Extending mobile phone networks

• US 7,412,257 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Loveland, Shawn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/395,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 4555541-555
• US Class Current: 455/554.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging mobile phone networks with other telephone networks. A telephone network comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines connected to telephones and to a gateway, which in turn is connected to one or more mobile phones and potentially to one or more landlines. When the gateway receives an inbound call from one of the mobile phones, or an outbound call from one or the telephones, the gateway applies routing rules to determine how to route the call. Routing may depend on a variety of factors, such as time of day, cost, the mobile phone receiving an inbound call. To help identify the mobile phone as the source of an inbound call, a distinctive ring may be selected. To account for differences in the mobile phone network and the telephone network, the gateway translates signals between the two networks.

Claims

1. In a gateway for a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a method of routing calls, outbound from the telephones to any of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones can be used for the calls outbound from any of the telephones, the method comprising acts of:

the gateway receiving a first outbound call from a first telephone connected to the gateway through a first individually addressable telephone line;

the gateway applying one or more routing rules to the first outbound call for selecting a first mobile phone that is connected to the gateway through which the first outbound call is to be routed; and

connecting the first outbound call to the first selected mobile phone

wherein a second outbound call from a second telephone connected to the gateway through a second individually addressable telephone line that is different from the first individually addressable telephone line is connected to the first selected mobile phone, the first selected mobile phone being selected by applying the one or more rules to the second outbound call so that outbound calls from different telephones can be connected through the same mobile phone.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a time-of-day component for routing outbound calls.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a cost component for routing outbound calls.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the telephone connected to the gateway comprises either a single-line analog telephone, a multi-line analog telephone, an integrated services digital network telephone, a digital telephone, or an Internet protocol telephone.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to a mobile phone connected to the gateway differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through the telephone connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of the gateway translating between the one or more mobile phone network signals and the one or more telephone network signals.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more telephone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a dial tone signal, (ii) a stuttered dial tone signal for indicating received messages, (iii) a call forward signal, (iv) a phone forward signal, (v) a conference call signal, and (vi) a transfer signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more mobile phone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, (ix) a conference call signal, and (x) a transfer call signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of applying one or more other rules that control operation of the gateway.

9. In a gateway for a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a method of routing calls, outbound from a telephone to any of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones can be used for a call outbound from a telephone, the method comprising steps for:

for a first outbound call received at the gateway from a first telephone connected to the gateway through a first telephone line of the individually addressable telephone lines, determining that a first mobile phone connected to the gateway is to carry the first outbound call;

routing the first outbound call to the first mobile phone that was determined to carry the first outbound call;

for a second outbound call received at the gateway from a second telephone connected to the gateway through a second telephone line of the individually addressable telephone lines, determining that the first mobile phone connected to the gateway is to carry the second outbound call; and

routing the second outbound call to the first mobile phone that was determined to carry the second outbound call

so that outbound calls from different telephones can be routed through the same mobile phone.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more routing rules stored at the gateway select a particular mobile phone for an outbound call.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the particular mobile phone is selected for the second outbound call based at least in part on at least one mobile phone being in use when the second outbound call is initiated.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein which of the mobile phones is selected to carry an outbound call depends on which of the individually addressable telephone lines is used to initiate the outbound call.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to the mobile phone differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through a telephone connected to at least one of the individually addressable telephone lines, the method further comprising a step for the gateway mapping the one or more mobile phone network signals to one or more corresponding telephone network signals and mapping the one or more telephone network signals to one or more corresponding mobile phone network signals.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more telephone network signals and the one or more mobile phone network signals comprise at least one of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, and (ix) a signal for indicating received messages.

15. A gateway for bridging one or more mobile phone networks supporting one or more mobile phones and a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and multiple telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, the gateway comprising:

a plurality of mobile phone connectors that each connect a mobile phone to the gateway so that the gateway can receive and route calls using the mobile phones;

a plurality of telephone line connectors that each connect an individually addressable telephone line and its connected telephone to the gateway so that the gateway can receive and route calls through the individually addressable telephone lines;

a storage medium containing one or more routing rules that select from the mobile phones and the individually addressable telephone lines for routing calls received and placed through the gateway, such that a routing rule indicates that a first outbound call from a first telephone connected to a first individually addressable telephone line and a second outbound call from a second telephone connected to a second individually addressable telephone line are routed through the same mobile phone connected to the same mobile phone connector so that outbound calls from different telephones can be routed through the same mobile phone; and

a processor that executes the routing rules and causes calls received and placed through the gateway to be routed according to the executed routing rules.

16. A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more land line connectors that connect one or more land lines to the gateway.

17. A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile phone connectors comprise one or more wireless connectors.

18. A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the telephone line connectors comprise one or more wireless connectors.

19. A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more charging cradles for charging the one or more mobile phones.

20. A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the storage media stores certain data, a version of which is also stored on at least one mobile phone connected to the gateway, and wherein the storage medium also contains instructions that when executed by the processor synchronize the certain data with the version stored on a mobile phone connected to the gateway.

21. A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more computer network connectors that connect the gateway to one or more computers.

22. A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein one or more signals for interacting with the mobile phone networks differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network, and wherein the storage medium contains instructions that when executed by the processor map the one or more mobile phone network signals to one or more corresponding telephone network signals and map the one or more telephone network signals to one or more corresponding mobile phone network signals.

23. A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the telephone line connectors supports at least one of (i) a single analog telephone line, (ii) multiple analog telephone lines, (iii) an integrated services digital network telephone line, (iv) a digital telephone line, (v) a wireless telephone line, or (vi) an Internet protocol telephone line.

24. For a gateway connected to a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of routing calls, outbound from a telephone to any of one of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones and can be used for the calls outbound from a telephone, the method comprising acts of:

the gateway receiving an outbound call from a telephone connected to the gateway through an individually addressable telephone line;

the gateway applying one or more routing rules to the outbound call for selecting one of the mobile phones or landlines that are connected to the gateway through which the outbound call is to be routed; and

connecting the outbound call to the selected one of the mobile phones or landlines

wherein a routing rule indicates that outbound calls from different telephones can be connected through the same mobile phone.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a time-of-day component for routing outbound calls.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a cost component for routing outbound calls.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to a mobile phone connected to the gateway differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through the telephone connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of the gateway translating between the one or more mobile phone network signals and the one or more telephone network signals.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more telephone network signals and the one or more mobile phone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, (ix) a conference call signal, (x) a transfer call signal, (xi) a ring voltage signal, (xii) a dial tone signal, and (xiii) a signal for indicating received messages.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein a computer is connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of receiving configuration information for the gateway from the computer.