Method and system for providing mobility to enhanced call service features at remote locations

• US 6,823,197 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fowler, Kathleen C., Westrich, Robert S., Weber, Roy Philip, Zelezniak, Aleksandr, Goldman, Shelley B., Wang, Shaoqing Q., Foladare, Mark Jeffrey, Chen, Yihsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behulu, Alemayehu
• Application Number:
  US09/805,292
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 455/554.1, 455/554.2, 455/555, 455/552.1, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/554.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing PBX-like functionality at a remote office location includes the capability of maintaining a network session with a mobile number associated with the remote worker once the worker terminates the remote office session. The system utilizes a remote office platform interposed between a data communications network and a conventional PBX switch (located either at a subscriber-based office location or within the communication network and shared by a number of different subscribers). A remotely located individual (such as a telecommuter) “logs in” to the remote office platform and, once the individual is authenticated, a graphical user interface (GUI) emulating a PBX station set is enabled at the remote employee'"'"'s personal computer, the GUI including a field for entry of the user'"'"'s mobile number. When the user ends the session at the remote location, the platform invokes a mobility process to maintain a communication session with the remote worker via the communication device associated with the mobile number.

Claims

1. A method of providing PBX-like functionality at a remote location not directly connected to a PBX switch, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing voice and data communication interconnections to voice and data networks at the remote location;

b) providing a remote office platform coupled between the remote location and the PBX switch;

c) authenticating, at the remote office platform, access to the PBX switch from the remote location;

d) enabling a PBX interface at said remote location;

e) in response to PBX-like commands received at the remote office platform from said remote location, forwarding said commands to said PBX switch for call completion;

f) in response to calls received at the PBX switch for an individual at said remote location, sending said received calls to said remote office platform for forwarding to said remote location; and

g) in response to receiving a command at the remote office platform to terminate the remote session;

(i) searching for an alternative termination mobile number associated with a mobile device being used by the individual at the remote office platform; and

, if found,

(ii) maintaining a remote session between the remote office platform and the mobile device.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step g), the following additional steps are performed:

(iii) monitoring the remote session maintained with the mobile device for a “

deactivate mobile session”

message received at the remote platform from the individual; and

(iv) discontinuing the session with the mobile device when a “

deactivate mobile session”

message from the individual is recognized.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the “

deactivate mobile session”

message of step g (iii) relates to a log-in at the remote location.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the “

deactivate mobile session”

message of step g (iii) relates to returning to communication with the PBX switch.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step a) the voice and data interconnections are provided using a cable modem.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step a) the voice interconnection is provided directly from the voice communication network and the data interconnection is provided using a modem.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step c) the remote office platform compares authentication information input by the remote location user to predetermined authentication information stored in a database at the remote office platform.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step d), the remote office platform transmits the PBX interface across the data network to the remote location.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein in performing step d) the remote office platform transmits a graphical user interface PBX station replica as the PBX interface to the remote location, the graphical user interface including a field for entry of the mobile number.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein in performing step d), the remote office platform activates PBX interface software resident at the remote location.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein subsequent to performing step d), the remote individual enters a mobile number onto the enabled PBX interface.

12. A remote office system for providing PBX-like functionality at a location not directly connected to an office-based customer premise equipment PBX switch, the remote office system comprising

a remote office location including voice and data communication network interconnections;

a remote office platform coupled to the PBX switch and the remote office data interconnection for transferring PBX-like call feature commands between the remote office location and the PBX switch so as to cause the PBX switch to provide PBX-like call feature functionality for the remote office location, the remote office platform including a service controller for processing the PBX-like commands received from the remote location and a switch controller responsive to the output of the service controller for forwarding said PBX-like commands to the office-based PBX switch; and

a mobility processor, located at the remote office platform, for activating a PBX-like session with a user-identified mobile number when the user ends a session at the remote office location.

13. A remote office system for providing PBX-like functionality at a location not directly connected to a network-based PBX switch, shared by a plurality of customers, the remote office system comprising

a remote office location including voice and data communication network interconnections;

a remote office platform coupled to the PBX switch and the remote office data interconnection for transferring PBX-like call feature commands between the remote office location and the PBX switch so as to cause the PBX switch to provide PBX-like call feature functionality for the remote office location the remote office platform including a service controller for processing the PBX-like commands received from the remote location and a switch controller responsive to the output of the service controller for forwarding said PBX-like commands to the network-based PBX switch;

a switch disposed between the switch controller and the network-based PBX switch to control the flow of communication between the network-based PBX switch and the remote office platform; and

a mobility processor, located at the remote office platform, for activating a PBX-like session with a user-identified mobile number when the user ends a session at the remote office location.