Wireless telephone system including voice over IP and POTS

• US 20050063361A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kusnitz, Jeffrey A., Sliwa, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A telephone capable of placing or receiving calls over the PSTN or a packet network. The telephone can store multiple telephone numbers for each potential called party along with preferences that govern the order of selecting telephone numbers to service any given outgoing call. Some or all of the telephone numbers can be associated with a presence service. Presence indicators stored in the telephone are dynamically updated via the packet network connection and are used as part of the telephone number selection algorithm. The preferred embodiment is a wireless system having a base station and a remote device.

Claims

1. A telephone having a first connection to a packet switched network and comprising

apparatus for storing multiple identifications of one or more entities selectable by a user of the telephone that can be called from the telephone,

Apparatus for storing one or more telephone numbers associated with each entity,

apparatus for receiving from the packet switched network presence indicators associated with some of the telephone numbers,

a memory for storing the presence indicators in association with their corresponding telephone numbers, and

apparatus responsive to a selection of an entity by a user for selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity.

2. The telephone of claim 1 having apparatus for placing calls over a circuit-switched telephone network and apparatus for placing calls over the packet-switched network.

3. The telephone of claim 2 wherein the telephone comprises a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

4. The telephone of claim 3 wherein the base station contains the

apparatus for storing the identifications of entities, the telephone numbers associated with the entities and the presence indicators, and the mobile device comprises a) a memory for storing the names of the entities, b) means allowing a user to select an entity for dialing, and c) means for transmitting a name of a selected entity to the base station.

5. The telephone of claim 4 wherein the base station further comprises apparatus for routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

6. The telephone of claim 5 wherein the base station further comprises a memory for storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

7. The telephone of claim 5 wherein the base station further comprises a memory for storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.

8. The telephone of any claim 1 through claim 7 further comprising apparatus responsive to an unanswered telephone call for determining if additional numbers are stored for the called entity and re-trying a call to such an additional telephone number.

9. A method for controlling a telephone having a first connection to a packet switched network, the method comprising

storing multiple identifications of one or more entities selectable by a user of the telephone that can be called from the telephone,

storing one or more telephone numbers associated with each entity,

receiving from the packet switched network presence indicators associated with some of the telephone numbers,

storing the presence indicators in association with their corresponding telephone numbers, and

responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selectively placing calls over a circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the telephone comprises a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of storing telephone numbers further comprises storing at the base station the identifications of entities, the telephone numbers associated with the entities and the presence indicators, and storing at the mobile device the names of the entities, and the method further comprises allowing a user to select an entity for dialing, and transmitting a name of a selected entity to the base station.

13. The telephone of claim 12 further wherein the step of placing calls further comprises routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

14. The telephone of claim 13 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.

16. The method of any claim 9 through 15 further comprising the steps of determining if additional numbers are stored for the called entity responsive to an unanswered telephone call and re-trying a call to such an additional telephone number.

17. A computer storage medium for storing a computer software program which when loaded into a computer controlled telephone and executed controls the telephone to perform a method, wherein the telephone has a first connection to a packet switched network, the method comprising

storing multiple identifications of one or more entities selectable by a user of the telephone that can be called from the telephone,

storing one or more telephone numbers associated with each entity,

receiving from the packet switched network presence indicators associated with some of the telephone numbers,

storing the presence indicators in association with their corresponding telephone numbers, and

responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17 where the method further comprises selectively placing calls over a circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18 wherein the telephone further comprises a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19 wherein the method step of storing telephone numbers further comprises storing at the base station the identifications of entities, the telephone numbers associated with the entities and the presence indicators, and storing at the mobile device the names of the entities, and the method further comprises allowing a user to select an entity for dialing, and transmitting a name of a selected entity to the base station.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 20 further wherein the method step of placing calls further comprises routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.

24. The computer storage medium of any claim 17 through 23 wherein the method further comprises the steps of determining if additional numbers are stored for the called entity responsive to an unanswered telephone call and re-trying a call to such an additional telephone number.

25. A carrier wave containing a computer software program which when loaded into a computer controlled telephone and executed controls the telephone to perform a method, wherein the telephone has a first connection to a packet switched network, the method comprising

storing multiple identifications of one or more entities selectable by a user of the telephone that can be called from the telephone,

storing one or more telephone numbers associated with each entity,

receiving from the packet switched network presence indicators associated with some of the telephone numbers,

storing the presence indicators in association with their corresponding telephone numbers, and

responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity.

26. The carrier wave of claim 25 where the method further comprises selectively placing calls over a circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

27. The carrier wave of claim 26 wherein the telephone further comprises a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

28. The carrier wave of claim 27 wherein the method step of storing telephone numbers further comprises storing at the base station the identifications of entities, the telephone numbers associated with the entities and the presence indicators, and storing at the mobile device the names of the entities, and the method further comprises allowing a user to select an entity for dialing, and transmitting a name of a selected entity to the base station.

29. The carrier wave of claim 28 further wherein the method step of placing calls further comprises routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

30. The carrier wave of claim 29 wherein the method further comprises storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

31. The carrier wave of claim 29 wherein the method further comprises storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.

32. The carrier wave of any claim 25 through 31 wherein the method further comprises the steps of determining if additional numbers are stored for the called entity responsive to an unanswered telephone call and re-trying a call to such an additional telephone number.

33. A wireless telephone system, comprising

a base station having a connection to a packet switched network,

a handset for communicating speech to the base station using a wireless protocol,

apparatus in the handset for storing identifications of entities that can be called, and

for transmitting an identification selected by a user to the base station, and

apparatus in the base station for storing one or more network addresses associated with an identification for calling an entity, and

for interrogating an entity presence indicator associated with a network address to determine if the user is located at that network address.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein an identification stored in the handset is a user name.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein an identification stored in the handset is a company name.