SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATIC ALERTS OF NETWORK AVAILABILITY TO A FIXED COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080159513A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Mundra, Satish Kumar M.
• Application Number:
  US11/962,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20080159513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

A gateway includes a transceiver operable to transmit and receive communications to a fixed communication device, and a processor cooperatively operable with the transceiver. The processor is configured to facilitate during a non-alerting mode: detecting when a fixed communication device attempts to connect via the transceiver to a voice over packet (VOP) network service which is temporarily unavailable, and then switching to an alerting mode. Also, the processor is configured for, during the alerting mode: monitoring an availability of voice over packet (VOP) network service; when the VOP network service becomes available, causing the fixed communication device to provide an audible alert via the transceiver and switching to the non-alerting mode.

Claims

1. A gateway, comprising:

a transceiver operable to transmit and receive communications to a fixed communication device; and

a processor cooperatively operable with the transceiver, the processor being configured to facilitate

during a non-alerting mode;

detecting when a fixed communication device attempts to connect via the transceiver to a voice over packet (VOP) network service which is temporarily unavailable, and then switching to an alerting mode;

during the alerting mode;

monitoring an availability of voice over packet (VOP) network service;

when the VOP network service becomes available, causing the fixed communication device to provide an audible alert via the transceiver and switching to the non-alerting mode.

2. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with silence or an error tone by manipulating the FXS/FXO interface to the fixed communication device.

3. The gateway of claim 1, her comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with a local announcement.

4. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing an error message to be displayed at the fixed communication device by transmitting the error message to the fixed communication device as a multiple data message format (MDMF) message.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the attempt to connect is detected if an off-hook or a call attempt is received from the fixed communication device.

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the attempt to connect comprises receiving from the fixed communication device, in accordance with the transceiver, an off-hook indication.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the VOP network services determined to be temporarily unavailable by handling a VoIP setup request failure.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions including a computer-implemented method for alerting a user upon voice over packet (VOP) network availability to a fixed communication device over a gateway, the instructions for implementing:

during a non-alerting mode;

detecting when a fixed communication device attempts to connect over the gateway to a voice over packet (VOP) network service which is temporarily unavailable, and then switching to an alerting mode;

during the alerting mode;

monitoring an availability of voice over packet (VOP) network service;

when the VOP network service becomes available, causing the fixed communication device to provide an audible alert and switching to the non-alerting mode.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with silence or an error tone by manipulating the FXS/FXO interface to the fixed communication device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with a local announcement.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing an error message to be displayed at the fixed communication device by transmitting the error message to the fixed communication device as a multiple data message format (MDMF) message.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the attempt to connect is detected if an off-hook or a call attempt is received from the fixed communication device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the detecting of the attempt to connect comprises receiving from the fixed communication device, in accordance with the transceiver, an off-hook indication.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the VOP network service is determined to be temporarily unavailable by handling a VoIP setup request failure.

15. A computer-implemented method for alerting a user upon voice over packet (VOP) network availability to a fixed communication device over a gateway, comprising:

during a non-alerting mode;

detecting when a fixed communication device attempts to connect over the gateway to a voice over packet (VOP) network service which is temporarily unavailable, and then switching to an alerting mode;

during the alerting mode;

monitoring an availability of voice over packet (VOP) network service;

when the VOP network service becomes available, causing the fixed communication device to provide an audible alert and switching to the non-alerting mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with silence or an error tone by manipulating the FXS/FXO interface to the fixed communication device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing the dial-tone of the fixed communication device to be substituted with a local announcement.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising, during the alerting mode, indicating that the VOP network service is temporarily unavailable by causing an error message to be displayed at the fixed communication device by transmitting the error message to the fixed communication device as a multiple data message format (MDMF) message.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the attempt to connect is detected if an off-hook or a call attempt is received from the fixed communication device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting of the attempt to connect comprises receiving from the fixed communication device, in accordance with the transceiver, an off-hook indication.