Nextel Communications Inc.

Steven Wesley Barrow

Safwan A Khan

Arun Manroa

Trinh D Vu

Manish Sharma

Anthony Wei-Hsia Soong

Ojas Thakor Choksi

A method and system for priority handling of a dispatch call in a dispatch network is disclosed. A dispatch call request message from a mobile communications unit is received at a dispatch cell site. The cell site determines whether a DAP is configured for operation in a call request reject mode. The cell site determines a priority level of the mobile communications unit if the DAP is configured in the call request reject mode. When the priority level meets a defined threshold, the cell site forwards the dispatch call request message to the DAP and the DAP processes the dispatch call request message.

Method and system for priority handling of dispatch call requests

A communications system includes a first PTT network, and a second PTT network having a plurality of interoperability gateways. A method for routing a PTT call terminated at the second PTT network includes receiving a PTT call request from the first PTT network, the PTT call request identifying a target subscriber unit on the second PTT network and forwarding the PTT call request to a first interoperability gateway. If the target is located in a region served by a second PTT interoperability gateway, then a redirect message, including an identifier of the second PTT interoperability gateway, is received and the PTT call request is redirected to the second PTT interoperability gateway. An identifier of the target and an identifier of the second PTT interoperability gateway are stored in a cache for directing subsequent PTT calls to the same target to the corresponding second interoperability gateway. In one embodiment, the first PTT network is an iDEN network and the second PTT network is a HPPTT network and the PTT call is a HPPTT call.

Implementing redirect on interoperability gateway for CDMA terminated PTT calls

A system and method for operating a user functionality in a mobile communications device is disclosed. In an embodiment of the system, a communications infrastructure provides interoperability between a first communications network utilizing a first technology and a second communications network utilizing a second technology. The infrastructure provides an indicator to a mobile communications device in communication with the first communications network to either activate the user functionality or deactivate the user functionality. In accordance with an embodiment of a method of the present invention, the method includes providing the indicator to the mobile communications device in communication with the first communications network utilizing the first technology by the communications infrastructure. The user functionality is activated if the indicator is provided in a first state and the user functionality deactivated if the indicator is provided in a second state.

System and method for operating a user functionality in a mobile communications device

A communications system includes a first PTT network, and a second PTT network having a plurality of interoperability gateways. A method for efficiently selecting an interoperability gateway for PTT calls terminated at the second PTT network includes receiving a PTT call request from the first PTT network, the PTT call request identifying a target subscriber unit on the second PTT network and forwarding the PTT call request to a first interoperability gateway. Notification is received if the request has succeeded, and the notification includes an identification of the target and a second interoperability gateway. This information is stored in cache for directing subsequent PTT calls to the same target to the corresponding second interoperability gateway. In one embodiment, the first PTT network is an iDEN network and the second PTT network is a HPPTT network and the PTT call is a HPPTT call.

Efficient selection of interoperability gateway for CDMA terminated PTT calls

Methods and systems for IMEI registration are provided. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when an IMEI registration fails due to a network failure, the mobile station implements a back-off algorithm for future IMEI registration attempts. Specifically, the present invention provides a back-off algorithm which determines a different amount of time for the time period between each unsuccessful IMEI registration.

System and method for improved IMEI registration

A dispatch call request is received from a calling party to make an inter-urban dispatch call to a called party over a telecommunications network. A determination is first made as to whether the calling party is restricted from making inter-urban calls and, if so, a determination is then made as to whether the called party is an unrestricted access subscriber. In one embodiment, the dispatch call will be connected to the called party when the calling party is restricted from making inter-urban calls and the called party is an unrestricted access subscriber.

Enabling dispatch calls for long-distance-restricted subscribers

A system and method for providing an user the ability to roam onto a peer Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) Network. An iGW supports the passing of Dispatch registration information back to the users home network. The iGW will also support and assist in setting up Dispatch Calls between the two iDEN Networks, and vice versa. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also support roaming from another technology that supports Dispatch Services, where if a iDEN subscriber with a dual mode phone (i.e., iDEN & GSM), was to roam onto another carrier with a different technology but with Dispatch capabilities, the iDEN subscriber is able to register on the roaming carrier's network. The iGW is capable of receiving the registration update from the roaming network and updating the iDEN Network with the location of the iDEN Subscriber.

System and method for dispatch roaming registration

An apparatus and method for mapping a newly assigned Universal Fleet Member Identifier (UFMI) to a previously assigned UFMI is disclosed. In an embodiment, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) routing request message is received from a dispatch application processor (DAP) associated with a calling party at a serving home location register (HLR) of a called party. The routing request message includes a previously assigned UFMI of the called party. A newly assigned UFMI of the called party is obtained by the HLR by consulting a subscriber table stored in the HLR. An iDEN routing response message is transmitted to the DAP by the HLR, where the routing response message includes the newly assigned UFMI associated with the called party.

Integrated digital enhanced network migrated subscriber mapping

Systems and methods for providing presence information to dispatch stations are provided. Presence information regarding a dispatch station in a first network can be provided to a dispatch station located in a second network using a private call alert with a 'Do Not Alert' flag set. A dispatch processor in the first network can include a presence notification list, which identifies the dispatch station in the second network that should be notified of changes in the presence information for the dispatch station in the first network.

Systems and methods for providing presence information

Systems and methods for prepaid dispatch communications are provided. The system includes a dispatch prepaid server that monitors an amount of prepaid services purchased for a dispatch station. The dispatch prepaid server provides provisioning information to a location register related to dispatch prepaid services. The location register provides an identification of the dispatch prepaid server to a dispatch processor. The dispatch processor monitors the duration of a call for the dispatch station and provides call duration information to the dispatch prepaid server.

Systems and methods for prepaid dispatch communications

A wireless communication system including dispatch call controllers, signaling gateways, base stations, a first network coupling the dispatch call controllers to the signaling gateways, and a second network coupling the signaling gateways to the base stations. The signaling gateways serve as intermediaries between dispatch call controllers and base stations by translating messages received from dispatch call controllers intended for the base stations from the protocol used in the first communications network to the protocol used in the second communications network, and translating messages received from base stations intended for dispatch call controllers from the protocol used in the second communications network to the protocol used in the first communications network. The system may be configured such that each dispatch call controller has individual logical links to each of the signaling gateways, and each signaling gateway has logical links to a distinct subset of the base stations.

Wireless communication system having a signaling gateway serving as an intermediary between a dispatch call controller and a base station

A method and system for placing a dispatch call from an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) to a non-iDEN network is disclosed. An inter-urban call restriction check process is performed by an iDEN dispatch call processor if a response to a query indicates that a target dispatch call processor associated with a called entity is associated with the iDEN network and the inter-urban call restriction check process is not performed by the iDEN dispatch call processor if the response indicates that the target dispatch call processor is associated with the non-iDEN network.

Method and apparatus for handling integrated digital enhanced network calling restrictions

A method and system for dispatch calling using personal telephone numbers (PTNs) are provided. In accordance with the method and system, when a dispatch user enters a PTN as part of a dispatch call initiation, the originating dispatch call controller recognizes that the dispatch call request includes a PTN. If the originating dispatch call controller does not have the target subscriber in its recent call record cache, the originating call controller determines which home location registers (HLRs) serve subscribers with the particular NPA and NXX of the PTN. The originating call controller sends a request for the UFMI of the target subscriber to each of the determined HLRs. When the originating call controller receives a response from one of the HLRs with the UFMI, the originating call controller completes the dispatch call using the received UFMI.

System and method for dispatch calling using personal telephone numbers

A method and system for long distance dispatch calling restrictions are provided. A user who does not subscribe to long distance dispatch services can make a long distance dispatch call to the originator of the last received dispatch call within a predetermined period of time of the last received dispatch call. If an amount of time equal to or greater than the predetermined period of time has elapsed since the last received dispatch call, then the long distance dispatch call is rejected.

System and method for long distance dispatch calling restrictions

A system and method for providing subscriber presence information in a dispatch network is disclosed. In an embodiment of the method, presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber is provided to a home location register. A presence message is provided to a presence server related to the subscription information. A presence status is provided to a party by the presence server. In an embodiment of the system, a home location register stores a subscriber presence table. The presence table includes presence subscription information related to a dispatch network subscriber. A dispatch application processor (DAP) is coupled to the home location register and the DAP retrieves the presence subscription information for a subscriber registered in the DAP. The DAP provides a presence message to the presence server and the presence server provides a presence status to a communications medium.

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South Riding, VA, United States of America

Steven Wesley Barrow