Apparatus for providing a gateway between a wired telephone and a wireless telephone network

• US 7,359,702 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirkpatrick, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/356,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 4554261-4262, 455/461, 455/462, 455/552.1, 455/550.1, 455/557, 455/3.04
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products provide for creating a gateway between a wired telephone and a wireless telephone network. The gateway device is connected to a wired home telephone network having one or more wired telephones, a wired telephone network, such as the PSTN, and a wireless telephone network. The apparatus may operate in a first mode that allows the wired telephone network to be utilized as a primary telephone network for the wired home telephone network and the wireless telephone network to be utilized as a backup in case of failure of the wired telephone network. Alternatively, the apparatus may operate in a second mode that allows the wireless telephone network to be utilized as a primary telephone network for the wired home telephone network and the wired telephone network to be utilized as a backup in case of failure of the wireless telephone network.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to provide a gateway between a telephone associated with a wired home telephone network and a wireless telephone network, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the computer to:

determine whether a wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication, wherein when the wireless connection serves as a secondary mode of communication,

detect an incoming wireless telephone call over the wireless telephone network;

provide a ring signal to the telephone in response to detecting the incoming call;

determine whether the telephone has been placed in an off-hook-state in response to the ring signal; and

in response to determining that the telephone has been placed in an off-hook state, convert the incoming wireless telephone call to a format compatible with the telephone and convert signals received at the telephone to a format compatible with the wireless telephone network, thereby permitting the incoming telephone call to be received and conducted on the telephone, wherein the gateway is located between the wired home telephone network and a wired network and is operative to electrically connect the wired home telephone network to the wired telephone network while bypassing the wireless telephone network.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the determination of whether the wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication is based on a user preference.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein a user enters the user preference using a keypad.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication serves as a secondary mode of communication based on a predetermined time period.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication serves as a secondary mode of communication based on wireless communications rates during a communication.

6. A method for providing a gateway between one or more telephones associated with a wired home telephone network and a wireless telephone network, comprising:

determining whether a wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication, wherein when the wireless connection serves as a secondary mode of communication,

determining whether a connection between the one or more telephones and a wired telephone network is operative;

in response to determining that the connection between the one or more telephones and the wired network is inoperative,

delivering an electrical current to the one or more telephones compatible with POTS service,

detecting an incoming telephone call at a wireless radio,

providing a ring signal to the one or more telephones in response to detecting the incoming telephone call and,

in response to determining that a one of the one or more telephones has been placed in an off-hook state, establishing a communications channel between the one or more telephones and the wireless telephone network, thereby permitting the incoming telephone call to be received on the one of the telephones placed in an off-hook state, wherein the gateway is located between the wired home telephone network and a wired network and is operative to electrically connect the wired home telephone network to the wired telephone network while bypassing the wireless telephone network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether the wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication is based on a user preference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a user enters the user preference using a keypad.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication serves as a secondary mode of communication based on a predetermined time period.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication serves as a secondary mode of communication based on wireless communications rates during a communication.

11. A system for providing a gateway between one or more telephones associated with a wired home telephone network and a wireless telephone network, comprising:

means for determining whether a wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication, wherein when the wireless connection serves as a secondary mode of communication,

means for determining whether a connection between the one or more telephones and a wired telephone network is operative;

in response to determining that the connection between the one or more telephones and the wired network is inoperative, means for delivering an electrical current to the one or more telephones compatible with POTS service,

means for detecting an incoming telephone call at a wireless radio,

means for providing a ring signal to the one or more telephones in response to detecting the incoming telephone call and,

in response to determining that a one of the one or more telephones has been placed in an off-hook state, means for establishing a communications channel between the one or more telephones and the wireless telephone network, thereby permitting the incoming telephone call to be received on the one of the telephones placed in an off-hook state, wherein the gateway is located between the wired home telephone network and a wired network and is operative to electrically connect the wired home telephone network to the wired telephone network while bypassing the wireless telephone network.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for connecting the wired home telephone network to a wired telephone network via a wired telephone interface and a wired network interface.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for determining when a wired telephone network becomes inoperative.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for automatically using the wireless telephone network when a wired telephone network becomes inoperative.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for storing user preference information, wherein the user preference information is used in the means for determining whether a wireless connection is designated to serve as a primary mode of communication or a secondary mode of communication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a user preference is associated with wired telephone network rates and wireless telephone network rates.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the incoming call occurs over the telephone when a peak rate is charged to use the wireless telephone network.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for using the wired home telephone network to conduct a telephone call when the telephone call is a local telephone call.