Off-load cellular system for off-loading cellular service from a main cellular system to increase cellular service capacity

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system providing cellular service in at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system providing off-load cellular service in an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, the control system comprising:

a receiver circuit for monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area, said receiver circuit having an output for outputting said received origination message; and

a controller for receiving said origination message output from said receiver circuit, and for instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone responsive to Said origination message, wherein said controller prevents transient mobile telephones from being provided said off-load cellular service by requiring said mobile telephone to register with the off-load cellular system multiple times using said origination message.

2. A control system for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system providing cellular service in at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system providing off-load cellular service in an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, the control system comprising:

a receiver circuit for monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area, said receiver circuit having an output for outputting said received origination message;

a controller for receiving said origination message output from said receiver circuit, and for instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone responsive to said origination message; and

wherein said origination message includes calling information, and said controller determines whether said calling information is valid based upon predetermined criteria, and

when said calling information is valid, said controller instructs the off-load cellular system to provide said off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone, and

when said calling information is invalid, said controller instructs the off-load cellular service not to provide said off-load cellular service and to notify said mobile telephone to tune to the main cellular system, shedding said mobile telephone from the off-load cellular system.

3. A control system for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system providing cellular service in at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system providing off-load cellular service in an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, the control system comprising:

a receiver circuit for monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area, said receiver circuit having an output for outputting said received origination message;

a controller for receiving said origination message output from said receiver circuit, and for instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone responsive to said origination message; and

wherein said receiver circuit monitors the off-load cellular service area and receives a registration message broadcast from said mobile telephone, said receiver circuit output outputting said received registration message, and said controller receives said registration message output from said receiver circuit, determines whether the mobile telephone is registered in the off-load cellular system responsive to said registration message, and prevents transient mobile telephones from registering by requiring said mobile telephone to attempt to register with the off-load cellular system multiple times before registering said mobile telephone.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said controller de-registers said mobile telephone registered with the off-load cellular system when said mobile telephone does not attempt to register within a predetermined time period.

5. A control system for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system providing cellular service in at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system providing off-load cellular service in an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, the control system comprising:

a receiver circuit for monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area, said receiver circuit having an output for outputting said received origination message;

a controller for receiving said origination message output from said receiver circuit, and for instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone responsive to said origination message; and

wherein said receiver circuit monitors the off-load cellular service area and receives a page response message broadcast from said mobile telephone responsive to one of an off-load page broadcast from the off-load cellular system and a main page broadcast from the main cellular system, said receiver circuit output outputting said received page response message, and

said controller receives said page response message output from said receiver circuit, determines whether said page response message is responsive to said main page, and instructs the off-load cellular system to provide said off-load cellular service to said mobile telephone when said page response message is not responsive to said main page.

6. A control system according to claim 5, wherein when said controller determines that said page response message is responsive to said main page, said controller instructs the off-load cellular system to notify said mobile telephone to tune to the main cellular system, shedding said mobile telephone from the off-load cellular system.

7. An off-load cellular system for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system and the off-load cellular system, and for providing off-load cellular service to a mobile telephone, the main cellular system providing cellular service in at least one main cellular service area and the off-load cellular system providing off-load cellular service in an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, the off-load cellular system comprising:

a receiver circuit for monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from the mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area, said receiver circuit having an output for outputting said received origination message;

a system controller for receiving said origination message output from said receiver circuit and for outputting a connect signal indicating whether the off-load cellular service is to be provided to the mobile telephone responsive to said origination message;

a connection controller for receiving said connect signal output from said system controller for transmitting to the mobile telephone a voice connect message indicating a frequency to obtain the off-load cellular service responsive to said connect signal, and for connecting the mobile telephone with a calling party when the system controller indicates that off-load cellular service is to be provided to the mobile telephone; and

wherein said receiver circuit monitors the off-load cellular service area and receives a page response message broadcast from said mobile telephone responsive to one of an off-load page broadcast from the off-load cellular system and a main page broadcast from the main cellular system, said receiver circuit output outputting said received page response message, and

wherein said system controller receives said page response message output from said receiver circuit, determines whether said page response message is responsive to said main page, and instructs the off-load cellular system to notify the mobile telephone to tune to the main cellular system when said system controller determines that said page response message is responsive to said main page, shedding said mobile telephone from the off-load cellular system.

8. A method for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system having at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system having an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area; and

(b) instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone responsive to the origination message, wherein said instructing step (b) further comprises the step of preventing transient mobile telephones from being provided the off-load cellular service by requiring the mobile telephone to register with the off-load cellular system multiple times using the origination message.

9. A method for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system having at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system having an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area; and

(b) instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone responsive to the origination message, wherein the origination message includes calling information, and said instructing step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) determining whether the calling information is valid based upon predetermined criteria;

(b2) instructing the off-load cellular system to provide the off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone when the calling information is valid, and instructing the off-load cellular system not to provide the off-load cellular service and to notify the mobile telephone to tune to the main cellular system, shedding the mobile telephone from the off-load cellular system when the calling information is invalid.

10. A method for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system having at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system having an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area;

(b) instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone responsive to the origination message; and

further comprising, before said monitoring step, the steps of

(1) monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving a registration message broadcast from the mobile telephone, and

(2) determining whether the mobile telephone is registered in the off-load cellular system responsive to the registration message, and preventing transient mobile telephones from registering by requiring the mobile telephone to attempt to register with the off-load cellular system multiple times before registering the mobile telephone.

11. A method for controlling cellular service between a main cellular system having at least one main cellular service area and an off-load cellular system having an off-load cellular service area that is smaller than and within the at least one main cellular service area, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving an origination message broadcast from a mobile telephone located in the off-load cellular service area;

(b) instructing the off-load cellular system whether to provide off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone responsive to the origination message; and

wherein said monitoring step (a) further comprises the step of monitoring the off-load cellular service area and receiving a page response message broadcast from the mobile telephone responsive to one of an off-load page broadcast from the off-load cellular system and a main page broadcast from the main cellular system, and

said instructing step (b) further comprises the step of determining whether the page response message is responsive to the main page, and instructing the off-load cellular system to provide the off-load cellular service to the mobile telephone when the page response message is not responsive to the main page.