Patent ID: 6073023
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A communications system having a pre-defined calling group with a plurality of members, the system comprising:a plurality of personal communication devices (PCDs), each member of the group being assigned one of the PCDs, each PCD having a system ID and a group ID, the system ID and the group ID both having a predetermined characteristic, each system ID having a first variation with respect to the characteristic, each group ID having a second variation with respect to the characteristic, a first member of the group having a first PCD and attempting to contact a second member of the group having a second PCD by entering into the first PCD the group ID of the second PCD;a communications switch for allowing the first PCD to access the communications system thereby, the first PCD transmitting information to the communications switch, the transmitted information including the system ID of the first PCD and the group ID of the second PCD;a switch database in communication with the communications switch, the switch database including a record for the first PCD, the record including information that the first PCD is assigned to a member of the group, the communications switch locating the record for the first PCD based on the system ID of the first PCD, the communications switch determining based on the record for the first PCD that the first PCD is allowed to contact the second PCD by way of the group ID of the second PCD; anda group database in switchable communication with the communications switch, the group database having the system ID and the group ID for the PCD of each member of the group, the communications switch forwarding the attempted contact and the group ID of the second PCD to the group database for further processing, the group database determining that the group ID of the second PCD is located therein, locating the system ID of the second PCD based on the group ID of the second PCD, and forwarding the attempted contact and the system ID of the second PCD to an appropriate communications switch for further processing.