System for providing mobile VoIP

• US 20050286466A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Truphone Limited
• Original Assignee: Truphone Limited
• Inventors: Tagg, James Peter, McEwan, Andrew Donald
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system for providing handoff for a mobile devices comprising a mobile phone programmed to automatically handover between differing data bearers and to optimally detect those bearers in a roaming environment keeping power consumption to a minimum. Repeating means for these mobile devices to extend the range of coverage and the protocol for that coverage.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system capable of sending data from a mobile unit to an intended recipient comprising:

a mobile unit;

said mobile unit being capable of transmitting a communication to said intended recipient using a WLAN and a WWAN;

an access point capable of receiving said communication from said mobile unit;

said access point being connected to a communication network;

said communication network being capable of transmitting said communication to the intended recipient;

wherein said communication is transmitted to said access point from said mobile unit to be transmitted to said intended recipient through a communication path on said communication network;

said communication being encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WLAN.

2. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication is encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.

3. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication is not encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is not capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.

4. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said communication is a person'"'"'s voice and said IP is VoIP.

5. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 3 wherein said system determines whether said communication path comprises said WLAN or said WWAN based on least cost routing algorithms.

6. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said least cost algorithm is computed to minimize the inter-network transcoding steps.

7. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system is capable of handing off the transmission of said communication between different communication paths seamlessly.

8. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system is capable of handing off the transmission of said communication between different communication paths in a manner to appear seamless.

9. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5, wherein said mobile unit further comprises an audio processing layer that is independent of, and capable of interacting with, multiple radio communication paths to maintain consistent audio quality.

10. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 9, wherein said handoff is accomplished by maintaining at least two radio links simultaneously.

11. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 9, wherein handoff is between a WLAN and a WWAN.

12. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5, wherein said mobile unit makes said determination.

13. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said access point is a PC.

14. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmission between said mobile unit and said access point can utilize a Bluetooth data channel to improve error correction and increase range.

15. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile unit is capable of transmitting data to said access point using Bluetooth and wi-fi;

said system determining which one to use based on considerations of power consumption and quality of service.

16. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5, wherein said handoff is controlled by said mobile unit.

17. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5, wherein said handoff is accomplished by using a conference bridge.

18. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 17, wherein said mobile unit initiates a connection to the conference bridge.

19. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5, wherein said system is capable of performing authentication based on the communication path used.

20. A telecommunications system comprising:

a mobile unit;

said mobile unit having a transmitter;

an access point, in radio communication with said mobile unit;

said access point having a data receiver to receive data from said mobile unit and a data transmitter to transmit data to a communication network;

said communication network being capable of communicating with an intended recipient;

wherein a communication is received by said mobile unit and is transmitted to a session initiation server to be communicated to said intended recipient through a communication path on said communication network when said communication path comprises a WLAN.

21. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said session initiation server is based on the SIP standard.

22. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said communication is transmitted to said session initiation server when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel

23. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said communication is not transmitted to a session initiation server when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is not capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.

24. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said session initiation server is located on said mobile unit.

25. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said access point is in radio communication with said mobile unit via a repeater.

26. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25, wherein said repeater comprises two or more WLANs configured to minimize interference.

27. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25, wherein said repeater can interconnect between WLANs.

28. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25, wherein said repeater utilizes diversity.

29. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25, wherein said repeater may connect to a wired phone system.

30. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25, wherein said repeater maintains contact with said session initiation server allowing incoming calls.

31. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said system is capable of discovering the communication paths that are available between said mobile unit and said intended recipient.

32. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the parameters of the communication paths discovered for a location are stored in said session initiation server.

33. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the mobile unit and Access Point respond to a discovery request with its identity and routing parameters.

34. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 32, wherein said mobile unit senses the resources available at a particular location to determine the available communication paths for said location and said available communication paths are stored in said session initiation server for that location.

35. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the mobile unit is capable of entering a sleep mode when not connected to a WLAN;

said mobile unit being capable of exiting said sleep mode to receive a communication from a WLAN in response to a signal received by said mobile unit through WWAN.

36. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the session initiation server can emulate the UMA protocol.

37. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the Access Point can transcode to a different protocol.

38. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the mobile unit is capable of playing games while simultaneously communicating to said session initiation server.

39. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein the mobile unit is capable of playing music under control of said session initiation server.

40. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said mobile unit further comprises a digital signal processor capable of processing digital signals within said mobile unit.

41. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 40, wherein said digital signal processor is utilized in encoding said communication into IP.

42. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said mobile unit is programmable.

43. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said radio communication may be via an unmodified WLAN Access Point.

44. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20, wherein said mobile unit compresses the audio prior to transmission over the radio network.

45. A method for sending data from a mobile unit to an intended recipient, comprising the steps of:

receiving a person'"'"'s communication in a mobile unit;

transmitting said communication to an access point that is connected to a network;

said network being in communication with said intended recipient;

transmitting said communication over a path on said network to the intended recipient;

said communication being encoded into IP when said path comprises a WLAN;

said communication being encoded into IP when said path comprises a WWAN that is capable of sending data over a separate data channel;

said communication being not encoded into IP when said path comprises a WWAN that is not capable of sending data over a separate data channel; and

determining whether said path comprises said WLAN or said WWAN based on least cost routing algorithms.