ROUTING TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC

• US 20130142065A1
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: BARTLETT, Allan, IRWIN, James Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/692,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142065A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding

Abstract

System and method for routing telecommunications traffic comprising a network gateway having a data interface for connecting to a data network, a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, interface and logic configured to communicate telecommunications traffic between a PSTN and a mobile unit using a data network.

Claims

1. A system for routing telecommunications traffic comprising:

a network gateway having a data interface for connecting to a data network, a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, interface and logic configured to communicate telecommunications traffic between a PSTN and a mobile unit using a data network.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more mobile units configured to connect with the telecommunications traffic.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data network is one or more selected from:

the Internet, a mobile network, and a local network.

2. The system of claim 2 further comprising a server connectable with the network gateway across the data network and configured to route the telecommunications traffic between the PSTN and the mobile unit.

5. A server configured to route telecommunications traffic across a data network between a network gateway in communication with a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, and a mobile unit.

6. A method for routing telecommunications traffic comprising the steps of:

connecting a call between a network gateway in communication and a telephone line of a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN; and

directing the call from the network gateway to a mobile unit over a data network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein directing the call further comprises passing the call through a server to the mobile unit.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

determining the identity of a caller calling the telephone line connected to the network gateway; and

connecting the call to a mobile unit out of a plurality of mobile units based on the identity of the caller, or

initiating a voicemail recording when a user of the mobile unit is unavailable.

10. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of suppressing a ringing signal on the telephone line and/or initiating a ringing signal on the mobile unit.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the network gateway is connected to the data network over a protocol selected from the group consisting of:

ADSL, cable, WLAN, LAN, WiMax, 2G, 3G, 4G and LTE.

8. A method for routing telecommunications traffic between a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, and a mobile unit, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating telecommunications traffic between a server and a network gateway connected to a telephone line of a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, over a data network; and

communicating the telecommunications traffic between the server and the mobile unit over the data network.

12. A network gateway comprising:

a data interface for connecting to a data network;

a public circuit-switched telephone network, PSTN, interface for connecting to a telephone line on the PSTN; and

logic configured to route telecommunications traffic between a PSTN and a mobile unit over the data network.

13. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to:

receive a telephone call at the PSTN interface, and

route the call to the data network over the data interface.

14. The network gateway of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to test the telephone line connected to the PSTN interface.

15. The network gateway of claim 14, wherein the test includes a voltage line measurement when the telephone line is idle and/or busy.

16. The network gateway of claim 14, wherein the test is initiated by receiving a telephone call on the telephone line or by receiving a signal initiating a telephone call and the result of the test is reported over the telephone line in response.

17. The network gateway according to claim 14, wherein the result of the test are used to configure the network gateway.

18. The network gateway according to claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to set up an account with a configuration server over the data network.

19. The network gateway of claim 18, wherein the logic is further configured to receive a signal to initiate a telephone call to the configuration server.

20. The network gateway of claim 19, wherein the logic is further configured to receive an activation code over the telephone line.