Cellular-fixed call completion and call transfer service from a cellular network provider

Claim 3

The method recited in claim 1 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request, whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 4

The method recited in claim 1 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, alerting the MSC of the call transfer request, obtaining a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party, initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to the N c , whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 7

The method recited in claim 4 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request, whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 8

The method recited in claim 4 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, alerting the MSC of the call transfer request, obtaining a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party, initiating by the MSC an outgoing call to the N c , whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the MSC and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 11

The method recited in claim 7 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the MSC and a second connection between the called party and the MSC, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, initiating by the FCMA an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party upon the call transfer request, whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 14

The method recited in claim 9 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the FCMA and a second connection between the called party and the FCMA, the method further including the steps of monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, alerting the FCMA of the call transfer request, obtaining a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party, initiating by the FCMA an outgoing call to the N c , whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone, and bridging the first call connection and the third call connection and terminating the second call connection.

Claim 15

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f or accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N f or directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a table stored in the MSC for associating the N f with the N fc , processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC, a call initiator, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and a switch, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 16

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f or accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N f or directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a table stored in the MSC for associating the N f with the N fc , processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC, a call initiator, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and a switch, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 17

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N fc for directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a table stored in the MSC for associating the N f with the N fc , means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC, means, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 18

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N fc for directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a table stored in the MSC for associating the N f with the N fc , means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the MSC, means, responsive to the directed incoming call, for initiating an outgoing call from the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the MSC to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 19

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N fc for directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a fixed-cellular mobility agent (FCMA) having the functionality of a CO and being coupled to the MSC, the FCMA including a stored table for associating the N f with the N fc , processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the FCMA, the FCMA further including a call initiator, responsive to the processing means, for initiating an outgoing call from the FCMA via the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and switching means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the FCMA to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 20

In combination with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Cellular Network (CN), the PSTN including a central office (CO) serving the called party, the CN including a mobile switching center (MSC) serving the called party, a system for establishing a call path from a calling party to a called party, the called party having a conventional telephone number N f for accessing the called party through the serving CO and having another PSTN telephone number N fc for directing each call to the called party via the N fc to the serving MSC, the system comprising a fixed-cellular mobility agent (FCMA) having the functionality of a CO and being coupled to the MSC, the FCMA including a stored table for associating the N f with the N fc , processing means, responsive to an incoming call to the N fc from the calling party to the called party, for directing the incoming call to the FCMA, the FCMA further including a call initiator, responsive to the processing means, for initiating an outgoing call from the FCMA via the MSC to the called party using the N f associated with the N fc , and switching means, responsive to the call initiator, for switching the FCMA to interconnect the incoming call with the outgoing call to thereby establish the call path whenever the called party answers the outgoing call.

Claim 21

The system as recited in claim 13 to further transfer the established call path, the established call path including a first call connection between the calling party and the FCMA and a second connection between the called party and the FCMA wherein the FCMA includes a monitor, coupled to the second call connection, for monitoring the second call connection to detect a request for a call transfer from the called party, the call initiator includes an outgoing call initiator for initiating an outgoing call to a cellular telephone number N c assigned to the called party in response to the call transfer request, and the switch further including a call connector for establishing a third call connection between the FCMA and the cellular telephone whenever the outgoing call to a cellular telephone assigned the N c is answered, a call bridge for bridging the first call connection and the third call connection, and a call terminator for terminating the second call connection.