Enhanced telephone communication methods and apparatus incorporating pager features

A communication method comprising the steps of:

• operating a switch to receive a call directed to a phone number corresponding to a called party;
• transmitting, to the called, party a pager message indicating that a call is waiting at the switch;
• operating a telephone device capable of making and receiving telephone calls to automatically respond, without action by the operator of the telephone device, to the pager message by dialing a telephone number of the switch;
• and
• operating the switch to connect the called party to the telephone device in response to the call made by the telephone device.

A portable pager device, comprising:

• a connector for coupling the portable pager device to a telephone device;
• a memory;
• and
• means for initiating, without intervention by the operator of the portable pager device, a telephone dialing operation in response to a pager message,
• wherein the means for initiating a telephone dialing operation include means for automatically initiating a telephone dialing operation to a switch parking a waiting telephone call, in the absence of human intervention, in response to a pager message indicative of the call waiting at the switch.

In a system having a local central office, a paging network, and a remote central office, a method for processing a call to a portable device located outside of a range of the local central office, the method comprising:

• a) parking, at the local central office, the call;
• b) sending, from the local central office, to the paging network, a message including a telephone number of the parked call and an enhanced call indication;
• c) paging, with the paging network, the portable device;
• d) determining whether or not a pager is attached to the portable device;
• e) if a pager is not attached to the portable device, indicating to a caller that placed the call, that the called party is being paged;
• and
• f) determining whether or not the called party responds to the page within a predetermined time period.