Wireless telephone system including voice over IP and POTS

• US 7,710,946 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kusnitz, Jeffrey A., Sliwa, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/669,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20050063361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/211.02, 379/201.01, 379/355.05, 379/201.1, 379/80, 379/88.17, 379/207.12, 715/752, 455/564, 455/417, 455/432.3, 455/412.2, 455/404.2, 709/204, 709/229, 709/207
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A telephone capable of placing or receiving calls over the PSTN or a packet network. The telephone can store multiple telephone numbers for each potential called party along with preferences that govern the order of selecting telephone numbers to service any given outgoing call. Some or all of the telephone numbers can be associated with a presence service. Presence indicators stored in the telephone are dynamically updated via the packet network connection and are used as part of the telephone number selection algorithm. The preferred embodiment is a wireless system having a base station and a remote device.

Claims

1. A method, within a telephone, for controlling the telephone having a first connection to a packet switched network and a second connection to a circuit-switched telephone network, the method comprising

storing multiple identifications for an entity, selectable by a user of the telephone, that can be called from the telephone,

storing telephone numbers associated with the entity,

receiving, from the packet switched network, presence indicators associated with at least some of the telephone numbers,

storing the presence indicators in association with corresponding telephone numbers, and

responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity, wherein

the first connection is separate from the second connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively placing calls over the circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the telephone comprises

a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of storing telephone numbers further comprises

storing at the base station the identifications of the entity, the telephone numbers associated with the entity and the presence indicators, and

storing at the mobile device the names of the entities, and

the method further comprises transmitting a name of the selected entity to the base station.

5. The method of claim 4 further wherein the step of placing calls further comprises routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.

8. The method of any claim 1 through 7 further comprising the steps of determining if additional numbers are stored for the called entity responsive to an unanswered telephone call and re-trying a call to such an additional telephone number.

9. A telephone comprising:

a first connection to a packet switched network;

a second connection to a circuit-switch telephone network, the first connection separate from the second connection;

a first storage device configured to store multiple identifications for an entity, selectable by a user of the telephone, that can be called from the telephone,

a second storage device configured to store telephone numbers associated with the entity,

a receiver, connected to the first connection, for receiving, from the packet switched network, presence indicators associated with at least some of the telephone numbers,

a third storage device configured to store the presence indicators in association with corresponding telephone numbers, and

a processor, responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, for selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity.

10. The telephone of claim 9, further comprising

a dialer for selectively placing calls over the circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

11. The telephone of claim 9, further comprising

a base station having the first connection and the second connection, and

a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

12. A computer-readable tangible medium embodying computer-readable program code for controlling a telephone having a first connection to a packet switched network and a second connection to a circuit-switched telephone network, the computer-readable program code, when executed by the telephone, causes the telephone to perform the following steps:

storing multiple identifications for an entity, selectable by a user of the telephone, that can be called from the telephone,

storing telephone numbers associated with the entity,

receiving, from the packet switched network, presence indicators associated with at least some of the telephone numbers,

storing the presence indicators in association with corresponding telephone numbers, and

responsive to a selection of an entity by a user, selecting a number for dialing based on the state of the presence indicators associated with the selected entity, wherein

the first connection is separate from the second connection.

13. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 12 further comprising selectively placing calls over the circuit-switched telephone network or over the packet-switched network.

14. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 13 wherein the telephone comprises

a base station having connections to the circuit-switched network and to the packet-switched network and a mobile device that communicates with the base station using wireless protocols.

15. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 14 wherein the step of storing telephone numbers further comprises

storing at the base station the identifications of the entity, the telephone numbers associated with the entity and the presence indicators, and

storing at the mobile device the names of the entities, and

the method further comprises transmitting a name of the selected entity to the base station.

16. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 15 further wherein the step of placing calls further comprises routing a call to the circuit-switched network or to the packet-switched network according to a user preference associated with the selected number.

17. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 12 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on time-of-day.

18. The computer-readable tangible medium of claim 12 further comprising storing user routing preferences based on an area code of the selected number.