Enhanced terminal adapter

• US 20080304473A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farah, Jeffrey J.
• Application Number:
  US11/811,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

An enhanced terminal adapter (ETA) allows multiple communication devices connected to either similar or dissimilar networks, and typically accessible through different access numbers/addresses, to be used as extensions of each other when any of the devices are accessed via their access number/address. In the case of a PSTN call, communications devices connected to the ETA are considered POTS extensions. For a VoIP call, the communications devices connected to the ETA could be considered enhanced extensions in a VoIP network. In this way, the communications devices are each extensions of each other, depending on which device is accessed.

Claims

1. A terminal adapter comprising:

a plurality of communications ports configured to connect to a plurality of communications devices; and

a controller configured to route calls to at least one of the plurality of communications devices such that the at least one of the plurality of communications devices operates as an extension of one or more of the remaining communications devices.

2. The terminal adapter of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more network interface ports configured to connect to one or more networks.

3. The terminal adapter of claim 2 wherein calls are received from the network at the terminal adapter through the one or more network interface ports.

4. The terminal adapter of claim 1 wherein the terminal adapter is addressable by one or more access numbers and the communications devices are each addressable by a respective access number.

5. The terminal adapter of claim 4 further comprising:

a memory configured to store the one or more access numbers of the terminal adapter and the respective access numbers of at least one of the communications devices.

6. The terminal adapter of claim 4 wherein the terminal adapter is further configured to receive a call directed to the access number of at least one of the communications devices.

7. The terminal adapter of claim 6 wherein the controller is further configured to route the call according to the stored respective access numbers of at least one of the communications devices.

8. A method of operation of a terminal adapter comprising:

receiving a call placed to a first of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter; and

routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter so that the at least one of the other communications devices operates as an extension of the first communications device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving connection information for at least one of the plurality of communications devices at the terminal adapter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the connection information is a respective access number for at least one of the plurality of communications devices.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

associating the connection information with the terminal adapter.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein associating the connection information with the terminal adapter comprises:

notifying one or more networks to route calls intended for at least one of the plurality of communications devices to the terminal adapter.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving a call placed to a first of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter comprises:

receiving a call at the first communications device and at the terminal adapter.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter comprises:

functionally linking the plurality of communications devices in a private branch exchange.

15. A machine readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, the instructions capable of execution by a processor and defining the steps of:

receiving a call placed to a first of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter; and

routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter so that at least one of the other communications devices operates as an extension of the first communications device.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further define the step of:

receiving connection information for at least one of the plurality of communications devices at the terminal adapter.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the connection information is a respective access number for at least one of the plurality of communications devices.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further define the step of:

associating the connection information with the terminal adapter.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions for associating the connection information with the terminal adapter further define the step of:

notifying one or more networks to route calls intended for the at least one of the plurality of communications devices to the terminal adapter.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for receiving a call placed to one of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter further define the step of:

receiving a call at one of the plurality of communications devices and at the terminal adapter.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter further define the step of:

functionally linking the plurality of communications devices in a private branch exchange.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a call placed to a first of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter; and

means for routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter so that at least one of the other communications devices operates as an extension of the first communications device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

means for receiving connection information for at least one of the plurality of communications devices at the terminal adapter.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the connection information is a respective access number for each of the plurality of communications devices.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising:

means for associating the connection information with the terminal adapter.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the means for associating the connection information with the terminal adapter comprises:

means for notifying one or more networks to route calls intended for at least one of the plurality of communications devices to the terminal adapter.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the means for receiving a call placed to a first of a plurality of communications devices connected to a terminal adapter comprises:

means for receiving a call at the first communications device and at the terminal adapter.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the means for routing the call to at least one of the other communications devices connected to the terminal adapter comprises:

means for functionally linking the plurality of communications devices in a private branch exchange.