preference to registering with an overlapping mobility controller of a cellular network whenever said wireless handset is within range of said base station.

8. A cordless telephone system according to claim 7, wherein

said central data base is an integrated service control point (ISCP) of an advanced intelligent network (AIN).

9. A cordless telephone system according to claim 7, wherein

said wireless handset includes a microprocessor for controlling registration and associated signalling transmissions.

10. A cordless telephone system according to claim 7, wherein

said base station includes a radio transceiver operating at cellular frequencies and capable of meeting cellular signalling system protocols for performing registration procedures.

11. A cordless telephone system according to claim 7, wherein

said base station further includes an auto dialer for performing automatic registration with said central data base.

12. A cordless telephone service according to claim 10, wherein

said base station further includes means to detect call progress tones from said land line telephone system.