Patent Publication Number: US-2007111714-A1

Title: Methods and apparatus for recognizing home network provider of incoming wireless calls

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates in general to wireless cellular service, and relates in particular to enabling users of cellular phones to determine whether an incoming call is originating from the user&#39;s home network provider before the user decides to accept the incoming call.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Most cellular telephone users subscribe to service plans in which, for a predetermined fee, a specific provider of cellular services (hereinafter the “home service provider”) offers the subscriber a certain number of air-time minutes each month. The fee may be charged to the subscriber monthly or may be prepaid, depending on the subscriber&#39;s service plan. In either case, however, the duration of both outgoing calls originated by the subscriber and incoming calls to the subscriber&#39;s cellular number usually are charged against the monthly air-time for that subscriber. If the subscriber&#39;s monthly air-time usage (combined incoming and outgoing calls) exceeds the predetermined allotment, the subscriber typically will incur a per-minute charge for that excess air-time usage.  
      To ameliorate the effect of air-time usage and to attract more users, some wireless carriers offer calling plans wherein members of the plan may call another subscriber on the same wireless home service network, at no per-minute charge or other fee beyond the normal monthly fees for the wireless services of both subscribers. Such so-called family calling plans thus allow a subscriber to make or receive unlimited calls to another subscriber on the same cellular home service network. However, most wireless users are unlikely to know whether an incoming call is originating from another subscriber on that user&#39;s own home network and thus may be reluctant to accept incoming calls that might exceed their remaining air-time allotment.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention addresses the above and other problems by providing a method that includes comparing a predetermined home network provider for the called wireless device with the home network provider of an incoming call to the called wireless device. If the home network identified for the incoming call bears a certain relation to the home network for the called wireless device, an indication of that certain relation is provided to at least one of the called wireless device and the originating device for that incoming call. The user of the called wireless device, knowing the network provider for that incoming call, may then decide whether to accept that call.  
      Stated in somewhat greater detail, a method according to an embodiment of the present invention provides the called wireless device with distinct kinds of indications in response to determining whether the incoming call is from a caller using the same home network as the called device. Thus, the called device can provide a first indication if a certain relation between network providers is determined to exist, and can provide a second kind of indication in response to determining that the certain relation between network providers is absent.  
      According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the device originating a wireless call can receive an indication whether the home network provider for the called device bears a predetermined relation to the home network provider for the originating device. By way of example, the originating device can give the caller an option not to complete the call to the called wireless device if the network providers are determined to be different, so that the originating call does not terminate to the called wireless device as an incoming call chargeable to the air-time minutes for the caller or the called parties.  
      According to a further disclosed embodiment of the present invention, either or both of the originating device and the called wireless device may store data corresponding to phone-book profiles for individuals being called. These profiles can include, in addition to the customary telephone number and name of the person, an indication whether that number is “in-network”, that is, whether the number is associated with a wireless device on the same home network provider as the wireless device storing the profile.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following discussion of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING  
       FIG. 1  is a functional diagram showing portions of a telephone system including cellular providers.  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing elements of a wireless handset according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows typical screen displays of an address-book entry and of an incoming call for a wireless handset as in  FIG. 2  and equipped according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows a screen display associated with an originating call on a wireless handset as in  FIG. 2  according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  represents operational flow for recognizing and displaying the home network provider of an incoming call according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  represents operational flow at an originating wireless handset, for recognizing and displaying the home network provider of a called party according to the disclosed embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a typical telephone network according to an embodiment of the invention and including two exemplary cell sites  110  and  112 . Each cell site  110  and  112  includes a radio tower  114  and associated RF equipment for communicating with exemplary handsets  116 . As is known to those skilled in the art, each cell site  110 ,  112  interconnects with a mobile switching center  120  that bridges the mobile telephone network with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) indicated generally at  130  in  FIG. 1 , and includes a home location register (HLR)  122  functioning as a database of subscriber information and maintained by the subscribers&#39; home service provider of wireless services. Each mobile switching center  120  also includes a visitor location register (VLR)  124  functioning as a database for handsets identified as roaming in a cell maintained by a provider of wireless services other than the home provider for that handset.  
      Subscribers using a wireless handset such as the handset  116 A can initiate and receive calls with other wireless subscribers in the same cell site or in a different cell site, and can also initiate and receive calls from wireline telephones  132 A,  132 B connected to the PSTN  130  through switching apparatus including an SSP switch  136 . The handsets  116 A,  116 B can also initiate and receive calls from VOIP telephone sets  138 A,  138 B functionally connecting to a VOIP gateway  140  through a data network  142 , as is known to those skilled in the art.  
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic representation of selected elements in a typical handset  116  and relevant to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention. Those elements include a memory  202  connected to a processor  204 , a display  206  receiving and displaying selected information from the processor  204 , and a keypad  208  also connected to the processor  204 . The processor  204  is shown as receiving a signal with an incoming call including information identifying the home network provider for the incoming call. The memory  202  of the handset  116  may comprise any kind of memory suitable for the requirements of wireless handsets  116 , such as a memory chip fixed within the handset  116  and a mobile ID chip selectably removable from the handset  116 , as is known to those skilled in the art. The memory  202  receives and stores information relating to the particular wireless handset  116 , including the identification number unique to that handset  116 , the home network provider for that handset  116  and the telephone number assigned to the handset  116  by the home network provider, and also contains user-programmable information such as the names and telephone numbers entered into the address-book function for the handset  116 . Moreover, the memory  202  also may contain information concerning the home network providers of address-book entries, according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention as described below in greater detail.  
      Those skilled in the art will understand that  FIG. 2  is not a schematic view of a complete wireless handset  116  and that such handsets  116  contain additional structural and functional components required for their operation.  
       FIG. 3  depicts typical messages appearing on the display of a wireless handset  116  according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention. The display  310  represents an address-book profile being entered into the handset  116 . Currently, when a handset user programs a phone number into the handset  116 , the user may also associate a word or name with that number, e.g., designating whether that number is a home phone or a cell phone, the work or office number of a person, or the like. In the display  310 , the number being programmed into the address book appears at  312  and the name or other identifying information associated with that person is entered in the usual manner to appear at  314 . In addition to the number and name entered into the address book profile for a particular party, the handset  116  according to the disclosed embodiment also enables the user to enter whether or not the party subscribes to the same home network provider as the user. That indication appears in the display  310  at  316 , where the message “in-network” appears adjacent a check box  317 . The user, after entering the number and the name or ID of a person in the address book profile, can indicate whether that person is in the same network as the user, that entry shown by the check mark in the box  317  of  FIG. 3 . When the party with that number thereafter calls the handset  116 , the called handset  116  typically receives the calling number as part of incoming-call signaling and compares that incoming number with stored numbers  312  in the memory  202 . If a match is determined to exist, the called handset  116  determines whether the in- network box  317  associated with that number was previously set and, if so, the display  320  presents the network identifier associated with that caller. That network identifier may, by way of example and without limitation, display a logo associated with the predetermined home network common to both the called handset  116  and the caller&#39;s home network, or a brief text message stating that the incoming call is in-network. Alternatively, the called handset  116  may provide an alert only if the calling party is not in the user&#39;s home network. In either case, the user of the called handset  116  can accept the incoming call in the usual manner.  
      The display  320  shown in  FIG. 3  illustrates a typical display for an incoming call according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention. That display  320  includes the number  322  of the caller, the name or other identifier  324  of that caller (if that information is in the address book profile of the called handset  116  or is otherwise available to the called handset), and information at  326  identifying the network of the caller. Presented with information as in the display  320 , a user of the called handset  116  knows whether accepting that call will be charged against the user&#39;s airtime and can decide whether to accept the call.  
       FIG. 4  shows the wireless handset  116  equipped according to the disclosed embodiment and showing a display  420  in response to an outgoing call placed by the user of that handset  116 . It should be understood that the calling handset  116  shown in  FIG. 4  may be identical to the called handset  116  in  FIG. 3 , with the outgoing-call display  420  substituting for the displays  310  and  320  in  FIG. 3  because of the different mode of usage (outgoing call vs. incoming call) depicted for the calling handset  116 . In response to placing an outgoing call with the calling handset  116 , the display shows the number  422  of the party being called. That number may be keyed into the calling handset  116  by the caller, or the number may have been previously programmed into the user&#39;s address book and selected by the user for making the present call. When the caller initiates an outgoing call with the calling handset  116 , assuming that call is to another cellular phone, a signal is returned to the calling handset  116  according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, indicating the home network associated with the number  422  being called. That home-network information may come from the home network of the called party (for example, the HLR  122  of the home network  112  shown in  FIG. 1 ), from a separate database of subscribers maintained for the purpose, or from home-network information obtained from the handset of the called party in response to placing the outgoing call. However, according to the disclosed embodiment, that outgoing call is not immediately completed to initiate ringing at the called handset  116  associated with the number  422  being called. Instead, the calling handset  116  compares the returned identify of the home network for the called party with the caller&#39;s own home network. If this comparison indicates that the called party is not in the same network as the caller or that different network providers for the parties otherwise do not have a predetermined relation with each other, the message “Out of Network” or a message of similar import appears at  424  on the display  420  of the calling handset. That display  420  also prompts the caller, at  426 , to indicate whether or not the caller desires to continue that outgoing call. If the caller does wish to continue a call and enters the corresponding selection on the calling handset  116 , the calling handset  116  then sends a signal that initiates ringing at the handset of the called party. The called handset  116  associated with the called number  422 , if equipped according to the handset  116  depicted in  FIG. 3 , will then display the name and network identification of the caller as shown at  320 .  
      Reverting to  FIG. 4 , if the caller decides not to continue the call in response to the query  426 , that call ends without completion in response to the corresponding entry in the calling handset  116  that is, without initiating ringing at the handset of the called party.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates exemplary logic by which the processor  204  handles incoming wireless calls to the handset  116 , according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention. The called handset  116  receives a signal of an incoming call as shown at  502  and that signal may include information identifying the home network of the caller according to the present invention, as well as the telephone number of the caller. According to one disclosed embodiment, the identification of the caller&#39;s home network is obtained from existing resources such as the HLR  122  associated with that caller&#39;s MSR, if the incoming call originates from the caller&#39;s home network. If the incoming call was placed while the caller was roaming, the home network may be obtained from the VLR  124  of the MSR where that call originates. Alternatively, one or several separate databases of information concerning the home network providers associated will cellular wireless services may be provided within the system.  
      If the incoming-call signaling identifies only the number of the calling party without identifying the caller&#39;s home network, that home network may nonetheless be recognizable according to a disclosed embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the called handset  116  determines at  522  whether the incoming call includes information identifying the home network of the caller. If that information is not present, the processor  204  has logic to determine at  504  whether the incoming-call telephone number is a telephone number previously stored in the memory  202  ( FIG. 2 ) of the called handset  116  and whether a profile already exists for the caller in the address book of the called handset  116 . If that profile does exist, including the home-network identification of the caller, that network identification is compared at  506  with the home network identification of the called handset  116 , which is typically programmed into the called handset  116  at the time of activation, to determine whether or not the home networks of the caller and the called party bear a predetermined relation. That predetermined relation may mean that both parties use the same home network. In addition, the determination of different home networks for the caller and called parties may satisfy the predetermined-relation requirement if the providers of those home networks have agreed, for example, to provide reciprocal free incoming calls to their subscribers.  
      If the comparison at  506  shows that such a predetermined relation exists, the processor  204  of the called handset  116  is commanded to display a suitable same-network message as indicated at  508  in  FIG. 5 . That same-network message may be any suitable wording that can fit within the physical limitations of the display  206  on the called handset, or may include or be substituted by a logo or other indicia that the user of the handset is likely to identify as indicating the incoming call may be accepted without incurring airtime charges. The user of the called handset may then accept or reject the incoming call as at  510 , in the customary manner.  
      Returning to  504 , if the telephone number associated with the caller is not in the address-book memory of the called handset, the processor  204  of the handset  116  may display a prompt at  512  asking whether the user wants to add that caller&#39;s number and home network to the address-book memory of the called handset  116 . If the user answers that prompt in the affirmative, the processor  204  updates the memory at  514  and the logic flow returns to  506  to determine whether the predetermined relation exists between the home networks of the caller and called parties. If the user decides not to add the call to the address book of the called handset, the logic returns at  516  to the same network comparison as shown at  506 .  
      If the network comparison at  506  determines that the home network provider for the incoming call is not the same as the home network for the called handset or otherwise lacks the predetermined relation as mentioned above, the processor  204  of the called handset  116  displays a not-in-network message or equivalent, as shown at  518 . Based on that information, the called party then decides at  510  whether to accept or reject the incoming call despite knowing that the call will be charged against that party&#39;s airtime.  
      If the comparison at  522  determines that the incoming call does include information identifying the caller&#39;s home network, the processor  204  compares that identification at  506  with the home network information of the called handset  116 . If the predetermined relation is found to exist, the logic at  528  enables displaying the same-network message  508  as mentioned above. However, if the predetermined relation between home networks is not found, the logic then activates the not-in-network message  518 . If no information identifying the home network of the caller is available to the called handset, the logic may activate neither message  508  or  518 .  
       FIG. 6  illustrates exemplary logic flow performed by the processor  204  in the calling-party handset  116  in  FIG. 4 , according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention. The function of such a calling handset  116 , for the purposes of the disclosed embodiment, commences at  602  as a caller dials an outgoing call to the telephone number of another wireless subscriber, namely, the called party. In response to transmitting outgoing-call signaling information from the calling handset  116  to the home cellular network for that handset  116 , the calling handset  116  receives at  604  the home network identification of the called party. As previously mentioned, the home network of the party being called is retrieved from a database associated, for example, with the home network of a called party, assuming the called party is presently within that home network, or from another database logically and functionally associated with the wireless network. The information identifying the home network for the called party is returned through the cellular system, possibly including the PSTN  130  as mentioned above, to the caller&#39;s handset  116  where, at  606 , that home network identification is compared with the caller&#39;s home network identification, for example, previously stored in the caller&#39;s handset  116 . If that comparison at  606  indicates that a predetermined relation (such as the same home network) exists between network providers for the calling and called parties, the outgoing call continues as at  608  and the calling handset  116  may optionally display a suitable indication that the outgoing call is directed to a party in the same network as the caller.  
      If the comparison at  606  determines that the called party does not share the same home network as the caller, or uses a home network lacking a predetermined relation with the caller&#39;s home network, then at  610  the processor displays an appropriate not-in-network message on the display of the calling handset  116 . That calling handset  116  may then at  612  prompt the caller whether or not to continue the call to an out-of-network called party. If the caller decides not to continue the call, then at  614  the logic branches to  616  to discontinue further progress of the outgoing call. This act of discontinuing the outgoing call, according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, would end that call before the called party receives an indication of the incipient incoming call, namely, before the called handset receives a ring-enabling signal.  
      However, if the caller at  612  decides to continue the call to a party outside the caller&#39;s home network, the caller&#39;s handset  116  sends a signal to continue the call, thereby causing the handset  116  of the called party to ring. If that called handset  116  is equipped according to the present invention, for example, with the embodiment as described with regard to  FIG. 5 , the called party will see that the incoming call is not on the same home network and, thus informed, can decide whether or not to accept that incoming call.  
      Those skilled in the art should understand that the foregoing relates only to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention and that numerous changes and modifications therein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.