Telecommunications – Having single-channel telephone carrier – Including call signaling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-05
2001-02-20
Maung, Nay (Department: 2744)
Telecommunications
Having single-channel telephone carrier
Including call signaling
C455S417000, C379S210010, C379S252000, C379S418000, C379S424000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192231
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to telephone apparatus, and in particular to customer premises equipment (CPE) for use in supporting an enhanced service to the customer. The invention has particular application for a service allowing a user to use both a cordless or fixed telephone system and a cellular telephone system interchangeably, efficiently and flexibly, without the need for complex procedures.
RELATED ART
The essential distinction between a cordless system and a cellular system is that in general a cordless handset works in conjunction with a specific radio base station connected to a fixed telecommunications exchange line, whilst a cellular handset will communicate with whichever of a number of radio base stations currently provides the best radio link. Cellular systems require handover of a handset from one base station to another as the handset and its user move around the coverage area. Some large scale cordless systems, known as ‘Wireless PBX’, offer conventional private exchange services and allow use of a handset with different base stations within a small defined area such as a single building or campus, but incoming calls are always routed to the same (fixed) exchange line.
If a user has access to both cordless and cellular systems it is preferable for the user to use the cordless system dedicated to him whenever possible, so that the available capacity of the cellular system can be used by other users, and because cordless systems are simpler and therefore less expensive to provide. The cordless system may also offer features not available in the cellular network. Cordless and cellular handsets both generally operate using radio communication but other wireless communication media such as ultrasound or optical signals (e.g. infrared) are sometimes used, and the term “wireless” as used in this specification embraces any such communication medium.
It will be seen from the foregoing that cordless systems have some features in common with truly “fixed” systems and some in common with fully “mobile” systems such as cellular systems.
Dual purpose cellular/cordless handsets capable of operating on both cordless and cellular systems have been developed. Examples are described in GB2225512, WO93/16534, WO93/16348, WO93/16549, WO93/16560 and WO94/00946 (all Motorola), EP 0660626 (Nokia), and WO95/01070 (Ericsson). Some of these automatically switch between cordless and cellular operation. according to which type of base station can be detected by the mobile unit. However, for incoming calls the user of such a handset must have two teiephone numbers; one for each system, and the user must arrange that calls mace to the number corresponding to the system on which the user is currently not operating are nevertheless answered, for example by setting up a call diversion to the other number. Alternatively, if the exchange line has another apparatus attached (such as another cordless handset, or an answering machine), it may be more appropriate not to divert incoming calls, but to continue to route them to the exchange line. For example, as well as the handset, the user may have an answering machine connected to the exchange line, and he or she may wish calls to be answered by that if the handset is out of range. It can be difficult for a user to decide whether to divert incoming calls to the cellular number, (thereby incurring extra call charges for the diversion and also effectively disabling the exchange line such that it cannot be used by anyone else for receiving calls); or not to divert them (thereby becoming unable to receive urgent calls on the cellular telephone).
Telephone equipment is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,470 (Sanford), and International Patent Application WO94/23526 (SNI Innovation), in which incoming calls are handled differently according to characteristics, recognised by the equipment, which identify the caller or the intended called party, and connect the call to an appropriate extension line. However, even if one or more of the extensions were a dual mode handset, such equipment would not be able to contact it if it were to go into cellular mode as in that mode the handset is not an extension of the same exchange line, but is operating as a completely different exchange line—indeed usually on a different network. If call diversion to the cellular number is activated, all incoming calls would be diverted by the PSTN and thus they would not be received by the call handling equipment, which could therefore play no part in the call routing decisions.
A service known as “Called Number Identity” (CNI) is now being introduced by some telecommunications operators, in which more than one different telephone number is served by the same exchange line and, in order to identify to the called party the number that has been dialled, the exchange arranges that the ringing tone varies in a characteristic way according to which number has been dialled. This is known as “ringing cadence”. For example, if the number dialled is the “primary number” the exchange may cause ringing current to be transmitted in a “double ring”, repeated periodically as is conventional in telephone systems in for example the United Kingdom, whereas if the “alternative number” is dialled a single ring, repeated periodically, (as is conventional in the United States and some European countries) is initiated by the exchange. Other ring cadence variations may be used; for example patterns of short and long rings, triple rings, etc. The called party, on hearing the ringing pattern or cadence, will recognise which number has been dialled and therefore the type of call which is being made; for example the numbers could be allocated to different members of the household, or alternatively they may be a business and domestic (private) number for the same person. This allows the user to decide who (if anyone) should answer the call. For example, if the ringing cadence relates to the user who is absent, the users who are present may choose to let the telephone ring, perhaps to allow an answering machine to take any message.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a telephone apparatus having exchange connection means suitable for connection, by means of a telecommunications exchange line, to a telecommunications network; signal recognition means suitable for detecting and recognising a ringing pattern or cadence of signalling, associated with an incoming call, transmitted over the exchange line to the apparatus, and call handling means for handling the incoming call according to the ringing pattern or cadence.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of operating a telephone apparatus connected to a telephone network by means of an exchange line, wherein on an incoming call attempt being made from the network, the call is handled according to a selected one of a plurality of modes under the control of the apparatus according to which of a predetermined set of ringing patterns or cadences is transmitted from the network.
The ringing cadence may be generated by the network according to which of a plurality of numbers associated with the exchange line was used to make the call. By arranging for calls to be routed according to these characteristics, selective routing of incoming calls can be arranged such that some calls may be answered, others routed to an answering machine, and others transferred, for example to a user's cellular number.
The call handling means may include means for transferring the incoming call to a second exchange line in response to the recognition of a predetermined ringing pattern or cadence. The transfer may be achieved by transmitting a signal to the telecommunications network in order to disconnect the incoming call from the exchange line, and transmitting a signal over the exchange line to the telecommunications network, the signal being indicative of the second exchange line to which the call is to be transferred. The handling means may alternatively cause a signal to be transmitted over the telephone network to a predet
Buttery Stephen John
Chapman Ian David
Walker Simon
British Telecommunications public limited company
Maung Nay
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Vuong Quochien B.
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