Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Special service
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-29
2001-02-20
Eisenzopf, Reinhard J. (Department: 2745)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Special service
C455S445000, C455S456500, C455S458000, C455S461000, C455S519000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192234
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to switching systems and, in particular, to call coverage groups.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In prior art business telecommunications switching systems, call coverage groups are well known. A call coverage group allows a list of telephones to be stored within the switching system to handle calls for a telephone of a principal. When the switching system receives a call for the principal's telephone and the principal's telephone does not answer, the switching system attempts to connect the calling party with the first telephone in the call coverage telephone group. If the first telephone is unavailable, then the second telephone in the call coverage group is selected. In the prior art, the call coverage groups are administered manually.
The prior art call coverage groups have functioned well with wired telephone sets and wireless telephones where the wireless telephone was a second telephone set for a user. In addition, prior art call coverage groups and their administration have functioned well for the traditional business environments where an employee is assigned a desk or a specific location and performs their principal work function at that telephone or location. For example, the traditional environment is for a principal to have a telephone and for the first telephone in the call coverage path for the principal's telephone to be the principal's secretary. The traditional environment is slowly changing. In the emerging business environment, individuals do not have a wired telephone but rather they have a wireless telephone which they carry with them at all times and which is their only telephone set. In addition, employees during the course of a day perform many functions at different locations. For example, a principal's secretary may vary with the time of day.
An example of an important problem that traditional call coverage groups and their administration can not deal with is a situation that occurs in a department store. Within a department store, employees move from one department to another depending on the requirements of the customers. It is highly desirable to be able to set up a call coverage path that dynamically aligned itself with the wireless terminals present within a given department without involvement of a controlling wireless switching system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing problems are solved, and a technical advance is achieved by an apparatus and method in which wireless terminals automatically and dynamically establish call coverage groups based on physical locations. Each location is assigned a call coverage telephone number. When a new wireless terminal enters the location, the wireless terminals automatically and dynamically determine a new call coverage path. The wireless terminals establish the new call coverage path by communicating with each other. The wireless switching system to which the wireless terminals are connected does not administer the call coverage group. Advantageously, the criteria utilized to establish the call coverage group is stored within the wireless terminals that will be part of that call coverage group. When a call is received by the wireless switching system for the call coverage number, the wireless switching system broadcasts a page message for the call coverage number. The wireless terminals in the call coverage group for the call coverage number each wait an individual predefined amount of time before attempting to respond to the page message. The individual predefined amount of time for each wireless terminal in the call coverage group is defined by the wireless terminal's position in the call coverage path. If available, the first wireless terminal in the call coverage path will immediately respond to the setup message for the call coverage number.
Advantageously, each wireless terminal is defined as having a specific priority in each of the potential call coverage groups for the various locations. One priority is that the wireless terminal will not be part of a particular location's call coverage group—the wireless terminal is excluded from that call coverage group. When two wireless terminals have the same priority for a particular call coverage group, a secondary definition is used to establish the call coverage path. Advantageously, this secondary information will be the assigned dial number of the wireless terminal. With the lowest dial number taking preference in the call coverage path. Advantageously, the priority could be based on the skill, assignment, or other information concerning the user of the wireless terminal for a particular location.
Advantageously, the communication between wireless terminals is controlled by a controlling wireless terminal with which the wireless terminal first communicates upon entering the location. Upon determining that it is leaving the location, the wireless terminal transmits a message to controlling wireless terminal to inform it of this fact. In turn, the controlling wireless terminal transmits messages to the other wireless terminals to inform them of the departure of the wireless terminal.
Other and further aspects of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawing
REFERENCES:
patent: 5243645 (1993-09-01), Bissell et al.
patent: 5260986 (1993-11-01), Pershan
patent: 5610972 (1997-03-01), Emery et al.
patent: 5699407 (1997-12-01), Nguyen
patent: 5745561 (1998-04-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5835860 (1998-11-01), Diachina
patent: 6097963 (2000-08-01), Boltz et al.
patent: 6101396 (2000-08-01), Chavez, Jr.
Avaya Technology Corp.
Eisenzopf Reinhard J.
Kincaid Lester G.
Moran John C.
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