MXPA97002698A - System and method to address earth-to-a telephone calls - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for completing calls to a passenger on board an aircraft. The passenger activates the ground-to-air service by accessing a ground-to-air database subsystem located on the ground. The passenger gains access to the land-to-air database by dialing a special service number and providing a Master Personal Identification Number (Master PIN). Once access to the database is obtained, the passenger can provide one or more ground-to-air sending parameters that allow the system to send calls initiated on the ground directly to the passenger. At any time, after the ground-to-air service has been activated, but before it is finished, a person on the ground can initiate a call to the passenger by dialing the special service number. In a preferred embodiment, an Earth-to-Air User PIN is used to filter out subscribers who call

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIRECTING CALLS PE TBLEPQNP PE EARTH-A-A RE Field of the Invention This invention relates to telecommunications, and more particularly to communications between a calling party located on the ground and a called party located on an aircraft. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At present, people have a very limited ability to originate telephone calls to parties called on board an aircraft. The system currently available is a little more than a radiolocation system for passengers on aircraft. Subscribers who call a person on board the aircraft must initiate a call, hang up and then wait for the return call. Under the present system a passenger who would like to receive calls while in flight, is issued a 10-digit "personal air call number" and a personal identification number or "PIN". The personal air call number is a number that a person on the ground must have to call the passenger in flight. The PIN is a number that the passenger uses to identify himself to the system. The passenger activates the ground-to-air service, by calling a ground database and informing the flight database and seat number. Once the service has been activated, a subscriber REF: 24478 caller who wants to contact the passenger, dials a special access number to connect to the land database. After connecting to the database, the calling subscriber provides the passenger's air call juanero and his own telephone number. At this point, the calling party must hang up and wait for a call back. The ground database searches for its records for a correspondence of the provided air call number and if it finds such correspondence, it initiates a call to the passenger's aircraft. The aircraft phone rings and displays the seat number. The passenger for whom the call is intended provides their PIN and the phone responds by displaying the telephone number of the calling party. At this point, the passenger can already accept or reject the call, based on the number of the subscriber calling on the ground. If the passenger accepts the call, the aircraft telephone calls a call to the subscriber's number on the ground. In this way, the current ground-to-air call system is equivalent to a radiolocation system that simply adds the ability to return the call of a subscriber calling on land, by pressing only the "accept" button instead of manually dialing the number of the subscriber who calls on the ground. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention offers a more robust system for completing land-to-air phone calls. In particular, the invention provides "direct" telephone calls to passengers on aircraft, and thus does not act as the previous "radiolocation" ground-to-air systems. In order When receiving ground calls, a passenger activates the ground-to-air service when initiating a call to a special service number. When dialing the special service number, the passenger is connected to a ground-to-air database sub-system that is located on the ground. The passenger gains access to the ground-to-air database sub-system, by providing a personal master identification number (master PIN). Once access to the database subsystem is obtained, the passenger can provide one or more ground-to-air sending parameters that allow the system to send calls initiated on the ground directly to the passenger in flight. At any time after the ground-to-air service has been activated, but before it is concluded, a person on the ground can initiate a call to the passenger by dialing the special service number. In a preferred embodiment, a subscriber calling on the ground that dials the special service number is connected to the land-to-air database subsystem, which asks the subscriber to call a personal identification number (PIN) - the sub-subscriber. Database system is able to distinguish PINs provided by subscribers who call in land of Subscriber Master PINs. The calling party must provide a valid Air-to-Air user PIN (User PIN) to make the call sent to the passenger. if User PIN is not provided, or an invalid User PIN is provided, the call may be terminated or an alternative treatment may be passed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a land-to-air system, constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Figures 2A and 2B constitute a flow chart illustrating a configuration method for exemplary ground-to-air delivery according to the invention. Detailed Description With reference to Figure 1, a plan view of a ground-to-air call system, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, is illustrated. As can be seen from the figure, the ground-to-air system can be used to complete a call initiated from a land-based telephone 102 and addressed to a passenger (or "subscriber") on board an aircraft 104. The system includes an earth-to-air database sub-system 106. The database sub-system is used to store one or more parameters for ground-to-air transmission, which are provided by the subscriber as part of the Procedure for configuring the ground-to-air system. The database sub-system receives land-based calls, which are routed to the subscriber in flight and uses the sending parameters to send those calls to the subscriber. A ground station 108 provides a two-way radio link between the calling party's phone and the aircraft. As mentioned above, the subscriber must execute a ground-to-air configuration procedure in order to receive calls while flying. To carry out the configuration procedure, the subscriber dials a special service number that connects the subscriber to the ground-to-air database subsystem. The subscriber can initiate the configuration procedure from a land-based telephone before boarding the aircraft, in which case the switching equipment of the conventional telephony network can be used to connect the subscriber to the database sub-system; or the subscriber can initiate the configuration while on board the aircraft, either before or during the flight, in which case the ground station connects the subscriber's call to the telephone network. In any case, the telephone network can recognize the special service number by its prefix. For example, the special service number may be a True Connections number "* 500 from American Telephone &Telegraph Co., Inc. (AT &T) that has a prefix of 500. In this way, when the passenger dials the True number Connections * "500 of the aircraft, the ground station retransmits the number to a network switch 110, such as an AT &T switch 5ESSMR, which recognizes the number by its prefix 500, and accordingly directs the number to the subsystem from ground-to-air database. In a preferred embodiment, the ground-to-air database subsystem is a Quantum AT &T Data Addressing System (QDRS). In this mode, the subsystem can perform both database functions and Voice Response Unit (VRU = Voice Response Unit). As part of the subsystem database functions, it maintains a current list of special service numbers that are used for ground-to-air service. Each number is cross-referenced to a personal master identification number (Master PIN). A subscriber must know the Master PIN in order to gain access to the subsystem and execute the configuration procedure. Once the subscriber connects to the subsystem, the subsystem can perform the VRU function of asking the subscriber for a PIN. Of course, a signal is not necessary but in the preferred embodiment it is convenient. In any case, the subscriber must provide the Master PIN. One way for the subscriber to provide the Master PIN is to simply recite it over the line of vo2, another way is through dual tone multi-frequency signaling (DTMF). Of course, in the first case, the subsystem must be capable of speech recognition. Regardless of how the Master PIN is provided, the subsystem checks against the Master PIN stored for the subscriber's special service number and grants the subscriber access if the PINs correspond. At this point, the subscriber can activate land-to-air delivery, by transmitting an activation signal to the subsystem, for example through one or more DTMF signals. The simple activation of ground-to-air sending is sufficient to allow ground calls to be sent to the subscriber, provided that the ground-to-air database is previously supplied with an air call number, in which the Subscriber's aircraft can be reached. However, as an option, the air call number, and one or more additional send parameters may be provided to the database subsystem as part of the configuration procedure. These additional parameters include: the subscriber's seat number, the start-up time and the land-to-air delivery time, and the land-to-air user personal identification number (Land User PIN-to-ire ). Subscriber's seat number can be used by the system to send calls directly to a phone associated with the subscriber's seat, if that phone is available. The time, start and duration of ground-to-air delivery, allows the subscriber to specify the period of shipment activation-an alternative is that the shipment is activated for a fixed predetermined time period, following a simple on / off indication of the subscriber. The land-to-air user PIN (or "User PIN"), which will be described in more detail below, can be used as a means of classifying the calling party. When a user PIN is used, only those subscribers who call land with knowledge of the user PIN can have their calls sent to the subscriber. It will be noted that, as the air call number, any of the previous additional parameters can be provided before the configuration procedure. Upon completion of the ground-to-air configuration procedure, ground-based callers can call the subscriber in flight. With reference again to Figure 1, when a land-based caller on the telephone 102 wishes to call the subscriber on board the aircraft 104, the calling subscriber dials the subscriber's special service number. The special service number is recognized by a switch 112 in the telephony network, for example an AT &; T SESS "*, which directs the call to the land-to-air database subsystem 106. The subsystem then asks the subscriber to call a PIN.As in the case with the Master PIN, the optional signals and the PIN can provided by voice or DTMF signaling In any case, the subsystem recognizes the PIN provided, when compared to the stored Master PIN and the stored user PIN for the subscriber's special service number, if the calling subscriber has provided the PIN If the user is correct, the user PIN provided corresponds to the stored user PIN (which is previously provided by the subscriber) and the subsystem proceeds to send the call to the subscriber.The database subsystem uses the ground station to send calls to the subscriber. When receiving a valid user PIN from the calling subscriber, the subsystem retrieves the sending parameters of the called subscriber and passes them to the ground station. docks the call to the ground station. Both the passing of the parameters and the coupling of the call can be achieved through the telephony network. As illustrated in Figure 1, the parameters and the call can be passed to the ground station by the switch 110 - the same switch through which the subscriber was coupled with the subsystem, for the purpose of ground-to-ground configuration. air. However, it should be noted that the configuration of Figure 1 is chosen simply for simplicity of presentation, and that it is not necessary for the subscriber configuration call and the call of the ground calling party to pass through the same switch.

In the simplest scenario, only the air call number is passed to the ground station. As is well known in the telecommunications art, the ground station can employ the air call number to establish a radio link with the aircraft. Once the link is established, the calling subscriber can carry out two-way communications with the subscriber over the link. If the seat number is present in the subsystem, it can also be passed to the ground station, and used to establish a radio link directly with an associated telephone in the subscriber's seat. As an additional option, the land-to-air database may acquire the telephone number of the calling party (telephone number 112 in Figure 1) by Automatic Numerical Identification (ANI) and pass that number to the ground station together with the shipping parameters. The ground station can in turn pass the number of the calling party to the aircraft, so that it can be displayed on the telephone of the subscriber's seat. In this way, the subscriber can decide whether or not to answer the call based on the number displayed. One possible way for the database subsystem to handle the rejection of the call by the subscriber is for the subsystem to play an announcement to the calling subscriber indicating that the subscriber is not available and that the calling party can leave a message.

The message can be recorded and stored by the subsystem itself, or as an alternative, the subsystem can couple the calling subscriber with a messaging system 114. Figures 2A and 2B constitute a flow chart illustrating a ground configuration procedure. Exemplary air-to-air according to the present invention. The flow chart begins at the point where the subscriber has dialed the special service number and has connected to the ground-to-air database subsystem. Accordingly, the next step for the ground-to-air database subsystem asks the subscriber for a PIN (step 202). Once the subscriber has provided a PIN, the subsystem checks whether the entry is: 1) correct Master PIN, 2) correct User PIN, or 3) none (step 204). In general, a subscriber wishing to execute the configuration procedure will not respond to the signal in step 202 by providing the correct user PIN. However, the branch 2 of step 204 is included in Figure 2A to provide context for the remainder of the description of Figure 2A. When a subscriber calling from the ground in possession of the user PIN attempts to contact the subscriber, the entry following step 202 will be the correct user PIN; in which case the subsystem advances to send the call to the subscriber (step 205). Additional details concerning the routing of ground calls to the subscriber are not illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B. If it is determined in step 204 that neither the correct User PIN nor the correct Master PIN have been provided, the subsystem can give the subscriber another possibility to provide a PIN. The number of access attempts allowed may be limited, for example to 3, in which case the subsystem verifies the number of access attempts following each failed attempt (step 206). If the number of attempts is less than 3, the subscriber is allowed another attempt or otherwise the call is terminated (step 208) and the configuration procedure is terminated (step 210). If it is determined in step 204 that the correct Master PIN has been provided, the subscriber is granted access to the database subsystem. Immediately after an granted access, the subsystem checks the stored records of the access subscriber and determines whether the subscriber's call submission is active. It then plays an appropriate message to the subscriber, either "Call Forwarding is On", or "Call Forwarding is Off" (step 212). After the initial announcement, the subsystem signals to the subscriber the action that the subscriber wishes to take (step 214). An example signal appears below: Provide "1" to review, change or cancel call sending.

Provide "2" to make a call. This signal is more appropriate for the case where the subscriber communicates with the subsystem using DTMF signaling. When voice recognition is used, the signal should be changed to: Say "1" to review, change or cancel call sending. Say "2" to make a call. In the event that either voice or DTMF signaling can be used, the signal should be changed to: Provide or Say "1" to review, change or cancel call forwarding. Provide or Say "2" to make a call. For purposes of simplicity of presentation, from this point forward, it is considered that DTMF signaling is used and therefore the signaling statements that follow start with "Provide". The second option in the DTMF signal described above "Provide 2 to make a call", refers to an optional feature of the present invention. This feature allows subscribers on board the aircraft to send calls directly to land-based phones. To illustrate how a subscriber in flight can direct a call to a land-based telephone, reference is made to Figure 1.

In the same way that a subscriber on board an aircraft 104 can initiate a configuration procedure, the subscriber can initiate a call to a land-based telephone 102 .. The subscriber dials the special service number and is linked to the base subsystem data 106 by ground station 108 and network switch 110. At this point, steps 202-214 are executed as described above. The subscriber responds to the signal of step 214 with a "2". When the subsystem verifies the response to step 214 (step 216), it recognizes that a "2" has been provided and then proceeds to direct the subscriber's call to the land phone (step 218). The call may be routed through the switching network 112 such that the path through which the subscriber call is directed includes the ground station, switch 110, subsystem and switch 112. In a possible alternate mode , the subsystem configures a route between the ground station and the ground phone, and then it is removed from the call. In any event, once the subsystem has addressed a call to the subscriber, the configuration procedure is exited (step 220). If the subscriber does not wish to make a call, the subscriber provides a "1" in response to the signal of step 214. In this case, the database subsystem responds by reproducing one or more possible status messages to the subscriber (stage 222). Two possible status messages that the subsystem can use are: Your personal call sending is canceled. Your personal calls will be sent to an aircraft at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Following the status message (s), the subsystem signals the next action to the subscriber (step 224). The following signal can be used: Provide "1" if this is correct. Provide "2" to make a change or cancel call sending. Provide "3" to review the status of the call. The subsystem checks the subscriber's response (step 226) and proceeds accordingly. If a "3" is received, the subsystem loops back to step 222. If a "1" is received the subsystem plays an existing advertisement to the subscriber (step 228) and leaves the configuration procedure (step 230). If a "2" is received, the subsystem responds with a detailed configuration signal (step 232). An example of this signal is: Provide "1" to cancel call sending. Provide "2" to change the number to which calls will be sent.

Provide "3" to change the length of time the calls will be sent. Provide "4" to choose which calls will be sent. Provide "5" to set the PIN of User Earth-to-Air. Provide "6" to activate call forwarding. Upon receiving a response to the detailed configuration signal, the subsystem takes appropriate action (step 234). If the ground-to-air call is active and "1" is received, the subsystem simply deactivates the sending. If this ground-to-air call is inactive and a "6" is received, the subsystem activates the sending. If a response of "2" is received,"3" or "5", the subsystem must wait for reception of a new parameter; that is, a new air call number, a new delivery duration, or a new user PIN, respectively. In each case, the new parameter can be transmitted by the subscriber by DTMF signaling. A response of "4" indicates that the subscriber wishes to receive only selected calls. One way that the subscriber selects calls is through ANI. To activate selection of ANI-type calls, the subscriber notifies the subsystem, that is, through DTMF signaling, of the telephone numbers from which the subscriber will receive calls. The subsystem stores these selected numbers and later, when a subscriber calling on land dials the special service number, the subsystem checks the number of a calling telephone (purchased through ANI) against the selected stored numbers. If the telephone number you dial corresponds to one of the stored numbers, the subsystem sends the call to the aircraft. After the subsystem has serviced the subscriber's response to the detailed configuration signal, it plays an exit announcement to the subscriber (step 228) and leaves the configuration procedure (step 230). It should be noted that through the above description of the invention it has been considered that a call to the subscriber is initiated by a person by a conventional telephone. However, the invention is applicable to all types of calls initiated to the subscriber. For example, a "call" to the subscriber can take the form of a fax transmission, a computer transmission, a video call or multimedia call. Still further, while the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in detail, those familiar with the technique to which the invention relates will recognize various designs and alternate embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims .

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to 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 (25)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for directing a call that is made by a calling party located on the ground, and directed to a subscriber located on board an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) accessing a database where one or more ground-to-air shipping parameters are located; and b) directing the call to the subscriber in accordance with the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that before the step of accessing a database, the following step is performed: storing the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters in the database. 3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters comprises an air call number. 4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters comprises a seat number. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters comprises a shipping start time and a shipping duration. 6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the step of coupling the call to a ground station, the ground station providing a two-way radio link between the telephone of the part that flame and the aircraft. 7. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the step of storing the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters comprises the steps of: receiving a subscriber-initiated call in a ground-based database subsystem; On-air, the ground-to-air database subsystem has a Master PIN stored for the subscriber; receive a PIN entry from the subscriber; compare the PIN entry to the Maestro PIN, to determine if there is correspondence; and when there is correspondence, (i) receiving the one or more ground-to-air subscriber sending parameters, and (ii) storing the received sending parameters. 8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN entry comprises the step of receiving one or DTMF signals indicative of the PIN input. 9. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN entry comprises the step of receiving one or more voice signals indicative of the PIN input. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the step of storing one or more ground-to-air sending parameters comprises the steps of: receiving a call initiated by subscriber in a database subsystem land-to-air air, the ground-to-air database subsystem has a Master PIN stored for the subscriber; ask the subscriber for a PIN entry; receive the subscriber's PIN entry; compare the PIN entry with the Master PIN to determine if there is correspondence; and if there is correspondence, (i) ask the subscriber for one or more ground-to-air sending parameters, (ii) receive the sending parameters from the subscriber and (iii) store the received sending parameters. 11. A method in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the steps of: receiving the call in a ground-to-air database subsystem, the ground-to-air database system has stored a ground User PIN -a-air for the subscriber; receive a PIN entry from the calling party; compare the PIN entry with the User PIN Earth-to-Air to determine if there is a correspondence; and when there is correspondence, direct the call to the subscriber. 12. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN entry comprises the step of receiving one or more DTMF signals indicative of the PIN input. 13. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN entry comprises the step of receiving one or more voice signals indicative of the PIN input. 14. A method in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the steps of: receiving the call in a ground-to-air database subsystem, the Earth-to-Air database subsystem has stored a user PIN Earth- a-Air for the subscriber; ask the calling party for a PIN entry; receive the PIN entry of the calling party; compare the PIN entry with the Land-to-Air User PIN, to determine if there is correspondence; and when there is correspondence direct the call to the subscriber. 15. A method for directing a call that is made by a calling party on a ground-based originating communications device, and addressed to a subscriber in a terminating communications device located on board an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) acquiring an identification number for the originating communications device; b) pass the identification number to the aircraft for inspection by the subscriber; and c) directing the subscriber's call according to one or more ground-to-air parameters. 16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of acquiring an identification number comprises the step of acquiring a telephone number for the originating communications device through ANI. 17. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the steps of: coupling the call to a ground station; and passing the ground-to-air sending parameters to the ground station for use in establishing a two-way radio link between the originating communications device and the aircraft. 18. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the steps of: receiving the call in a ground-to-air database subsystem, the ground-to-air database subsystem Air has stored a Land-to-Air User PIN for the subscriber; receive a PIN entry from the calling party; compare the PIN entry with the Land-to-Air User PIN to determine if there is correspondence; and when there is correspondence, direct the call to the subscriber. 19. A method according to claim 18, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN entry comprises the step of receiving one or more DTMF signals indicative of the PIN input. 20. A method according to claim 18, characterized in that the step of receiving a PIN step comprises the step of receiving one or more voice signals indicative of the PIN input. 21. A method in accordance with the claim 15, characterized in that the step of directing the call comprises the steps of: receiving the call in an Earth-to-Air database subsystem, the Earth-to-Air database subsystem has stored a user PIN Earth- a-Air for the subscriber; point to the calling party a PIN entry; receive the PIN entry from the calling party; compare the PIN entry with the Land-to-Air User PIN, to determine if there is correspondence; and when there is correspondence direct the call to the subscriber. 22. A system for directing a call that is made by a calling party in a communications device of origin located on the ground, addressed to a subscriber in a terminating communications device located on board an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises: a ) means to access one or more ground-to-air sending parameters; and b) means for directing the subscriber's call according to one or more ground-to-air sending parameters. 23. A system according to claim 22, characterized in that it also comprises a ground station to complete a two-way radio link between the originating communications device and the aircraft. 24. A system in accordance with the claim 22, characterized in that the means for accessing comprise a Quantum AT &T Data Addressing System. 25. A system according to claim 22, characterized in that it further comprises means for storing the one or more ground-to-air sending parameters.