Method for Switching Connections Between an IP-Only Phone and a Soft Phone to a Server

• US 20080310403A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Tatsumi, Asoh, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,119 B2
• 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

A method for switching connections between an IP-only phone and a soft phone to an IP gateway server is disclosed. An identical telephone number is allocated to the IP-only phone and the soft phone. When the soft phone has been moved such that a connection destination to a local-area network changes from a first connector to a second connector, a relay device is also changed from a first relay device to a second relay device. After recognizing its present position by a MAC address of the relay device to which it is currently connected, the soft phone issues a request to an IP gateway server to change an IP address to the soft phone when it is determined that the soft phone is located far away from the IP-only phone. When it is determined that the soft phone is located near the IP-only phone, the soft phone issues a request to the IP gateway server so that the IP address is changed to the IP-only phone.

Claims

1. A method for switching connections between an IP-only phone and a soft phone, said method comprising:

allocating identical telephone number to an IP-only phone and a soft phone, wherein said IP-only phone and said soft phone are connected to a local-area network having a server capable of administrating telephone numbers and corresponding network identifiers;

permitting said soft phone to acquire its own position information from connection information to said local-area network; and

selecting either said IP-only phone or said soft phone, based on said acquired position information, to transmit a frame to said server to change a network identifier of said selected IP-only phone or soft phone to be associated with said identical telephone number registered within said server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes

detecting a connection bandwidth for a wireless base station to which said soft phone is connected by a wireless connection;

and

urging said soft phone to change a control parameter of a CODEC based on said detected connection bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection information includes a port address corresponding to an input/output port of a relay device that carries out transmission of a MAC frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection information includes a MAC address of a relay device that carries out transmission of a MAC frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection information includes a MAC address of a wireless base station connected to said soft phone by a wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection information includes an intensity value of a received signal of an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a wireless base station connected to said soft phone by a wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection information includes an intensity value of a received signal of an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a wireless base station adjacent to and different from a wireless base station to which said soft phone is currently connected.

8. A computer readable medium having a computer program product for switching connections between an IP-only phone and a soft phone, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for allocating identical telephone number to an IP-only phone and a soft phone, wherein said IP-only phone and said soft phone are connected to a local-area network having a server capable of administrating telephone numbers and corresponding network identifiers;

computer program code for permitting said soft phone to acquire its own position information from connection information to said local-area network; and

computer program code for selecting either said IP-only phone or said soft phone, based on said acquired position information, to transmit a frame to said server to change a network identifier of said selected IP-only phone or soft phone to be associated with said identical telephone number registered within said server.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said computer readable medium further includes

computer program code for detecting a connection bandwidth for a wireless base station to which said soft phone is connected by a wireless connection;

and

computer program code for urging said soft phone to change a control parameter of a CODEC based on said detected connection bandwidth.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said connection information includes a port address corresponding to an input/output port of a relay device that carries out transmission of a MAC frame.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said connection information includes a MAC address of a relay device that carries out transmission of a MAC frame.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said connection information includes a MAC address of a wireless base station connected to said soft phone by a wireless connection.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said connection information includes an intensity value of a received signal of an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a wireless base station connected to said soft phone by a wireless connection.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said connection information includes an intensity value of a received signal of an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a wireless base station adjacent to and different from a wireless base station to which said soft phone is currently connected.