Multi-mode paging system

• US 6,542,751 B1
• Filed: 11/27/1999
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Long Range Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Long Range Systems LLC
• Inventors: Blink, Russell P., Lovegreen, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US09/451,368
• Time in Patent Office: 1,221 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/458, 455/459, 455/466, 455/426, 455/517, 455/414, 455/445, 455/456, 340/7.1, 340/7.24, 340/825.5, 340/825.53, 340/10.31, 340/825.28, 340/7.29
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

A system and method of selectively paging an individual through one of a plurality of paging mechanisms. An indication of a paging mechanism for each individual to be paged is stored in a memory device. When an input is received from a user to page the individual, a control processor retrieves the indication of a paging mechanism for the individual to be paged and determines which of the plurality of paging mechanisms is to be utilized to page the individual. The individual may be selectively paged through an on-premises paging system, a wide area paging system, or a cellular telephone.

Claims

1. An on-premises multi-mode paging system that selectively pages an individual on a premises either through an on-premises pager assigned by the system, or through a wide area pager assigned to a separate wide area paging network, said system comprising:

an input mechanism for inputting a preferred paging mode for the individual, said input mechanism including;

means for inputting an identification number of the on-premises pager when the individual is assigned an on-premises pager; and

means for inputting a telephone number for paging the wide area pager through the separate wide area paging network when the individual is not assigned an on-premises pager;

an on-premises radio frequency (RF) transmitter for directly paging the on-premises pager using the input identification number;

means for dialing out a telephone call to the input telephone number to page the wide area pager through the separate wide area paging network; and

a control processor that receives the preferred paging mode from the input mechanism and directs the RF transmitter to page the individual on the on-premises pager when the individual is assigned an on-premises pager, or directs the telephone dialing means to page the individual on the wide area pager when the individual is not assigned an on-premises pager.

2. An on-premises multi-mode paging system that selectively pages an individual on a premises either through an on-premises pager assigned by the system, or through a cellular telephone assigned to a separate cellular communications network, said system comprising:

an input mechanism for inputting a preferred paging mode for the individual, said input mechanism including;

means for inputting an identification number of the on-premises pager when the individual is assigned an on-premises pager; and

means for inputting a telephone number for the cellular telephone when the individual is not assigned an on-premises pager;

an on-premises radio frequency (RF) transmitter for directly paging the on-premises pager using the input identification number;

means for dialing out a telephone call to the input cellular telephone number; and

a control processor that receives the preferred paging mode from the input mechanism and directs the RF transmitter to page the individual on the on-premises pager when the individual is assigned an on-premises pager, or directs the telephone dialing means to call the individual on the cellular telephone when the individual is not assigned an on-premises pager.

3. An on-premises multi-mode paging system that selectively pages a plurality of individuals on a premises through one of a plurality of paging mechanisms, said system comprising:

an input mechanism for inputting a preferred paging mechanism for each of the plurality of individuals;

a first paging mechanism comprising an on-premises radio frequency (RF) transmitter for directly paging on-premises pagers that are compatible with the RF transmitter;

a second paging mechanism comprising means for selectively dialing out telephone calls to cellular telephones or wide area pagers that are not compatible with the on-premises RF transmitter; and

a control processor that selects the input preferred paging mechanism for each individual to be paged, and directs the selected paging mechanism to page the individual.

4. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 wherein the input mechanism includes a memory device in which individuals to be paged are associated with an on-premises pager identification number, a wide area pager telephone number, or a cellular telephone number.

5. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 4 wherein the input mechanism also includes a keypad for a user to enter the on-premises pager identification numbers, wide area pager telephone numbers, and cellular telephone numbers for individuals to be paged.

6. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 further comprising a wireless radio interface that connects the control processor to the RF transmitter.

7. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 wherein the RF transmitter and the control processor are connected to a local area network (LAN), and the system further comprises a LAN interface that connects the control processor to the LAN.

8. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 wherein the means for selectively dialing out a telephone call includes:

an auto-dialer;

a modem; and

an interface to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

9. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 further comprising:

a seating management system; and

an RS232 interface that connects the control processor to the seating management system.

10. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 9 wherein the RS232 interface also connects the control processor to the RF transmitter.

11. The on-premises multi-mode paging system of claim 3 wherein the control processor is remotely located from the premises, and the system includes means for communicating data between the premises and the processor.

12. A method of selectively paging a plurality of individuals on a premises through one of a plurality of paging mechanisms, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting into a memory device, a preferred paging mechanism for each individual, said preferred paging mechanism being alternatively, an on-premises paging system, a wide area paging system, or a cellular telephone network;

determining by a control processor, which of the plurality of paging mechanisms is the preferred paging mechanism to be utilized to page each individual; and

paging each of the plurality of individuals utilizing the determined preferred paging mechanism for each individual.

13. A method of selectively paging a particular individual in a plurality of individuals on a premises through one of a plurality of paging mechanisms, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting into a memory device, an indication of a paging mechanism to be utilized to page each individual;

receiving an input from a user to page a particular individual;

determining by a control processor, which of the plurality of paging mechanisms is to be utilized to page the particular individual by retrieving from the memory device, the indication of the paging mechanism to be utilized to page the particular individual;

paging the particular individual through an on-premises paging system upon determining that the on-premises paging system is to be utilized to page the individual;

paging the particular individual through a wide area paging system upon determining that the wide area paging system is to be utilized to page the individual; and

paging the particular individual through a cellular telephone upon determining that the cellular telephone is to be utilized to page the individual.