Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for proactively managing dropped calls in a wireless communication system. A determination is made that a mobile station is about to experience a dropped call, based on consideration of factors such as received signal strength or location of the mobile station. In response to the determination, a user of the mobile station is then warned that the call is about to be dropped.

Abstract: A method and system for multicasting or broadcasting a message to a specific group of mobile stations or to a specific group of cell sectors in a cellular wireless communication system. The method may include maintaining a record of which mobile stations are in a particular multicast group, and may include maintaining a record of which cell sectors are currently serving one or more members of the multicast group. The records may be maintained at one or more network entities, such as a radio network multicast router/server and/or hosts on a packet-switched network. By sending multicast messages, such as IP messages, to only those cell sectors currently serving members of a multicast group, network resources may be conserved.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for reactively managing dropped calls in a wireless communication system. A mobile station determines that it has experienced a dropped call. In response, the mobile station allows a user to continue communicating, such as by recording the user's speech, for instance. The mobile station may then play out the recorded speech to the user or to another call participant, such as upon reestablishment of the call.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for transferring audio between a headset and electronic equipment over an optical link. The apparatus includes an electro-optical interface for electrically connecting to the electronic equipment, an optical link, and an electro-optical headset. Audio from the electronic equipment modulates a light source in the electro-optical interface. A modulated light signal is transmitted through the optical link to the electro-optical headset where it is demodulated and reproduced as the original audio in the ear of a user wearing the headset. Also, another audio from the user's mouth produces another modulated light signal in the electro-optical headset. The other modulated light signal is transmitted through the optical link to the electro-optical interface where it is demodulated to provide the other audio to the electronic equipment. The non-electrical optical link may improve audible communications between the electronic equipment and the headset in radio-frequency noisy environments.

Abstract: An affinity market system may be implemented in a wireless network. A mobile station may make billable transactions via the wireless network, and each billable transaction made by the mobile station may be associated with an affinity partner. The wireless network may provide a rebate to the affinity partner for the billable transactions made by the mobile station via the wireless network.

Abstract: A method and system for using physical presence as a basis to handle communications. A network includes a presence registry that indicates whether users are physically present at stations. Further, the network may include a user-station registry that indicates whether users are logically associated with stations. When a communication server receives a signals indicative of a communication, the server may query the presence registry to determine whether a user is physically present at a station. Based at least on the result of that query, the server may then establish a communication-handling decision, such as a decision of whether and where to route the communication or of some other action to take with respect to the communication. The server or another entity may then carry out the communication-handling decision.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling, i.e., changing, the medium or mode for interaction between a user of a wireless device and an application accessed by the wireless device. The method includes the step of a) determining the currently available bandwidth for transmissions to the wireless device over a wireless network, and b) of changing the medium for interaction between the user of the wireless device and the application from a first medium (e.g., audio+video) to a second medium (e.g., audio only or text) based on the bandwidth determined in step a). Steps a) and b) can be provided via function calls or other instructions in the application, can be provided by a network entity, or, alternatively can be based in part by user interaction with the wireless device.

Abstract: A wireless access gateway provides a telecommunications link between a packet switched network and a base transceiver station (BTS), the BTS enabling wireless communication with mobile stations in a wireless coverage area. A session manager controls sessions through the packet switched network, and a mobility server performs mobility management for mobile stations being served by wireless access gateways. A wireless access gateway includes a packet agent, a coding agent, a radio frequency (RF) manager, and a signaling control agent. The packet agent packetizes frames from the BTS into packets and depacketizes packets into frames for the BTS. The coding agent transcodes content contained in packets from a first format to a second format. The RF manager performs RF management of the BTS. The signaling control agent sends queries to and receives responses from the session manager to control the operation of the wireless access gateway.

Abstract: A banded billing system for telecommunication service is disclosed. A carrier's billing system maintains in data storage a banded-pricing schedule that divides a continuum of minutes of use into a series of contiguous, mutually-exclusive minute-ranges and that specifies for each minutes-range a respective cost. At the end of a billing period, the billing system determines a number of minutes of telecommunication service used by a given subscriber during the billing period. The billing system then queries the banded-pricing schedule to determine which minute-range the number of minutes falls into, and to determine the cost specified by the banded-pricing schedule for that minute-range. The billing system then bills the determined cost to the subscriber, for use of the telecommunication service in the billing period.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications network includes a mobile switching center (MSC) that controls a plurality of base stations. Each base station defines one or more wireless coverage areas, which may be termed “cells” or “sectors.” Associated with each of these wireless coverage areas is a “neighbor list” that lists a number of other wireless coverage areas to which handoffs are preferably made. The MSC has access to a database of handoff statistics and to a database of neighbor lists for the wireless coverage areas that it controls. The handoff statistics provide an indication of the frequencies at which handoffs have occurred between the various wireless coverage areas. To tune a neighbor list for a given wireless coverage area, the other wireless coverage areas are ranked based on the frequency of handoffs involving that wireless coverage area and the given wireless coverage area, as reflected in the handoff statistics.

Abstract: A service agent can receive a request to establish a communication session between a communicative entity and another communicative entity. The service agent can access profile information for the communicative entity. Using the profile information the service agent can detect a transition from a first billing mode to a second billing mode, and it can prompt the communicative entity for an authorization to transfer from the first billing mode to the second billing mode.

Abstract: A wireless instant messaging system is disclosed. A mobile station (MS), such as a cellular telephone for instance, may be registered with an instant messaging (IM) server as being available to receive instant messages via an IM proxy. A user at an IM client terminal may then send an instant message destined for a user at the MS. The IM server may direct the message to a service node (SN), which may convert the message into an industry standard SMS message and send the SMS message to the MS. At the MS, a user may read the SMS message and engage a callback feature, which will establish a dial-up voice connection between the MS and the SN. The user at the MS may then speak an instant message response, and the SN may record the response as a compressed audio file. The SN may then send the compressed audio file as an attachment to an instant message back to the user at the IM client terminal. The IM client terminal may then play the spoken response message.

Abstract: An automatic messaging system, in which, when a person tunes to a particular television station, a video server sends an SMS message indicating the station being watched. The video server could be a host device, such as a cable-TV receiver or satellite receiver that serves the television, or could take other forms.

Abstract: A method and system for wiretapping a packet-based communication, such as a voice communication for instance. When a node in the normal path of packet-transmission between a source and destination receives packets of the communication, the node can conventionally route the packets to the intended destination. At the same time, a session manager can notify a wiretap server that the session is being established or is underway, and the wiretap server can then direct the node to bi-cast the packets of the communication to the wiretap server node. At the wiretap server, the packetized communication can be depacketized, and a TDM signal representing the communication can be sent via a conventional circuit-switch to a law enforcement agency or other authorized entity.

Abstract: A method of improving mobile communication hard handoffs comprises receiving signal quality information for a first pilot signal of a first frequency, the first pilot signal being from a first cellular site and receiving signal quality information for a second pilot signal of the first frequency, the second pilot signal being from a second cellular site. The method further includes generating an output display that includes first predicted locations for hard handoffs from the first cellular site to the second cellular site. The output display is generated based on a parameter of a first value that is representative of a ratio between the strength of the second pilot signal relative to the combined strength of, at least, the second pilot signal and the first pilot signal. The method still further comprises modifying the parameter from the first value to a second value and regenerating the output display to include second predicted hard handoff locations.

Abstract: A method and system for using navigation history in a voice command platform. The voice command platform maintains, for each user, a navigation history record indicating which voice command navigation points the user has accessed during one or more sessions with the platform. The platform may then use the navigation history as a basis to restore a voice command session with the user after a system disconnect and/or to determine that the user should be automatically transitioned to an expert-user mode.

Abstract: The present invention, relates to an automated call distribution platform that has the ability to analyze a call queue and determine if a call qualifies for participation in an interactive application, invite a caller to participate in the application and, if the caller agrees, execute the application, then after completion of the application the call advances in the queue to a position ahead of where it currently resides. Thus, the present invention has both the benefit of lessening the caller's wait in a call queue and allows that automated call distribution platform owner to have its customers participate in an application. An exemplary application may be a survey, that can collect valuable information from the callers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transitioning between radio link protocols in a packet-based real-time media communication system. A wireless communication device such as a cell phone will operate under one radio link protocol (such as IS-856, also known as 1xEV-DO) to engage in packet-based signaling for setup of a packet-based real-time media session such as a push-to-talk session. Once the session is set up, the wireless communication device will then automatically transition to operate under a different radio link protocol (such as IS-2000, also known as 1xRTT), and will engage in packet-based real-time media communication in the session over that different radio link protocol. Preferably, the radio link protocol used for session setup signaling will provide for reduced setup latency, while the radio link protocol used for bearer communication in the session will provide for reduced jitter and improved real-time media communication.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively reducing call-setup latency. The method and system provides for selectively increasing the paging frequency used for paging certain mobile stations, so as to decrease the time that it takes to establish radio-link connectivity with those mobile stations. The method and system is particularly useful when establishing real-time communication sessions, such as instant chat sessions, but may be useful in other scenarios as well.

Abstract: A system for authenticating and/or authorizing users of a service includes one communication interface with an access communication channel and another communication interface with a confirmation communication channel. Requests for a user to access a service are received over the access communication channel, and confirmation codes for the user are received over a trusted confirmation channel, such as an SMS text messaging system. Confirmation codes may be received from the user requesting access to the service or by a third party acting as a gatekeeper to the service. The system tests the validity of received confirmation codes, and enables the user to access the service if a valid confirmation code is received.