Communication system providing integrated wireless and packet communication services

• US 20080002666A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cope, Warren B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0093 signalling arrangements in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

A communication system comprises a communication platform and a wireless service node. The communication platform receives first signaling for a call to a telephone number, and in response, transfers second signaling to alert a packet network appliance of the call, and the communication platform transfers third signaling. The wireless service node receives the third signaling, and in response, transfers fourth signaling to alert a wireless telephone of the call. The wireless telephone and the packet network appliance are simultaneously alerted of the call.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a communication platform configured to receive first signaling for a call to a telephone number, and in response, to transfer second signaling to alert a packet network appliance of the call and to transfer third signaling; and

a wireless service node configured to receive the third signaling, and in response, to transfer fourth signaling to alert a wireless telephone of the call;

wherein the wireless telephone and the packet network appliance are simultaneously alerted of the call.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein a user answers the wireless telephone for the call, and in response, the wireless telephone transfers fifth signaling to the wireless service node indicating that the wireless telephone has answered the call, and wherein:

the wireless service node is configured to receive the fifth signaling, and in response, to transfer sixth signaling to the communication platform indicating that the wireless telephone has answered the call; and

the communication platform is configured to receive the sixth signaling, and in response, to transfer seventh signaling to the packet network appliance to stop alerting for the call.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein a user answers the packet network appliance for the call, and in response, the packet network appliance transfers fifth signaling to the communication platform indicating that the packet network appliance has answered the call, and wherein:

the communication platform is configured to receive the fifth signaling, and in response, to transfer sixth signaling; and

the wireless service node is configured to receive the sixth signaling, and in response, to transfer seventh signaling to the wireless telephone to stop alerting for the call.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the packet network appliance and the wireless telephone share the telephone number.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein a user operates the packet network appliance to transfer fifth signaling to initiate a second call and the communication platform is configured to receive the fifth signaling, and in response, to transfer sixth signaling to a telephone network to extend the second call, wherein the sixth signaling indicates the telephone number as the caller number.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:

the communication platform is configured to add a code to the third signaling; and

the wireless service node is configured to receive the first signaling, transfer the first signaling to the communication platform, receive the third signaling, and distinguish the first signaling from the third signaling based on the code.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication platform is configured to maintain a call log for the telephone number, transfer the call log to the packet network appliance, receive a user selection of an entry from the call log, and initiate another call between the packet network appliance and another telephone number indicated by the selected entry from the call log.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication platform is configured to maintain an address book for the telephone number, transfer the address book to the packet network appliance, receive a user selection of an entry from the address book, and initiate another call between the packet network appliance and another telephone number indicated by the selected entry from the address book.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein:

the communication platform is configured to transfer the call to a voice mail server and receive information from the voice mail server indicating that a voice mail has been received for the telephone number, and in response, transfer fifth signaling to the packet network appliance indicating that the voice mail has been received for the telephone number and to transfer sixth signaling; and

the wireless service node is configured to receive the sixth signaling, and in response, to transfer seventh signaling to the wireless telephone indicating that the voice mail has been received for the telephone number.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communication platform is configured to receive a text message from a message server, and in response, transfer the text message to the wireless service node for transfer to the wireless telephone, and transfer the text message to the packet network appliance.

11. A method of operating a communication system, the method comprising:

in a communication platform, receiving first signaling for a call to a telephone number, and in response, transferring second signaling to alert a packet network appliance of the call, and transferring third signaling; and

in a wireless service node, receiving the third signaling, and in response, transferring fourth signaling to alert a wireless telephone of the call;

wherein the wireless telephone and the packet network appliance are simultaneously alerted of the call.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a user answers the wireless telephone for the call, and in response, the wireless telephone transfers fifth signaling to the wireless service node indicating that the wireless telephone has answered the call, and further comprising:

in the wireless service node, receiving the fifth signaling, and in response, transferring sixth signaling to the communication platform indicating that the wireless telephone has answered the call; and

in the communication platform, receiving the sixth signaling, and in response, transferring seventh signaling to the packet network appliance to stop alerting for the call.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein a user answers the packet network appliance for the call, and in response, the packet network appliance transfers fifth signaling to the communication platform indicating that the packet network appliance has answered the call, and further comprising:

in the communication platform, receiving the fifth signaling, and in response, transferring sixth signaling; and

in the wireless service node, receiving the sixth signaling, and in response, transferring seventh signaling to the wireless telephone to stop alerting for the call.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the packet network appliance and the wireless telephone share the telephone number.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a user operates the packet network appliance to transfer fifth signaling to initiate a second call and further comprising, in the communication platform, receiving the fifth signaling, and in response, transferring sixth signaling to a telephone network to extend the second call, wherein the sixth signaling indicates the telephone number as the caller number.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the communication platform, adding a code to the third signaling; and

in the wireless service node, receiving the first signaling, transferring the first signaling to the communication platform, receiving the third signaling, and distinguishing the first signaling from the third signaling based on the code.

17. The method of claim 11 and further comprising, in the communication platform, maintaining a call log for the telephone number, transferring the call log to the packet network appliance, receiving a user selection of an entry from the call log, and initiating another call between the packet network appliance and another telephone number indicated by the selected entry from the call log.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the communication platform, maintaining an address book for the telephone number, transferring the address book to the packet network appliance, receiving a user selection of an entry from the address book, and initiating another call between the packet network appliance and another telephone number indicated by the selected entry from the address book.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the communication platform, transferring the call to a voice mail server and receiving information from the voice mail server indicating that a voice mail has been received for the telephone number, and in response, transferring fifth signaling to the packet network appliance indicating that the voice mail has been received for the telephone number and transferring sixth signaling; and

in the wireless service node, receiving the sixth signaling, and in response, transferring seventh signaling to the wireless telephone indicating that the voice mail has been received for the telephone number.

20. The method of claim 11 and further comprising, in the communication platform, receiving a text message from a message server, and in response, transferring the text message to the wireless service node for transfer to the wireless telephone, and transferring the text message to the packet network appliance.