Method for setting up a telecommunication link to persons in closed facilities, such as passenger transport means, as well as a telecommunication system and network

• US 6,321,084 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Horrer, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US09/200,958
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/432, 455/435, 455/458, 455/445, 455/558, 455/554, 455/555, 455/414
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

To set up a telecommunication link to a person who is in a substantially enclosed facility such as an airplane, inside which there are several internal communication transmitting terminals operated by a private branch exchange of the facility, a personal call number is assigned to a private telecommunication transmitting terminal of the person in a public telecommunication network at least during the person'"'"'s stay in the facility, the assignment is stored of his/her personal call number to the internal communication transmitting terminal assigned to the person during his/her stay in the facility. A call directed to the personal call number of the person is rerouted together with the personal call number or a corresponding ID to the private branch exchange. The internal communication transmitting terminal assigned to the personal call number/ID is then determined using the stored assignment and the call is forwarded to this internal communication transmitting terminal, whereby the person remains able to be reached under his/her personal call number.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a telecommunication link to at least one person in a substantially enclosed facility inside which there are several internal communication transmitting terminals operated by a private branch exchange of the facility, said method comprising the steps of assigning said person a personal call number to use a private telecommunication transmitting terminal arranged in a telecommunication network outside of the facility, rerouting a call, directed at said private telecommunication transmitting terminal, together with an identification number to the private branch exchange and by means of said identification number, determining the internal communication transmitting terminal, and forwarding the call to the determined internal communication transmitting terminal, wherein the identification number corresponds to the personal number of said person, wherein, at least during said person'"'"'s stay in the facility, said method further includes the step of storing an assignment of said person'"'"'s personal call number to the identification number identifying the internal communication transmitting terminal that is assigned to the person during said person'"'"'s stay in the facility, and wherein said assignment is made outside said facility.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telecommunication link between the private telecommunication transmitting terminal and the private branch exchange is made via a radio base station on the ground.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telecommunication link between the private branch exchange and its internal communication transmitting terminals is made in a wireless manner.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the facility is entered, the personal call numbers of each person to whom an internal communication transmitting terminal is assigned are stored in an assigning facility, and that a call rerouting from the private telecommunication transmitting terminal to the internal communication transmitting terminal is switched.

5. A telecommunication system for a substantially enclosed facility, including a private branch exchange provided inside said facility and able to be called from outside the facility and with several internal communication transmitting terminals provided inside the facility, operated by the private branch exchange and assigned to persons who are inside the facility to whom in each case a personal call number is assigned to use a private telecommunication network outside of the facility, wherein in said system the private branch exchange receives from a switching facility of the telecommunication network a call directed to the private telecommunication transmitting terminal of the person together with an identification number and, by means of this identification number, determines the internal communication transmitting terminal and forwards the call to this internal communication transmitting terminal, wherein the identification number corresponds to the personal call number of the person, and wherein an assigning facility is located outside said enclosed facility, which, at least during the person'"'"'s stay in the enclosed facility, stores an assignment of said person'"'"'s personal call number to the identification number identifying the internal communication transmitting terminal that is assigned to the person during said person'"'"'s stay in the enclosed facility and which, by means of the stored assignment, controls the call rerouting to this internal communication transmitting terminal.

6. A telecommunication system according to claim 5, characterized in that the facility is a passenger transport means, and that the telecommunication network is a public mobile radiotelephone network.

7. A telecommunication system according to claim 6, characterized in that a radio base station arranged on the ground carries out the telecommunication between the public mobile radiotelephone network and the private branch exchange, and that the assignment facility is connected via a data link with the private branch exchange.

8. A telecommunication system according to claim 5, characterized in that the private branch exchange and its internal communication transmitting terminals contain wireless transceivers in order to communicate with each other by means of radio signals or by means of infrared signals.

9. A telecommunication system according to claim 5, characterized in that a card reading facility is connected via a data link with the assigning facility, said card reading facility reading data for identifying the personal call number from a data carrier that is provided for the use of the private telecommunication transmitting terminal by the person, said data carrier comprising a SIM card for the use of the mobile radiotelephone network.

10. A telecommunication network for passenger transport companies, in particular for airlines, ocean lines or railroad companies, comprising a telecommunication system according to claim 5 with at least two private branch exchanges each provided in a passenger transport means and each of which is assigned its own special call number of the public telecommunication network.

11. A method for establishing a telecommunication connection to a person inside a self-contained object, comprising:

(a) associating a personal call number of the person, under which the person is called in a communication network outside the self-contained object, with an identification number of an internal telecommunication terminal, which is located inside the self-contained object;

(b) storing the association of the personal call number with the identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal, wherein the association is stored outside the self-contained object;

(c) dialing the personal call number of the person to initiate a call to the person;

(d) matching the person'"'"'s personal call number with the identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal, if the person in the self-contained object is located outside a coverage area of the communication network;

(e) forwarding the call and the identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal to a private branch exchange in the self-contained object;

(f) in the private branch exchange, identifying the internal telecommunication terminal inside the self-contained object via the identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal; and

(g) forwarding the call from the private branch exchange to the identified internal telecommunication terminal.

12. A telecommunication system, comprising:

at least one internal telecommunication terminal inside a self-contained object, wherein the self-contained object is located outside a coverage of a communication network to which a person subscribes;

an association arrangement located outside the self-contained object to store an association of a personal call number of the person, under which the person is called in the communication network, with an identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal; and

a private branch exchange inside the self-contained object, to which the identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal is forwarded, if the person is called in the communication network and after the personal call number of the person is matched with the associated identification number of the internal telecommunication terminal.