Phone systems and methods of communication

• US 10,425,536 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Paolini-Subramanya, Mahesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Jamaal
• Application Number:
  US15/495,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709221, 709222, 709227, 370401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• 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 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0066 Details of access arrangements to the networks where the access arrangement is a PSTN/ISDN access H04M7/122

Abstract

Phone systems, phone devices (including hardware, software and firmware), and methods of operating a phone. Described herein are dissociated phone systems including one or a plurality of local client phones with basic call handling capability that communicate though a remote phone server but are locally controlled by a controller gateway that manages the local network including the local client phones.

Claims

1. A method of operating a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone system that integrates into a local network via a power over ethernet (POE) connection, the method comprising:

connecting a local phone client to the local network via a POE connection, wherein the local phone client comprises a handset, a touchscreen, and a processor configured to present a user interface comprising user controls;

validating the local phone client by a controller gateway that is part of the local network, wherein the controller gateway manages a plurality of network devices including the local phone client, one or more additional local phone clients, a switch and a gateway of the local network;

provisioning the local phone client from the controller gateway;

monitoring a status of the local phone client at the controller gateway and the one or more additional local phone clients with controller gateway; and

routing calls from the local phone client through the controller gateway to a remote phone server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the status of the local phone client at the controller gateway and the one or more additional local phone clients with controller gateway comprises providing, from the controller gateway, a single user interface displaying a status of all of the network devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the status of the local phone client at the controller gateway comprises managing a connection of the local phone client and the one or more additional local phone clients to the local network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical indication of network health from the controller gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a list of all of the local phone clients connected to the local network from the controller gateway.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the list comprises providing an indication of status for each of the local phone clients connected to the local network from the controller gateway, wherein the status includes one or more of:

operational status and error status.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical indication of connectivity of the local phone client and the one or more additional local phone clients connect to the local network including one or more of:

switches, routers, and access points.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a list of all of the local phone clients connected to the local network as well as a list of all networked devices in the local network from the controller gateway.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the list comprises providing information about each of the local phone clients and the networked devices, including one or more of:

IP address, status, model/make information, software version, uptime, and physical location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing, using the controller gateway, a mass firmware upgrade to a plurality of devices managed by the controller gateway, including the local phone client and the one or more additional local phone clients.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing an administrator permission to access the controller gateway to monitor the status of the local phone client and the one or more additional local phone clients.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a call by transmitting a request for a call from the local phone client to the remote phone server and placing the call by the remote phone server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one or more advanced call handing requests from the user controls on the local phone client, wherein the one or more advanced call handing requests comprise one or more of:

conferencing calling, placing a call on hold, and transferring a call and transmitting the request from the local phone client to the remote phone server, whereby the remote phone server is adapted to operate on call to effect the advanced call handling request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting one or more advanced call handling requests comprises activating a control on the local phone client corresponding to the advanced call handling request.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein advanced call handling comprises conferencing more than 3 participants.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing the status of the local phone client at the controller gateway and the one or more additional local phone clients with controller gateway, wherein managing comprises allowing control of the local phone client and one or more additional local phone clients including one or more of;

restarting, adding to the local network, and provisioning.

17. A method of operating a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) phone system that integrates into a local network via a power over ethernet (POE) connection, the method comprising:

connecting a local phone client to the local network via a POE connection, wherein the local phone client comprises a handset, a touchscreen, and a processor configured to present a user interface comprising user controls;

validating the local phone client by a controller gateway that is part of the local network, wherein the controller gateway manages a plurality of network devices including the local phone client, one or more additional local phone clients, a switch and a gateway of the local network;

managing a status of the local phone client at the controller gateway and the one or more additional local phone clients with the controller gateway, wherein managing comprises allowing control of the local phone client and one or more additional local phone clients including one or more of;

restarting, adding to the local network, and provisioning; and

routing calls from the local phone client through the controller gateway to a remote phone server.