Extended cell handling functionality using multi-network simulcasting

• US 20060023675A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus supporting the handling of calls using simulcasting of multimedia information via a broadband access gateway are disclosed. A broadband access gateway supporting both a personal area network and a broadband network may receive multimedia information simultaneously exchanged by an associated access device via a wide area network. The broadband access gateway may store the received multimedia information locally, within the broadband access gateway, or may communicate the multimedia information to storage accessible from the broadband access gateway. The broadband access gateway may cause a user of the access device to be notified of the availability of multimedia information for a recorded call, and may communicate the multimedia information to the access device for playback. A user may be notified if storage and bandwidth for the recording of a call is not available.

Claims

1. A method of handling calls in a wide area network using simulcasting of multimedia information via a broadband access gateway, the method comprising:

associating at least one access device with the broadband access gateway;

receiving from the associated access device via a broadband network, a request to record multimedia information exchanged during a call via a wide area network;

receiving, via the broadband network, the multimedia information exchanged during the call; and

storing the received multimedia information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a resource for recording the multimedia information is available;

sending, via the broadband network, acceptance of the request to record multimedia information, if the resource is available; and

sending, via the broadband network, rejection of the request to record multimedia information, if the resource is not available.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the associated at least one access device, a request for stored multimedia information; and

sending stored multimedia information to the associated at least one access device for playback.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the broadband network, a request to halt recording of the exchanged multimedia information.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the associated at least one access device of available stored multimedia information.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one access device comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1×

RTT network.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the personal area network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a network, and a cellular network.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the resource for recording the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

storage and bandwidth.

12. A system for handling calls using simulcasting of multimedia information via a broadband access gateway, the system comprising:

at least one access device for communicating multimedia information;

a gateway communicatively coupled to a broadband network and at least one wireless interface, the gateway capable of selectively exchanging multimedia information between the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating with the at least one access device via the at least one wireless interface;

the gateway capable of associating at least one access device with the broadband access gateway;

the gateway capable of receiving, via a broadband network, a request to record multimedia information exchanged during a call via a wide area network;

the gateway capable of receiving, via the broadband network, the multimedia information exchanged during the call; and

the gateway capable of storing the received multimedia information.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of determining whether a resource for recording the multimedia information is available;

the gateway capable of sending, via the broadband network, acceptance of the request to record multimedia information, if the resource is available; and

the gateway capable of sending, via the broadband network, rejection of the request to record multimedia information, if the resource is not available.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of receiving, from the associated at least one access device, a request for stored multimedia information; and

the gateway capable of sending stored multimedia information to the associated at least one access device for playback.

15. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of receiving, via the broadband network, a request to halt recording of the exchanged multimedia information.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of notifying the associated at least one access device of available stored multimedia information.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

19. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a network, and a cellular network interface.

20. The system according to claim 12 wherein the wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1×

RTT network.

21. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of informing the wide area network, via the broadband network, of acceptance of multimedia information by the associated at least one access device via the personal area network.

22. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one access device comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

23. The system according to claim 12 wherein the multimedia information is stored within the gateway.

24. The system according to claim 12 wherein the resource for recording the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

storage and bandwidth.

25. A broadband access gateway apparatus supporting handling of calls using simulcasting of multimedia information, the apparatus comprising:

at least one wireless interface supporting communication via a personal area network;

at least one network interface for communication via a broadband network;

at least one processor capable of associating at least one access device with the broadband access gateway apparatus, the at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless interface and the at least one network interface;

the at least one processor capable of receiving, via the broadband network, multimedia information simultaneously communicated wirelessly to the associated at least one access device via a wide area network; and

the at least one processor capable of storing the received multimedia information.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

the at least one processor capable of causing the at least one access device to be notified of available stored multimedia information.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

the at least one processor capable of communicating the stored multimedia information to the associated at least one access device for playback.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a network, and a cellular network interface.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the at least one access device comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

31. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

32. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1×

RTT network.

33. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the received multimedia information is stored within the broadband access gateway.