Multi-function telephone

• US 7,496,360 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telogy Networks, Inc. (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Sindhwani, Manoj, Flanagan, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/789,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/422.1, 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/418, 455/425, 455/426.2, 455/335.1, 455/0.2, 455/436, 455/443, 455/450, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/322, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/341, 379/93.35, 379/142.08, 379/215.01
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless mobile telephone for connecting to multiple networks that includes a cellular module for routing calls through a cellular telephone network, a wireless network module, operably connected to the cellular module, for routing calls on a wireless local area network (WLAN). The mobile telephone provides simultaneous connectivity to a cellular network and a WLAN and automatically detects and configures the mobile telephone to the WLAN when the mobile telephone enters a WLAN broadcast area using pre-programmed operating profiles for each different WLAN.

Claims

1. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks said mobile phone is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless local area network (WLAN), said mobile phone comprising:

a cellular module for handling a call through said cellular network said cellular module detects said cellular network and loads a cellular module profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network;

a wireless network module, operably connected to said cellular module, for handling a call through said wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said cellular module and said wireless network module transmit simultaneously, said wireless network module scans for WLAN signals and matches WLAN parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said WLAN using an authorization procedure that is active on said WLAN and registers said mobile phone with a gateway on a network connected to said WLAN; and

said mobile phone detects a WLAN access point and loads an operating WLAN profile for said wireless network module that configures said mobile phone to site-specific WLAN network parameters, wherein said mobile phone is capable of making or receiving calls from both networks, wherein, when said phone receives both said cellular network call and said WLAN call, said phone may switch between the two calls using a call waiting procedure.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said profile comprises at least one of a plurality of parameters saved into a memory of said mobile phone of voice compression protocols and Internet Protocol network addresses.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said profile is one of a plurality of profiles which comprise configuration parameters for a plurality of wireless networks comprising a plurality of wireless network locations.

4. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said cellular module handles said calls using cellular network protocols, and

said wireless network module handles said calls on said WLAN using voice over Internet protocols.

5. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein, when the mobile phone enters a home WLAN, said wireless network module senses said home WLAN, loads a profile specific to said home WLAN which configures said mobile phone for sending and receiving calls using a home telephone number.

6. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the wireless network module senses broadcast signals from a plurality of different WLANs and loads one of a plurality of said profiles to configure voice over Internet Protocols for said mobile telephone that are pre-configured for each said WLAN.

7. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks said mobile phone, having a phone number, is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless local area network (WLAN), said mobile phone comprising:

a cellular module for handling a call through said cellular network said cellular module detects said cellular network and loads a cellular module profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network;

a wireless network module, operably connected to said cellular module, for handling a call through said wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said cellular module and said wireless network module transmit simultaneously, said wireless network module scans for WLAN signals and matches WLAN parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said WLAN using an authorization procedure that is active on said WLAN and registers said mobile phone with a gateway on a network connected to said WLAN; and

said mobile phone detects a WLAN access point and loads an operating WLAN profile for said wireless network module that configures said mobile phone to site-specific WLAN network parameters, wherein said mobile phone is capable of making or receiving calls from both networks, wherein, when said mobile phone enters a broadcast area of a wireless private branch exchange (PBX) network, said wireless network module senses said wireless PBX and loads a profile specific to said wireless PBX which enables said mobile phone to send and receive calls using a telephone number associated with said wireless PBX.

8. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks said mobile phone, having a phone number, is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless local area network (WLAN), said mobile phone comprising:

a cellular module for handling a call through said cellular network said cellular module detects said cellular network and loads a cellular module profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network;

a wireless network module, operably connected to said cellular module, for handling a call through said wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said cellular module and said wireless network module transmit simultaneously, said wireless network module scans for WLAN signals and matches WLAN parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said WLAN using an authorization procedure that is active on said WLAN and registers said mobile phone with a gateway on a network connected to said WLAN; and

said mobile phone detects a WLAN access point and loads an operating WLAN profile for said wireless network module that configures said mobile phone to site-specific WLAN network parameters, wherein said mobile phone is capable of making or receiving calls from both networks, wherein, when said operating profile is loaded into said wireless network module, said wireless network module matches a network address from said profile with said WLAN, allowing said mobile phone to transmit said call using said phone number through said WLAN.

9. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks said mobile phone, having a phone number, is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless local area network (WLAN), said mobile phone comprising:

a cellular module for handling a call through said cellular network said cellular module detects said cellular network and loads a cellular module profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network;

a wireless network module, operably connected to said cellular module, for handling a call through said wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said cellular module and said wireless network module transmit simultaneously, said wireless network module scans for WLAN signals and matches WLAN parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said WLAN using an authorization procedure that is active on said WLAN and registers said mobile phone with a gateway on a network connected to said WLAN; and

said mobile phone detects a WLAN access point and loads an operating WLAN profile for said wireless network module that configures said mobile phone to site-specific WLAN network parameters, wherein said mobile phone is capable of making or receiving calls from both networks, wherein, when said mobile phone enters a hotspot network broadcast area, said wireless network module senses said hotspot network and loads one of a plurality of said profiles to configure said mobile telephone to send and receive calls through said hotspot network using appropriate voice over Internet protocols.

10. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks, comprising:

a cellular system that routes calls under cellular protocols;

a wireless network system, operably connected to said cellular system, that routes calls under voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) protocols through a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

a memory system, operably connected to said wireless network system, for saving a plurality of profiles network configuration parameters for said mobile phone that match each different type of said WLAN with which said mobile phone interacts,

wherein said cellular system and said wireless network system are configured to route calls simultaneously, and

said mobile phone detects a specific WLAN and loads at least one of said profiles matching said specific WLAN, when said mobile phone enters a broadcast area of a wireless private branch exchange (PBX) network, said wireless network module senses said wireless PBX and loads a profile specific to said wireless PBX which enables said mobile phone to send and receive calls using a telephone number associated with said wireless PBX, when the mobile phone enters a home WLAN, said wireless network module senses said home WLAN, loads a profile specific to said home WLAN which configures said mobile phone for sending and receiving calls using a home telephone number, and, wherein said phone is capable of making or receiving calls from any of said multiple networks, wherein, when one of said profiles loads into said wireless network system, said wireless network system matches a network address from said profile with said WLAN, allowing said mobile telephone to route calls through said WLAN.

11. The mobile phone of claim 10, wherein each of said profiles comprises at least one of a plurality of parameters saved into a memory of said mobile phone of voice compression protocols and Internet Protocol network addresses.

12. The mobile phone of claim 10, wherein, when said mobile phone enters a broadcast area of a wireless private branch exchange (PBX) network, said wireless network system detects said wireless PBX and loads one of said profiles specific to said wireless PBX which enables said mobile phone to send and receive calls using a telephone number associated with said wireless PBX.

13. The mobile phone of claim 10, wherein said mobile phone cannot handoff a call between said cellular network and said WLAN.

14. The mobile phone of claim 10, wherein, when said mobile phone is located in an overlapping cellular network and WLAN area, said cellular system detects said cellular network and loads a cellular system profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network, and

said wireless network system scans for WLAN signals and matches WLAN parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said WLAN using an authorization procedure that is active on said WLAN and registers said mobile telephone with a gateway on a network connected to said WLAN.

15. A mobile phone for connecting to multiple wireless networks said mobile phone is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless local area network (WLAN), said mobile phone comprising:

a cellular module for handling a call through said cellular network;

a wireless network module, operably connected to said cellular module, for handling a call through said wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein said cellular module and said wireless network module transmit simultaneously; and

said mobile phone detects a WLAN access point and loads an operating WLAN profile for said wireless network module that configures said mobile phone to site-specific WLAN network parameters, when said mobile phone enters a broadcast area of a wireless private branch exchange (PBX) network, said wireless network module senses said wireless PBX and loads a profile specific to said wireless PBX which enables said mobile phone to send and receive calls using a telephone number associated with said wireless PBX, when the mobile phone enters a WLAN, said wireless network module senses said WLAN, loads a profile specific to said WLAN which configures said mobile phone for sending and receiving calls using a telephone number associated with said wireless WLAN, when said phone receives calls from at least two networks, said phone may switch between the two calls using a call waiting procedure.

16. A mobile phone for connecting to at least a cellular network and a wireless network, comprising:

a cellular system that routes calls under cellular protocols, said cellular system detects said cellular network and loads a cellular profile to configure said mobile phone to send and receive calls on said cellular network;

a wireless network system, operably connected to said cellular system, that routes calls under voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) protocols through a wireless network;

a memory system, operably connected to said wireless network system, for saving a plurality of profiles network configuration parameters for said mobile phone that match each different type of said wireless network with which said mobile phone interacts, wherein said cellular system and said wireless network system are configured to route calls simultaneously;

said mobile phone detects a specific wireless network and loads at least one of said profiles matching said specific wireless network, wherein, when said phone is located in an overlapping cellular network and wireless network, and

said wireless network module scans for wireless network signals and matches wireless network parameters with a stored profile that configures said mobile phone to access said wireless network using an authorization procedure that is active on said wireless network and registers said mobile telephone with a gateway on a network connected to said wireless network, wherein said mobile phone is capable of making or receiving calls from both networks and when said phone receives calls from at least two networks, said phone may switch between the two calls using a call waiting procedure.