Automatic call coverage administration by wireless terminals

Abstract

Wireless terminals automatically and dynamically establish call coverage groups based on physical locations. Each location is assigned a call coverage telephone number. When a new wireless terminal enters the location, the wireless terminals automatically and dynamically determine a new call coverage path. The wireless terminals establish the new call coverage path by communicating with each other. The wireless switching system to which the wireless terminals are connected does not administer the call coverage group. The criteria utilized to establish the call coverage group is stored within the wireless terminals that will be part of that call coverage group. When a call is received by the wireless switching system for the call coverage number, the wireless switching system broadcasts a page message for the call coverage number. The wireless terminals in the call coverage group for the call coverage number each wait an individual predefined amount of time before attempting to respond to the page message. The individual predefined amount of time for each wireless terminal in the call coverage group is defined by the wireless terminal's position in the call coverage path. If available, the first wireless terminal in the call coverage path will immediately respond to the setup message for the call coverage number.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.