Method for establishing voice communications using a mobile handset

• US 7,711,370 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schessel, Larry, Walker, Jennifer Kay, Hague, Sam, Booth, Paul Norwood
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/524,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-442, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/41.2, 455/552.1, 455/517, 370/342, 370/401, 370/338, 370/331, 370/328, 370/352, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 455/442
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• 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 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42246 where the subscriber uses a multi-mode terminal which moves and accesses different networks with at least one network having a wireline access including cordless PBX

Abstract

A mobile handset transmits a radio frequency (RF) signal. The mobile handset determines when it is in close proximity to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capable device. If the mobile handset is in close proximity to a VoIP capable device, then the RF signal to the base station is disabled and a communications link is established with the VoIP capable device such that a call can be made by the mobile handset and routed as VoIP packets through the VoIP capable device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal from a mobile handset to a base station;

determining if the mobile handset is within a zone, wherein the zone comprises a spatial area within which a communication link between a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capable device and the mobile handset can be established;

disabling the transmission of the RF signal to the base station if the mobile handset enters the zone;

establishing the communications link between the mobile handset and the VoIP capable device;

wherein the VoIP capable device is configured to operate as an Internet Protocol (IP) phone;

registering the mobile handset to the VoIP capable device via the communications link;

wherein registration of the mobile handset triggers registration of the VoIP capable device to a telephone switching device via a network and communicatively couples the mobile handset to the telephone switching device without registering the mobile handset to the telephone switching device, wherein the mobile handset is not identified by the registration of the VoIP capable device to the telephone switching device and wherein the mobile handset appears to the telephone switching device to be a wireline VoIP device;

sending a call to be routed through the VoIP capable device to the telephone switching device, wherein sending the call comprises communicating the dialing information to the VoIP capable device for connecting the call; and

accessing one or more vendor specific services associated with the VoIP capable device from the mobile handset via the communications link.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the telephone switching device is an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, Private Branch Exchange, or Wireless Private Branch Exchange, or combinations thereof.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the call comprises text, audio, voice or video data, or combinations thereof.

4. The method as recited in claim 1

wherein sending further comprises routing the call from the mobile handset to a cellular phone, satellite phone, desktop phone, softphone, personal digital assistant, or pager, or combinations thereof and

wherein the call is routed via the VoIP capable device and the telephone switching device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein registration indicates to the telephone switching device that the VoIP capable device is available and idle.

6. A VoIP capable device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing instructions executable by the processors, the processors when executing the instructions are configured to;

detect a mobile handset within a sector, wherein the mobile handset is configured to transmit an RF signal to a base transceiver station and wherein the sector comprises a spatial area within which a communications link between the VoIP capable device and the mobile handset can be established;

establish the communications link between the VoIP capable device and the mobile handset;

wherein the VoIP capable device is an IP phone or personal computer;

trigger cessation of the RF signal transmission from the mobile handset to the base transceiver station upon detecting the mobile handset within the sector;

receive a first registration request from the mobile handset via the communications link;

responsive to receiving the first registration request from the mobile handset, send a second registration request to a telephone switching device to register the VoIP capable device to the telephone switching device via a network, wherein the registration of the VoIP capable device enables communicative coupling of the mobile handset to the telephone switching device without registering or identifying the mobile handset to the telephone switching device and wherein the mobile handset appears to the telephone switching device as a wireline communication device;

receive a call from the mobile handset to be routed to the telephone switching device via the VoIP capable device, wherein the call comprises the dialing information for connecting the call; and

access one or more vendor specific services associated with the VoIP capable device from the mobile handset via the communications link.

7. The VoIP capable device as recited in claim 6 wherein routing the call further comprises generating VoIP packets to communicate the call from the mobile handset to the telephone switching device.

8. The VoIP capable device as recited in claim 6 wherein the telephone switching device is an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, Private Branch Exchange, or Wireless Private Branch Exchange, or combinations thereof.

9. The VoIP capable device as recited in claim 6 wherein the call comprises text, audio, voice or video data, or combinations thereof.

10. The VoIP capable device as recited in claim 6 wherein the communications link conforms to a communications standard comprising;

Bluetooth, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Infrared Data Association, or Wireless USB, or combinations thereof.

11. A system for multi-mode wireless communication, the system comprising:

a VoIP capable device configured to;

register a mobile handset to the VoIP capable device via a communications link wherein registration of the mobile handset triggers registration of the VoIP capable device to a telephone switching device, communicatively coupling the mobile handset to the telephone switching device without registering the mobile handset to the telephone switching device,

wherein the mobile handset is not identified by the registration of the VoIP capable device to the telephone switching device;

wherein the mobile handset appears to the telephone switching device to be a wireline VoIP capable device; and

a mobile handset configured to;

transmit RF signals to a base station;

establish a communications link with the VoIP capable device upon entering a communication sector, the communication sector being a spatial area within which the communications link can be formed between the mobile handset and the VoIP capable device and wherein the mobile handset is configured to send a call to be routed as VoIP packets through the VoIP capable device to the telephone switching device, wherein the call comprises the dialing information for connecting the call;

access one or more vendor specific services associated with the VoIP capable device via the communications link; and

terminate RF transmission if the communications link with the VoIP capable device is established.

12. The system as recited in claim 11

wherein the VoIP capable device is further configured to register to the telephone switching device via a network;

and

wherein the registration of the VoIP capable device communicatively couples the mobile handset to the telephone switching device.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the telephone switching device comprises an;

Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, Private Branch Exchange, or Wireless Private Branch Exchange, or combinations thereof.

14. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the communications link conforms to a communication standard comprising Bluetooth, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Infrared Data Association, or Wireless USB, or combinations thereof.

15. A computer-useable medium having computer-executable instruction code embodied thereon for causing a computer system to execute a computer-implemented method for establishing multi-modal wireless communication stored thereon, the method comprising:

detecting a mobile handset within a sector, wherein the mobile handset is configured to transmit an RF signal to a base transceiver station and wherein the sector comprises a spatial area within which a communications link between an IP phone and the mobile handset can be established;

establishing the communications link between the IP phone and the mobile handset;

triggering cessation of the RF signal transmission from the mobile handset to the base transceiver station upon detecting the mobile handset within the sector;

registering the mobile handset to the IP phone via the communications link wherein registration of the mobile handset initiates registration of the IP phone to a telephone switching device via a network,

wherein the registration of the IP phone to the telephone switching device communicatively couples the mobile handset to the telephone switching device without identifying or registering the mobile handset to the telephone switching device, wherein the mobile handset is identifiable to the telephone switching device as a wireline device;

routing a call from the mobile handset through the IP phone to the telephone switching device, wherein the call comprises dialing information for connecting the call; and

providing the mobile handset access to one or more vendor specific services or functions of the IP phone via the communications link.

16. The computer-useable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the telephone switching device is an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, Private Branch Exchange, or Wireless Private Branch Exchange, or combinations thereof.

17. The computer-useable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the communications link conforms to a communication standard comprising Bluetooth, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Infrared Data Association, or Wireless USB, or combinations thereof.

20. The computer-useable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the communications link conforms to a communication standard comprising Bluetooth, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, Infrared Data Association, or Wireless USB, or combinations thereof.

18. A computer-useable medium having computer-executable instruction code embodied thereon for causing a computer system to execute a computer-implemented method for establishing multi-modal wireless communication stored thereon, the method comprising:

detecting a mobile handset within a sector wherein the sector comprises a spatial area within which a communications link between a VoIP capable softphone and the mobile handset can be established;

establishing the communications link between the VoIP capable softphone and the mobile handset;

triggering cessation of an RF signal transmission from the mobile handset to a base transceiver station upon detecting the mobile handset within the sector;

receiving a first registration request from the mobile handset on the VoIP capable softphone via the communications link;

sending a second registration request to a telephone switching device to register the VoIP capable softphone to the telephone switching device via a network wherein the registration of the VoIP capable softphone enables communicative coupling of the mobile handset to the telephone switching device without identifying or registering the mobile handset to the telephone switching device, wherein the mobile handset appears to the telephone switching device to be a wireline IP device;

providing the mobile handset to one or more vendor specific services or functions of the VoIP capable softphone via the communications link; and

routing a call from the mobile handset through the VoIP capable softphone to the telephone switching device, wherein the call comprises information for connecting the call.

19. The computer-useable medium as recited in claim 18 wherein the telephone switching device is an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, Private Branch Exchange, or Wireless Private Branch Exchange, or combinations thereof.