At+t Corp.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Richard Paul Moleres

Thomas Chia Hanson

David Alan Gaulke

Rainie M Bicknell

Benny J Ellis

Thomas Charles Hanson

A distributed processing system (100) includes a protocol server (101) that enables a plurality of clients (103-104) to share the use of one set of Signaling System 7 (SS7) links (99), that centralizes the link-termination circuitry (110) for use by the plurality of clients, and that provides access to upper layers (215-219) of the SS7 protocol stack (200) by distributing the processing of different layers of the stack between the protocol server and the clients. The protocol server terminates the lower layers (210-213) of the SS7 protocol, while each client terminates the upper layers of the SS7 protocol. Communication between the protocol server and the clients of information expressed in the upper layers of the SS7 protocol is effected via the TCP/IP protocol over a LAN (102). A service access bridge process (113, 116) in the protocol server translates between the lower layers of the SS7 protocol and the TCP/IP protocol, and a distributed signaling server process (114, 117) in the protocol server routes communications across the LAN. A distributed signaling client process (121, 124) in each client translates between the TCP/IP protocol and the upper layers of the SS7 protocol. The distributed signaling server and distributed signaling client processes are substantially protocol independent, allowing for use of any protocol in place of the SS7 protocol. The distributed processing system may be either a multiprocessor or a uniprocessor.

Distributed-protocol server

In a cellular telephone system (FIG. 1), a pager (122) is associated with a cellular phone (121) that is normally kept turned off and thus not drawing power from its battery (513). When an incoming call for the cellular phone arrives at a cellular exchange (103) and the exchange determines that the cellular phone is not registered with a base station (107-109), a paging system (105) is caused to transmit an incoming-call-indicative paging signal to the pager. Receipt of this paging signal at the pager either causes the user of the pager and the cellular phone to turn on the cellular phone, or causes the pager to turn on the cellular phone automatically via associated circuitry (502, 515). Activation causes the cellular phone to register with a base station, whereupon the cellular exchange extends the incoming call to the cellular phone through that base station. If the incoming call is not answered, or when the incoming call is completed, the paging system is caused to transmit a second paging signal to the pager. Receipt of the second paging signal at the pager leads to the cellular phone being turned off again. The cellular phone can therefore normally be turned off without fear of missing incoming calls. Battery power of the cellular phone is thus conserved.

Automated wireless-call completion using a paging network

An integrated pager and cellular phone (123) includes circuitry (502, 515) that responds to receipt by the pager (122) of an incoming-call-indicative paging signal by connecting the cellular phone (121) to a battery power source (513). This activates the cellular phone, whereupon it registers with a base station (107-109) and thus becomes able to receive the incoming call. The circuitry further responds to receipt by the pager of a second paging signal by disconnecting the cellular phone from the battery power source. This allows the cellular phone to be kept in a deactivated condition and not draining battery power at times when the cellular phone is not in use, without missing incoming calls, and does so automatically, without intervention of the user of the cellular phone.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, CO, United States of America

Richard Paul Moleres