Technique for communicating information over a broadband communications network

• US 7,447,780 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: McMahon, Stephen J., Kruse, Edwin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US10/842,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/229, 709/230, 709/238, 709/227, 370/352, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN

Abstract

The invention is directed to a technique for enabling communications to be transmitted between at least two associated counterpart devices at different locations, e.g., at work and home. One or more communications devices having a first identification code (e.g., telephone number) applicable to a first communications network are associated with one or more counterpart devices having a second identification code (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address) applicable to a second communications network.

Claims

1. A method for allowing communication between devices comprising:

receiving at a host a request from a first device for communication with a second device, wherein the host is configured to establish a connection between the first and second devices;

deriving at the host a first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code identifies the first device;

deriving at the host a second identification code from the request, wherein the second identification code identifies the second device;

using the first identification code to obtain a third identification code for identifying a third device, wherein the third identification code is stored at the host in association with the first identification code;

establishing the connection between the first device and the second device using the first identification code and second identification code; and

generating at the host a record containing the third identification code to associate the connection with the third device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, establishing a connection between the second device and the third device and a connection between the first device and the third device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is connected to a first network, the second device is connected to a second network and the third device is connected to a third network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first network comprises a private branch exchange, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a cable network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the first device and the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the third identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the third identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first network comprises a cable network, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a private branch exchange.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device and the third identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the third device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the first device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the first device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the third identification code is accessed from a database storing the first identification code in association with the third identification code.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising provisioning the first device and the third device to have at least one common feature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.

16. A system for allowing communication between devices comprising:

an interface configured for receiving from a first device a request for communication with a second device;

a database, wherein the database comprises identification codes;

a host configured for;

deriving a first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code identifies the first device;

deriving a second identification code from the request, wherein the second identification code identifies the second device;

using the first identification code to obtain a third identification code for identifying a third device, wherein the third identification code is stored in the database in association with the first identification code;

establishing the connection between the first device and the second device using the first identification code and the second identification code; and

generating a record containing the third identification code to associate the connection with the third device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the host is further configured for establishing a connection between the second device and the third device and establishing a connection between the first device and the third device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first device is connected to a first network, the second device is connected to a second network and the third device is connected to a third network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first network comprises a private branch exchange, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a cable network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the first device and the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the third identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the third identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the first network comprises a cable network, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a private branch exchange.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device and the third identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the third device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the first identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the first device.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the first identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the first device.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the first device and the third device are provisioned to have at least one common feature.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.