Personal communication service network interface device

• US 7,656,860 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho; Hong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scheibel; Robert C
• Application Number:
  US10/625,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20050018653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

According to the invention, a telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service is disclosed. The telephone communication system includes a first communication and second communication channels and a telephone switch. The first communication channel is coupled to a wireless phone and the second communication channel is coupled to an interface that is coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location. The first and second communication channels are accessible with a single telephone number. The telephone switch is coupled to the first and second communication channels and determines if the first and second communication channels should be simultaneously sent an incoming phone call directed to the telephone number.

Claims

1. A telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service, the telephonic communication system disposed at a user location, the telephonic communication system comprising:

a wireless phone, wherein incoming phone calls are directed to the wireless phone with a wireless telephone number for the wireless phone over a wireless network;

a first communication channel to a cordless phone at the user location;

a second communication channel to one or more wired phones at the user location, wherein the first and second communication channels are accessible with a second telephone number;

a third communication channel coupled to one or more SIP phones at the user location; and

a demarcation device coupled to the first, second, and third communication channels,

the demarcation device communicatively coupled with the wireless network via a wireless interface,

the demarcation device disposed at the user location,

the demarcation device interposed between the first, second, and third communication channels,

the demarcation device interposed between a PSTN and the one or more wired phones at the user location wherein the wired phones channel communications through the demarcation device before the PSTN,

the demarcation device interposed between the PSTN and the cordless phone wherein the cordless phone channels communications through the demarcation device before the PSTN,

the demarcation device interposed between the Internet and the wired phones, and wherein the demarcation device is interposed between the Internet and the one or more SIP phones and the SIP phones channel communications through the demarcation device before the Internet,

wherein the demarcation device receives an incoming phone call on the wireless network directed to the wireless telephone number for the wireless phone, and wherein the demarcation device determines if the first, second, and third communication channels should be simultaneously sent the incoming phone call directed to the wireless telephone number for the wireless phone.

2. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless phone and the wireless network uses one of GSM, CDMA, AMPS, and TDMA transport.

3. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the demarcation device is located at the user'"'"'s home.

4. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the demarcation device provisionally sends the incoming phone call to the first and second communication channel until acceptance of the incoming phone call when one of the first and second communication channels receives the incoming phone call and the other of the first and second communication channel is disconnected from the incoming phone call.

5. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the second communication channel can join the incoming phone call of the first communication channel, and

the phone call can be manually transferred from the second communication channel to the first communication channel.

6. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless interface is one of a wireless cellular interface, a PSTN interface, and a VOIP interface.

7. The telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 1, wherein the first communication channel uses different physical transport within the user location from the second communication channel.

8. A method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service at a user facility, the method comprising steps of:

routing an incoming phone call to a demarcation device, the incoming phone call is directed to a wireless phone with a wireless telephone number;

receiving the incoming phone call at the demarcation device the demarcation device having a wireless interface, the demarcation device disposed at the user facility, the demarcation device coupled to one or more wired phones at the user facility, the demarcation device interposed between a PSTN and the one or more wired phones at the user facility and accessible with a second phone number, the demarcation device interposed between an Internet and the one or more wired phones, and the demarcation device interposed between the Internet and one or more SIP phones at the user facility;

determining with the demarcation device if the wireless phone should be sent the incoming phone call; and

determining with the demarcation device if the incoming phone call should be routed to one or more of the wired phones and SIP phones; and

routing the incoming phone call to one or more of the wired phones and SIP phones.

9. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 8, wherein determining if the wireless phone should be sent the incoming phone call comprises:

detecting if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have been answered;

if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have been answered, terminating the incoming phone call to the wireless phone;

if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have not been answered, detecting if the wireless phone has been answered;

if the wireless phone has been answered, terminating the incoming phone call to the one or more wired phones and one or more SIP phones; and

if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have not been answered and if the wireless phone has not been answered, sending the incoming phone call to a voice mail system.

10. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more wired phones, the one or more SIP phones, and the wireless phone use a unified voice mailbox.

11. A method performed in a telephone switch for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service, the method comprising steps of:

routing an incoming phone call to a wireless phone, the incoming phone call is directed to the wireless phone with a wireless telephone number for the wireless phone;

routing the incoming phone call to a demarcation device having a wireless interface, the demarcation device disposed at a user location, the demarcation device coupled to one or more wired phones at the user location, the demarcation device interposed between the one or more wired phones and a phone call transport network, the demarcation device interposed between an Internet and the one or more wired phones, and between the Internet and one or more SIP phones at the user location, wherein the wired phones channel communications through the demarcation device before the phone call transportation network, wherein the SIP phones channel communications through the demarcation device before the Internet, wherein the one or more wired phones are accessible with a second telephone number, and wherein the first and second-listed routing steps are performed, at least partially, simultaneously;

determining with the demarcation device if the wireless phone should be sent the incoming phone call;

determining with the demarcation device if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones should be sent the incoming phone call; and

routing the incoming phone call to at least one of the wireless phone, one of the wired phones, or the SIP phone, based on the determining steps.

12. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 11, wherein the demarcation device interface wirelessly couples the one or more wired phones to the phone call transport network.

13. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 11, wherein the first-listed determining step comprises a step of detecting if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have been answered.

14. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 11, wherein determining if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones should be sent the incoming phone call comprises detecting if the wireless phone has been answered.

15. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 13, wherein if the one or more wired phones or one or more SIP phones have been answered, stopping the routing of the incoming phone call to the wireless phone.

16. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 14, wherein if the wireless phone has been answered, stopping the routing of the incoming phone call to the one or more wired phones and one or more SIP phones.

17. The method for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service as recited in claim 11, wherein if none of the one or more wired phones, one or more SIP phones, or the wireless phone has been answered, sending the incoming phone call to a unified voice mail system.