Abstract: A method and system for dispatch calling using personal telephone numbers (PTNs) are provided. In accordance with the method and system, when a dispatch user enters a PTN as part of a dispatch call initiation, the originating dispatch call controller recognizes that the dispatch call request includes a PTN. If the originating dispatch call controller does not have the target subscriber in its recent call record cache, the originating call controller determines which home location registers (HLRs) serve subscribers with the particular NPA and NXX of the PTN. The originating call controller sends a request for the UFMI of the target subscriber to each of the determined HLRs. When the originating call controller receives a response from one of the HLRs with the UFMI, the originating call controller completes the dispatch call using the received UFMI.

Abstract: A system and method of operating an antenna in a beamforming mode or a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode. The method includes activating a first group of antenna elements to operate the antenna in the beamforming mode; and activating a second group of antenna elements to operate the antenna in the MIMO mode. The distance between adjacent antenna elements of the first group may be a half-wavelength at the antenna operating frequency, and the distance between adjacent antenna elements of the second group may be greater than a half-wavelength. If the antenna elements are configured as an array, the first group may include all of the elements of the array, and the second group may include only the elements in every other column of the array. The operation of the antenna in either the beamforming mode or the MIMO mode may be based on the RF environment in which subscriber units reside.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is disclosed, including a network and a plurality of base stations coupled to the network, wherein each of the base stations are adapted to transmit only a Pilot channel information, one or more Paging channel information, and a Sync channel information using a first group of adjacent Walsh codes Win to Wi+jn, where i and j are integers, and n is the length of the Walsh codes. In the wireless communication system, the base station may be further adapted to transmit traffic channel information using a second group of adjacent Walsh codes Wi+j+1n to Wn?1n. Alternatively, the base station may be further adapted to transmit traffic channel information using a second group of adjacent Walsh codes W0n to Wi?1n. Alternatively, the base station may be further adapted to transmit traffic channel information using a second group of adjacent Walsh codes Wint(j/2+1)n/2 to Wn/2?1n/2 or W0n/2 to Wint(i/2?1)n/2.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a dual-mode mobile communications unit in a home network of the communications unit is disclosed. In an embodiment of the method, the dual-mode mobile communications unit is provisioned as a visitor in the home network of the communications unit. The home network utilizes a proprietary technology but the communications unit communicates with the home network in the same standards-based technology that a roamer in the home network uses to communicate with the home network. In an embodiment of the system, the system includes the home network of the communications unit, where the home network utilizes a proprietary technology but where the communications unit communicates in the home network in the standards-based technology. The system also includes a visitor location register coupled to the home network. The dual-mode mobile communications unit is provisioned as a visitor in the visitor location register of the home network.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing set-up time for walkie-talkie calls. One or more mobile units are assigned to a first paging channel and a second paging channel. A first and second slot cycle may be determined using a first and second slot cycle index, respectively. The second paging channel slot cycle is determined using a negative slot cycle index. A mobile unit can then be configured to monitor the first paging channel during the first slot cycle. Similarly, the mobile unit may also be configured to monitor the second paging channel during the second slot cycle. The first paging channel may be used to provide the mobile unit with notification of a cellular call and the second paging channel may be used to provide notification of a walkie-talkie call. The second paging channel is checked more frequently than the first paging channel.

Abstract: An address server comprising a UFMI server application adapted to allocate an inter-working UFMI to an iDEN subscriber unit and map the inter-working UFMI to an external subscriber address. The inter-working UFMI is associated with an iDEN network, and the external subscriber address is associated with an external network. The address server includes an iHLR, a data storage storing a pool of reusable iDEN UFMIs and mapped pairs of iDEN UFMIs to external subscribers. The mappings are stored on a per user, per fleet or per account basis. The data storage also stores a pool of global iDEN UFMIs. Use of the inter-working UFMIs facilitates dispatch communications between the iDEN subscriber unit and the external subscriber.

Abstract: A wireless communications system and method for use with aircraft includes an airline network and an aircraft communications system. The airline network includes a reservation system having a database storing passenger and flight information, an interface to an external network and a home location register. The reservation system includes logic for provisioning a subscriber unit and defining at least one location-based event associated with the subscriber unit. The home location register tracks the location of the subscriber unit. The aircraft communications system includes a wireless base station facilitating radio communication with the provisioned subscriber unit and a second interface to the external network. During operation, the home location register executes the location-based event when the subscriber unit's movement into the location associated with the location-based event is detected.

Abstract: A wireless communications system includes a radio network facilitating wireless communications with a wireless subscriber unit, a dispatch application server providing dispatch communications services to the subscriber unit via the radio network, and an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) infrastructure including a Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and a Serving-CSCF (S-CSCF). The P-CSCF notifies the dispatch application server of subscriber unit registration events, allowing the dispatch application server to provide dispatch communications services without initiating a separate registration process. Dispatch communications are routed between the wireless subscriber unit and dispatch application server through the P-CSCF, bypassing the S-CSCF of the IMS infrastructure.

Abstract: A method and computer-readable medium for a dual dialer state machine are provided. The state machine allows a Radio Interface Layer (RIL) to make decisions on whether to allow calls to be initiated or terminated depending upon the type of call (interconnect or dispatch). The RIL uses the state machine to coordinate the functions of an interconnect phone application and a dispatch phone application.

Abstract: A method and system for long distance dispatch calling restrictions are provided. A user who does not subscribe to long distance dispatch services can make a long distance dispatch call to the originator of the last received dispatch call within a predetermined period of time of the last received dispatch call. If an amount of time equal to or greater than the predetermined period of time has elapsed since the last received dispatch call, then the long distance dispatch call is rejected.

Abstract: A private communications system includes a base station, a switch and an interface to an external network. The base station provides a radio link between the private communications system and a subscriber unit. The subscriber unit has an associated mini-subscription providing the subscriber unit with temporary access to the private communications system. The switch is connected to the base station and provides the subscriber unit with access to the private communications system when the mini-subscription is active. The interface is connected to the switch. In operation, the mini-subscription information is automatically transmitted to the external wireless network, via the interface, when the mini-subscription is terminated.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is disclosed comprising a call controller to establish a communication session in a first communication mode between two or more users; receive a request from at least one of the users to switch the first communication mode of the communication session to a second communication mode; and switch the first communication mode of the communication session to the second communication mode. The first and second communication mode may respectively comprise half-duplex and full-duplex modes, or vice-versa. Other disclosed embodiments relate to a call controller for to setup multiple communication mode sessions in a wireless communication system, and a subscriber unit able to request and accept a switch to a different communication mode in an ongoing communication session.

Abstract: Push-to-talk private call pre-emption may be applied in an application-to-person context or on a person-to-person context. A PTT subscriber may send a PTT server a pre-emption request indicating a desire to interrupt the application voice stream or another PTT subscriber, respectively. In an application-to-person context, the PTT server may revoke the floor from the application server and grant the floor to the requesting device. In a person-to-person context, the PTT server may send the other PTT subscriber a floor release request. Once the subscriber with the PTT floor releases it in response to the floor release request, the PTT server will be able to send an open floor signal back to the requesting subscriber.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing a mobile communication device group. A communication device sends a message from a member of a sender group and a network transmits the message to the recipient group if the identity of the sender group exists in a communication permission parameter associated with the recipient group. Systems and methods for transmitting a message to a group of communication device users in an identified geographical area. A graphical display presents a geographical representation of an area. A selection tool for identifying one or more communication device users located within a defined area. The network transmits a message from a sender to the users located within the defined area.

Abstract: A user may locate a missing wireless device through a location server storing user-associated location information. A wireless device includes a client location application adapted to determine a current geographic location and transmit location data to a location server, a power source, and a power management application adapted to detect a low power level and instruct the client location application to determine the current geographic location. The wireless device further includes a GPS receiver adapted to receive and decode GPS signals and a personal GPS directory storing location information associated with the subscriber unit.

Abstract: A wireless device and method for providing location updates to a wireless network includes determining a current location of the wireless device, comparing the current location to a second location and transmitting a location update, including presence information, to the wireless network when the current location differs from the second location by at least a predetermined geographical distance. The predetermined geographical distance is determined in accordance with at least one of subscription information associated with the subscriber unit, including a subscription fee paid, an enabled service and a network state. The current location may be determined via GPS, wireless network based position determination or other method.

Abstract: A dispatch communications system is disclosed that facilitates dispatch communications respectively between subscriber units residing within a first geographical area, subscriber units residing within a second geographical area, and subscriber units residing respectively in the first and second geographical areas. The dispatch communications system includes a first intra-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing within a first geographical area; a second intra-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing within a second geographical area different than the first geographical area; and an inter-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing respectively in first and second geographical areas. A call processing unit controls both inter-area and intra-area dispatch calls for the dispatch communications system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for supporting multiple wireless communications technologies are provided. When a first and second base station operate according to different wireless communication technologies on the same carrier frequency in different cells or on different carrier frequencies in the same cell the frame structure of each base station is controlled in such a way that idle periods of transmissions from one base station are aligned with idle periods of the other base station. When the first and second base stations are located in the same cell and operate on the same carrier frequency the frames of the first and second base stations are time-interlaced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for supporting multiple wireless communication technologies within a cell are provided. A base station can transmit a second wireless communication technology in a smaller coverage than the coverage of the first wireless communication technology, thereby producing an underlay-overlay cell radiation pattern. Whether a mobile station communicates with the base station using the first or second wireless communication technology can be based on a comparison of signal quality measures for the mobile station, or any other performance metric with a fixed or dynamic threshold.

Abstract: A dispatch communications system is disclosed that facilitates dispatch communications respectively between subscriber units residing within a first geographical area, subscriber units residing within a second geographical area, and subscriber units residing respectively in the first and second geographical areas. The dispatch communications system includes a first intra-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing within a first geographical area; a second intra-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing within a second geographical area different than the first geographical area; and an inter-area dispatch communications network to facilitate dispatch calling between subscriber units residing respectively in first and second geographical areas. A call processing unit controls both inter-area and intra-area dispatch calls for the dispatch communications system.