MOBILE PHONE DOCKING STATION FOR VoIP

• US 20120155454A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Eichen, Elliot G., Javaregowda, Gowtham, Goodman, Lee N., Gaviria Velez, Rafael Andres
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,359 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 phone docking station includes a docking port configured to physically dock with a mobile phone. The docking port further includes a charging port configured to connect with the docked mobile phone and to supply a charging current to a battery of the mobile phone, and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. The phone docking station further includes a system configured to carry VoIP traffic from an external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network; and enable, via the USB port, media streaming from the phone docking station to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone to the phone docking station.

Claims

1. A phone docking station, comprising:

a docking port configured to physically dock with a mobile phone, wherein the docking port includes an input/output port; and

a system configured to provide Ethernet/Internet Protocol (IP) access from an external network through the input/output port to the mobile phone.

2. The phone docking station of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to enable, via the input/output port, media streaming from the phone docking station to the mobile phone and from the mobile phone to the phone docking station.

3. The phone docking station of claim 2, wherein the media comprises audio or video media.

4. The phone docking station of claim 3, further comprising:

an audio unit configured to play back audio media streamed from the mobile phone to the phone docking station.

5. The phone docking station of claim 3, further comprising:

a video unit configured to play back video media streamed from the mobile phone to the phone docking station.

6. The phone docking station of claim 1, wherein the external network comprises an Ethernet or Internet Protocol (IP) network.

7. The phone docking station of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone comprises a cellular telephone.

8. The phone docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking port further comprises:

a charging port configured to connect with the docked mobile phone and to supply a charging current to a battery of the mobile phone.

9. The phone docking station of claim 1, wherein the input/output port comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

10. The phone docking station of claim 9, wherein, when providing Ethernet/IP access from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, the system is further configured to:

carry voice-over-IP (VoIP) traffic from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone.

11. The phone docking station of claim 10, wherein, when carrying VoIP traffic from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, the system is further configured to:

use Ethernet over USB protocol to carry the VoIP traffic from the external network to the mobile phone.

12. The phone docking station of claim 10, wherein, when providing Ethernet/IP access from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, the system is further configured to:

utilize Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) or Network Address Translation (NAT) for carrying the VoIP traffic through the USB port.

13. The phone docking station of claim 12, wherein the mobile phone has a non-routable IP address, and the phone docking station has a non-routable IP address facing the mobile phone and a routable IP address facing the external network.

14. The phone docking station of claim 10, wherein, when providing Ethernet/IP access from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, the system is further configured to:

using a bridging mode to forward packets of the VoIP traffic, at layer 2, from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, or from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network.

15. The phone docking station of claim 14, wherein the mobile phone has a routable IP address and the phone docking station has a routable IP address.

16. A phone docking station, comprising:

a docking port configured to physically dock with a mobile phone and including;

a charging port configured to connect with the docked mobile phone and to supply a charging current to a battery of the mobile phone, and

a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port;

a system configured to;

carry Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic from an external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network, and

enable, via the USB port, media streaming from the phone docking station to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone to the phone docking station.

17. The phone docking station of claim 16, wherein, when carrying VoIP traffic from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network, the system is further configured to:

use Ethernet over USB protocol to carry the VoIP traffic from the external network to the mobile phone and from the mobile phone to the external network.

18. The phone docking station of claim 16, wherein, when carrying VoIP traffic from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network, the system is further configured to:

utilize Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) or Network Address Translation (NAT) for carrying the VoIP traffic through the USB port.

19. The phone docking station of claim 16, wherein, when carrying VoIP traffic from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, and from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network, the system is further configured to:

use a bridging mode to forward packets of the VoIP traffic, at layer 2, from the external network through the USB port to the mobile phone, or from the mobile phone through the USB port to the external network.

20. The phone docking station of claim 16, wherein the media comprises audio or video media.