Method and apparatus for cost optimization of cellular networks indication

• US 20070250580A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Caspi, Rami, Blohm, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a personal computer having a unified communication system including a presence application and a cellular telephone network identifier operably coupled to the unified communication system and configured to identify a cellular telephone network of multiple parties; and a cellular network gateway appliance operably coupled to the personal computer and configured to allow the unified communication system to make a telephone call via an associated cellular network and identified by the cellular telephone network identifier.

Claims

1. A telecommunication method comprising:

identifying called and calling parties'"'"' cellular telephone networks;

creating a first call leg to a called party cellular telephone via a first gateway associated with the first cellular network; and

creating a second call leg to a calling party cellular telephone via a second gateway associated with the second cellular network.

2. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first call leg and said second call leg are on a same local area network.

3. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a network including a plurality of user devices having unified communications applications and a plurality of cellular network gateways;

means interfaceable via the unified communications application for identifying a cellular network associated with a called party and a calling party;

means for creating a first call leg to a called party cellular telephone via a first gateway associated with the first cellular network;

means for creating a second call leg to a calling party cellular telephone via a second gateway associated with the second cellular network; and

means for connecting the first leg and the second leg such that the called party and said calling party communicate via the network.

4. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 3, said identifying means including presence status display means.

5. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said interfaceable means includes a presence system.

6. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said interfaceable means includes an instant messaging system.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a personal computer having a unified communication system including a presence application and a cellular telephone network identifier operably coupled to the unified communication system and configured to identify a cellular telephone network of multiple parties; and

a cellular network gateway appliance operably coupled to the personal computer and configured to allow the unified communication system to make a telephone call via an associated cellular network and identified by the cellular telephone network identifier.

8. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said cellular gateway appliance couples to the personal computer via a serial bus.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said cellular gateway appliance couples to the personal computer via a local area network.

10. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 9, further including a second cellular gateway appliance that couples to the personal computer via the local area network and wherein the unified communication system is configured to call out to parties on via the local area network and first and second cellular gateway appliances.

11. A telecommunications method, comprising:

calling out to cellular telephones on separate cellular networks via cellular gateway appliances on a local area network and connecting the calls via the local area network such that the cellular telephones are deemed to be on a same cellular network.

12. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 11, said calling out further comprising calling out from a unified messaging system including a presence client for identifying the cellular networks associated with the cellular telephones.

13. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 12, said calling out further comprising automatically calling out from a party on a contact list having cellular network identifying indicia.

14. A telecommunications system, comprising:

means for calling out to cellular telephones on separate cellular networks via cellular gateway appliances on a local area network; and

means for connecting the calls via the local area network such that the cellular telephones are deemed to be on a same cellular network.

15. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 14, said calling out means further comprising means for calling out from a unified messaging system including a presence client for identifying the cellular networks associated with the cellular telephones.

16. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15, said calling out means further comprising means for automatically calling out from a party on a contact list having cellular network identifying indicia.