IP telephone system for saving power of mobile telephone

• US 20060258323A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Satoshi, Hara, Yasushi, Takaki, Kazuyuki, Miyazaki, Toshiya, Kondou, Youichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/343.200
• 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 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

When the presence of an RF ID tag is detected by a contactless reader/writer, an information processing terminal causes a contactless reader/writer to set a state flag in the RF ID tag to a first state which indicates that a wireless LAN communication unit of the mobile telephone is in an inactive state, and sends presence information indicating the presence of the mobile telephone to the information processing apparatus. When the state flag in the RF ID tag is set to the first state, the mobile telephone disables the wireless LAN communication unit. The information processing apparatus receives the presence information and stores the received presence information in a database. When the information processing apparatus receives a request for terminating an incoming IP telephone call on the mobile telephone, it searches the database and sends, to the information processing terminal, information indicating the incoming call, and also transfers, to the wireless LAN access point, an IP packet signaling the incoming call. When the information processing terminal receives the incoming call information from the information processing apparatus, it causes the contactless reader/writer to set the state flag in the RF ID tag to a second state which indicates that the wireless LAN communication unit of the mobile telephone is in an active state. When the state flag in the RF ID tag is set to the second state, the mobile telephone enables the wireless LAN communication unit.

Claims

1. An IP telephone system comprising:

an information processing apparatus connected to an external network, an internal network and a wireless LAN access point;

an information processing terminal connected to said information processing apparatus over said internal network; and

a mobile telephone adapted to connect to said wireless LAN access point, wherein

said mobile telephone comprises a wireless LAN communication unit for communicating with said wireless LAN access point, and an RF ID tag, and

said information processing terminal includes a contactless reading and writing device adapted to read or write data from or to said RF ID tag, and wherein

when the presence of said RF ID tag is detected by said contactless reading and writing device, said information processing terminal causes said contactless reading and writing device to set a state flag in said RF ID tag to a first state which indicates that said wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone is in an inactive state, and sends presence information indicating the presence of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus,

when said state flag in said RF ID tag is set to said first state, said mobile telephone disables said wireless LAN communication unit,

said information processing apparatus receives said presence information and stores said received presence information in a database,

when said information processing apparatus receives a request for terminating an incoming IP telephone call on said mobile telephone, said information processing apparatus searches said database and then sends, to said information processing terminal, incoming call information indicating said incoming call, and also transfers, to said wireless LAN access point, an IP packet signaling said incoming call,

when said information processing terminal receives said incoming call information from said information processing apparatus, said information processing terminal causes said contactless reading and writing device to set said state flag in said RF ID tag to a second state which indicates that said wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone is in an active state, and

when said state flag in said RF ID tag is set to said second state, said mobile telephone enables said wireless LAN communication unit to allow IP telephone communication.

2. An IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein, when said mobile telephone is taken off-hook by a user, said mobile telephone sets said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state.

3. An IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile telephone further comprises a unit for telephone communication over a mobile communication network connectable to said external network,

after said information processing terminal has determined, by causing said contactless reading and writing device to read data from said RF ID tag, that said state flag is in said first state, if said contactless reading and writing device fails to detect the presence of said RF ID tag, said information processing terminal sends absence information indicating the absence of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus, and

when said information processing apparatus receives said absence information, said information processing apparatus sends, to said mobile telephone over said external network and said mobile communication network, an instruction for instructing said mobile telephone to set said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state.

4. An IP telephone system according to claim 2, wherein

said mobile telephone further comprises a unit for telephone communication over a mobile communication network connectable to said external network,

after said information processing terminal has determined, by causing said contactless reading and writing device to read data from said RF ID tag, that said state flag is in said first state, if said contactless reading and writing device fails to detect the presence of said RF ID tag, said information processing terminal sends absence information indicating the absence of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus, and

when said information processing apparatus receives said absence information, said information processing apparatus sends, to said mobile telephone over said external network and said mobile communication network, an instruction for instructing said mobile telephone to set said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state.

5. An information processing terminal adapted to connect over an internal network to an information processing apparatus which is connected to an external network and to a wireless LAN access point, said information processing terminal comprising:

a processor;

a storage device; and

a contactless reading and writing device adapted to read data from an RF ID tag in a mobile telephone and to write data to said RF ID tag, and wherein

when the presence of said RF ID tag is detected by said contactless reading and writing device, said processor instructs said contactless reading and writing device to set a state flag in said RF ID tag of said mobile telephone to a first state which indicates that a wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone is in an inactive state, and sends presence information indicating the presence and location of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus, and

when information indicating an incoming call is received from said information processing apparatus, said processor causes said contactless reading and writing device to set said state flag in said RF ID tag of said mobile telephone to a second state which indicates that said wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone is in an active state.

6. An information processing terminal according to claim 5, wherein after said processor has determined, by causing said contactless reading and writing device to read data from said RF ID tag, that said state flag is in said first state, if said contactless reading and writing device fails to detect the presence of said RF ID tag, said processor sends absence information indicating the absence of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus in order to cause said mobile telephone to set said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state.

7. An information processing apparatus adapted to be connected to an external network, an internal network and a wireless LAN access point, and connected to an information processing terminal over said internal network, said information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a database, wherein

said processor receives presence information indicating the presence and location of a mobile telephone from said information processing terminal, and stores said presence information in said database by associating said presence information with a telephone number of said mobile telephone,

when a request for terminating an incoming IP telephone call on said mobile telephone is received, said processor searches said database and then sends, to said information processing terminal, incoming call information indicating said incoming call, and also transfers, to said wireless LAN access point, an IP packet signaling said incoming call, and

when absence information indicating the absence of said mobile telephone is received from said information processing terminal, said processor sends, to said mobile telephone over said external network and a mobile communication network, a message carrying an instruction for instructing said mobile telephone to enable a wireless LAN communication unit.

8. A mobile telephone adapted to connect to a mobile communication network and to a wireless LAN access point, said mobile telephone comprising:

a control unit;

a storage device;

a wireless LAN communication unit adapted to communicate via said access point;

a mobile communication unit adapted to communicate over said mobile communication network; and

an RF ID tag adapted to be read from or written to by a contactless reading and writing device in an information processing terminal, and adapted to be read from by said control unit, wherein

when a state flag in said RF ID tag is set to a first state by said contactless reading and writing device, said processor disables said mobile communication unit,

when said state flag in said RF ID tag is set to a second state by said contactless reading and writing device, said processor enables said mobile communication unit, and

when a message carrying an instruction for instructing said processor to set said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state is received over said mobile communication network, said processor sets said state flag in said RF ID tag to said second state.

9. A program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium for an information processing terminal adapted to connect over an internal network to an information processing apparatus connected to an external network and a wireless LAN access point, said information processing terminal comprising a contactless reading and writing device adapted to read data from an RF ID tag in a mobile telephone and to write data to said RF ID tag, said program being operable to effect the steps of:

instructing said contactless reading and writing device to set a state flag in said RF ID tag of said mobile telephone to a first state, when the presence of said RF ID tag is detected by said contactless reading and writing device, and also sending presence information indicating the presence of said mobile telephone to said information processing apparatus, wherein said first state indicates that a wireless LAN communication unit incorporated in said mobile telephone is in an inactive state; and

instructing said contactless reading and writing device to set said state flag in said RF ID tag of said mobile telephone to a second state, when information indicating an incoming call is received from said information processing apparatus, wherein said second state indicates that said wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone is in an active state.

10. A program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium for an information processing apparatus adapted to be connected to an external network, an internal network and a wireless LAN access point, and connected to an information processing terminal over said internal network, said program being operable to effect the steps of:

receiving presence information indicating the presence of a mobile telephone from said information processing terminal, and storing said presence information in a database;

searching said database, when a request for terminating an incoming IP telephone call on said mobile telephone is received and then sending, to said information processing terminal, incoming call information indicating said incoming call, and also transferring, to said wireless LAN access point, an IP packet signaling said incoming call; and

sending, to said mobile telephone over said external network and said mobile communication network, an instruction for instructing said mobile telephone to enable a wireless LAN communication unit of said mobile telephone, when absence information indicating the absence of said mobile telephone is received from said information processing terminal.