Method and apparatus for call delivery to a mobile unit

• US 5,734,981 A
• Filed: 03/17/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iron Oak Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Highway Master Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Kennedy, William C. III, Westerlage, Kenneth R., Russell, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/406,022
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/57, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/54.1, 455/422, 455/427, 455/432, 455/435, 455/445, 455/456, 455/461, 455/550, 455/567, 455/458, 455/459
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A call delivery system (10) for delivering a call to a mobile unit (12) on a vehicle (14) includes both a data communications network (16) and a mobile voice communications network (20). The mobile unit (12) generates call delivery information and communicates this information to a platform (18) using the data communications network (16). The platform (18) receives a call for the mobile unit (12). The platform (18) retrieves call delivery information received from the mobile unit (12) and establishes communications between the platform (18) and the mobile unit (12) using the mobile voice communications network (20). The platform then completes the call between the caller (36, 40, 44) and the mobile unit (12). Alternatively, the platform (18) can generate a call back message for transmission to the mobile unit (12) using the data communications network (16).

Claims

1. A system for delivering a voice call to a user at a mobile unit, comprising:

a mobile voice communications network;

a data communications network;

the mobile unit comprising a data transmitter coupled to the data communications network and a processor operable to receive call delivery information relating to the mobile voice communications network without input from the user, the data transmitter operable to communicate call delivery information received by the processor using the data communications network, the mobile unit further comprising a mobile voice communications transceiver coupled to the mobile voice communications network; and

a platform coupled to the data communications network and the mobile voice communications network, the platform comprising a data receiver coupled to the data communications network, the data receiver operable to receive call delivery information communicated by the data transmitter of the mobile unit, the platform operable to receive the voice call and to deliver the voice call in response to the call delivery information received by the data receiver, to the mobile voice communications transceiver of the mobile unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile voice communications network is a cellular telephone network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data communications network is a satellite-based data messaging system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit further comprises a positioning receiver, the positioning receiver operable to determine the location of the mobile unit, wherein the call delivery information comprises the location of the mobile unit determined by the positioning receiver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile voice communications transceiver on the mobile unit is operable to receive call delivery information from a communications service provider of the mobile voice communications network, the mobile voice communications transceiver further operable to provide the call delivery information to the data transmitter for communication to the platform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform further comprises:

a first link operable to receive the voice call;

a second link coupled to the mobile voice communications network, the second link operable to establish, in response to the call delivery information received by the data receiver, communications with the mobile voice communications transceiver of the mobile unit; and

a coupler operable to couple the first and second links to deliver the voice call to the mobile unit.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch coupled to the platform, the switch operable to receive the voice call to the mobile unit, the switch further operable to route the voice call to the platform.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the switch is the home switch of the mobile unit.

9. A mobile apparatus to receive a voice call from a remote site, the apparatus coupled to a data communications network and a mobile voice communications network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor operable to receive call delivery information relating to the mobile voice communications network without input from a user of the mobile apparatus;

a data transmitter coupled to the processor and the data communications network, the data transmitter operable to communicate call delivery information received by the processor to the remote site using the data communications network; and

a mobile voice communications transceiver coupled to the mobile voice communications network, the mobile voice communications transceiver operable to receive the voice call from the remote site, the voice call delivered from the remote site to the mobile voice communications transceiver in response to call delivery information transmitted by the data transmitter to the remote site.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile voice communications network is a cellular telephone network.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the data communications network is a satellite-based data messaging system.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a positioning receiver, the positioning receiver operable to determine the location of the apparatus, wherein the call delivery information comprises the location of the apparatus determined by the positioning receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile voice communications transceiver on the mobile apparatus is operable to receive call delivery information from a communications service provider of the mobile voice communications network, the mobile voice communications transceiver further operable to provide the call delivery information to the data transmitter for communication to the remote site.

14. An apparatus for delivering a voice call to a user at a mobile unit equipped with a mobile voice communications transceiver, the apparatus coupled to a data communications network and a mobile voice communications network, the apparatus comprising:

a data receiver coupled to the data communications network, the data receiver operable to receive call delivery information relating to the mobile voice communications network received by a processor of the mobile unit without input from the user;

a first link operable to receive the voice call;

a second link coupled to the mobile voice communications network, the second link operable to establish communications with the mobile unit in response to the call delivery information received by the processor of the mobile unit and received by the data receiver; and

a coupler operable to couple the first and second links to deliver the voice call to the mobile unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile voice communications network is a cellular telephone network.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data communications network is a satellite-based data messaging system.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a memory coupled to the data receiver, the memory operable to store call delivery information indexed by a mobile unit identification number.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a memory coupled to the data receiver, the memory operable to store call delivery information indexed by a mobile unit identification number, the first link operable to receive the mobile unit identification number, the second link operable to establish, in response to the call delivery information stored in the memory and indexed by the received mobile unit identification number, communications with the mobile unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the call delivery information includes a position of the mobile unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mobile voice communications network is a cellular telephone network, and wherein the call delivery information includes information identifying the cellular telephone system providing service to the mobile unit.

21. A method for delivering a voice call to a user at a mobile unit, comprising:

receiving call delivery information relating to a mobile voice communications network at a processor of the mobile unit without input from the user,

communicating from the mobile unit to a platform, using a data communications network, the call delivery information received by the processor;

receiving a voice call for the mobile unit at the platform;

establishing, in response to the call delivery information received from the mobile unit, a communications link between the platform and the mobile unit using the mobile voice communications network; and

coupling the voice call to the communications link.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data communications network is a satellite-based data messaging network.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile voice communications network is a cellular telephone network.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating call delivery information comprises receiving call delivery information from a position locating system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of generating call delivery information comprises receiving call delivery information from the communications service provider of the mobile voice communications network providing service to the mobile unit.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the call delivery information includes a mobile unit identification number, and further comprising the step of storing call delivery information at the platform indexed by the mobile unit identification number.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the call delivery information includes a mobile unit identification number, and further comprising the step of storing call delivery information at the platform indexed by the mobile unit identification number upon successful verification of the mobile unit identification number by the platform.

28. A system for delivering a voice call to a user at a vehicle, comprising:

a mobile voice communications network;

a data communications network, the data communications network operating independently from the mobile voice communications network;

a mobile unit on the vehicle, the mobile unit comprising;

a processor operable to receive call delivery information relating to the mobile voice communications network without input from the user;

a data transmitter coupled to the processor and the data communications network, the data transmitter operable to communicate call delivery information received by the processor using the data communications network; and

a mobile voice communications transceiver coupled to the mobile voice communications network; and

a platform coupled to the data communications network and the mobile voice communications network, the platform comprising;

a data receiver coupled to the data communications network, the data receiver operable to receive call delivery information communicated by the data transmitter of the mobile unit;

a first link operable to receive the voice call;

a second link coupled to the mobile voice communications network, the second link operable to establish, in response to the call delivery information received by the data receiver, communications with the mobile voice communications transceiver on the vehicle; and

a coupler operable to couple the first and second links to deliver the voice call to the vehicle.