Lucent Technologies Inc.

Leslie Joseph Williams

Mark Alan McCormick

John Matthew Gafrick

Richard Robert Boland

Patrick Joseph Boyle

Eric Marcelo Fonseca

A method and apparatus for communicating between entities of a wireless cellular telecommunications system in protocols extended from the standard IS-41 Protocols. In accordance with the invention, different pairs of entities can communicate using different extended protocol dialects. The extended protocol dialects can include extra operations codes, extra parameter identifiers, or both. The extended protocol between each pair of entities of the system is assigned, but can be changed by an appropriate message. Advantageously, the basic spectrum for extended protocols can be enlarged by allowing different extended protocols between different entities and/or by switching extended protocol dialects between specific entities.

Enhanced private parameter capability in IS-41 messages

An apparatus, method and system are provided for a handoff of a mobile broadcast of information specific to a geographic region. The mobile broadcast is typically transmitted on a first broadcast channel from a serving switching center and a serving transceiver to a mobile unit, such as to a cellular telephone. The preferred system includes a plurality of mobile switching centers coupled via signaling and trunk lines to a plurality of transceivers. The serving switching center selects a target switching center and transmits a handoff directive, the handoff directive including a broadcast parameter designating the mobile broadcast. In the preferred embodiment, the broadcast parameter is an eight bit designation of the broadcast channel, and may be included within a field of ANSI-compatible messages, such as Facilities Directives and Handoff Measurement Requests, and distinguishes the handoff of the information broadcast from other types of communication handoffs. The target switching center determines a second broadcast channel providing an information broadcast feature in a second geographic area served by the target switching center and a target transceiver. Via the serving transceiver, the serving switching center directs the mobile unit to the second broadcast channel.

Apparatus, method and system for handoff of a mobile broadcast of information specific to a geographic region

The invention provides systems, including a methods and apparatus, for providing seamless telephone service across MSC's that support multiple or different protocols. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home mobile switching center, where the subscriber record is stored, is equipped to respond to a first inquiry signal from an originating mobile switching center by identifying itself to the originating mobile switching center. The incoming call may then be trunked to the home mobile switching center and forwarded to the visited mobile switching center according to the second protocol. According to another preferred embodiment, in response to the first inquiry signal, the home mobile switching center sends a second inquiry signal to the visited mobile switching center. The first inquiry signal represents a request for an identification number identifying, in the first protocol, the visited mobile switching center. The second inquiry signal represents a request for an identification number identifying in the second protocol, visited mobile switching center. In response to the second inquiry signal, the visited mobile switching center returns a first response signal to the home mobile switching center. In response to the first response signal, the home mobile switching center sends a second response signal to the originating mobile switching center, the second response signal representing, in the first protocol, a number identifying the visited mobile switching center. The call is then directly routed from the originating mobile switching center to the visited mobile switching center.

Method to allow seamless service to mobile subscribers across various mobile switching centers supporting multiple intersystem standards

An apparatus, method and system provide or broadcast information within a given geographic region that is also specific to a given geographic region, such as traffic reports, sightseeing interests, public services information, or weather conditions. The apparatus, method and system of the present invention also provide for different or varying information to be broadcast from region to region; specific hand-off procedures as mobile units change regions; the capability for multiple mobile units to utilize the same broadcast channel containing the information; and the muting of the reverse voice channels of such mobile units during such broadcast sessions. The system of the present invention includes a plurality of serving transceivers located in a corresponding plurality of geographic areas, and a switching center coupled via a plurality of trunk lines to the plurality of serving transceivers. The system is user activated, wherein the switching center, when operative, includes program instructions to receive from a first serving transceiver a first request from a first mobile unit for an information broadcast feature in a first geographic area, and to connect a trunk line having the requested information broadcast feature to a broadcast channel; to direct the first serving transceiver to transmit a directive to the first mobile unit to the broadcast channel in the first geographic area and to mute a transmit voice channel of the first mobile unit.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Leslie Joseph Williams