Method and system for extending IP PBX services to cellular wireless communication devices

• US 20060030357A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Weaver, Farni, Paczkowski, Lyle W., Woodson, Charles E., Phillips, Jeffrey F., McConnell, Von K., Weiland, Dorene
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/554.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

An IP PBX system that serves enterprise telephones via a landline IP network connection is be expanded to serve cellular wireless communication devices (WCD) via a cellular wireless carrier'"'"'s radio access network (RAN). Calls to and from the cellular WCD are connected through the cellular carrier'"'"'s RAN and the IP PBX system, so that the IP PBX system can control and manage the calls just as the IP PBX would control and manage calls involving other extensions on the IP PBX. A cellular WCD thereby becomes an IP PBX client station, i.e., an extension on the IP PBX system. As such, the cellular WCD can seamlessly benefit from many of the same IP PBX features that other more conventional IP PBX client stations (e.g., desk phones) enjoy.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN) a call request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in a wireless coverage area of the RAN;

responsively (a) engaging in first call setup signaling between the cellular RAN and a media gateway system to set up a first leg of the call between the cellular RAN and the media gateway system, (b) identifying an IP PBX system that serves the cellular WCD, and (c) engaging in second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system; and

setting up the call from the IP PBX system for the cellular WCD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the IP PBX system that serves the cellular WCD occurs at the media gateway system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the IP PBX system that serves the cellular WCD comprises referring to data that correlates an identifier of the WCD with an identifier of the IP PBX system so as to identify the IP PBX system based on the identifier of the cellular WCD.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular RAN includes a base station that radiates to define the wireless coverage area and a mobile switching center (MSC) that is communicatively linked with the base station, the method further comprising:

sending a query message from the MSC to a service control point (SCP) to obtain call processing guidance; and

receiving at the MSC from the SCP a response message directing the MSC to set up the call to the media gateway system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

operating the SCP to determine that the cellular WCD subscribes to IP PBX service, and responsively sending the response message to the MSC directing the MSC to set up the call to the media gateway system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular RAN includes a base station that radiates to define the wireless coverage area and a mobile switching center (MSC) that is communicatively linked with the base station, wherein the media gateway system includes a media gateway (MGW) and a media gateway controller (MGC), and wherein:

engaging in the first call setup signaling between the cellular RAN and the media gateway system to set up the first leg of the call comprises engaging in the first call setup signaling between the MSC and the MGC to set up the first leg of the call between the MSC and the MGW; and

engaging in the second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up the second leg of the call comprises engaging in the second call setup signaling between the MGC and the IP PBX system to set up the second leg of the call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the IP PBX system includes an IP PBX server and a media server, and wherein engaging in the second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up the second leg of the call comprises engaging in the second call setup signaling to set up the second leg between the MGW and the media server.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

co-locating the MGW and the MSC at a common site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call setup signaling is SS7 signaling and the first call leg is a circuit-switched connection, and wherein the second call setup signaling is IP-based signaling and the second call leg is a packet-switched connection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the IP-based signaling comprises signaling selected from the group consisting of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling and H.323 signaling, and wherein the packet-switched connection comprises a Real-time Transmission Protocol (RTP) session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is an outside call from the cellular WCD to a directory number on the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system comprises setting up the call from the IP PBX system via the PSTN to the directory number on the PSTN.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is an inside call from the cellular WCD to an extension on the IP PBX system, and wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system comprises setting up the call from the IP PBX system via an enterprise network to the extension.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is an outside call from a directory number on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a directory number of the cellular WCD, and wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system comprises setting up the call from the IP PBX system via the media gateway system back to the cellular RAN and in turn to the cellular WCD.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system via the media gateway system to the cellular RAN comprises:

engaging in third call setup signaling between the IP PBX system and the media gateway system to set up a third leg of the call between the IP PBX system and the media gateway system; and

engaging in fourth call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN to set up a fourth leg of the call between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending a query from the media gateway system to a home location register (HLR) that serves the cellular WCD, seeking to obtain a temporary local directory number (TLDN) for use in routing the call to the cellular WCD;

receiving a response from the HLR providing the TLDN; and

then engaging in the fourth signaling for setting up the call to the TLDN.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

including in the query to the HLR an indication that the media gateway system is not Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) capable, so as to cause the HLR to return the TLDN instead of returning an Advanced Termination Trigger.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

including in the query to the HLR a LOCATION trigger-type, rather than a MOBILE-TERMINATION trigger-type, so as to cause the HLR to return the TLDN instead of returning an Advanced Termination Trigger.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein engaging in the fourth call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN includes providing the cellular RAN with an indication that the call has already been routed to the IP PBX system, in order to avoid having the cellular RAN endlessly loop the call back to the IP PBX system.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the cellular RAN includes a base station that radiates to define the wireless coverage area and a mobile switching center (MSC) communicatively linked with the base station, the method further comprising:

responsive to the fourth call setup signaling, sending from the MSC to a service control point (SCP) a query message that provides the indication;

determining at the SCP, based on the indication, that the MSC should continue to set up the call;

sending from the SCP to the MSC a response message directing the MSC to continue setting up the call; and

responsively setting up the call from the MSC to the cellular WCD.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining at the IP PBX system a set of data that correlates an extension on the IP PBX system with the directory number of the cellular WCD,

wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system further comprises setting up the call from the IP PBX system to the extension.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

simultaneously setting up the call (i) from the IP PBX system to the cellular WCD and (ii) from the IP PBX system to the extension.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sequentially setting up the call (i) from the IP PBX system to the cellular WCD and (ii) from the IP PBX system to the extension.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular RAN is operated by a cellular carrier, the method further comprising:

maintaining the IP PBX system on a core data network operated by the cellular carrier, wherein the IP PBX system serves enterprise telephone stations on an enterprise network that is communicatively linked with the core data network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the IP PBX system is a master IP PBX system hosted on the core data network.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular RAN and media gateway system are operated by a cellular carrier, wherein the media gateway system sits on a core data network operated by the carrier, wherein the IP PBX system serves enterprise telephone stations on an enterprise network, and wherein the IP PBX system sits on the enterprise network and is communicatively linked with the core data network.

26. A method comprising:

maintaining in an IP PBX system a set of data that correlates a first extension on the IP PBX system with a directory number of a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) and further with a second extension on the IP PBX system; and

receiving into the IP PBX system a call setup message seeking to set up a call to the first extension, and responsively (a) engaging in first call setup signaling to set up the call from the IP PBX system to the directory number of the cellular WCD and (b) engaging in second call setup signaling to set up the call from the IP PBX system to the second extension on the IP PBX system.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising simultaneously engaging in the first call setup signaling and the second call setup signaling, so as to simultaneously ring both the cellular WCD and the second extension.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising sequentially engaging in the first call setup signaling and engaging in the second call setup signaling, so as to sequentially ring the cellular WCD and the second extension.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein engaging in the first call setup signaling to set up the call from the IP PBX system to the directory number of the cellular WCD comprises engaging in IP-based call setup signaling with a media gateway system to set up a first leg of the call between the IP PBX system and a media gateway system, wherein the media gateway system in turn engages in SS7 call setup signaling with a cellular radio access network (RAN) that serves the cellular WCD, to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the call originates from a third extension on the IP PBX system.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the call originates from the public switched telephone network.

32. A system comprising:

a cellular radio access network (RAN) comprising (i) a base station that radiates to produce a wireless coverage area and (ii) a mobile switching center that provides connectivity between the base station and the public switched telephone network;

a media gateway system comprising (i) a media gateway arranged to engage in bearer communication with the mobile switching and (ii) a media gateway controller arranged to engage in signaling communication with the mobile switching center and with the media gateway;

an IP PBX system arranged to serve a plurality of enterprise telephone stations that are situated on an enterprise packet-switched network, the IP PBX system being further arranged to engage in signaling communication with the media gateway controller and bearer communication with the media gateway;

wherein, when the cellular RAN receives a request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in the wireless coverage area, the cellular RAN engages in first call setup signaling with the media gateway controller to set up a first leg of the call between the cellular RAN and the media gateway;

wherein, the media gateway controller determines that the IP PBX system serves the cellular WCD, and the media gateway controller responsively engages in second call setup signaling with the IP PBX system to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway and the IP PBX system; and

wherein the IP PBX system sets up the call for the cellular WCD.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the IP PBX system comprises an IP PBX server sitting as a node on the enterprise packet-switched network.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the cellular RAN is operated by a cellular carrier, and wherein the IP PBX system comprises an IP PBX server sitting as a node on a core data network operated by the cellular carrier.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the cellular RAN is operated by a cellular carrier, wherein the IP PBX system comprises (i) a hosted master IP PBX server sitting as a node on a core data network operated by the cellular carrier and (ii) a slave IP PBX server sitting as a node on the enterprise packet-switched network, and wherein the core data network is communicatively linked with the enterprise packet-switched network.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the media gateway and mobile switching center are co-located at a common site.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the call is an outside call from the cellular WCD to a directory number on the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and wherein the IP PBX system sets up the call to the directory number on the PSTN.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the call is an inside call from the cellular WCD to an extension on the IP PBX system, and wherein the IP PBX system sets up the call to the extension via the enterprise packet-switched network.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the call is an outside call from a directory number on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a directory number of the cellular WCD, wherein the IP PBX system sets up the call to back to the media gateway system, the media gateway system sets up the call back to the cellular RAN, and the cellular RAN sets up the call via an air interface to the cellular WCD.