Communications system for providing multiple services and hold capability of at least one service, and method therefor

Abstract

A communications system infrastructure (100), such as an integrated services radio system, is provided with a hold processor (126). The hold processor is operably coupled to at least one base station controller (114). If a mobile subscriber unit (102) is actively engaged in a first communication service, such as a telephone interconnect call, and desires to use a second communication service, such as making or responding to a dispatch call, the mobile subscriber unit request the first service to be held. The base station controller then switches the first service to the hold server, which in turn generates an identifier for transmittal to the mobile subscriber unit for storage and call retrieval at a later time.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.