At+t Corp.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Avaya Technology LLC

At&t Bell Laboratories

Stephen M Thieler

Bruce M Bales

Robert L Crumpley

Sandra S North

David Lee Chavez, Jr

Donald D Gallagher

Ted M Fidder

David L Chavez

John G Fijolek

Larry J Hardouin

Robert L Lien

John C Moran

Vojislav V Vucetic

Logical coverage areas are dynamically rearranged to meet the traffic needs of a wireless switching system. Further, the logical coverage areas do not have to be initially provisioned during deployment of the wireless switching system since the initial determination of the logical coverage areas is automatically performed. Once the logical coverage areas are established, the logical coverage areas adapt to the changing needs of the community of wireless handsets. A first embodiment allows the base stations to control the rearrangements, and a second embodiment allows a system wireless controller controlling the wireless switching system to control the rearrangements.

Dynamic logical coverage areas for wireless base stations

In a wireless switching system in which base stations dynamically re-arrange logical coverage areas, when a base station enters a new logical coverage area, wireless handsets registered on the base station do not have to report individually this change in logical coverage areas to a wireless switching system controlling the wireless switching system. The base station performing the transfer from one logical coverage area to another logical coverage area informs the wireless switching system controller of the change in logical coverage areas both for the base station itself and for each of the wireless handsets registered on the base station. The base station informs the wireless handsets that the logical coverage area is being changed and informs the wireless handsets that they do not have to re-register. This reporting by the base station greatly reduces the number of operations performed when the base station moves from one logical coverage area to another logical coverage area.

Modification of re-registration by a wireless handset in response to a change of logical coverage area

Transmitting by a public service provider an audio message to the calling party instead normal ring back tones when a call is placed by a calling party to a called party. This audio message is an advertisement that is paid for by a third party. If the calling party wishes more information concerning the advertisement, the calling party indicates this desire either by a spoken command or by accuation of a multi-frequency key on the telephone hand set during the message. If the calling party has indicated a desire to obtain more information with respect to the advertisement, when the call to the called party is completed, the public service provider will automatically connect the calling party to a system that will provide additional information concerning the advertisement. A data terminal placing a data call will receive advertisements in a similar manner.

Advertised ring back in a telecommunication switching system

The present method and system for transmitting feature and authentication information for wireless communication services reduces the amount of data transmitted from a handset to a base station by transmitting service information when the wireless handset registers with the base station and authentication information when wireless service is requested by the wireless handset. After receiving the service and authentication information, the base station may store the service and authentication information in memory and retrieve the stored service and authentication information when the wireless handset again requests service from the base station. Alternatively, a mobile switching system may communicate the service and authentication information to the base station.

Method and system for transmitting feature and authentication information for wireless communication services

A wireless handset does not perform a re-registration operation when its serving base station is at capacity, and a wireless controller controlling a wireless switching system is allowed to send incoming calls for the wireless handset to the base station even if the base station is at capacity. The base station signals a new call to the wireless even if the base station is at its active call capacity. The wireless handset is responsive to the incoming call to perform a base station re-direct operation to a new base station that has idle call capacity, and the call setup is completed to the wireless handset via the new base station. The base station re-direct operation is a new wireless operation. The base station re-direct operation is controlled by the system wireless controller in a second embodiment.

Use of immediate handover to achieve multi-head zones

Initialization of dynamic logical coverage areas for wireless base stations

Transmitting a &ldquo;plugged into charger&rdquo; message to a wireless telecommunication switching system by a wireless terminal when inserted into a charging unit. The wireless telecommunication switching system is responsive to the &ldquo;plugged into charger&rdquo; message to remove the wireless terminal from the call coverage path of the user. The wireless telecommunication switching system can add to the call coverage path of the user the telephone number of the cellular telephone utilized by the user when the user is out of the building. In a second embodiment of the invention, the wireless terminal transmits the message to invoke the &ldquo;send all calls&rdquo; state when the wireless terminal is plugged into a charging unit. In a third embodiment of the invention, the wireless terminal transmits a call transfer message that transfers all incoming calls to another terminal when the wireless terminal is plugged into the charging unit.

Battery charging indication message from a wireless terminal

Telephone terminals directly implement an automatic call back feature by establishing a logical channel between two telephone terminals when a calling telephone terminal is unable to complete a call to a called telephone terminal. Via the logical link, the called telephone terminal communicates to the calling telephone terminal any change in state that is related to its ability to receive a call. When both telephone terminals are idle, the calling telephone terminal recalls the called telephone terminal to set up a call. The logical link is established on user-user temporary signaling or D channel facilities of ISDN links. Since the interconnecting networks are not part of providing the automatic call back service, the telephone terminals can be interconnected by any combination of telephone networks that provide ISDN service.

Automatic call back under control of a telephone terminal

A communication switching system having a plurality of switch nodes with each of the switch nodes responsive to a failure of a communication link within a group of communication links to switch active calls from channels of the failed communication link to idle channels of other communication links within the group of communication links. If no idle channels are available within the group of communication links when the communication link fails, a predefined time is waited for a channel to become idle or a new communication link to be added to the group of communication links before the active channels are abandoned. Advantageously, the switching of the active calls to idle channels occurs quickly so that only a momentary interruption of the calls occurs. The group of communication links may advantageously be a non-facility access service (NFAS) group having a combination of ISDN BRI and PRI communication links. The calls can be either voice, video, or data calls.

Channel and data link automatic restoration

In a telecommunication switching system having a plurality of switch nodes with each of the switch nodes responsive to a failure of a communication link within a group of communication links to establish a flexible rate interface (FRI) link upon there being no spare channels within the group of communication links and to switch active calls from the channels of the failed communication link to the channels of the newly established FRI link. Advantageously, the group of communication links can be a non-facility access service (NFAS) group. Advantageously, this allows for additional B channels to be added to the NFAS group even though there are no remaining physical communication links between the two switch nodes being interconnected by the NFAS group. The establishment of the FRI link allows for the addition of B channels to the NFAS group with these B channels being routed through other switch nodes of the communication switching system. The FRI link becomes part of the NFAS group and control is provided for the B channels of the FRI link by the primary D channel of the NFAS group. Advantageously, the FRI link can be set up through other communication facilities other than the communication switching system. For example, if the two switch nodes interconnected by the NFAS group are both connected to the public telephone network, the FRI link can be set up through the public telephone network.

Establishment of a flexible rate interface link to restore channels from

Allowing for pre-location of authentication information to a switching node before a mobile telephone starts to register on that switching node. Where the switching node is part of a mobile telecommunication system having a plurality of switching nodes. The pre-location of authentication information allows the authentication information to be distributed to switching nodes in a distributed telecommunication switching system before peak traffic conditions arise. A user of a mobile telephone can directly specify the time and place for the pre-location of authentication information, or the switching node to which the mobile telephone is assigned can statistically determine the other switching nodes to which authentication information will be pre-located and the day and time of the pre-location.

Pre-location of authentication information in a personal communication

Continuously varying the type of media used during a multimedia communication conference call by a telecommunications terminal. In response to inputs from a user, a telecommunication terminal can vary the type of media by increasing, decreasing, or changing the bandwidth of the call. Further, a telecommunication terminal controlling the multimedia communication conference call is informed of changes being made by the telecommunication terminal on the conference call and informs the remaining telecommunication terminals of changes in participation of the telecommunication terminal.

Selective participation in a multimedia communication conference call

Automatically reducing communication bandwidth to coincide with the state of a communication call by a communication terminal. If a first telecommunication terminal puts a second telecommunication terminal on hold, the first telecommunication terminal transmits a transport message that reduces the bandwidth of the call to a low speed data link. When the first telecommunication terminal wishes to again be in communication with the second telecommunication terminal, a transport message is utilized to restore the communication bandwidth. If a first communication terminal calls a second communication terminal and the second communication terminal is busy, the first communication terminal reduces the bandwidth of the communication call to that of a low speed data link. When the second telecommunication terminal becomes idle, the second terminal sends a message to the first terminal indicating the idle state. The first telecommunication terminal then uses a transport message to increase the communication bandwidth to the desired amount and engages the second communication terminal in a communication call.

Variable communication bandwidth for providing automatic call back and

Establishing a multimedia telecommunication conference call with reduced bandwidth if not all participants are available to be part of the conference call by telecommunication terminals. When one telecommunication terminal is initiating a conference call, the initiating telecommunication terminal first establishes low speed data links with each of the other telecommunications terminals that are to be part of the conference. When all users of the other telecommunication terminals are ready for the conference, the other telecommunication terminals signal the initiating telecommunication terminal which then adds the necessary bandwidth to the conference call to establish the multimedia telecommunication conference call. Since the conference call is already set up, the initiating telecommunication terminal only has to add the necessary bandwidth to conference call. Each participant in the telecommunication conference call designates when they are ready to have the conference call start. In addition, each participant can choose not to take part in the conference call.

Variable communication bandwidth for conference call initiation

Providing multimedia conference calls with communication type conversion for changing types of communication terminals on one multimedia conference call. In addition, users of communication terminals can change communication types during the multimedia conference calls. Also, a set of users can use additional communication types not presently in use by a multimedia conference call to enhance communication among the set of users.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Stephen M Thieler