METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING ENTERPRISE-RELATED MOBILE CALLS

• US 20090003316A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: George, Richard, Oliver, Brian, Lee, Dalsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,379,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods, systems, and mobile devices for managing mobile calls to or from an enterprise-associated mobile device. The system and mobile device are configured to ensure all calls over a public land mobile network are routed through an enterprise communications system. The mobile device is prevented from directly calling remote parties through the public land mobile network and the public land mobile network forwards all calls addressed to the mobile device to the enterprise communications system. The enterprise communication system responds to a request to connect the mobile device and the remote party by establishing a first call with the mobile device, establishing a second call with the remote party, and bridging the two calls to connect the mobile device to the remote party.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call between an enterprise-associated mobile device and a remote party through an enterprise communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

preventing a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and the remote party via the public land mobile network; and

in response to a request to establish the call between the enterprise-associated mobile device and the remote party,

establishing a first call between the enterprise-associated mobile device and the enterprise communications system,

establishing a second call between the enterprise communications system and the remote party, and

bridging the first call and the second call at the enterprise communications system to connect the enterprise-associated mobile device and the remote party.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of preventing comprises instructing the public land mobile network to forward call requests addressed to the mobile device to an associated enterprise phone number, and wherein the method further includes steps of:

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, the request from the remote party; and

determining that the request comprises a forwarded call request addressed to the mobile device and forwarded to the associated enterprise phone number and, based on that determination, performing the steps of establishing the first call, establishing the second call, and bridging the first call and the second call.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further comprising a step of detecting a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein the step of establishing the first call comprises establishing a VoIP call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system.

4. The method claimed in claim 2, further comprising a step of detecting the absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein said step of establishing the first call comprises:

sending a data message from the enterprise communications system to the mobile device informing the mobile device of the request from the remote party; and

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network from the mobile device, the voice call being addressed to the enterprise communications system, in response to acceptance of the request by the user of the mobile device, wherein the voice call is placed automatically by the mobile device in response to said acceptance.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request by the mobile device to establish the call with the remote party, and wherein said step of preventing comprises:

configuring the mobile device to block direct dial calls via the public land mobile network except calls addressed to the enterprise communications system, and

generating and transmitting a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of detecting a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein the step of establishing the first call comprises establishing a VoIP call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system.

7. The method claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of detecting the absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein the step of establishing the first call comprises:

sending an acknowledgement message from the enterprise communications system to the mobile device in response to said data message; and

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network from the mobile device, the voice call being addressed to the enterprise communications system, and wherein the voice call is placed automatically by the mobile device in response to said acknowledgement message.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the enterprise communication system comprises a private branch exchange (PBX) and a enterprise voice application server connected via a local network, and wherein the step of establishing the second call with the remote party includes completing a circuit-switched voice connection with the remote party through the public switched telephone network via the PBX.

9. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the first call and the second call are terminated at the PBX and the step of bridging is performed by the PBX under the control of the communication management server.

10. The method claimed in claim 8, wherein the first call and the second call are terminated at the enterprise voice application server and the step of bridging is performed by the enterprise voice application server.

11. A system for enterprise-related call management of an enterprise-associated mobile device, the mobile device being configured for wireless communications over a public land mobile network, the system comprising:

the mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises a communication application configured to prevent a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and a remote party via the public land mobile network; and

an enterprise communications system comprising a enterprise voice application server and a private branch exchange (PBX), the enterprise communications system being configured to receive a request to establish a call between the mobile device and the remote party and being configured to, in response to the request, establish a first call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system, establish a second call between the enterprise communications system and the remote party, and bridge the first call and the second call at the enterprise communications system to connect the mobile device and the remote party.

12. The system claimed in claim 11, wherein the public land mobile network is configured to forward call requests addressed to the mobile device to an associated enterprise phone number, and wherein the communication application is configured to prevent alteration of the configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to forwarding call requests addressed to the mobile device, and wherein the enterprise communication system is adapted to receive a forwarded call request from the public land mobile network and to determine that a forwarded call request addressed to the mobile device comprises a call request addressed to the mobile device but forwarded to the associated enterprise phone number and, based on that determination, to establish the first call, establish the second call, and bridge the first call and the second call.

13. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to detect the presence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and, if so detected, establish the first call as a VoIP call between the enterprise communication system and the mobile device over said IP connection.

14. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein

the enterprise communications system is configured to detect the absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and, if the absence is detected, send the mobile device a data message informing the mobile device of the request from the remote party, and

wherein the communication application on the mobile device is configured to output a user alert in response to the data message regarding the request, receive a user input accepting the request, and, in response to the user input, automatically place a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network addressed to the enterprise communications system.

15. The system claimed in claim 11, wherein the request comprises a request by the mobile device to establish the call with the remote party, and wherein the communication application of the mobile device is adapted to generate and transmit a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party.

16. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to send said data message over a VoIP-capable IP connection with the enterprise communications system and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to establish the first call as a VoIP call between the enterprise communication system and the mobile device over said IP connection.

17. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein a VoIP-capable IP connection is not present between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system, and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to said data message, and wherein the communication application of the mobile device is configured to automatically place a circuit-switched voice call to the enterprise communications system via the public land mobile network in response to the said acknowledgement message.

18. The system claimed in claim 11, wherein the PBX is configured to terminate the first call and the second call under the control of the enterprise voice application server and wherein the PBX includes a bridging agent for bridging the first call and the second call.

19. The system claimed in claim 11, wherein the enterprise voice application server includes a media processing component, and wherein the PBX and the enterprise voice application server are configured to establish one or more media paths between the PBX and the enterprise voice application server to terminate the first call and the second call at the media processing component of the enterprise voice application server, and wherein the enterprise voice application server includes a bridging agent for bridging the first call and the second call.

20. A mobile device associated with an enterprise, the enterprise including an enterprise communications system for managing enterprise-related calls, the mobile device comprising:

a communications subsystem for engaging in wireless communications with a public land mobile network;

a memory;

a user interface for outputting information and for receiving user input;

a processor for controlling the communications subsystem, the memory, and the user interface; and

a communication application executable by the processor and configured to prevent a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and a remote party over the public land mobile network,

wherein the communication application is configured to establish a first call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system in response to a request to establish a call between the remote party and the mobile device,

and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to establish a second call between the enterprise communications system and the remote party and to bridge the first call and the second call at the enterprise communication system to connect the mobile device and the remote party.

21. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, further comprising a WiFi subsystem for establishing a VoIP-capable IP connection with the enterprise communications system over a WLAN, and wherein the communication application is configured to establish said first call as a VoIP call over said IP connection.

22. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, wherein the public land mobile network is configured to forward call requests addressed to the mobile device to an associated enterprise phone number, and wherein the communication application is configured to prevent alteration of the configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to forwarding call requests addressed to the mobile device, and wherein the enterprise communication system is adapted to receive a forwarded call request from the public land mobile network and to determine that a forwarded call request addressed to the mobile device comprises a call request addressed to the mobile device by the remote party but forwarded to the associated enterprise phone number and, based on that determination, to initiate establishment of the first call, establish the second call, and bridge the first call and the second call.

23. The mobile device claimed in claim 22, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send the mobile device a data message informing the mobile device of the call request from the remote party, and wherein the communication application on the mobile device is configured to output a user alert through the user interface in response to the data message regarding the call request, receive a user input accepting the request through the user interface, and, in response to the user input, automatically place a circuit-switched voice call via the communications subsystem and the public land mobile network addressed to the enterprise communications system.

24. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, wherein the request comprises a request by the mobile device to establish the call with the remote party, and wherein the communication application of the mobile device is adapted to generate and transmit a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party.

25. The mobile device claimed in claim 24, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to said data message, and wherein the communication application of the mobile device is configured to automatically place a circuit-switched voice call to the enterprise communications system via the public land mobile network in response to the said acknowledgement message.

26. A computer program product comprising a machine-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions for routing a call between an enterprise-associated mobile device and a remote party through an enterprise communications system, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for preventing a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and the remote party via a public land mobile network;

instructions, executable in response to a request to establish the call between the enterprise-associated mobile device and the remote party, for

establishing a first call between the enterprise-associated mobile device and the enterprise communications system,

establishing a second call between the enterprise communications system and the remote party, and

bridging the first call and the second call at the enterprise communications system to connect the enterprise-associated mobile device and the remote party.