REMOTE CONNECTION TO A TELEPHONE LINE VIA INTERNET

• US 20090059896A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Andrew, Stober, Mark W., Shivan, Jyothival, Patel, Kiran, Ahmed, Khalid, Chatterjee, Sutap
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

A device receives a request from an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device to create a virtual extension of a plain old telephone service (POTS)-based telephone line, authenticates the IP-based device for association with the POTS-based telephone line, and creates the virtual extension of the POTS-based telephone line to the IP-based device when the IP-based device is authenticated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device to create a virtual extension of a plain old telephone service (POTS)-based telephone line;

authenticating the IP-based device for association with the POTS-based telephone line; and

creating the virtual extension of the POTS-based telephone line to the IP-based device when the IP-based device is authenticated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling placement of calls by the IP-based device via the virtual extension.

3. The method of claim 2, where enabling placement of calls comprises:

receiving, from the IP-based device, a call request to a POTS-based telephone number;

connecting the call request to the POTS-based telephone line; and

completing the call request to a device associated with the POTS-based telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling receipt of calls by the IP-based device via the virtual extension.

5. The method of claim 4, where enabling receipt of calls comprises:

receiving a call to a POTS-based telephone number associated with the POTS-based telephone line;

connecting the received call to an IP-based connection associated with the IP-based device; and

completing the received call to the IP-based device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the IP-based device, via the virtual extension, to use an intercom feature with a POTS-based device associated with the POTS-based telephone line.

7. The method of claim 6, where the intercom feature connects the IP-based device to the POTS-based device associated with the POTS-based telephone line without accruing toll charges.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a connection for the POTS-based telephone line;

providing a connection for an IP-based line associated with the IP-based device; and

bridging the POTS-based connection and the IP-based connection to create the virtual extension.

9. The method of claim 8, where bridging the POTS-based connection and the IP-based connection creates a pathway for connection to the POTS-based telephone line by the IP-based line.

10. A device comprising:

an interface for communicating with a plain old telephone service (POTS)-based telephone line;

an interface for communicating with an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device; and

processing logic to;

receive a request from the IP-based device to create a virtual extension of the POTS-based telephone line, and

create the virtual extension of the POTS-based telephone line to the IP-based device in response to the request.

11. The device of claim 10, where the processing logic further:

authenticates the IP-based device for association with the POTS-based telephone line.

12. The device of claim 10, where the processing logic further:

enables placement of calls by the IP-based device via the virtual extension.

13. The device of claim 12, where:

the IP-based interface receives, from the IP-based device, a call request to a POTS-based telephone number; and

the processing logic further;

connects the call request to the POTS-based telephone line, and

completes the call request to a device associated with the POTS-based telephone number.

14. The device of claim 10, where the processing logic further:

enables receipt of calls by the IP-based device via the virtual extension.

15. The device of claim 14, where:

the POTS-based interface receives a call from the POTS-based telephone line; and

the processing logic further;

connects the received call to the IP-based interface, and

completes the received call to the IP-based device via the IP-based interface.

16. The device of claim 10, where the processing logic further:

enables the IP-based device, via the virtual extension, to use an intercom feature with a POTS-based device associated with the POTS-based telephone line.

17. The device of claim 16, where the intercom feature connects the IP-based device to the device associated with the POTS-based telephone line without accruing toll charges.

18. The device of claim 10, where the processing logic further:

bridges the POTS-based interface and the IP-based interface to create the virtual extension.

19. The device of claim 18, where bridging the POTS-based interface and the IP-based interface creates a pathway for connection to the POTS-based telephone line by the IP-based device.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving a request from an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device to create a virtual extension of one of a plain old telephone service (POTS)-based telephone line or an optical network-based line; and

means for creating the virtual extension of one of the POTS-based telephone line or the optical network-based line to the IP-based device in response to the request.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for authenticating the IP-based device for association with one of the POTS-based telephone line or the optical network-based line prior to creating the virtual extension.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for enabling placement or receipt of calls by the IP-based device via the virtual extension.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

means for enabling the IP-based device, via the virtual extension, to use an intercom feature with a device associated with one of the POTS-based telephone line or the optical network-based line.