Personal communication service network interface device

• US 20050018653A1
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

According to the invention, a telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service is disclosed. The telephone communication system includes a first communication and second communication channels and a telephone switch. The first communication channel is coupled to a wireless phone and the second communication channel is coupled to an interface that is coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location. The first and second communication channels are accessible with a single telephone number. The telephone switch is coupled to the first and second communication channels and determines if the first and second communication channels should be simultaneously sent an incoming phone call directed to the telephone number.

Claims

1. A telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service, the telephonic communication system comprising:

a first communication channel to a wireless phone;

a second communication channel to an interface coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location, wherein the first and second communication channels are accessible with a telephone number; and

a telephone switch coupled to the first and second communication channels, wherein the telephone switch determines if the first and second communication channels should be simultaneously sent an incoming phone call directed to the telephone number.

2. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless phone and the wireless interface uses one of GSM, CDMA, AMPS, and TDMA transport.

3. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is located at the user location.

4. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the telephone switch provisionally sends the incoming phone call to both the first and second communication channel until acceptance of the incoming phone call when one of the first and second communication channels receives the incoming phone call and the other of the first and second communication channel is disconnected from the incoming phone call.

5. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the second communication channel can join the incoming phone call of the first communication channel, and

the phone call can be manually transferred from the second communication channel to the first communication channel.

6. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is one of a wireless cellular interface, a PSTN interface, and a VOIP interface.

7. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 6, wherein the VOIP interface is one of a wireless Internet interface, a WIFI™

interface, a power line Internet interface, an ultra-wide band wireless interface, a microwave internet interface, a cable modem interface, and a direct broadcast satellite Internet interface.

8. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the first communication channel uses different physical transport within the user location from the second communication channel.

9. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more wired phones are chosen from the group consisting of a POTS phone, a cordless phone, a WIFI™

SIP phone, and a wired SIP phone.

10. A method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service, the method comprising steps of:

routing an incoming phone call to a wireless phone;

routing the incoming phone call to a wireless interface coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location, wherein the wireless phone and the one or more wired phones are accessible with a telephone number;

determining if the wireless phone should be sent an incoming phone call; and

determining if the one or more wired phones should be sent the incoming phone call.

11. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second-listed routing steps are performed, at least partially, simultaneously.

12. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 10, wherein the first-listed determining step comprises a step of detecting if the one or more wired phones have been answered.

13. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 10, wherein the second-listed determining step comprises a step of detecting if the one or more wireless phones have been answered.

14. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more wireless phones and the wired phones use a unified voice mailbox.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service of claim 10.

16. A computer system adapted to perform the computer-implementable method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service of claim 10.

17. A method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service, the method comprising steps of:

routing an incoming phone call to a wireless phone;

routing the incoming phone call to an interface coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location, wherein;

the wireless phone and the one or more wired phones are accessible with a telephone number, and

the first and second-listed routing steps are performed, at least partially, simultaneously;

determining if the wireless phone should be sent an incoming phone call; and

determining if the one or more wired phones should be sent the incoming phone call.

18. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 17, wherein the interface wirelessly couples the one or more wired phones to a phone call transport network.

19. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 17, wherein the first-listed determining step comprises a step of detecting if the one or more wired phones have been answered.

20. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 17, wherein the second-listed determining step comprises a step of detecting if the wireless phone has been answered.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service of claim 17.

22. A computer system adapted to perform the computer-implementable method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service of claim 17.