Abstract:
A telecommunication system obtains personal information from a caller to provide the identity of the caller to a called telephone. In one embodiment, fingerprint information of the caller is obtained from a fingerprint scanner at the calling telephone of the caller which is then correlated with names in a finger print information database to the identify the caller. In another embodiment, voiceprint information of the caller is obtained to identify the caller through use of a voiceprint information database that correlates the voiceprint information with voiceprint data in the voiceprint information database. In both embodiments, if a called telephone local switch determines that the called telephone is authorized to receive the identity of the caller, the called telephone local switch transmits the identity of the caller to the called telephone.
Abstract:
A mobile unit deployed in a wireless telecommunications system includes a network mute feature. Activation of the network mute feature initiates a signaling protocol in which a network mute activation request is extended by the mobile unit to a serving base station. Deactivation of the network mute feature also requires the mobile unit to generate a signal which is extended to the serving base station. Advantageously, the network mute feature not only mutes the microphone of the mobile unit but also eliminates disruptive noise associated with wireless transmissions.
Abstract:
Apparatus and a method for establishing a cellular mobile call. If no radio traffic (voice or data) channels are available for a calling Mobile Station (MS), then a test is made to determine the expected wait time before a channel becomes available. If the expected wait time is less than a first threshold, then the call request is queued. If a channel does not become available before a second time threshold, then the caller is notified that the call has been queued and is expected to be established in a short time. A control message is sent to the MS to trigger an indication of the queued status to the user. The indication may be one or more tones, a data display, or the playing of a pre-recorded announcement. If the expected wait time is more than the first threshold, the caller is given the opportunity to be called back when a radio channel becomes available. Advantageously, the number of failed calls because of unavailable traffic channels is reduced, and the caller's annoyance level is reduced.
Abstract:
Apparatus and a method for establishing a cellular mobile call. If no radio traffic (voice or data) channels are available for a calling or called mobile station (MS), then a test is made to determine the expected wait time before a channel becomes available. If the expected wait time is less than a first threshold, then the call or the call request is queued. If a channel for an incoming call to an MS does not become available before a second time threshold, then the caller is notified by an announcement that the call has been queued and is expected to be established in a short time. If the caller of an incoming call to the MS does not disconnect, then the MSC waits for an available channel and establishes a connection to the MS over that available channel. For an outgoing call from an MS, a control message is sent to the MS to trigger an indication of the queued status to the user. The indication may be one or more tones, a data display, or the playing of a pre-recorded announcement. Advantageously, the number of calls blocked because of unavailable traffic channels is reduced. Advantageously, the same arrangement can be used to reduce blocking of calls because of unavailability of trunks for a link of a call connection.
Abstract:
An apparatus and a method for allowing a user of a wireless station to screen incoming calls by presenting to the user a displayed text generated by a speech-to-text converter, the text corresponding to the initial portion of a message that the caller is leaving on the called party's voice mail system. Advantageously, the called party can screen calls, not only by caller identification, which may or may not be present, but also by the specifics of the message that the caller is planning to leave for the called party. Advantageously, using this arrangement, the caller need not know that the called customer could have answered the call, a disadvantage with arrangements such as call waiting, in which there is a brief exchange before a connection is either established, or not established, to the interrupting party.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for storing data relating to network conditions in a mobile unit. A mobile station receives a signal from a base station. The mobile station stores data associated with the signal in memory within the mobile unit. When the mobile unit determines that the signal has been dropped, the mobile unit freezes the memory until it can transmit the data to a network outage data center. This helps the system diagnose and correct transient service outages.
Abstract:
An application server component of an apparatus in one example receives one or more notifications of one or more open communication sessions from one or more first communication devices. The application server component sends one or more of the one or more notifications of one or more of the one or more open communication sessions to one or more second communication devices. Upon a request by a communication device of the one or more second communication devices to join an open communication session of the one or more of the one or more open communication sessions, the application server component initiates a connection of the communication device to the open communication session.
Abstract:
An end user terminal (EUT), e.g., such as mobile terminal (MT) (20), is provided for connecting with an incoming call received over a communications network (A). Suitably, the EUT includes an alerting function and/or equipment that provides perceivable alerting in response to an incoming call attempting to connect with the EUT over the communications network (A). An alert sensor (AS) (22) detects an alerting status of the EUT, which is then communicated over the communications network (A), e.g., back to the calling EUT 50.
Abstract:
A system and method that provides control of a conference call. A controlling party enters a code and is isolated from the conference. Each conference participant is sequentially connected to the controlling party so that the controlling party may determine the noise level on that leg of the call. If there is no excess noise, then the controlling party may enter a code which causes the switch to select the next party on the conference call. When the controlling party discerns the offending conference participant, the controlling party can signal the switch to drop the offending party. The controlling party may then rejoin all of the conference participants.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for storing data relating to network conditions in a mobile unit. A mobile station receives a signal from a base station. The mobile station stores data associated with the signal in memory within the mobile unit. When the mobile unit determines that the signal has been dropped, the mobile unit freezes the memory until it can transmit the data to a network outage data center. This helps the system diagnose and correct transient service outages.