Home gateway system with telephony functions and method

• US 20060140356A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liebrecht, Donald Bernard, Bossemeyer, Robert Wesley Jr., Sullivan, Barry James, Bennett, Raymond Walden III
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A home gateway system has a transceiver (70) capable of establishing a wireless local loop connection (72). A voice processing system (74) is coupled to the transceiver (70). The voice processing system (74) is capable of storing a message from an incoming call.

A caller identification processing system (76) is coupled to the transceiver (70). The caller identification processing system (76) determines a telephone number of the incoming call and routes the incoming call to the voice processing system (74), if the telephone number belongs to a screened group of telephone numbers.

Claims

1. A home gateway system comprising:

a transceiver capable of establishing a wireless local loop connection;

a voice processing system coupled to the transceiver, the voice processing system capable of storing a message from an incoming call; and

a caller identification processing system coupled to the transceiver, the caller identification processing system determining a telephone number of the incoming call and routing the incoming call to the voice processing system if the telephone number belongs to a screened group of telephone numbers.

2. The home gateway system of claim 1, further including a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor determining if the incoming call is received during an existing call and posting an indicia of the incoming call to a user when the incoming call is received during the existing call.

3. The home gateway system of claim 2, wherein the voice processing system includes a controller and a speech synthesizer, the controller detecting the incoming call and directing the speech synthesizer to play a plurality of options to a caller.

4. The home gateway system of claim 3, further including a switch, the switch directing the incoming call to one of a plurality of internal telephone lines based on a response to the plurality of options.

5. The home gateway system of claim 1, further including a voice bridge.

6. The home gateway system of claim 5, further including a controller coupled to the transceiver, the controller capable of redirecting the incoming call to a predetermined forwarded telephone number.

7. The home gateway system of claim 6, further including a smart card interface coupled to the controller.

8. The home gateway system of claim 1, further including a router coupled to the transceiver.

9. The home gateway system of claim 8, further including a home automation and security system coupled to the router.

10. The home gateway system of claim 8, further including a television processing system coupled to the router and receiving a plurality of television signals.

11-15. -15. (canceled)

17. A method of operating a home gateway system, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an off hook signal;

(b) determining if an external telephone line request has been received;

(c) when the external telephone line request is received, determining if all of a plurality of external telephone lines are in use;

(d) when all of the plurality of external telephone lines are in use, performing a derive lines procedure; and

(e) connecting a call in response to the external telephone line request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (d) includes the steps of:

(d1) selecting one of the plurality of external telephone lines carrying a communication session;

(d2) sending a compressed communication session command to a base station; and

(d3) compressing an outgoing portion of the communication session.

19. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of:

(f) when all of the plurality of external telephone lines are not in use, connecting a first telephone call;

(g) receiving a conference call command;

(h) connecting a second telephone call through a voice bridge; and

(i) connecting the first telephone call through the voice bridge.

20. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of:

(f) when the external telephone line request is not received, determining if an intercom call command is received;

(g) when the intercom call command is received, connecting a calling line with another internal phone line.

21. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of:

(f) when the external telephone line request is not received, determining if a voice mail command is received;

(g) when the voice mail command is received, playing a plurality of options.

22. A home gateway system comprising:

a switch connected to an external telephony channel and an internal telephony channel;

a processor connected to the switch, the processor sending and receiving messages from the switch; and

a caller identification system connected to the processor, the caller identification system receiving an identify query from the processor.

23. The home gateway system of claim 22, further including a voice processing system coupled to the processor, the voice processing system capable of storing a voice mail.

24. The home gateway system of claim 23, further including a voice bridge connected to the switch.

25. The home gateway system of claim 24, further including a router coupled to the switch.

26. The home gateway system of claim 25, further including a smart card interface connected to the processor.

27. The home gateway system of claim 26, further including a home automation and security system coupled to the router.

28. The home gateway system of claim 27, further including a television processing system coupled to the router and coupled to a television channel.

29-37. -37. (canceled)