Single number reachability using cellular and desktop telephones

• US 7,319,864 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Christopher E., Jagadeesan, Ramanathan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US10/988,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/445, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A system for providing a single number reachability solution for communications with a desktop telephone and a cellular telephone includes a mobility application coupled to a call management application. The call management application can associate a telephone number with a desktop telephone and a first communication port, receive a first telephone call initiated by a remote device and directed to the telephone number, and offer the first telephone call to the desktop telephone and to the first communication port. The mobility application can associate the first communication port with a cellular telephone, obtain a second communication port from multiple available communication ports in response to the offer, and place a second telephone call to the cellular telephone using the second communication port. Signaling associated with a communication session with the remote device passes through a call management application, and media associated with the communication session passes directly between the remote device and an answering device.

Claims

1. A system for providing a single number reachability solution for communications with a desktop telephone and a cellular telephone, comprising:

a call management application operable to associate a telephone number with a desktop telephone and a first communication port, to receive a first telephone call initiated by a remote device and directed to the telephone number, and to offer the first telephone call to the desktop telephone and to the first communication port; and

a mobility application coupled to the call management application and operable to associate the first communication port with a cellular telephone, to obtain a second communication port from a plurality of available communication ports in response to the offer, and to place a second telephone call to the cellular telephone using the second communication port;

wherein signaling associated with a communication session with the remote device passes through the call management application and media associated with the communication session passes directly between the remote device and an answering device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility application is further operable to bridge the first communication port and the second communication port to establish a communication link between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a gateway coupled to the mobility application and operable to forward media received from the remote device to the cellular telephone and to forward media received from the cellular telephone to the remote device if the cellular telephone answers the second telephone call.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobility application is further operable to drop the second call in response to the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the call manager application is further operable to activate a voicemail application in response to neither the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call nor the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call; and

the mobility application is further operable, in response to the voicemail application receiving a voicemail message, to notify the cellular telephone that the voicemail message has been received.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the cellular telephone operable to answer the second telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the desktop telephone operable to answer the first telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the desktop telephone.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the desktop telephone operable to display an indication that the communication session involves the cellular telephone in response to the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call.

9. A method for providing a single number reachability solution for communications with a desktop telephone and a cellular telephone, comprising:

associating a telephone number with a desktop telephone and a first communication port;

receiving a first telephone call initiated by a remote device and directed to the telephone number;

offering the first telephone call to the desktop telephone and to the first communication port;

associating the first communication port with a cellular telephone;

obtaining a second communication port from a plurality of available communication ports in response to the offer; and

placing a second telephone call to the cellular telephone using the second communication port;

wherein signaling associated with a communication session with the remote device passes through a call management application and media associated with the communication session passes directly between the remote device and an answering device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

bridging the first communication port and the second communication port to establish a communication link between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forwarding media received from the remote device to the cellular telephone and forwarding media received from the cellular telephone to the remote device if the cellular telephone answers the second telephone call.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dropping the second call in response to the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

activating a voicemail application in response to neither the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call nor the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call; and

in response to the voicemail application receiving a voicemail message, notifying the cellular telephone that the voicemail message has been received.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

answering the second telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

answering the first telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the desktop telephone.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying an indication that the communication session involves the cellular telephone in response to the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call.

17. Logic for providing a single number reachability solution for communications with a desktop telephone and a cellular telephone, the logic encoded in computer-readable media and operable when executed to:

associate a telephone number with a desktop telephone and a first communication port;

receive a first telephone call initiated by a remote device and directed to the telephone number;

offer the first telephone call to the desktop telephone and to the first communication port;

associate the first communication port with a cellular telephone;

obtain a second communication port from a plurality of available communication ports in response to the offer; and

place a second telephone call to the cellular telephone using the second communication port;

wherein signaling associated with a communication session with the remote device passes through a call management application and media associated with the communication session passes directly between the remote device and an answering device.

18. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

bridge the first communication port and the second communication port to establish a communication link between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

19. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

forward media received from the remote device to the cellular telephone and forwarding media received from the cellular telephone to the remote device if the cellular telephone answers the second telephone call.

20. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

drop the second call in response to the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call.

21. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

activate a voicemail application in response to neither the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call nor the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call; and

in response to the voicemail application receiving a voicemail message, notify the cellular telephone that the voicemail message has been received.

22. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

answer the second telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

23. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

answer the first telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the desktop telephone.

24. The logic of claim 17, further operable when executed to:

display an indication that the communication session involves the cellular telephone in response to the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call.

25. A system for providing a single number reachability solution for communications with a desktop telephone and a cellular telephone, comprising:

means for associating a telephone number with a desktop telephone and a first communication port;

means for receiving a first telephone call initiated by a remote device and directed to the telephone number;

means for offering the first telephone call to the desktop telephone and to the first communication port;

means for associating the first communication port with a cellular telephone;

means for obtaining a second communication port from a plurality of available communication ports in response to the offer; and

means for placing a second telephone call to the cellular telephone using the second communication port;

wherein signaling associated with a communication session with the remote device passes through a call management application and media associated with the communication session passes directly between the remote device and an answering device.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for bridging the first communication port and the second communication port to establish a communication link between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for forwarding media received from the remote device to the cellular telephone and forwarding media received from the cellular telephone to the remote device if the cellular telephone answers the second telephone call.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for dropping the second call in response to the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for activating a voicemail application in response to neither the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call nor the desktop telephone answering the first telephone call; and

in response to the voicemail application receiving a voicemail message, means for notifying the cellular telephone that the voicemail message has been received.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for answering the second telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the cellular telephone.

31. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for answering the first telephone call to establish the communication session between the remote device and the desktop telephone.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for displaying an indication that the communication session involves the cellular telephone in response to the cellular telephone answering the second telephone call.