MOBILE PHONE DOCKING STATION MULTI-NETWORK TELEPHONY HUB

• US 20130155170A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• 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., Velez, Rafael Andres Gaviria, Goodman, Lee N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A docking station includes a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. The docking station includes a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones. The docking station further includes a switch configured to: receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and route the first call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device. The first mobile device comprises a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first call at a docking station via a first mobile device docked in the docking station;

receiving a second call at the docking station via a second mobile device docked in the docking station;

ringing one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or one or more cordless phones connected to the docking station with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device; and

ringing the one or more POTS or the one or more cordless phones connected to the docking station with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the first call through the docking station to the one or more POTS phones or the one or more cordless phones; and

routing the second call through the docking station to the one or more POTS or one or more cordless phones.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is connected to a first mobile carrier network via a first wireless link and the first call is received by the first mobile device via the first mobile carrier network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second mobile device is connected to a second mobile carrier network via a second wireless link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second mobile carrier network is different than the first mobile carrier network.

7. The method of claim 1,

receiving a third call at the docking station via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) connected to the docking station;

and

ringing the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or cordless phones connected to the docking station with a third ringtone specific to the PSTN.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

routing the third call through the docking station to the one or more POTS phones or cordless phones.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth call at the docking station via a broadband access network connected to the docking station, wherein the fourth call comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call; and

ringing the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or cordless phones connected to the docking station with a fourth ringtone specific to the fourth call being a VoIP call.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving incoming video data from the first or second docked mobile devices or a broadband access network connected to the docking station;

converting, at the docking station, the video data into a television or monitor-compatible format; and

sending the converted video data to a television or a monitor connected to the docking station.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving incoming data from the first or the second docked mobile devices or a broadband access network connected to the docking station; and

sending the incoming data to one or more destination client devices via a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) connected to the docking station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The method 1, wherein the second ringtone is different than the first ringtone.

14. A docking station, comprising:

a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port;

a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones;

a switch configured to;

receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and

route the first call to the subscriber line interface,

wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device.

15. The docking station of claim 14, wherein the first docking port comprises a Universal Serial Bus port.

16. The docking station of claim 14, wherein the first mobile device comprises a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

18. The docking station of claim 14, further comprising:

a second docking port configured to physically dock with a second mobile device, wherein the second docking port includes a USB port;

wherein the switch is configured to;

receive a second call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and

route the second call to the subscriber line interface,

wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device.

19. The docking station of claim 14, further comprising:

a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones;

wherein the switch is further configured to route the first call to the cordless interface, and

wherein the cordless interface rings the one or more cordless telephones with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device.

20. The docking station of claim 18, further comprising:

a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones;

wherein the switch is further configured to route the second call to the cordless interface, and

wherein the cordless interface rings the one or more cordless telephones with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device.

21. The docking station of claim 14, wherein the switch is further configured to:

receive a third call at the docking station via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) connected to the docking station, and

route the third call to the subscriber line interface,

wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more POTS phones with a ringtone specific to the PSTN.

22. The docking station of claim 14, wherein the switch is configured to:

receive a fourth call at the docking station via a broadband access network connected to the docking station, wherein the fourth call comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, and

route the fourth call to the subscriber line interface,

wherein the subscribe line interface rings the one or more POTS phones with a ringtone specific to the fourth call being a VoIP call.

23. A docking station, comprising:

a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port;

a second docking port configured to physically dock with a second mobile device, wherein the second docking port includes a USB port,

wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a portable digital computing device that include the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections,

a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones;

a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones;

a switch configured to;

receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station,

receive a second call via the second mobile device docked in the docking station,

route the first and second calls to the subscriber line interface,

wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device, and

wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).