System and apparatus for adapting operations of a communication device

• US 8,179,826 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbins, William S., Pearson, Larry B., Wallis, R. Tyler, Ryan, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US12/329,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20100144341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/435.2, 455/436, 455/445, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/552.1, 455/557
• US Class Current: 370/310.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a base unit operable in part as a femtocell having a controller to detect a cellular phone, wirelessly establish communications with the cellular phone, establish communications with a cellular communication system by way of a broadband interface, and enable one or more landline phones communicatively couplable to the base unit to communicate with the cellular communication system responsive to establishing communications with the cellular phone. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A base unit comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions;

a broadband interface; and

a controller circuit coupled to the memory and the broadband interface, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

detecting a cellular phone;

facilitating establishing wireless communications with the cellular phone;

facilitating establishing communications with a cellular communication system by way of the broadband interface; and

enabling one or more landline phones communicatively coupleable to the controller circuit to communicate with a remote end user device via the cellular communication system utilizing identification information of the cellular phone and responsive to the establishing of the wireless communications between the controller circuit and the cellular phone, wherein the enabled communication between the one or more landline phones and the remote end user device comprises a voice call.

2. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

disabling communications to the cellular phone while the one or more landline phones are enabled to communicate with the cellular communication system; and

enabling the one or more landline phones to communicate with the remote end user device via a second communication system utilizing identification information of the one or more landline phones when the one or more landline phones are not enabled to communicate with the remote end user device via the cellular communication system.

3. The base unit of claim 2, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

transmitting a query to the cellular phone to determine whether operations are to be transferred to the one or more landline phones; and

disabling calls directed to the cellular phone responsive to receiving an affirmative response to disable the cellular phone while it is communicatively coupled to the controller circuit.

4. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

detecting an incoming call from the cellular communication system directed to the cellular phone;

causing the one or more landline phones to present an incoming call alert responsive to detecting the incoming call; and

preventing the cellular phone from presenting the incoming call alert.

5. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the identification information of the cellular phone comprises an electronic serial number, and wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising monitoring an action to disable communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system.

6. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the identification information of the cellular phone comprises an international mobile equipment identity, and wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising disabling communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system responsive to receiving a termination request from the cellular phone or one of the one or more landline phones.

7. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising disabling communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system responsive to detecting that the cellular phone is outside of a communication range threshold of the base unit.

8. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising disabling communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system responsive to receiving a request from the cellular phone.

9. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

receiving from one of the one or more landline phones or the cellular phone a request to initiate an outgoing call; and

initiating the outgoing call by way of a landline communication system or the cellular communication system.

10. The base unit of claim 9, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising receiving from the landline phone initiating the outgoing call a request to initiate the outgoing call by way of the cellular communication system.

11. The base unit of claim 9, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising transcoding signals generated by the cellular phone to communicatively couple the cellular phone to the landline communication system.

12. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more landline phones are communicatively coupleable to the base unit by way of a cordless phone protocol, and wherein the base unit is communicatively coupleable to the cellular communication system by way of a data communications protocol.

13. The base unit of claim 12, wherein the cordless phone protocol corresponds to a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications protocol, and wherein the data communications protocol corresponds to an internet protocol.

14. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the base unit is in communication with a public switched telephone network communication system and an internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system.

15. The base unit of claim 1, wherein the base unit is an integral part of a set-top box that is in communication with an internet protocol television network for receiving media services, and wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising enabling the one or more landline phones to communicate over the broadband interface with the remote end user device via a voice over internet protocol communication system utilizing identification information of the one or more landline phones when the one or more landline phones are not enabled to communicate with the remote end user device via the cellular communication system.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operable at least in part in a device having a premises cellular access point, the storage medium comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a cellular phone;

facilitating establishing communications with a cellular communication system by way of a broadband interface of the device; and

enabling one or more landline phones to communicate with a remote end user device via the cellular communication system utilizing identification information of the cellular phone and responsive to detecting the cellular phone.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising facilitating establishing wireless communications with the cellular phone.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, comprising computer instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

disabling communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system responsive to detecting a termination of the wireless communications with the cellular phone; and

enabling the one or more landline phones to communicate with the remote end user device via a second communication system utilizing identification information of the one or more landline phones when the one or more landline phones are not enabled to communicate with the remote end user device via the cellular communication system.

19. A cellular phone, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller circuit coupled to the memory, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

facilitating establishing communications with a cellular communication system by way of a device operating in part as a premises cellular base station to enable one or more landline phones to communicate with a remote end user device via the cellular communication system utilizing identification information of the cellular phone and responsive to the cellular phone being communicatively coupled to the device.

20. The cellular phone of claim 19, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:

providing information to enable detection of the cellular phone by the device, wherein the the cellular phone is communicatively coupled to the device in response to the detection of the cellular phone; and

transmitting a signal to the device to disable communications between the one or more landline phones and the cellular communication system.

21. The cellular phone of claim 19, wherein the premises base station corresponds to a femtocell, and wherein the controller when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising initiating calls over voice over internet protocol communication network by way of a broadband interface of the device.

22. A landline phone, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller circuit coupled to the memory, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising;

receiving from a cellular communication system in-coming calls directed to a cellular phone responsive to the cellular phone facilitating establishing communications with a premises cellular base station.

23. The landline phone of claim 22, wherein the controller circuit when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising initiating out-going calls via the cellular communication system utilizing identification information of the cellular phone responsive to the cellular phone facilitating establishing communications with the premises cellular base station, wherein the premises cellular base station corresponds to a femtocell operable from a base unit, wherein the landline phone operates from the base unit, wherein the landline phone is operable according to a cordless phone protocol corresponding to a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications protocol, and wherein the cellular communication system operates according to one of a global system for mobile protocol, a code division multiple access protocol or a universal mobile telecommunications service protocol.

24. A method, comprising:

utilizing a premises cellular base station to enable a landline phone to receive from a cellular communication system in-coming calls directed to a cellular phone responsive to the cellular phone being communicatively coupled to the premises cellular base station.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising utilizing the premises cellular base station to enable the landline phone to initiate out-going calls via the cellular communication system utilizing identification information of the cellular phone and responsive to the cellular phone being communicatively coupled to the premises cellular base station, wherein the landline phone operates according to a cordless phone protocol, and wherein the premises cellular base station corresponds to a femtocell operable according to one of a global system for mobile protocol, a code division multiple access protocol or a universal mobile telecommunications service protocol.