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  Communication system and method including dual mode capabilityUSPTO Application #: 20070232351Title: Communication system and method including dual mode capability Abstract: A system and method for a communication apparatus to provide advanced features such as dual mode capability, billing options for communication charges (for instance reverse billing), and definable accessible controls. In one embodiment, a subscriber apparatus (for instance a wireless communication apparatus) including pager (such as page phone) or radiotelephone functions. A caller calls the subscriber apparatus. The caller gains two-way communication with the subscriber apparatus. The subscriber apparatus may include roaming capability to control movement of a communication channel of the subscriber apparatus from a first system (for instance a regular cellular system) to a second system (for instance a local loop). The billing options include reversing communication charges (for instance from a subscriber to a calling party), receiving advertisements to reduce communication charges, or splitting communication charges (for instance between a subscriber and a calling party). (end of abstract)
Agent: Law Office Of Robert E. Kasody, Professional Corporation - Los Angeles, CA, US Inventors: Joseph F. Scalisi, Lawrence E. Hecox USPTO Applicaton #: 20070232351 - Class: 455554200 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Telecommunications, Transmitter And Receiver At Same Station (e.g., Transceiver), Radiotelephone Equipment Detail, Equipment Detail For Providing Wireless Link To Fixed Equipment (e.g., Wll, Telco Emulator, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070232351. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED [0001] This application is a divisional of patent application Ser. No. 10/951,855, filed on Sep. 27, 2004, entitled "Call Receiving Apparatus and Method Having a Dedicated Switch," which is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 09/499,058, filed Feb. 4, 2000, entitled, "Call Receiving Apparatus and Method Having a Dedicated Switch," now U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,244, which is a continuation-in-part application of a Continued Prosecution Application based on United States patent application Ser. No. 08/859,904 now abandoned. This application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,772 entitled "Personal Apparatus for Receiving Radiotelephone Communications". FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] In one aspect, the present invention relates generally to an apparatus, system, and method utilizing two-way wireless communication that can be initiated by, and billed to, a caller. [0003] The present invention is also directed to a call receiving pager system, method and apparatus having call back request features. The call back request features comprise a switching means located on the apparatus that is capable of sending a prerecorded voice or data message from the subscriber apparatus to an emergency telephone number such as "911" and/or a pre-determined telephone number which are stored within the device. The pre-recorded voice or data message which is sent to these stored numbers requests that the party receiving the pre-recorded voice or data message initiate contact with the subscriber by calling the subscriber's page number. Paging the subscriber initiates two-way wireless communication which can be carried out when the subscriber answers the call being made to the subscriber apparatus. [0004] The predetermined telephone number may be a call center telephone number. In this case, a subscriber receiving a call back from the call center may incur an airtime charge which can be charged on a pre-paid basis using a credit card. Once the subscriber answers the call back from the call center operator, the subscriber may request connection by the operator to a specific number wherein the operator makes the connection on a collect call basis. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] Mobile radio communication is well known in the art. Cellular radio has spawned Personal Communication (PCS). PCS is wireless and the user requires no tether such as the wire pair that connects a conventional telephone to a local serving switch. Cellular radio with a hand held terminal, i.e., hand held cellular telephones, gives the user tetherless telephone communication. Further, paging systems provide the mobile and ambulatory user with a means of being alerted that someone wishes to contact or talk to that person. The cordless telephone is yet another example of a tetherless personal communication device. [0006] The public switched telecommunications network (PSTN) is vast and includes hundreds of national networks that are interconnected to form a gigantic international network. Cellular service is an adjunct to the network. Cellular radio systems provide two-way signaling and communication by usually connecting a mobile terminal to another user through the PSTN where the other user is most commonly a subscriber of the PSTN. Nevertheless, the other user may be a mobile terminal. Most of the connectivity involves connecting wired telephone service to mobile users. The mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) is the heart of a cellular system for a specific serving area. The MTSO is connected to the PSTN by a trunk group. Trunks are the telephone lines connecting one telephone switch or exchange with another. [0007] In contrast, paging is a one-way radio alerting system that is a simple extension of the PTSN. Unlike cellular radio systems, the direction of transmission is from a fixed paging to an individual. Some pagers have digital readouts which provide the individual with a number to call back while others give a short message or enable a transmitter to leave a voice mail by hooking into a voice mail system. [0008] Technology in recent years has resulted in a vast number of cordless telephones, cellular telephones and paging apparatus which exhibit a variety of unique and multiple features. For example, the following described inventions are directed to cellular telephones. U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,848 issued to Hanawa discloses an apparatus for a mobile communication system having a handset which can be programmed to lock calls, restrict calls, or time calls. U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,009 issued to Bogusz et al. describes a cellular telephone having a fixed calling capacity which limits the use of the phone by only enabling it to call emergency telephone numbers. A similar cellular telephone is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,570 issued to Boubelik which discloses an emergency radio telephone apparatus having a housing, a radio transceiver for receiving and transmitting modulated radio signals, and an actuator connected to the housing for actuating the transceiver and initiating the process of connecting to a predetermined emergency phone number. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,772 issued to Metroka et al. describes a portable radiotelephone with control switch disabling having a keypad covered by a movable element which produces an on-hook condition when the movable element is in a first position covering the keypad, and an off-hook condition when the movable element is in a second position exposing the keypad. [0009] Numerous paging systems having various functions and capabilities are also well known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,989 issued to Kasugai describes a paging system having a vehicle mounted repeater with a portable paging receiver detachably mounted on the repeater. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,963 issued to Gutman et al. discloses a paging system having a centrally located terminal and a plurality of remote pager units wherein both automatic and manual acknowledge back signaling is provided. [0010] The prior art also includes radiotelephone and paging systems as evidenced by the following: i) U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,204 issued to Sasaki et al. discloses a cordless telephone apparatus with a removably mounted pager which reports an incoming signal from a parent device or radiotelephone; ii) U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,122 issued to Bhagat et al. describes a mobile paging call back system which includes a control unit interconnecting a radio pager, a memory, an indicator, a control switch, and an automatic dialer with the control unit including a logic circuit that is programmed to verify valid telephone number information received from a pager, to store the verified data in memory, to activate the indicator to show that valid data has been received and to transfer the stored data to the automatic dialer to reach a mobile radiotelephone; iii) U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,449 issued to Metroka et al. discloses an integrated paging and radiotelephone apparatus which combines paging and cellular radiotelephone functions in a single unit having dual receivers thereby allowing reception of paging signals simultaneously with cellular radiotelephone signals; and iv) U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,473 issued to Feeland et al. which describes an apparatus combining a radio pager and a cellular radiotelephone into one unit which may automatically receive a plurality of pages while the radiotelephone is on and communicating a cellular telephone call, or off or unattended. [0011] Although combined radiotelephone and paging systems have been described, none of those systems prevents initiation of a direct two-way wireless communication by the subscriber or holder of the dual paging/radiotelephone system, nor do any of those combined systems described above include a system wherein only the outside calling party pays for the telecommunication when the caller and subscriber are activated. Either one or both of these features would drastically reduce fraudulent use of the wireless two-way communication system. Further, implementation of either or both of these features would enable a subscriber to exert optimum control over costs. [0012] Accordingly, there is a need for a call receiving pager apparatus, system and method utilizing a dedicated switch which allow for incoming calls but prevent direct outgoing calls in order to control costs and fraudulent use of the system. This is particularly useful in those situations where would like to enable their employees to have direct real-time wireless two-way communication with one another in order to facilitate job efficiency. For example, individual employees such as sales persons, drivers and delivery personnel, real estate agents, and hospital personnel could be equipped with the present invention in order to with others within or outside of their organization either out in the field or within a large facility that houses the employees. There is also a need for such a call receiving pager apparatus, system and method utilizing a dedicated switch where the calling party is billed for the call so that a pager number is not given out to numerous individuals by the person carrying the apparatus thereby enabling anyone to run up telephone toll charges associated with use of the apparatus during two-way communication. [0013] Parents are another target market for this call receiving pager apparatus, system and method utilizing a dedicated switch in that it would enable children to be directly connected to their parents upon being paged by their parents without the expense of cellular telephone charges. Such an apparatus, system and method will prevent the accumulation of billings associated with frivolous or unnecessary calls made by children in that the apparatus, system and method do not allow those possessing the apparatus to make direct outgoing calls. Further, if the apparatus were stolen, it would be impossible to commit further fraud by charging the subscriber of the apparatus for calls because the apparatus, system and method employ caller generated billing. [0014] Finally, there is a need for a call receiving pager apparatus, system and method utilizing a dedicated switch which provide a subscriber of the apparatus with an ability to contact a number or call center number without enabling the subscriber to initiate direct two-way wireless communication with the predetermined number or call center thereby keeping the fraud and cost control functions of the system, method and apparatus intact. This is achieved by enabling the method, system and apparatus to send a pre-recorded voice or data message from the subscriber apparatus to a pre-determined telephone number such as an emergency number, e.g., "911", a home telephone number, an office or business number, or a call center number. Upon connection with the pre-determined number or call center number, the transmitted prerecorded voice or data message informs the receiver of the call as to the subscriber's name and the subscriber's page number. The pre-recorded voice or data message may also include a brief message from the subscriber and then instructs the receiver to the subscriber in order to initiate two-way wireless communication with the subscriber. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015] In one aspect of the present invention, a wireless local loop is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a radio frequency transceiver adapted to communicate with a local exchange carrier and to establish a local loop over a communication area. A cellular apparatus is included having dual mode capability. The cellular apparatus may be further configured to provide automatic roaming capability from the local loop to a regular cellular system. The cellular apparatus may, in one example, initiate de-registration and registration of the cellular apparatus between the local loop and the regular cellular system. [0016] In another embodiment, the de-registration and registration is at least partially in response to a detected Radio Frequency (RF) power level. Furthermore, a module may be configured to receive and process a mobile identification number of at least one of the cellular apparatus or a first communication apparatus such that a two-way wireless connection is capable of being established between the first communication apparatus and the cellular apparatus. [0017] In another aspect, a wireless local loop apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, a radio frequency transceiver is configured to communicate with a local exchange carrier, thereby facilitating a local exchange carrier's establishment of a local loop over an area via the radio frequency transceiver. [0018] A wireless communication apparatus may also be provided that includes a multi-mode transceiver. The multi-mode transceiver is configured to provide automatic roaming capability. In one example, the automatic roaming capability includes de-registration and registration of the first wireless device between a regular cellular system and the local loop. The de-registration and registration, in one embodiment, are responsive to a detected RF power level of the local loop. [0019] The wireless local loop apparatus, in one variant, is further configured to receive and process a request and capable to establish a two-way wireless connection between the wireless communication apparatus and a user communication apparatus. [0020] The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals denote like elements. Continue reading... Full patent description for Communication system and method including dual mode capability Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Communication system and method including dual mode capability patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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