System and method to provide services from a communication network to a media-delivery network via a host device connected to the media-delivery network

• US 7,792,094 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mcconnell, Von K., Cope, Warren B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kadoorie; Isabel
• Application Number:
  US11/026,979
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.02, 379/207.14, 379/106.01, 379/201.01, 705/106, 705/109, 705/132, 370/352, 725/106, 725/109, 725/132
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/14 cable networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for integrating telecommunications and cable networks for the purpose of providing telephone services to a cable host device over a cable network. The methods include registering a cable host device to receive telephone services, downloading telephone service software to a cable host device, cable host device sign on to the telephone services, associating a telephone with a cable host device, temporarily registering a cable host device, and activating and deactivating telephone services for a cable host device. Also described are systems for connecting telephone and cable networks to enable telephone services to be provided by cable host devices.

Claims

1. A method of registering a telephone number of a mobile phone subscribed to a mobile telecommunications network to receive telecommunications services at a registered cable host device in a media-delivery network as an alternative to the mobile phone, wherein a monitor is connected to the cable host device, wherein the media-delivery network includes a cable headend, and wherein the cable headend and the cable host device communicate using bound and unbound channels, the method comprising:

sending a message containing the telephone number of the mobile phone from the registered cable host device to a telephone subscriber database on the mobile telecommunications network via one of the channels;

associating the telephone number with the cable host device in the telephone subscriber database; and

delivering the telecommunications services for the telephone number of the mobile phone to the monitor connected to the cable host device via one of the channels of the media-delivery network in response to the association in the telephone subscriber database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a MAC address from the registered cable host device; and

adding the MAC address to the message prior to sending from the registered cable host device to the telephone subscriber database on the mobile telecommunications network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the message containing the telephone number of the mobile phone from the registered cable host device to the telephone subscriber database on the mobile telecommunications network further comprises:

sending the message from the cable host device to an intermediate gateway server; and

sending the message from the intermediate gateway server to the telephone subscriber database on the mobile telecommunications network;

wherein the intermediate gateway server couples a private IP network of the mobile telecommunications network to a private IP network of the media-delivery network.

4. The method of temporarily registering a telephone number of a subscriber to a telecommunications network in order to receive a telephone service using a cable host device in a media-delivery network as an alternate mechanism, wherein a monitor is connected to the cable host device, wherein the media-delivery network includes a cable headend, and wherein the cable headend and the cable host device communicate using bound and unbound channels, the method comprising:

sending a message via one of the channels from the cable host device to a telephone subscriber database on the telecommunications network containing the telephone service to be activated, telephone number, expiration time, and cable host device identification;

setting an indicator within the telephone subscriber database to indicate that the telephone service is active; and

delivering the telephone service for the telephone number from the telecommunications network to the monitor connected to the cable host device via one of the channels of the media-delivery network in response to the indicator being set in the telephone subscriber database.

5. The method of claim 4 where sending the message from the cable host device to the telephone subscriber database on the telecommunications network containing the telephone service to be activated, the telephone number, the expiration time, and the cable host device identification further comprises:

sending the message from the cable host device to an intermediate gateway server; and

sending the message from the intermediate gateway server to the telephone subscriber database on the telecommunications network;

wherein the intermediate gateway server couples a private IP network of the telecommunications network to a private IP network of the media-delivery network.