Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel-lucent USA Inc.

John MacNamara

Randall Joe Wilson

Bijan Farhang

Ruth S Gayde

Ronald Bruce Martin

Deborah L Barclay

Philip Charles Sapiano

Zhibi Wang

Patrick Li

Kenneth Wayne Shelhamer

Christopher John Davolos

Sandip Mukerjee

Pradeep Sharma

Steven R Santema

Ramakrishna Bijanki

Mark Skeates

Ricky Lynn Willis

Perminder Dhawan

Kenneth Shelhamer

Sandiip Mukerjee

In one embodiment, the method includes establishing, at a first base station, at least one interface with a second base station. The first and second base stations are associated with different network technologies, and at least one of the first and second base stations is a small cell base station. A small cell base station has a coverage area smaller than and at least partially overlapped by a coverage area of a macro base station. The method further includes one of (i) sending information from the first base station to the second base station over the interface, and (ii) receiving information at the first base station from the second base station over the interface.

Method of sharing information between base stations associated with different network technologies and the base stations

An end user terminal (EUT), e.g., such as mobile terminal (MT) (), is provided for connecting with an incoming call received over a communications network (A). Suitably, the EUT includes an alerting function and/or equipment that provides perceivable alerting in response to an incoming call attempting to connect with the EUT over the communications network (A). An alert sensor (AS) () detects an alerting status of the EUT, which is then communicated over the communications network (A), e.g., back to the calling EUT

True alert indication

Apparatus and method provide location information for a calling party to a called party and/or provide a location for called party to a calling party. The information may be provided to a customer on a subscription basis or a customer may query for location information for the party at the other end of a call on an ad hoc basis (). The customer may select the granularity () of the location information as well as the format () in which the information is sent. A party may optionally disable () the location ID feature so that the other person is not able to receive the party's location.

Provision of location information to a call party

A controller component of one embodiment of a system assigns a first number to a mobile station that upon location of the mobile station at a first location allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the first number. A controller component of the system assigns a second number to the mobile station that upon location of the mobile station at a second location allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the second number. The second number differs from the first number. The second location differs from the first location. In another embodiment, a controller component of a system assigns to a mobile station a number that upon location of the mobile station at any one or more of a temporary user zone and a base user zone allows connection to the mobile station of a call that employs the number. A controller component of the system selects the number to comprise fewer than seven digits.

Assignment of number to mobile station that allows connection to the mobile station of call that employs the number

Methods are disclosed for reducing occurrences of nuisance calls. A called party identifies a call as an undesired (or 'nuisance') call after answering, screening or reviewing recorded messages of calls. In one embodiment, the called party receives or screens a call and informs a terminating office that it desires to block future calls from the calling party. The terminating office determines the directory number of the calling party and causes the directory number to be added to a blocking database. In another embodiment, a called party reviews one or more prior messages recorded by a messaging system (e.g., answering machine or voicemail system) and flags a message (e.g., message #2) as originating from an undesired caller. The messaging system determines the directory number of the undesired caller and instructs a service provider to add the directory number to a blocking database. Thereafter, in either or both embodiments, the blocking database is consulted upon receiving an incoming call and, if the call is from a directory number in the blocking database, the call is ended or routed to an announcement without ringing the called party phone.

Methods for blocking repeated occurrences of nuisance calls

A mobile telecommunications system includes within a serving system database entries that associate the identifier of a mobile unit, which could be a cellular telephone or a personal communications service (PCS) device, with a plurality of directory numbers. The mobile unit identifier may be a mobile identification number (MIN) or international mobile service identifier (IMSI), for example. The system may store this association within a home location register (HLR), within a mobile switching center (MSC), or in both. In the process of terminating a telephone call the system employs supplemental information to determine which of the plurality of directory numbers associated with the mobile unit's mobile identifier is to be employed for the purposes of the telephone call being terminated. The supplemental information may be the current location of the mobile unit, for example.

Mobile telecommunications device having multiple directory number capability

Growing community of inventors

Orland Park, IL, United States of America

John MacNamara