Abstract: Apparatus and a method for providing, to a service provider, telemetry access to customer equipment. The telemetry access is provided using wireless access means to avoid having to provide special residential wiring to connect to meters and control devices at customer premises. Each customer device is provided with a cellular station having its own mobile identity, either an international mobile switching identifier (IMSI) or a mobile identity number (MIN). Each IMSI or MIN need not be associated with a different telephone number. For example, a single telephone number can be assigned to a service provider to access all devices telemetered by that service provided. Advantageously, this arrangement provides for an inexpensive method and apparatus for accessing customer devices.

Abstract: This invention provides a method and apparatus for associating call data with particular users instead of line ports. This call data includes the last incoming and outgoing calls associated with a particular number. This allows the services such as automatic callback, automatic recall, and customer originated trace to be implemented with dynamic line assignment allowing users to maintain the same level of subscribed services at different locations. For mobile users, automatic callback, automatic recall, and customer originated trace can be implemented at the home mobile switching center as well as roaming mobile switching centers. If the mobile user is roaming, updating the call history of the mobile station at the new mobile switching center allows the mobile user to experience seamless services across a large territory.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for setting up a telecommunications call, wherein more than one candidate terminating station is alerted, and a connection is established from a calling station to the first of the candidate terminating stations which answer an alert. In one preferred embodiment, an executive processor complex assigns ports and processes in a call processing complex. An incoming process is assigned for the port which receives the call, and the plurality of outgoing processes are assigned to ports for accessing candidate terminating stations. The incoming port process has a list of the outgoing terminating port processes for the incoming call, and each outgoing process stores the identity of the incoming process. When an outgoing process receives an answer indication, it communicates directly with the incoming process, bypassing any communications with the executive processor complex.