Method and apparatus for controlling a network device

• US 7,120,241 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Bethany Scott, Fuoss, Paul Henry, Katseff, Howard Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US11/216,819
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 37921101-21102, 379/212.01, 379/52, 455/557
• US Class Current: 379/212.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A personal communications device may be placed in, or removed from, a docking station. In response, a predetermined command may be selected from a plurality of predetermined commands and transmitted from the docking station to at least one of a plurality of network devices. Each predetermined command may include the address of the network device and may be configured to cause the network device to respond. In this way, a user'"'"'s communication infrastructure may be reconfigured in a simple and intuitive manner.

Claims

1. A method for transferring an active phone call using a network communications device, comprising:

receiving a transfer command at the network communications device after detecting engagement of a first communication device with a docking station, and selecting said command from a plurality of commands by said docking station, the transfer command being associated with an active phone call on the first communications device; and

transferring the active phone call to a second communications device, the transferring being without an incoming ring signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer command is received in response to detecting the engagement of the first communications device with the docking station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer command is received in response to detecting the disengagement of the first communications device from the docking station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer command further includes a network address of the second communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer command further includes a phone number of the second communications device.