System and Method of Transitioning Between Cellular and Voice Over Internet Protocol Communication

• US 20090238147A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bicker, Dennis D., Dilley, Charles R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes determining, at a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) base station, that a mobile device capable of communicating via a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) and via the WLAN is within a range of the WLAN base station. The computer implemented method includes sending a registration message including an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the WLAN base station to the mobile phone device. The mobile device sends a call forwarding message from the mobile phone device to a network element of the WWAN after receiving the registration message. The call forwarding message redirects a call destined for the mobile phone device to the WLAN base station for transmission to the mobile phone device. The computer implemented method includes receiving the redirected call from the WWAN. The computer implemented method includes sending the redirected call to the mobile phone device when the mobile phone device is within the range of the WLAN base station, but not sending the redirected call from the WLAN to the mobile phone device when the mobile phone device is outside the range of the WLAN base station.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

determining, at a wireless local area network base station, that a mobile device capable of communicating via a wireless wide area network and via the wireless local area network is within a range of the wireless local area network base station;

sending a registration message including an internet protocol address from the wireless local area network base station to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device sends a call forwarding message from the mobile device to a network element of the wireless wide area network after receiving the registration message, and wherein the call forwarding message redirects a call destined for the mobile device to the wireless local area network base station for transmission to the mobile device;

receiving the redirected call from the wireless wide area network; and

sending the redirected call to the mobile device when the mobile device is within the range of the wireless local area network base station but not sending the redirected call from the wireless local area network to the mobile device when the mobile device is outside the range of the wireless local area network base station.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device sends a cancel call forwarding message to the network element of the wireless wide area network when the mobile device is outside the range of the wireless local area network base station.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the call is routed to the mobile device via the wireless wide area network after the mobile device sends the cancel call forwarding message to the network element of the wireless wide area network.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message sent to the mobile device includes a local port number that uniquely identifies a communication path between the mobile device and the wireless local area network base station.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network base station sends the redirected call to the mobile device using a voice over internet protocol.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the mobile device and the wireless local area network base station communicate bi-directionally using the voice over internet protocol.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network base station determines that the mobile device is within the range of the wireless local area network base station in accordance with an 802.11 communication protocol.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless local area network base station sends the internet protocol address to the mobile device using a dynamic host configuration protocol.

9. A base station, comprising:

an antenna; and

a wireless local area network interface to communicate with a wireless device via the antenna using a voice over internet protocol, the wireless local area network interface adapted to send a registration request via the wireless local area network to the wireless device when the wireless device is within a range of the base station;

wherein, after receiving registration data from the wireless device, the base station is further adapted to send a message including an internet protocol address to the wireless device after authenticating the wireless device;

wherein the base station is further adapted to receive a call from a wireless wide area network, to reroute the call to the wireless device when the wireless device is within the range of the base station, but not to reroute the call to the wireless device when the wireless device is outside the range of the wireless local area network base station.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein the wireless device sends a cancel call forwarding message to the network element of the wireless wide area network when the wireless device is outside the range of the base station, wherein the cancel call forwarding message causes the network element to route calls to the wireless device via the wireless wide area network.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein the message sent to the wireless device includes a local port number that uniquely identifies a communication path between the wireless device and the base station.

12. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is further adapted to receive a text message from the wireless wide area network and to reroute the text message to the wireless device when the wireless device is within the range of the base station.

13. A computer implemented method, comprising:

sending an internet protocol address to a wireless device from a wireless local area network base station, the wireless device capable of communicating with a wireless local area network and communicating with a wireless wide area network;

establishing a connection between the wireless device and a voice over internet protocol provider via the wireless local area network using the internet protocol address;

receiving a call destined for the wireless device from the voice over internet protocol provider after the wireless device sends a call forwarding message to a network element of the wireless wide area network, the call forwarding message instructing the network element to forward calls destined for the wireless device to the voice over internet protocol provider for routing to the wireless device via the wireless local area network; and

routing the call to the wireless device when the wireless device is within a range of the wireless local area network base station, but not routing the call to the wireless device when the wireless device is outside the range of the wireless local area network base station.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, further comprising registering the wireless device with the voice over internet protocol provider before establishing a connection to the voice over internet protocol provider.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the call destined for the wireless device is routed from the wireless wide area network to the voice over internet protocol provider and from the voice over internet protocol provider to the internet protocol address associated with the wireless device.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the call forwarding message includes a port number of a communication path to the wireless device via the wireless local area network.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the wireless local area network is capable of communicating via a short-range wireless protocol.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the short-range wireless protocol comprises an 802.11 protocol.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein the wireless local area network base station receives a user identification and a password associated with the voice over internet protocol provider from the wireless device before establishing the connection between the wireless device and the voice over internet protocol provider.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein the wireless local area network base station sends the user identification and the password to the voice over internet protocol provider before establishing the connection between the wireless device and the voice over internet protocol provider.