Method, apparatus and arrangement in a telecommunications network for providing control over and enabling advanced services and user interfaces in a mobile telephone

• US 7,542,780 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hoglander, Mats, Roxnas, Kjell, Isaksson, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria; Sharad
• Application Number:
  US10/495,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050048967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,751 Days
• Field of Search: 4555541-555, 455/445, 455462-465, 455/426.1, 455/433, 455/416, 379/137, 379/220.01, 37926501-2661, 379/309, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

A PBX (10) is connected to a mobile telephony network (40) via a PSTN (20) and via a LAN (90) and data network (30). A mobile telephone (50) served by the mobile network, has a separate data channel (100). The invention describes a way to integrate mobile telephones as extensions of the PBX and to provide them with functionality similar to that of a wired digital PBX system telephone (70). The data channel of the mobile telephone is used to give the PBX access to the user interface devices of the telephone. The speech path between the PBX and the mobile telephone may be set up in the direction from the PBX to the mobile telephone, even when the call was initiated at the telephone. The invention relies only on the basic voice and data communications services of the mobile telephony network, and therefore provides independence from the network operator.

Claims

1. A telephone exchange in a telecommunications network, the telephone exchange comprising:

means for registering a mobile telephone and assigning a unique extension identifier to the mobile telephone, wherein the mobile telephone is adapted for communication with the telephone exchange via a data channel and a voice channel through a mobile telephony network;

communication means for sending call setup signaling messages to the mobile telephone and receiving call setup signaling messages from the mobile telephone over the data channel;

means for controlling interfaces associated with the mobile telephone using basic telephony and data communication services of the mobile telephony network exclusive of special mobile operator agreements or special interfaces with the mobile telephony network;

means for receiving over the data channel, an indication that the mobile telephone is initiating a call to a called number; and

means for performing reverse direction call setup in response to the indication that the mobile telephone is initiating the call to the called number, said means for performing reverse direction call setup including;

means for setting up a speech path from the telephone exchange to the called number;

means for initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone;

means for detecting that the mobile telephone has answered the outgoing external call; and

means for connecting the speech path and the outgoing external call to form a speech connection between the mobile telephone and the called number.

2. The telephone exchange of claim 1, wherein:

a dedicated, direct speech connection is set up between the telephone exchange and the mobile telephony network via a public network trunk access interface; and

a speech channel is set up from the telephone exchange to the mobile device when a call is connected to the mobile telephone.

3. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing telephony services to the mobile telephone.

4. The telephone exchange according to claim 3, said means for providing telephony services further comprises providing the services without requiring an agreement with an operator of the mobile telephony network for that purpose.

5. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, wherein the telephone exchange stores information about the rights of users to use resources in the telephone exchange and information about user settings and preferences, said information being selectable independent from the operator of the mobile telephony network.

6. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, wherein the mobile telephone has an extension identity in the telephone exchange, said extension identity being different from the telephone number of said mobile telephone in the mobile telephony network.

7. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, wherein the telephone exchange further comprises means to present service alternatives on the display of the mobile telephone, said service alternatives being relevant to the current state of the extension representing the mobile telephone, or relevant to the current state of a call on the extension.

8. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, wherein the telephone exchange further comprises means for allowing the user of the mobile telephone to select services of the telephone exchange through in-band Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling when the data channel is unavailable.

9. The telephone exchange according to claim 1, wherein the communication with the mobile telephone passes over the data channel via a server that changes the format of the communication to suit a browser in the mobile telephone.

10. The telephone exchange according to claim 9, wherein the server is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) server.

31. The telephone exchange of claim 1, wherein the communication means for sending call setup signaling messages to the mobile telephone and receiving call setup signaling messages from the mobile telephone over the data channel includes means for sending a message to the mobile telephone causing the mobile telephone to answer the outgoing external call from the exchange.

11. A method in a telecommunications network of setting up a call from a mobile telephone, said method comprising the steps of

receiving at a telephone exchange, an indication that a user of the mobile telephone desires to place the call to a selected number, wherein the indication is received via a data channel from the mobile telephone;

performing reverse direction call setup in response to the mobile telephone initiating the call to the selected number, said step of performing reverse direction call setup including;

initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone to establish a first speech path from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone;

setting up a second speech path from the telephone exchange to the selected number; and

connecting the first speech path and the second speech path to complete the call.

12. A method in a telecommunications network of selling up a call from a mobile telephone, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a number to be called from a directory lookup service;

the mobile telephone signaling to a telephone exchange via a data channel of the mobile telephone, that a user of the mobile telephone desires to place the call;

transferring information associated with the selected number over the data channel of the mobile telephone;

performing reverse direction call setup by the telephone exchange in response to the mobile telephone signaling call initiation, said step of performing reverse direction call setup including;

initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone to establish a first speech path from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone;

setting up a second speech path from the telephone exchange to the selected number; and

connecting the first speech path and the second speech path in the telephone exchange to complete the call.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein the directory look up service is provided by a directory server associated with the telephone exchange and the server is accessed through the data channel of the mobile telephone.

27. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of the mobile telephone selecting a call alternative enabling the directory service to send a signal to the telephone exchange for setting the speech path from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein communication takes place between the directory server and a browser in the mobile telephone using a server adapted for:

handling communication protocols;

adding formatting and user interface details to messages; and

converting the format of exchanged messages.

29. The method of claim 12, further comprising

forming a dedicated, direct speech connection between the telephone exchange and the mobile telephony network via a public network trunk access interface and

setting up a speech channel from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone when a call is connected to the mobile telephone.

13. A method in a telecommunications network of retrieving a voice message by a mobile telephone having a separate data channel, said method comprising the steps of:

sending from a telephone exchange to the mobile telephone over the separate data channel, information that a voice message is available;

receiving in the telephone exchange, an indication from the mobile telephone that a user of the mobile telephone wants to listen to the voice message, said indication being received over the separate data channel; and

performing reverse direction call setup by initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone to establish a first speech path from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone in response to receiving the indication from the mobile telephone that the user of the mobile telephone wants to listen to the voice message.

14. A method in a telecommunications network of selling up a call from a mobile telephone to a number in a call log, the call log being stored in a telephone exchange, comprising the steps of:

sending to the mobile telephone, over a separate data channel of the mobile telephone, information about the number in the log;

receiving in the telephone exchange, an indication from the mobile telephone that the user of the mobile telephone has selected to call the number, said indication being received over the separate data channel; and

performing reverse direction call setup by the telephone exchange in response to receiving the indication that the user of the mobile telephone has selected to call the number, said step of performing reverse direction call setup including;

initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone to establish a first speech path from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone;

selling up a second speech path from the telephone exchange to the number in the call log; and

connecting the first speech path and the second speech path to form a speech connection between the mobile telephone and the number in the call log.

15. An arrangement in a telecommunications network comprising:

a telephone exchange, comprising;

means for registering a mobile telephone, wherein the mobile telephone is adapted for communication with the telephone exchange via a data channel and a voice channel;

means for receiving over the data channel, an indication that a user of the mobile telephone desires to place a call to a called number;

means for performing reverse direction call setup in response to the indication that the mobile telephone is initiating the call to the called number, said means for performing reverse direction call setup including;

means for selling up a speech path from the telephone exchange to the called number;

means for initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone; and

means for connecting the speech path and the outgoing external call to form a speech connection between the mobile telephone and the called number;

a mobile telephony network for providing a telephony service;

a network that connects the telephone exchange to the telephony service of the mobile telephony network; and

a data network that connects the telephone exchange to the data channel of the mobile telephone through the mobile telephony network.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the connection between the telephone exchange and the telephony service of the mobile network passes via a public network trunk access interface.

17. A method of integrating a mobile device, having mobile telephone functionality, as an extension of a telephone exchange, said method comprising the steps of:

registering a mobile telephone and assigning a unique extension identifier to the mobile phone, wherein the mobile telephone is adapted for communication with the telephone exchange via a data channel and a voice channel through a mobile telephony network;

receiving signaling from the mobile telephone via the data channel indicating a user of the mobile telephone desires to place a call; and

performing reverse direction call setup by the telephone exchange in response to the signaling from the mobile telephone, said step of performing reverse direction call setup including;

initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the telephone exchange to the mobile telephone in response to signaling from the mobile telephone initiating the outgoing call;

setting up a call from the telephone exchange to the desired destination and connecting the outgoing call to the call to the desired destination;

controlling interfaces associated with the mobile telephone using basic telephony and data communication services of the mobile telephony network exclusive of mobile operator agreements or special interfaces with the mobile telephony network; and

setting up a speech channel utilizing signaling from the mobile telephone via the data channel.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing telephony services to the mobile telephone.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of communicating with the mobile telephone via the data channel further comprises delivering messages end to end regardless of content.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing information about the rights of users to use resources in the telephone exchange and information about user settings and preferences, said information being selectable independent of the operator of the mobile telephony network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile telephone is assigned an extension identity in the telephone exchange, the extension identity being different from the telephone number of said mobile telephone in the mobile telephony network.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of presenting service alternatives on the display of the mobile telephone, said service alternatives being relevant to the current state of the extension representing the mobile telephone, or relevant to the current state of a call on the extension.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of allowing the user of the mobile telephone to select telephony services from the telephone exchange through in-band Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling when the data channel is unavailable.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of communicating with the mobile telephone via the data channel through a server that changes the format of the communication to suit a browser in the mobile telephone.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the server is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) server.

30. A call setup unit in a telecommunications network, the call setup unit comprising:

means for registering a mobile telephone, wherein the mobile telephone is adapted for communication with the call setup unit via a data channel and a voice channel through a mobile telephony network;

means for receiving over the data channel, an indication that the mobile telephone desires to initiate a call to a called number; and

means for performing reverse direction call setup in response to the indication that the mobile telephone desires to initiate the call to the called number, said means for performing reverse direction call setup including;

means for setting up a speech path from the call setup unit to the called number;

means for initiating an outgoing external call in a direction from the call setup unit to the mobile telephone; and

means for connecting the speech path and the outgoing external call to form a speech connection between the mobile telephone and the called number.