INTEGRATED PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE AND DEVICE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20130058467A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Silva, Michael C., Locascio, Timothy R., Orellana, Alejandro, Zhou, Yue
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a state center operates as a repository and exchange point for telephony state information that would not typically be accessible from an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX), and control state information that would not typically be accessible from a programmable multimedia controller. In such manner, the state center enables telephony responsive audio/video (A/V) and home automation device control, and A/V and home automation device responsive telephony control.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a registration message from an endpoint that supports voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling, the registration message indicating a telephony event involving the endpoint, the telephony event being the endpoint registering with an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX), the endpoint placing a call through the IP PBX, or the endpoint receiving a call via the IP PBX;

based on the registration message, updating telephony state at a state center to indicate the telephony event involving the endpoint; and

sending a notification message to one or more first devices that have registered to receive notification messages from the state center for telephony events, to inform the one or more first devices of occurrence of the telephony event involving the endpoint and to cause at least one first device to perform a responsive action that controls an audio/video (A/V) or home automation device in response to the telephony event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first device is a programmable multimedia controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first devices include another endpoint that supports VoIP calling and that is configured to update a telephony user interface in response to the telephony event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving another registration message from a control module, the another registration message indicating a control event related to operation of an A/V or home automation device;

based on the another registration message, updating control state at the state center to indicate the control event; and

sending a notification message to one or more second devices that have registered to receive notification messages from the state center for control events, to inform the one or more second devices of occurrence of the control event and to cause at least one second device to perform a responsive action that controls a call in response to the control event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one second device is the IP PBX.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony event is the endpoint registering with the IP PBX.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephony event is the endpoint placing a call or the endpoint receiving a call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the endpoint placing a call or the endpoint receiving a call includes joining a share group that provides a dynamic shared line appearance (SLA).

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store software for execution by the processor, the software including a state center that when executed is operable to

process a registration message from an endpoint that supports voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling, the registration message indicating a telephony event involving the endpoint, the telephony event being the endpoint registering with an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX), the endpoint placing a call through the IP PBX, or the endpoint receiving a call via the IP PBX,

based on the registration message, update control state to indicate the telephony event involving the endpoint, and

send a notification message to one or more first devices that have registered to receive notification messages from the state center for telephony events, to inform the one or more first devices of occurrence of the telephony is event involving the endpoint and to cause at least one first device to perform a responsive action that controls an audio/video (A/V) or home automation device in response to the telephony event.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one first device is a programmable multimedia controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the state center when executed is further operable to

process another registration message from a control module, the another registration message indicating a control event related to operation of an A/V or home automation device,

based on the another registration message, update control state to indicate the control event, and

send a notification message to one or more second devices that have registered to receive notification messages from the state center for control events, to inform the one or more second devices of occurrence of the control event and cause at least one second device to perform a responsive action that controls a call in response to the control event.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one second device is the IP PBX.

13. A method comprising:

upon entry of an endpoint that supports that voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling to a local area network (LAN), sending a registration message from the endpoint to an Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) to register with the IP PBX;

sending a parallel registration message from the endpoint to a state center separate from the IP PBX to update telephony state at the state center to indicate the endpoint has registered with the IP PBX;

in response to the update of telephony state, sending a notification message from the state center to a device that has registered to receive notification messages, to inform the device that the endpoint has registered with the IP PBX; and

performing a responsive action at the device based on to the notification message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is a programmable multimedia controller, and the responsive action is controlling an audio/video (A/V) or home automation device located proximate to the endpoint.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the device is another endpoint that supports VoIP calling, and the responsive action is updating a telephony user interface of the another endpoint.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a registration message from the endpoint to the IP PBX to place a call or to receive a call;

sending a parallel registration message from the endpoint to the state center separate from the IP PBX to further update telephony state at the state center to indicate the endpoint has placed the call or received the call;

in response to the further update of telephony state, sending a second notification message from the state center to the device that has registered to receive notification messages, to inform the device that the endpoint has placed the call or received the call; and

performing a second responsive action at the device based on to the second notification message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is a programmable multimedia controller and the second responsive action is controlling an audio/video (A/V) or home automation device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the device is another endpoint that supports VoIP calling, and the second responsive action is updating a telephony user interface of the another endpoint.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the endpoint joins a share group that provides a dynamic shared line appearance (SLA) for the call.

16. (canceled)