Auto Sensing Home Base Station for Mobile Telephone with Remote Answering Capabilities

• US 20120021739A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• 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: Frank, Scott M., Meadows, Vernon
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

The present invention discloses in one embodiment a mobile telephone capable of communicating with a home base station through radio signals. The mobile telephone registers with a home base station before beginning to communicate with the home base station. The home base station is capable of sensing the presence of the mobile telephone in its coverage area and subsequently establishing contact with the mobile telephone, if the mobile telephone is registered with the home base station. The home base station can support a plurality of telephone devices, including corded and cordless telephone devices, and provides call placement and answering services to these telephone devices if there is a registered mobile telephone within its coverage area.

Claims

1. A system for providing communication services through a mobile telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a home base station having a mobile telephone interface unit for communication with a plurality of mobile telephones and a mobile telephone registration unit, the home base station being capable of detecting presence of the mobile telephones in a home base station coverage area and the mobile telephone registration unit being capable of storing information identifying the mobile telephones, wherein the mobile telephones are in communication with at least one respective mobile telecommunications network;

the home base station further having a local telephone interface unit for communication with at least one local telephone device, wherein the home base station is configured to select a mobile telephone from the plurality of mobile telephones to place an outgoing telephone call requested from the at least one local telephone device via the mobile telecommunications network of the mobile telephone, the selection of the mobile telephone being based on the mobile telephone satisfying designated criteria,

wherein the designated criteria comprises at least one of strongest radio signal strength amongst the plurality of mobile telephones, a history of remaining within the home base station coverage area amongst the plurality of mobile telephones, or a track record of quality connections to the home base station amongst the plurality of mobile telephones.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein communication between the home base station and the at least one local telephone device follows Bluetooth protocols.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein communication between the home base station and the mobile telephone follows Bluetooth protocols.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one local telephone device is capable of receiving the information identifying two or more of the mobile telephones from the home base station and displaying the information to a user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the home base station further comprises a mobile telephone selector allowing the user to manually select which of the mobile telephones is to be used to place an outgoing telephone call from the at least one local telephone device.

6. A method for providing telephone services in a mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising:

detecting by a home base station the presence of at least two mobile telephones within a coverage area of the home base station;

establishing communication between at least one local telephone device and the home base station;

establishing communication between the at least two mobile telephones and the home base station;

detecting a local telephone device being activated, the at least one local telephone device comprising the local telephone device;

receiving a dialed telephone number from the local telephone device detected to be activated; and

selecting a mobile telephone from the at least two mobile telephones to place an outgoing telephone call from the at least one local telephone device via the mobile telephone through the mobile telecommunications network utilized by the mobile telephone, the selection of the mobile telephone being based on the mobile telephone satisfying designated criteria,

wherein the designated criteria comprises at least one of strongest radio signal strength amongst the plurality of mobile telephones, a history of remaining within the coverage area amongst the plurality of mobile telephones, a track record of quality connections to the home base station amongst the plurality of mobile telephones; and

directing a transmission of the dialed telephone number to the mobile telephone selected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the information identifying two or more of the mobile telephones to the at least one local telephone device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing information identifying each of the plurality of mobile telephones with the home base station;

receiving identification information from one of the plurality of mobile telephones;

comparing the identification information received with the information stored; and

if the identification information received matches the information stored, sending a request to establish communication with the one of the plurality of mobile telephones.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying on the home base station the identification information of the one of the plurality of mobile telephones.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a signal from one of the plurality of mobile telephones, the signal indicating an incoming call;

ringing the at least one local telephone device connected to the home base station;

detecting the at least one local telephone device answering the incoming call; and

sending a message to the one of the plurality of mobile telephones, the message indicating that the at least one local telephone device answered the incoming call.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the at least one local telephone device is available for answering the incoming call.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication between at least one of the plurality of mobile telephones and the home base station follows Bluetooth protocols.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one local telephone device is a cordless telephone device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication between the home base station and the cordless telephone device follows Bluetooth protocols.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the history comprises a top history of remaining within the home best station coverage amongst the plurality of mobile telephones and the track record comprises a top track record of quality connections amongst the plurality of mobile telephones.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting by the home base station the strength of radio signals from the plurality of mobile telephones.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one local telephone device is a corded telephone device.

18. A method for facilitating communications between at least one telephone device and a mobile communications network, the method comprising:

wirelessly detecting presence information related to at least two mobile communications devices;

detecting activation of the at least one local telephone device;

receiving a communication request from the at least one local telephone device, the communication request indicating a destination address; and

responsive to receiving the communication request, selecting a mobile communications devices, based on the mobile communications device satisfying designated criteria, from the at least two mobile communications devices, wherein the designated criteria comprises at least one of strongest radio signal strength amongst the at least two mobile communications devices, a history of remaining within a coverage area amongst the at least two mobile communications devices, or a track record of quality connections to the home base station amongst the at least two mobile communications devices; and

sending the destination address to the mobile communication device selected.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing intercom communication services for the at least one local telephone device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile communications device includes a cellular telephone.