Method and system for extending services to cellular devices

• US 8,165,576 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CounterPath Technologies, Inc. (Alianza, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FirstHand Technologies, Inc. (Alianza, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raju, Vishwanath, Mouttham, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebassi, Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/755,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system is provide for extending services to cellular devices. The system includes a wireless gateway having a client side with an intelligent client agent and a server side with an intelligent server agent, a wireless device having a first mode operable in a cellular system and a second mode operable in a wireless local area network and including an intelligent client agent for determining operation mode and for communicating with the intelligent client agent of the wireless gateway and a communications protocol for communication between the wireless gateway intelligent client agent and the wireless device intelligent client agent to effect services. The services include one or more of voice, directory, presence, and media services. The voice service includes at least one of call waiting, call forwarding conferencing, and caller identification. The media service includes at least one of interactive voice response (IVR), text-to-speech, speech recognition, play, record. The directory service includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) directory, a cellular network directory, an Internet directory and a private branch exchange (PBX) directory. The communications protocol includes encapsulation for at least one of directory, mobility and security services and other protocols. The other protocols include at least one of Internet protocol (IP), session initiation protocol (SIP), and lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

Claims

1. A wireless communication gateway for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) enterprise system, the wireless communication gateway comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor provide an intelligent server agent having;

an input/output adapter for communicating with an intelligent client agent in a mobile device over a cellular network using an HTML-based protocol;

a session manager, connected to the input/output adapter, for instantiating a SIP proxy user agent or a back to back user agent (B2BUA) in response to a request for a cellular connection received from the intelligent client agent of the mobile device over the cellular network, the request for the cellular connection being made using the HTML-based protocol, the SIP proxy user agent also for;

receiving a call request for the mobile device from a caller using a Session Initiation Protocol, the mobile device operating over the cellular network;

transferring the call request to the session manager;

translating the call request into an HTML-based protocol call request;

transferring the HTML-based protocol call request to the input/output adapter;

transferring the call request to the mobile device over the Internet and the cellular network;

transmitting, over the Internet and the cellular network, an HTML-based protocol accept call message from the mobile device to the input/output adapter;

transferring the HTML-based protocol accept call message to the session manager;

translating the HTML protocol accept call message into a SIP accept call message; and

transferring the SIP accept call message to the SIP proxy agent.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the B2BUA includes means to communicate with components of the SIP enterprise system using SIP, and wherein the session manager includes means to manage communications between the mobile device and the B2BUA.

3. The gateway of claim 2, wherein the components of the enterprise system include a directory services server, the gateway further comprising a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) connector connected to the session manager, the LDAP connector for communicating with the directory services server using a LDAP protocol.

4. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising:

a translator for translating between the HTML-based protocol and protocols used by the components of the enterprise system.

5. The gateway of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a mobility manager connected to the session manager, the mobility manager for managing access of the mobile device to the enterprise system, a policy manager connected to the session manager, the policy manager for managing access policies related the mobile device, a session controller connected to the session manager, the session controller for maintaining a connection between the mobile device and the wireless communication gateway, and a security agent connected to the session manager, the security agent for doing at least one of encrypting/decrypting messages passed between the mobile device and the enterprise system and verifying personal identification numbers and passwords sent from the mobile device.

6. A method of establishing communication between a caller using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and a mobile device operating over a cellular network, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a call request for the mobile device at a wireless communication gateway;

transferring the call request to the mobile device over the Internet and the cellular network;

transmitting an accept call message from the mobile device to the wireless communication gateway over the Internet and the cellular network; and

redirecting the call request from the gateway to the mobile device through the public switched telephone network (PSTN) in accordance with the accept call message, the step of receiving a call request for the mobile device at a wireless communication gateway including steps of;

receiving the call request at a SIP proxy user agent;

transferring the call request to a session manager;

translating the call request into an HTML-based protocol call request; and

transferring the HTML-based protocol call request to an input/output adapter, and the step of transmitting an accept call message from the mobile device to the wireless communication gateway over the Internet and the cellular network includes a step of transmitting an HTML-based protocol accept call message from the mobile device to the input/output adapter;

transferring the HTML-based protocol accept call message to the session manager;

translating the HTML protocol accept call message into a SIP accept call message; and

transferring the SIP accept call message to the SIP proxy agent.

7. A method of establishing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communication between a caller connected to an enterprise system and a mobile device connected to the enterprise system through a cell network, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a call request for the mobile device at a back to back user agent (B2BUA) registered with an enterprise public branch exchange (PBX) of the enterprise system;

transferring the call request to the mobile device over the Internet and the cell network;

transmitting an accept call message from the mobile device to the B2BUA; and

establishing a call between the B2BUA and the caller through the PBX, the step of transferring the call request to the mobile device including steps of;

transferring the call request to a session manager;

translating the call request into an HTML-based protocol call request;

transferring the HTML-based protocol call request to an input/output adapter;

transferring the HTML-based protocol call request to the mobile device over the Internet and the cell network,

and the step of transmitting an accept call message from the mobile device to the B2BUA includes steps of;

transmitting an HTML-based protocol accept call message from the mobile device to the input/output adapter over the cell network and the Internet;

transferring the HTML protocol accept call message to the session manager;

translating the HTML protocol accept call message into a SIP accept call message; and

transferring the SIP accept call message to the B2BUA.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising a step of enabling SIP in-call features through a media server connected to the enterprise system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the SIP in-call features include at least one of conferencing, play and record, interactive voice response, text-to-speech translation, hold, cancel, call transfer and swap.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step of activating a SIP in-call feature by sending a dual-tone modulated-frequency (DTMF) signal from the mobile device to the B2BUA, translating the DTMF signal into an SIP command, and sending the command to the media server.