US5559859A — Paging system that allows caller/subscriber inter…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 368 words

A telecommunications system capable of receiving telephone calls for meet-me page subscribers and telephone calls for non-meet-me page subscribers from a publicly switched telephone network, wherein the subscribers are provided with portable page receivers, comprising: a paging system including a first processing circuit connected to the publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to the non-meet-me page subscribers, which, in response to the telephone calls, generates page requests; a second processing circuit connected to said first processing circuit for receiving said page requests, which, in response to said page requests, forms one of pages or page messages according to a time of the day at which the page requests are received and selectively forwards said one of pages or page messages to one of a plurality of terminal devices; a meet-me unit connected to the publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to the meet-me page subscribers and for receiving telephone calls from the meet me page subscribers, wherein said meet-me unit is capable of distinguishing between calls to the meet-me page subscribers and calls from the meet-me page subscribers and in response to an incoming call for a specific meet-me page subscriber, generates a meet-me page request and parks the incoming call, said meet-me unit including means for generating a ring signal to a caller for a predefined time interval while said incoming call is parked, so that a caller is at least initially unaware that a meet-me page request has been generated and wherein said meet-me unit is further connected to said paging systems second processing circuit for forwarding said meet-me page request thereto; and call connection circuitry integral with said meet-me unit for determining from which meet-me page subscriber that said meet-me page subscriber call has been received, determining if said parked call is for the calling meet-me page subscriber; and, if said parked call is for the calling meet-me page subscriber, establishing a single link between said parked call and the call from the meet-me page subscriber, said caller being connected in communication with the calling meet-me page subscriber without being informed that the calling meet-me page subscriber has been paged if the signal link is established within said predefined time interval.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 368 words

A telecommunications system capable of receiving telephone calls for meet-me page subscribers and telephone calls for non-meet-me page subscribers from a publicly switched telephone network, wherein the subscribers are provided with portable page receivers, comprising: a paging system including a first processing circuit connected to the publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to the non-meet-me page subscribers, which, in response to the telephone calls, generates page requests; a second processing circuit connected to said first processing circuit for receiving said page requests, which, in response to said page requests, forms one of pages or page messages according to a time of the day at which the page requests are received and selectively forwards said one of pages or page messages to one of a plurality of terminal devices; a meet-me unit connected to the publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to the meet-me page subscribers and for receiving telephone calls from the meet me page subscribers, wherein said meet-me unit is capable of distinguishing between calls to the meet-me page subscribers and calls from the meet-me page subscribers and in response to an incoming call for a specific meet-me page subscriber, generates a meet-me page request and parks the incoming call, said meet-me unit including means for generating a ring signal to a caller for a predefined time interval while said incoming call is parked, so that a caller is at least initially unaware that a meet-me page request has been generated and wherein said meet-me unit is further connected to said paging systems second processing circuit for forwarding said meet-me page request thereto; and call connection circuitry integral with said meet-me unit for determining from which meet-me page subscriber that said meet-me page subscriber call has been received, determining if said parked call is for the calling meet-me page subscriber; and, if said parked call is for the calling meet-me page subscriber, establishing a single link between said parked call and the call from the meet-me page subscriber, said caller being connected in communication with the calling meet-me page subscriber without being informed that the calling meet-me page subscriber has been paged if the signal link is established within said predefined time interval.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein a terminal device is a paging station connected to said second processing circuit for receiving said pages and broadcasting said pages to the paging receivers.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 100 words

The paging terminal of claim 1, wherein: said first processing circuit is further configured to obtain a caller identification if the call is to a meet-me system subscriber and forward the caller identification to said second processing circuit; said second processing circuit generates said pages so that said page forwarded to the meet-me system subscriber includes the caller identification; and said first processing circuit is further configured to receive a command entered by the meet-me page system subscriber and selectively connects the caller to the meet-me page system subscriber based on the command entered by the meet-me page system subscriber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

The paging terminal of claim 1 or 3, wherein said first processing circuit is configured to receive a command from the caller to the meet-me page system subscriber and, based on the received command, generates said page request to said second processing circuit or connects the caller to an alternative service.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

The paging terminal of claim 4, wherein said second processing circuit selectively forwards said page to a page receiver or to a terminal device accessed through the publicly switched telephone network based on when the call to the page-connect page system subscriber is received.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 20 words

The paging terminal of claim 4, wherein said plurality of terminal devices are accessed through the publicly switched telephone network.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 205 words

A meet-me unit connected to a publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to meet-me page subscribers and for receiving telephone calls from the meet-me page subscribers, and further connected to a paging terminal, said unit comprising: a first processing unit capable of distinguishing between calls to the meet-me page subscribers and calls from the meet-me page subscribers and in response to an incoming call for a specific meet-me page subscriber, generating a meet-me page request, selectively forwarding said page request to one of a plurality of terminal devices based on a time of day at which the call to the system subscriber is received, and parking the incoming call; and a second processing unit connected to said first processing unit for determining from which a meet-me page subscriber a call is received, determining if said parked call is for the meet-me page subscriber unless a predefined number of incoming lines are busy, where said predefined number is substantially less than a maximum available of the number of incoming lines; and if said parked call is for the meet-me page subscriber who is calling, establishing a single link between said parked call and the call from the meet-me page system subscriber who is calling.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 205 words

A meet-me unit connected to a publicly switched telephone network for receiving telephone calls to meet-me page subscribers and for receiving telephone calls from the meet-me page subscribers, and further connected to a paging terminal, said unit comprising: a first processing unit capable of distinguishing between calls to the meet-me page subscribers and calls from the meet-me page subscribers and in response to an incoming call for a specific meet-me page subscriber, generating a meet-me page request, selectively forwarding said page request to one of a plurality of terminal devices based on a time of day at which the call to the system subscriber is received, and parking the incoming call; and a second processing unit connected to said first processing unit for determining from which a meet-me page subscriber a call is received, determining if said parked call is for the meet-me page subscriber unless a predefined number of incoming lines are busy, where said predefined number is substantially less than a maximum available of the number of incoming lines; and if said parked call is for the meet-me page subscriber who is calling, establishing a single link between said parked call and the call from the meet-me page system subscriber who is calling.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

The meet-me unit of claim 7 wherein one of a plurality of terminal devices is the paging terminal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-09-24	2000-03-25	2000-09-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-09-24	2004-03-25	2004-09-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-09-24	2008-03-25	2008-09-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Paging system that allows caller/subscriber interconnection

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