VOICE-OVER-INTERNET-PROTOCOL (VOIP) COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20200137679A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Poovappa, Vinayaka, Lowery, Clifton, Hart, John B., Athias, Franklyn
• Granted Patent: US 11,395,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• 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 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that enable an operator of a packet switched network to provide mobile telephone services in cooperation with an operator of a cellular network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating, by a device, with a cellular network operated by a first network operator;

sending, by the device to a packet switched network operated by a second network operator, via a cellular data connection of the cellular network, a request to register for telephony services of the packet switched network; and

if a wireless connection to a wireless access point of the packet switched network is available, sending, by the device to the packet switched network, via the wireless access point, a request to initiate voice-over-internet-packet (VoIP) communications via the wireless access point and the packet switched network.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

if a wireless connection to a wireless access point of the packet switched network is not available, sending, by the device to the packet switched network, via the cellular data connection of the cellular network, a request to initiate voice-over-internet-packet (VoIP) communications via the cellular data connection and the packet switched network.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the packet switched network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia core network subsystem.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless access point of the packet switched network operates in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) radio access technology, and wherein the device establishes a Wi-Fi connection to the packet switched network via the wireless access point.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the cellular network comprises an evolved packet core (EPC) network that implements the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the device communicates with the cellular network via a base station of the cellular network.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the device communicates with the cellular network based on first credentials comprising a first telephone number associated with the cellular network and provisioned by the first network operator, and wherein the device communicates with the packet switched network based on second credentials comprising a second telephone number associated with the packet switched network and provisioned by the second network operator.

8. A system comprising:

a cellular network operated by a first network operator, wherein the cellular network comprises a base station configured to provide access to the cellular network;

a packet switched network operated by a second network operator, wherein the packet switched network comprises a wireless access point configured to provide access to the packet switched network; and

a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to;

communicate with the cellular network via the base station;

send, to the packet switched network, via a cellular data connection of the cellular network, a request to register for telephony services of the packet switched network; and

if a wireless connection to the wireless access point of the packet switched network is available, send, to the packet switched network, via the wireless access point, a request to initiate voice-over-internet-packet (VoIP) communications via the wireless access point and the packet switched network.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the mobile device is further configured to:

if a wireless connection to the wireless access point of the packet switched network is not available, send, to the packet switched network, via the cellular data connection of the cellular network, a request to initiate voice-over-internet-packet (VoIP) communications via the cellular data connection and the packet switched network.

10. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the packet switched network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia core network subsystem.

11. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the wireless access point of the packet switched network operates in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) radio access technology, and wherein the mobile device establishes a Wi-Fi connection to the packet switched network via the wireless access point.

12. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the cellular network comprises an evolved packet core (EPC) network that implements the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology.

13. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the mobile device communicates with the cellular network based on first credentials comprising a first telephone number associated with the cellular network and provisioned by the first network operator, and wherein the device communicates with the packet switched network based on second credentials comprising a second telephone number associated with the packet switched network and provisioned by the second network operator.

14. The system recited in claim 13, wherein VoIP communications initiated by the mobile device either via the cellular data connection and the packet switched network or via the wireless access point and the packet switched network appear to a destination of the VoIP communication as originating from the second telephone number associated with the packet switched network.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, from a component of a cellular network operated by a first network operator, a telephony request comprising a first identifier associated with a device that initiated the telephony request, wherein the first identifier identifies the device to the first network operator;

determining, by a packet switched network operated by a second network operator, that the first identifier maps to a second identifier that identifies the device to the second network operator;

modifying the telephony request by replacing the first identifier with the second identifier in the request; and

forwarding, by the packet switched network, the modified telephony request toward a destination of the telephony request.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the packet switched network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia core network subsystem.

17. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the cellular network comprises an evolved packet core (EPC) network that implements the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology.

18. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the first identifier comprises a first telephone number provisioned for the device by the first network operator, and wherein the second identifier comprises a second telephone number provisioned for the device by the second network operator.

19. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the telephony request is received by the packet switched network from the cellular network using a session initiation protocol (SIP) trunk connecting the packet switched network and the cellular network.

20. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the packet switched network operated by the second network operator, another telephony request intended for the device, the another telephony request comprising the second identifier that identifies the device to the second network operator of the packet switched network;

determining, by the packet switched network, that the device is not reachable via a wireless access point of the packet switched network;

determining, by the packet switched network, that the second identifier maps to the first identifier that identifies the device to the first network operator of the cellular network;

modifying the telephony request by replacing the second identifier with the first identifier in the request; and

forwarding, by the packet switched network to the cellular network, the modified telephony request.