Phone connector component operationally connectable through packet network to any selected one or more switch components for originating and/or terminating telecommunication service

• US 20020145997A1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bushnell, William Jackson, Heeren, David Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A phone of a system comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable through a packet network to any selected one or more of a plurality of switch components. The any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components serve to provide one or more of originating and terminating telecommunication service to the phone.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a phone that comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable through a packet network to any selected one or more of a plurality of switch components;

wherein the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components serve to provide one or more of originating and terminating telecommunication service to the phone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector component employs an explicit selection of a particular switch component of the plurality of switch components to operationally connect the phone through the packet network to the particular switch component, wherein a user of the phone inputs the explicit selection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone comprises a first phone;

wherein the first phone comprises a shared call appearance with a second phone over a switch component of the plurality of switch components and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the switch component and through a network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switch components comprises a first switch component and a second switch component;

wherein the phone comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable to the first switch component through the packet network and operationally connectable to the second switch component through the packet network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the phone comprises a first phone;

wherein the first phone comprises a shared call appearance with a second phone over the first switch component and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the first switch component and through a network; and

wherein the first phone comprises a second shared call appearance with a third phone over the second switch component and through the packet network, wherein the third phone comprises the second shared call appearance with the first phone over the second switch component and through a network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components through a respective one or more of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone is registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway;

wherein the phone is registrable with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway at a first time; and

wherein the phone is registrable with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway at a second time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone is registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways that are owned and/or operated by a plurality of service providers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of service providers comprises a first service provider and a second service provider, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider;

wherein the phone is registrable with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider at a first time; and

wherein the phone is registrable with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider at a second time.

11. A method, comprising the steps of:

selecting a phone that comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable through a packet network to any selected one or more of a plurality of switch components;

wherein the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components serve to provide one or more of originating and terminating telecommunication service to the phone.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the steps of:

receiving from a user of the phone an explicit selection of a particular switch component of the plurality of switch components; and

employing the explicit selection with the connector component to operationally connect the phone through the packet network to the particular switch component.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the steps of:

selecting the phone to comprise a first phone; and

selecting the first phone to comprise a shared call appearance with a second phone over a switch component of the plurality of switch components and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the switch component and through a network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of switch components comprises a first switch component and a second switch component, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the step of:

selecting the phone to comprise a connector component that is operationally connectable to the first switch component through the packet network and operationally connectable to the second switch component through the packet network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of selecting the phone to comprise the connector component that is operationally connectable to the first switch component through the packet network and operationally connectable to the second switch component through the packet network comprises the steps of:

selecting the phone to comprise a first phone;

selecting the first phone to comprise a shared call appearance with a second phone over the first switch component and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the first switch component and through a network; and

selecting the first phone to comprise a second shared call appearance with a third phone over the second switch component and through the packet network, wherein the third phone comprises the second shared call appearance with the first phone over the second switch component and through a network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the step of:

selecting the phone to comprise a connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components through a respective one or more of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the step of:

selecting the phone to be registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway, wherein the step of selecting the phone to be registrable with the any selected one of the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises the steps of:

registering the phone with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway at a first time; and

registering the phone with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway at a second time.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises the step of:

selecting the phone to be registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways that are owned and/or operated by a plurality of service providers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of service providers comprises a first service provider and a second service provider, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider, wherein the step of selecting the phone to be registrable with the any selected one of the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways that are owned and/or operated by the plurality of service providers comprises the steps of:

registering the phone with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider at a first time; and

registering the phone with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider at a second time.

21. An article, comprising:

a computer-readable signal-bearing medium; and

means in the medium for selecting a phone that comprises a connector component that is operationally connectable through a packet network to any selected one or more of a plurality of switch components;

wherein the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components serve to provide one or more of originating and terminating telecommunication service to the phone.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for receiving from a user of the phone an explicit selection of a particular switch component of the plurality of switch components; and

means in the medium for employing the explicit selection with the connector component to operationally connect the phone through the packet network to the particular switch component.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to comprise a first phone; and

means in the medium for selecting the first phone to comprise a shared call appearance with a second phone over a switch component of the plurality of switch components and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the switch component and through a network.

24. The article of claim 21, wherein the plurality of switch components comprises a first switch component and a second switch component, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to comprise a connector component that is operationally connectable to the first switch component through the packet network and operationally connectable to the second switch component through the packet network.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone to comprise the connector component that is operationally connectable to the first switch component through the packet network and operationally connectable to the second switch component through the packet network comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to comprise a first phone;

means in the medium for selecting the first phone to comprise a shared call appearance with a second phone over the first switch component and through the packet network, wherein the second phone comprises the shared call appearance with the first phone over the first switch component and through a network; and

means in the medium for selecting the first phone to comprise a second shared call appearance with a third phone over the second switch component and through the packet network, wherein the third phone comprises the second shared call appearance with the first phone over the second switch component and through a network.

26. The article of claim 21, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to comprise a connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components through a respective one or more of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

27. The article of claim 21, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to be registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways.

28. The article of claim 27, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone to be registrable with the any selected one of the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises:

means in the medium for registering the phone with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway at a first time; and

means in the medium for registering the phone with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway at a second time.

29. The article of claim 21, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone that comprises the connector component that is operationally connectable through the packet network to the any selected one or more of the plurality of switch components comprises:

means in the medium for selecting the phone to be registrable with any selected one of a plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways that are owned and/or operated by a plurality of service providers.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of service providers comprises a first service provider and a second service provider, wherein the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways comprises a first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider and a second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider, wherein the means in the medium for selecting the phone to be registrable with the any selected one of the plurality of voice over Internet protocol gateways that are owned and/or operated by the plurality of service providers comprises:

means in the medium for registering the phone with the first voice over Internet protocol gateway of the first service provider at a first time; and

means in the medium for registering the phone with the second voice over Internet protocol gateway of the second service provider at a second time.