MXPA00000811A - Providing wireless communications to a subscriber of a private wireline network - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for providing wireless communications to a subscriber of a private wireline network (40) includes a private wireline switch (42) and a wireline interface. The switch processes and controls telephone calls to and from the subscriber to provide a plurality of communication features to the subscriber. The wireline interface is in communication with the switch and the public wireless network for providing wireless communications to the subscriber (46) via the switch.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS TO A SUBSCRIBER OF A PRIVATE NETWORK OF METAL CABLE Technical Field This invention relates to a method and system for providing wireless communications to a subscriber of a private wireline network regardless of which network the subscriber is on.

Background of the Technique A Private Telephone Exchange (PBX) is a private switching element that provides its business users with features and access to the public network. Calls made to a PBX station from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) are routed to a Class 5 switch that serves such a PBX. The Class 5 switch directs calls over the union lines of the PBX to the PBX, for termination to stations served by the PBX. When a PBX user originates a call to the PSTN, the user typically dials an access digit, that is, "9", more Ref .032669 the phone number of the called party. The call is then sent to the Class 5 service switch in the PSTN for termination to the called party. Calls between the stations served by the PBX are processed internally to the PBX. The PBX is also responsible for providing the features, such as abbreviated dialing, call forwarding, call transfer, etc., to the PBX stations. A Centrex arrangement provides similar functions except that the stations in the business environment are served directly from the Class 5 switch which includes the specific program to provide business characteristics similar to those provided by the PBX. In this arrangement, a switch may not be located on the premises of the commercial customer. In the environments of both the PBX and Centrex, the equipment is available to the commercial customer which allows them to provide wireless access to their users. A known prior art system is illustrated in Figure 1. A switch 10 of Class 5, such as a Service Switching Point (SSP), serves a PBX 12 by means of a plurality of junction lines 14 of the PBX.

.- ~? «Aa» »a» a < ^ fia »& A & ^^^^ The PBX 12 allows users to use a desk phone 16 as well as a wireless microphone 18. The wireless service is provided to the wireless handset 18 by means of an attachment 20 which provides door control functionality radio to handle microcells (radio base stations) 22 that are strategically located in the commercial environment to provide integrated coverage for PBX users. This add-on 20 enables users to have mobility within a specific radio coverage environment, such as a building or a field. However, if the user moves too far from the commercial environment, he can move out of the coverage area of the microcells 22 and it may not be possible to use his wireless handset 18. A public wireless radio network, or Personal Communication Service (PCS), typically includes a PCS switch 24 in communication with a Base Station Controller (BSC) 26. The BSC 26 controls a plurality of Base Stations (BSS) 28 which provide cellular service to several wireless handsets 30 ( only one is shown). Usually, however, there is no mechanism to allow the user of the wireless handset 18 in the PBX system to wander in the PCS system and take advantage of the wireless coverage provided by the BSC 26 while still allowing the PBX system / Centrex maintain control of user characteristics and call processing. A lack of internal work capacity between wireless business systems and public wireless networks introduces several disadvantages. The primary disadvantages do not include the handling without manual control of a call between the public and private networks and the inability of a user of the wireless PBX to be able to receive a call while he is roaming in a public wireless network. An integrated PCS network is described in the U.S. Patent No. 5,506,887 issued to Emery et al. Emery describes a structure of the system to interconnect the capabilities of a landline telephone system with a radio link communication system and control the provision of the service characteristics of the private network to the users of both radio link systems as of land lines. The call processing data associated with each subscriber is stored at a central service control point, or database, within the network.

The call routing can then be provided to either the on-land line or a wireless unit by means of a mobility controller in communication with the data bage in response to the 5 calls addressed to the user's unique telephone number. Accordingly, the system described by Emery provides all the unique services of both the landline telephone system and the user radio system by means of a single telephone number and a central database. Emery, however, fails to describe a system architecture that integrates an existing wireless PBX network and an existing PCS network so that a subscriber of the wireless PBX network can roam the public PCS network without being taken some action by the subscriber. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a flexible network architecture that integrates the features and services provided by a private business network with the ability to roam not limited associated with the public wireless network.

Description of the invention Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a method and system that e ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ g ^^^ S ^^^^ a = makes it possible for a user of a private network to access the public wireless network while maintaining all the features associated with it the private network of the metallic cable. In order to carry out the above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, a method is provided for providing wireless communications to a subscriber of a private wireline network in which the private wireline network includes a switch for processing and controlling telephone calls to and from the subscriber to provide a plurality of subscriber communication features, and a metallic cable interconnection is provided in communication with the switch and the public wireless network. The method includes the step of making it possible for the public wireless network to provide wireless communications to the subscriber by means of the switch. In addition, to carry out the above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, a system for carrying out the steps of the method described above is also provided. The systems include a switch in the private wireline network for processing and controlling telephone calls to and from the subscriber to provide a plurality of communications and features to the subscriber. The system also includes a wireline interconnect in communication with the switch and the public wireless network to enable the public wireless network to provide wireless communications to the subscriber via the switch. The foregoing objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in a manner related to the appended drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art PBX system that supports wireless communications; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the system of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the system of the present invention; Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the general sequence of steps associated with receiving an incoming call using the system of the present invention; Figure 5 is a call flow diagram associated with Figure 4; Figure 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the general sequence of steps associated with placing an exit call using the system of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a flow diagram of the call associated with Figure 6.

Best Ways to Carry Out the Invention A schematic diagram of the system of the present invention is shown in Figure 2. The system, generally denoted by the numerical reference 40, includes a private wireline network, such as a PBX network, and a public network. The PBX network includes a PBX switch 42 and at least one Private Base Station (BS) 44. The BS 44 Private Base Station is controlled by the public wireless network, as will be described in greater detail below. The PBX switch 42 is responsible for providing the features associated with subscriber lines to its users, including, but not limited to, abbreviated dialing, waiting for the call, three-way calling, sending calls, and the transfer of calls. The PBX switch 42 makes it possible for a user to receive or originate calls from either a desktop station 43 or from a wireless handset 46 via the BS 44 while the user is within the PBX network. The Public Network includes a portion of wire rope and a wireless portion. The wire rope portion is a telecommunications network consisting of a number of switches and application processors interconnected by transmission circuits. Signaling of Common Channels, such as Signaling System No. 7 (SS7), is a signaling method in which a signaling channel transports, by means of tagged messages, the information of the signaling that refers to the establishment of the call, the management of the network, and the maintenance of the network. The SS7 network exists within the telecommunications network and controls it. SS7 achieves this control by creating and transferring call processing, network management and maintenance messages to the various components of the network. An SS7 network has three distinct components, the Service Switching Points (SSPs) 50, the • * ». &&- - Signal Transfer Points (STPs) (not shown), and Service Control Points (SCPs) 48. The SCP 48 contains centralized network databases to provide enhanced services . SCP 48 accepts the questions from SSP 50 and returns the requested information to the originator of the question. The SSP 50 is a telephone switch, or a Class 5 switch, which performs call processing on calls that originate, serially, or terminate at this site. The SSP 50 is known as a digital telephone exchange that controls the switching between the wire rope network and mobile cell sites from all wireline to mobile calls, from mobile to wireline, and from mobile to mobile. The SSP 50 also serves the PBX network by transferring the calls directed to the PBX switch 42 via the PBX 51 connection lines. The wireless portion of the Public Network, or PCS, includes a processor 49 for the transfer between the protocols. of metallic and wireless cable communications of the metallic cable network and the public wireless network, respectively. The processor 49 preferably includes an Access Controller (AC) 52 and an Access Management System (AMS) 53. The AC 52 preferably consists of a BSC 54 which serves each coverage area of the public wireless network by means of a plurality of Base Stations (BSs) 44 (only one of which is shown) placed through each of the attached cells (not shown). 5 BSC 54 handles each of the radio channels assigned to its coverage area, monitors calls, activates and deactivates radio transceivers, injects or inserts data on control and user channels, and performs diagnostic tests about the team on the call site. The AMS 53 retrieves all the necessary data to answer the subscriber's call requirements from three databases - a Home Location Recorder (HLR) 56, a Registry of the Visitor Location (VLR) 58, and an Access Administrator (AM) 60- each one described here more fully. The HLR 56 is a master database for storing the data related to each subscriber mobile, such as subscriber profile and mobility information along with their permanent (static) data, such as access capabilities and services to subscribers. In addition, the HLR 56 is in electrical communication with and provides the VLR 58 with information about the service area where the & safe.fa¿g: a ".. ^ ¿^^^ a ^ a ^ 1 wireless handset 46 is actually located (temporary or dynamic data) to allow incoming calls to be immediately delivered to the cordless handset 46 of the Subscriber called. VLR 58 is a temporary database that contains the detailed data about location and service data considering each subscriber that enters its coverage area for the address which is used to enter and exit calls. The VLR 58 is in electrical communication with the AM 60 and the HLR 56 so that the AMS 53 can adjust the incoming and outgoing calls. The VLR 58 is a dynamic subscriber database, exchanging considerable amounts of data with its related HLR 56. The AM 60 handles the mobility functionality of the wireless network of the system 40. The AM 60 has access to the HLR 56 when the subscriber registers in the network to legitimize the user. Together with the BSC 54, the AM 60 provides radio functionality such as registration, authentication, and call manner without manual control between the base stations 44. The HLR 56, the VLR 58 and the AM 60 are connected typically among themselves by the protocols of the Mobile Application Part (MAP) IS-41 that operate on the SS7 or X.25 networks. The junction lines of the IS-41 data are packet switched networks that have transport options of either type X.25 or SS7.

Integrated Public / Private System The public wireless network is physically integrated with the PBX Network with a metallic cable interconnect 62 having the lateral characteristics of the line connected between the PBX switch 42 and the processor 49. The interconnection of the metallic cable 62 is a transport mechanism which supports a communication protocol having a separate speech signal path and a signaling information path to simultaneously transmit both the signaling information and the speech signals. Wireline interconnection 62 is generic and may be supported by any number of available technologies, such as a Low Speed Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the Integrated Digital Enclosed Circuit Carrier (IDLC) GR-303, the IDLC TR-008, or a plurality of pairs of copper wire. In the preferred embodiment, the wireline interconnect 62 is an IDLC GR-303 interconnect which provides for multiplexing on each end of the interconnect 62 to dynamically allocate the time slots to each call. When a GR-303 interconnection 62 is used, a Remote Digital Terminal (RDT) 64 is preferably placed on the AC 52 of the processor 49 and in communication with the interconnection of the wire 62. The RTDT 64 provides the functionality of the interconnection between S? P 50 and the PBX switch 42 and AC 52 to provide wireless access to the SSP 50 and the PBX switch 42 for the wireless users. A RDT, such as an SLC-96, manufactured by Lucent Technologies, can be used in the present invention. It should be noted that the implementation of the RDT in AC 52 is specific to the vendor. As RDT 64 is implemented, it only concerns each vendor since the interconnection appears in terms of the SSP / PBX as a typical GR-303 system. To identify a subscriber of the private wire network in the public wireless network, it is necessary to make a map of the subscriber's directory number (DN) (or telephone number of the office wire) with respect to the Mobile Identification Number (MIN) and the Electronic Serial Number (ESN) associated with your wireless handset 46. This mapping of DNs to MINs is preferably contained in HLR 56. HLR 56 also contains the data indicating whether or not the subscriber is a user of the private wireline network so that a call can be connected to the network. appropriate PBX switch 42 or SSP 50. An alternative embodiment of the system of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 3 for a Centrex network. The same basic principles apply to the Centrex network because they do it with the PBX network. The main difference is that the Centrex network is always served directly by the SSP 50 switch of Class 5 for the processing of the call and the characteristics instead of a PBX. This arrangement is similar to the PBX option because the BS 44 placed in or near the business environment is handled just like another radio element in the PCS network. All calls to Centrex users are controlled by SSP 50. This is similar to the PBX arrangement in which the radio elements are shared across the two networks. When a call is placed to a Centrex user, the SSP 50 either directs the call to the desk station 43 via line 63 having the characteristics of Centrex or to the processor 49 of the public wireless network by means of the metal wire interconnection 62. A Centrex user originates a call from his wireless handset 46, the AM 60 could recognize him as a user with the specific characteristics and directs the call to the SSP 50 by means of the metallic wire interconnection 62 so that be treated the same as if you were using your desk station to originate a call. As with the PBX arrangement, it is possible to specify characteristics that could have any station ring when a call is being supplied to the user so that the calls can be answered without taking into account in which environment they are. The Centrex user could also "roam" over the public network and originate or receive calls regardless of which BS 44 is serving the same at any particular time. The radio equipment in the Centrex environment is interconnected with the public network by the Abis interconnection, as shown in Figure 3. The metallic cable interconnection 62 used between the SSP 50 and the AC 52 is used for both public users as for Centrex users. As with the PBX arrangement, this could minimize the wireless handling equipment that might be required in the commercial location because the business might not require purchasing attached equipment off the shelves to provide wireless access to the commercial user but instead uses the same equipment that is used by the public network.

Operation 5 Referring now to Figures 4-7 of the drawings, the operation of the present invention in the PBX network will be described in greater detail. Similar call functionality also applies to the Centrex network. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the sequence of steps associated with receiving an incoming call addressed to a PBX user. 1 and 2. An incoming call is received first in the service SSP switch 50, which then sends the incoming call to the PBX switch 42, as shown in blocks 100 and 110. In the Centrex network, the call is not sent to the PBX switch. 3. The SCP 48 is then questioned to determine if the user / subscriber is registered in the wireless network, as shown in the conditional block 112.

^^^ A ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4 and 5. This is done by comparing the DN of the called party with the MINs on the HLR 56 of the processor 49, as described above. 6. The SCP 48 informs the PBX switch 42 whether or not the user is registered in the public wireless network. 7. If the subscriber is not registered in the wireless network, ie the cordless handset 46 is not activated, the PBX switch 42 rings to the desktop station 43, as shown in the block 114, according to the typical PBX operation. 8. If the subscriber is registered, the PBX switch 42 directs the call to the processor 49 of the public wireless network by means of the metal cable interconnect 62, as shown in block 116. Alternatively, the PBX switch 42 can be programmed. to automatically ring to either or both of the stations (desk station 43 or wireless handset 46) during the reception of an incoming call. In addition, the system can be configured so that the default Advanced Smart Network (AIN) is activated because the SCP 48 determines the user's location before directing the call to the wireless network by automatically determining that if the handset Wireless is activated or not. 9. In block 118, the processor 49 moves the wire communications protocol of the wire rope private network to a wireless communication protocol consistent with the public wireless network and sends signals to the wireless BS 44 serving the wireless handset 46.

. The call is then transferred to the wireless handset 46, as shown in block 120. Accordingly, the PBX switch 42 maintains control of the call. 11. At this point, if some other activity is carried out, such as the user attempting to make a second call by means of the three-way call, the processor 49 accepts the signaling data, such as an "instant" signal, from the wireless handset 46 by means of the BS 44. 12. The processor 49 transfers JLaA signaling information and sends the "instantaneous" signal to the PBX switch 42 via the interconnection of the wire 62 cable. 13, 14 and 15. The PBX switch 42 recognizes the signal as an instant or fast-forward hook, places the first call in lock and sends a dial tone to the wireless handset 46 via the metal cable interconnect 62, the processor 49 and BS 44. 16, 17 and 18. The user enters the digits for the third part which are sent to the PBX switch 42 via the BS 44, the processor 49 and the interconnection of the wire 62. 19. When the third party answers the call, the wireless handset 46 sends an instantaneous or fast-forward signal which is advanced to the PBX switch 42 by means of the metallic wire interconnection 62.

Although in the wireline private network, the user can originate a call from either his or her 43rd handwriting station or his 46 wireless handset. If the outgoing call is from the desktop station 43, the call proceeds as a normal PBX call to either another PBX elation or to the public wire network w. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the sequence of steps performed when an outbound call from a subscriber of the wire rope private network is initiated. 10 1 and 2. The signaling data from the wireless handset 46 is received in the processor 49 by means of the BS 44, as shown in block 200. A determination is then made as to that if the user is a subscriber of a private metallic wire network, as shown in conditional block 210. If not, the call is directed to the public metallic wire network or to the wireless public network in accordance with Typical operations, such as is shown in block 2123. If the user is a subscriber of a private wire network, the wireless communications protocol is transferred to the protocol of wire rope communications, as shown in the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ and ^^^^^ a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The call is then directed to the PBX switch via the metal cable interconnect 62, as shown in block 216. 4. If the call is directed to the public network, the PBX switch 42 transfers the call to the SSP 50 via the PBX 51 connection lines.

. If the call is directed to the desktop station 43 in the wireline private network, the PBX switch 42 transfers the call to the desktop station 43. 6. If the call is addressed to a user of PBX in the wireless network, the PBX switch 42 transfers the call to the processor 49 via the metal cable interconnect 62. 7 and 8. The processor 49 translates the call and sends the call to a second wireless handset 46a via the BS 44. If during the course of the call either the cordless handset 46 or 46a moves from one BS 44 to another BS 44, the call is handled without proper manual control by the public Am wireless network just like any other wireless user.

The call, the control of the feature (such as, the sending of the call, the waiting for the call, etc.), the billing, etc., is maintained in the PBX switch 42 so that the subscriber maintains its characteristics both in the private network of metallic cable and in the public wireless network. Mobility management, on the other hand, such as subscriber registration, authentication, handling without manual control, vagrancy, paging, etc., is provided by the wireless portion of the system. The architecture of the system of the present invention allows the subscriber to have a service which combines its wireless and wireline service. Accordingly, the processor 49 of the present invention allows a wireless handset to roam through the domain of the public wireless network serving both the private BS 44 and the public BS 44. The system of the present invention also allows the subscriber to have the same features / services in both the private network and the public wireless network. & ^^ Although the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in detail, those familiar with the technique to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (18)

1. In a telecommunications system having a switch in a private wireline network for processing and controlling telephone calls to and from a subscriber to provide a plurality of subscriber communications features, a method for providing wireless communications to the subscriber of the private metallic cable network using a wireless public network, the method is characterized in that it comprises: providing a base station in the private metallic cable network and in communication with the public wireless network, to provide wireless communications to the subscriber; and providing a wireline interconnection connected between the switch and the public wireless network, to allow the wireless public network to control the wireless communications to the subscriber by means of the base station, when the subscriber is located in the private wireline network , so that the calls are channeled through the public wireless network, whether the subscriber is located in the public wireless network or in the private network of metallic cable,

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the provision of the metallic cable interconnection further includes providing the metallic cable interconnection to support the plurality of communication characteristics provided by the private metallic cable network to the subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the support of the plurality of communications features includes transmitting simultaneously 15 voice signals and signaling information between the private wire network and the public wireless network.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the private wireline network communicates by means of a wireless communication protocol and the wireless public network communicates by means of a wireless communication protocol and wherein the method 5 further comprises the transfer between protocols metallic and wireless cable communication.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether a user of the wireless public network is or not a subscriber of the private wireline network.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the wireless public network includes a database containing identification data for all users of the wireless public network, and wherein the determination includes comparing the identification data of the user with the identification data in the database.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the enabling includes enabling the subscriber to roam through the wireless public network.

8. A system for providing wireless communications to a subscriber of a private network of metallic cable, using a wireless public network, the system is characterized in that it comprises: a switch in the private network of metallic cable, for the processing and control of telephone calls to and from from the subscriber, to provide a plurality of communications features to the subscriber; a base station located in the private metal cable network and in communication with the wireless public network, to provide wireless communications to the subscriber; and a metallic cable interconnection connected between the switch and the wireless public network, to allow the wireless public network to control the wireless communications to the subscriber by means of the base station, when the subscriber is in the private wire network, so that all calls are routed through the public wireless network, whether the subscriber is in the public wireless network or in the private wire network.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the metallic cable interconnection includes the lateral characteristics of the line to support the plurality of communication characteristics provided by the private metallic cable network.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the metal cable interconnection includes both a voice signal path and a signaling path to simultaneously transmit the speech signals and the signaling information between the private wire network and the network wireless public

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the private metallic cable network communicates by means of a metallic cable communication protocol and the wireless public network communicates by means of a wireless communication protocol, the system further comprises a processor in the wireless public network and in communication with the metallic cable interconnection for the transfer between the metallic and wireless cable communication protocols.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the processor includes a database for storing the identification data, the identification data identifies whether a user of the public wireless network is or is not a subscriber of the private cable network. metal.

13. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the processor is provided to allow the subscriber to roam through the wireless public network while communications are maintained by means of the switch. 15

14. The system of compliance with the 9, characterized in that the metallic cable interconnection includes a plurality of pairs of copper wire.

15. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that the metallic cable interconnection is an interconnection of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).

16. The system in accordance with the fini-riiMÉitiiÉtf8 - ^^^^ 1 claim 9, characterized in that the metallic cable interconnection is an interconnection GR-303.

17. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the private network of metallic cable is a Private Switchboard (PBX) and where the switch is a switch PBX

18. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the metal cable private network is a Centrex system and wherein the switch is a Service Switching Point (SSP). ^ ggy ^^^ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and system for providing wireless communications to a subscriber of the wire cable private area (40) including a private wire cable switch (42) and a metallic cable interconnect. The switch processes and controls telephone calls to and from the subscriber to provide a plurality of communication features to the subscriber. The wireline interconnect is in communication with the switch and the public wireless network to provide the wireless communications to the subscriber (46) via the switch.