INSTANT MESSAGING INTERWORKING IN AN ADVANCED VOICE SERVICES (AVS) FRAMEWORK FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
A real-time exchange (RTX) interfaces to a wireless communications system to provide enhanced features for advanced voice services (AVS), which include instant messaging interworking.
1 . An apparatus for providing enhanced features for advanced voice services in a wireless network, comprising:
a wireless communications network for making calls to and from mobile units, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless communications network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobile units across bearer paths in the wireless communications network; and
a real-time exchange that interfaces to the wireless communications network to provide advanced voice services therein;
wherein the real-time exchange interfaces to one or more instant messaging servers, and upon request, routes instant messages between the instant messaging servers and the mobile units.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instant messaging servers route instant messages between the real-time exchange and instant messaging clients.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the real-time exchange includes an inbound client for handling instant messages inbound from the instant messaging server.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the real-time exchange includes an outbound client for handling instant messages outbound to the instant messaging server.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the real-time exchange includes a wireless agent for communicating the instant messages between the real-time exchange and the mobile units.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the real-time exchange performs presence management, contact management, and session management for the mobile units.
7 . A method of providing enhanced features for advanced voice services in a wireless network, comprising:
communicating with a wireless communications network to make calls to and from mobile units, wherein the calls are initiated by call setup and in-band signaling within the wireless communications network and voice frames for the calls are switched between the mobile units across bearer paths in the wireless communications network; and
interfacing a real-time exchange to the wireless communications network to provide the advanced voice services therein;
wherein the real-time exchange interfaces to one or more instant messaging servers, and upon request, routes instant messages between the instant messaging servers and the mobile units.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the instant messaging servers route instant messages between the real-time exchange and instant messaging clients.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the real-time exchange includes an inbound client for handling instant messages inbound from the instant messaging server.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the real-time exchange includes an outbound client for handling instant messages outbound to the instant messaging server.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the real-time exchange includes a wireless agent for communicating the instant messages between the real-time exchange and the mobile units.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the real-time exchange performs presence management, contact management, and session management for the mobile units.