Telephony terminal

• US 10,148,802 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Yukie, Satoru, Kwon, Mike, Hagopian, Craig M., Shirai, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/232,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 455403, 4555561, 4555562, 455557, 370353, 370356, 370352, 370355, 379 9304, 37922111, 379 9306, 37920701
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/738 Interface circuits for coupling substations to external telephone lines H04M1/78 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

Methods and apparatus implementing a telephony terminal for connecting a telephone to a data network. In one implementation, a telephony system includes: a phone connection for connecting to a telephone; a network connection for connecting to a network; and a controller connected to said phone connection and to said network connection; wherein said controller provides a phone service for processing information for said phone connection, said controller provides a network service for processing information for said network connection, and said controller provides a network voice service for converting information to and from a network voice format.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a network port configured to connect to a network interface that provides access to a data network;

a controller configured to, in response to receipt of header data from a phone port of the apparatus, initiate a service identified by the header data from a group of services supported by the apparatus, wherein the group of services comprises at least

a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone data received via the phone port,

a network voice service configured to convert information to or from a network voice format of the data network and exchanges the information with the network port, and

a browser service; and

a user interface configured to display at least a portion of the information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a wireless handset device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the group of services further comprises an electronic mail service.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the group of services further comprises a voice over internet protocol service that facilitates processing of voice information and generation of internet protocol data that carries the voice information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to initiate the network voice service in response to receipt of voice information that comprises the header information and a determination that the header information identifies the network voice service.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network port is configured to connect to a wireless wide area network that provides access to a plain old telephone service telephone network and to the data network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the browser service transfers application information for a browser application between the apparatus and the network interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the group of services further comprises a message service that transfers message data for a message application between the apparatus and the network interface.

9. A method, comprising:

connecting, by an apparatus comprising a processor, to a network interface that provides access to a data network;

receiving, by the apparatus via a phone port of the apparatus, information comprising header information that identifies a service of a group of services supported by the apparatus, the group of services comprising at least

a network voice service,

a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone information received via the phone port, and

a browser service;

in response to determining that the header information identifies the network voice service, converting, by the apparatus the information to or from a network voice format supported by the data network based on the network voice service;

exchanging the information with the network interface; and

displaying at least a portion of the information via a display component.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising executing an electronic mail service.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the information is voice information, and the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the header information identifies a voice over internet protocol service,

processing the voice information in accordance with the voice over internet protocol service, and

generating internet protocol data that carries the voice information.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting to a wireless wide area network that provides access to a plain old telephone service telephone network and to the data network.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the header information identifies the browser service, executing the browser service, wherein the executing the browser service comprises transferring application information for a browser application between the apparatus and the network interface.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising executing a message service that transfers message data for a message application between the apparatus and the network interface.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting comprises connecting to the network interface using a broadband connection.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a wireless handheld device.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the header information identifies the public switched telephone network service, executing the public switched telephone network service, wherein the executing the public switched telephone network service comprises processing the analog telephone data for transmission via a network device of a public switched telephone network.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a mobile device comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establishing communication with a network interface that provides access to a data network;

receiving, via a phone port of the mobile device, data that comprises header information, wherein the header information specifies a service of multiple services supported by the mobile device, and the multiple services comprise at least

a network voice service,

a public switched telephone network service configured to process analog telephone information from the phone port, and

a browser service;

in response to determining that the header information identifies a network voice service, converting the data to or from a network voice format supported by the data network in accordance with the network voice service;

exchanging the information with the network interface; and

displaying at least a portion of the data on a display of the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the data is voice data, and the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the header information identifies a voice over internet protocol service,

processing the voice information in accordance with the voice over internet protocol service, and

generating internet protocol data that carries the voice information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the header information identifies the browser service, executing the browser service, wherein the executing the browser service comprises transferring application information for a browser application between the mobile device and the network interface.