Systems and methods for providing an intelligent network (in) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference without requiring an intermediate hold state

Abstract

Systems and methods related to providing an Intelligent Network (in) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS), without requiring an intermediate hold state of an existing call connection between the MS and a second telephony device; such systems and methods can be adapted to implementation in any wireless communications network, such as a Global Services for Mobile Communication (GSM) network. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communications network adapted to provide the IN service includes a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC), and a Service Control Point (SCP), wherein the MSC is operative to send a request to the SCP to activate the IN service, and the SCP is operative to send a Prompt&Collect_User_Information command to the MSC. The Prompt&Collect_User_Information command instructs the MSC to monitor a control channel for the transmission of dialed digits from the MS; the dialed digits identify a third telephony device to be joined in conference with the MS and a second telephony device. The MSC sends an acknowledgment message to the SCP upon receipt of the dialed digits; the acknowledgment message includes the dialed digits. The SCP then controls the establishment of a call connection to the third telephony device, using the dialed digits, by sending a call setup request to the MSC.