Patent Application
20070275711
Mobile device 110 is a mobile communications device capable of wirelessly connecting to a communications network, e.g., telecom network 160, via a telephone switching network having wireless technologies that may include one or more mobile base stations, e.g., base station 120, connected to one or more mobile switches, e.g., mobile switching center (MSC) 130, allowing the user of mobile device 110 to communicate with a called party, e.g., called party 180. Mobile device 110 is capable of sending and receiving voice calls, email, SMS, microbrowser messages or text messaging, etc. Mobile device 110 may use an air interface standard such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), etc., not shown, or any other standard or protocol which supports voice calls, email, SMS, microbrowser messages or text messaging.
In one embodiment of the invention, mobile device 110 may be a small, light-weight portable mobile telephone, e.g., pocket telephone. In another embodiment of the invention, mobile device 110 may be a mobile telephone installed in an engine-driven vehicle and supplied with current from the vehicle electrical system. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, mobile device 110 may be a personal digital assistance (PDA) device, a notebook computer, a two-way pager or other suitable wireless communications devices.
Base station 120 is a radio transmitter/receiver that maintains communications with mobile phones, e.g., mobile device 110, within a given range, e.g., a cell site. Base station 120 connects calls from mobile device 110 to a mobile switching center, e.g., MSC 130, which may connect the calls to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Base station 120 may be capable of distinguishing between a) calls terminated by call originators and called parties and b) calls dropped due to loss of a radio frequency (RF) signal. Illustratively, mobile device 110 may transmit a packet of digitized voice to base station 120 at a fixed interval, e.g., 20 milliseconds for CDMA. If base station 120 does not receive packets from mobile device 110 in a multiple of the fixed interval, then base station 120 assumes that mobile device 110 is unreachable due to a dropped call. Base station 120 may transmit a message to MSC 130 when the dropped call has occurred informing MSC 130 that the dropped call occurred for mobile device 110. Base station 120 may identify mobile device 110 by its mobile station identity (MSID). Base station 120, in one embodiment, comprises one or more of a Flexent® CDMA 450 MHz Modular Base Station (Lucent Technologies).
MSC 130 is a telecommunications switch capable of switching calls between a plurality of endpoints via a wireless network connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), e.g., telecom network 160. MSC 130 has a call control component, not shown, that monitors all mobile phone calls within its serving area, tracks the location of all mobile phone-equipped vehicles traveling within its service area, arranges handoffs between switches, keeps track of billing information, etc.
MSC 130 may maintain a billing record for a mobile phone, e.g., mobile device 110, located in the serving area of MSC 130 that places a call. Illustratively, the billing record may comprise one or more automatic message accounting (AMA) billing records. MSC 130 may update an AMA billing record upon an occurrence of a billable event associated with the mobile phone.
When base station 120 determines that a call from mobile device 110 has been dropped due to loss of the RF signal, base station 120 transmits a message to MSC 130 identifying mobile device 110 as having experienced the dropped call. The call control of MSC 130 may determine that the call has been dropped based on a lack of packet transmission between base station 120 and mobile device 110. Upon receipt of the message from base station 120, MSC 130 may update the account of the user of mobile device 110 to provide a credit for the dropped call. In one embodiment of the invention, MSC 130 may update an AMA billing record to credit the account of the user of mobile device 110 for a predetermined number of minutes, e.g., 1 minute, for the dropped call. In another embodiment of the invention, MSC 130 may transmit a message directly to a billing system, not shown, to credit the account of the user of mobile device 110 for a predetermined number of minutes, e.g., 1 minute, for the dropped call.
A predetermined interval, e.g., 4 seconds, after the dropped call, the call control of MSC 130 may determine whether a RF signal is available for mobile device 110 by obtaining the telephone number of the user of mobile device 110 from memory, not shown, and generating a call to mobile device 110. The predetermined interval delay is necessary because mobile device 110 may still be in an area of poor coverage immediately after the dropped call. MSC 130 may attempt to contact mobile device 110 for a predetermined interval or a predetermined number of times before a retry timer, not shown, expires. When the RF signal is available, MSC 130 may inform the user of mobile device 110, via interactive voice response server 140, that a) the account of the user of mobile device 110 has been credited for a predetermined number of minutes for the dropped call and b) the call may be re-established, if desired. If the user of mobile device 110 desires to continue the prior call, then MSC 130 acts upon the response in real-time to a) obtain the telephone number of a last call number, e.g., called party 180, from memory, b) generate a call to the last call number, and c) connect the calls to re-establish the prior call. The last call number may be a telephone number of a called party or a call originator. If the user of mobile device 110 does not desire to continue the prior call, then MSC 130 terminates the connection to mobile device 110.
MSC 130 is connected to interactive voice response server 140, database 150 and a billing system, not shown. MSC 130, in one embodiment, comprises one or more of a 5ESS® 2000—Switch Mobile Switching Center (MSC) (Lucent Technologies).
STP 170 is a packet switch that routes signaling messages on a signaling system 7 (SS7) network. STP 170 may be used to route signaling messages between MSC 130 and interactive voice response server 140.
Interactive voice response server 140 provides interactive voice messages and announcements to mobile phone users, e.g., the user of mobile device 110, after MSC 130 has contacted the mobile phone users to attempt to reconnect a last call number after a dropped call. Upon being connected to a mobile phone after the dropped call, interactive voice response server 140 may inform the mobile phone user via an automated voice announcement that the account of the mobile phone user has been credited for the dropped call. Also, interactive voice response server 140 may ask the mobile phone user, via a human sounding automated voice, one or more questions to which the mobile phone user may respond to determine whether to attempt to reconnect the call. Illustratively, interactive voice response server 140 may inquire, a) “Do you want to reconnect to the last call number now?” or b) “Would you like to reconnect to the last call number at a later time?”.
After making the inquiry, interactive voice response server 140 may wait for the response. The response to these questions may be answered by either a voice response or by pressing keys on the mobile phone handset. In one embodiment of the invention, interactive voice response server 140 may use voice recognition to determine when the mobile phone user has completed the voice response. In another embodiment of the invention, interactive voice response server 140 may have a menu-driven program which recognizes dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) responses made by pressing the keys on the mobile phone handset, e.g., “Press 1 if you want to reconnect to the last call number.”.
After interactive voice response server 140 collects the responses, MSC 130 will either re-establish the prior call or terminate the connection based on the desires of the mobile phone user. Optionally, interactive voice response server 140 may forward the mobile phone user's responses to a storage device, e.g., data base 150. Interactive voice response server 140 is connected to MSC 130. Interactive voice response server 140, in one embodiment, comprises one or more of an Enhanced Media Resource Server (eMRS) (Lucent Technologies).
Data base 150 stores and manages subscriber records, e.g., telephone numbers, addresses, telephone features subscribed to, etc. Data base 150 may store the responses of the mobile phone user, e.g., the user of mobile device 110, which were collected by interactive voice response server 140. The subscriber records used to populate data base 150 may be supplied by a home location register (HLR), a visiting location register (VLR), or other sources. Data base 150 may be stored local to MSC 130, or remote therefrom. Data base 150 is connected to MSC 130.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily be able to select MSCs, base stations, STPs, data bases and interactive voice response servers appropriate for use in any particular implementation of the automatic credit and reconnect of dropped calls system.
Advantageously, a credit may be provided automatically to a mobile phone user when a dropped call occurs without involvement, e.g., initiating calls to a service provider, from the mobile phone user. Also advantageously, the mobile phone user may be automatically reconnected to the last call number when the RF signal becomes available. Further advantageously, the last call number may be a telephone number of a called party or a call originator.
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Wireless service providers may view a network-based capability of automatically reconnecting subscribers to a last call that had been dropped as a new revenue generating opportunity. Illustratively, in one embodiment of the invention, the automatic reconnect feature may be offered on a monthly subscription basis. Referring to
Illustratively, in another embodiment of the invention, the automatic reconnect feature may be offered at a fee per use. Referring to
Illustratively, in yet another embodiment of the invention, the automatic reconnect feature may be offered as a free feature. Referring to
The foregoing merely illustrates the embodiments of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements, which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention, and are included within its spirit and scope.
