Methods and apparatus to provide extended voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services

• US 8,345,624 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Doradla, Anil Kumar, Gorti, Sreenivasa, Wolter, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chandrahas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US11/325,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20070153771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370352-356, 370310-338, 379/142.13, 379/142.15, 379/142.07, 379/201.03, 379/201.1, 37920112-20401, 379/207.02, 379/142.12, 455/436, 455/414.1, 455/151.2, 455/442
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42255 with the subscriber having a personal network-independent number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to provide extended voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are disclosed. An example residential gateway comprises a radio frequency (RF) detector to detect a presence of a cellular communication device, a service controller to enable a VoIP communication device when the cellular communication device is present, wherein the VoIP communication device and the cellular communication device are different devices.

Claims

1. A residential gateway comprising:

a radio frequency detector to detect a presence of a cellular communication device; and

a service controller to, in response to the radio frequency detector detecting the presence of the cellular communication device, register an unregistered voice over Internet protocol communication device to a telephone number of the cellular communication device by enabling voice over Internet protocol services to the voice over Internet protocol communication device, the voice over Internet protocol communication device being unregistered to the voice over Internet protocol services when the radio frequency detector detects the presence of the cellular communication device, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are physically separate devices.

2. A residential gateway as defined in claim 1, wherein the radio frequency detector detects the presence of the cellular communication device by detecting at least one of a radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identification device associated with the cellular communication device or a radio frequency signal from a radio frequency transceiver implemented by the cellular communication device.

3. A residential gateway as defined in claim 1, further comprising an interface to communicatively couple the residential gateway to an Internet-based network.

4. A residential gateway as defined in claim 1, further comprising a media server to combine signals associated with the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device.

5. A residential gateway as defined in claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency interface to communicatively couple the residential gateway to the cellular communication device.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of a cellular communication device in a voice over Internet protocol service area; and

in response to detecting the presence of the cellular communication device, registering an unregistered voice over Internet protocol communication device to a voice over Internet protocol service with a telephone number assigned to the cellular communication device, the voice over Internet protocol communication device being unregistered to the voice over Internet protocol services when the radio frequency detector detects the presence of the cellular communication device, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are physically separate devices.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising disabling a cellular service to the cellular communication device if the cellular communication device is detected in the voice over Internet protocol service area.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising reporting the presence of the cellular communication device in the voice over Internet protocol service area to a communications network.

9. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein registering the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises performing a session initiated protocol registration.

10. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an absence of the cellular communication device in the voice over Internet protocol service area; and

de-registering the voice over Internet protocol communication device from the voice over Internet protocol service when the cellular communication device is absent from the voice over Internet protocol service area.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising reporting the absence of the cellular communication device to a communications network.

12. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising enabling a cellular service to the cellular communication device when the cellular communication device is absent from the voice over Internet protocol service area.

13. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein detecting the presence of the cellular communication device comprises detecting a radio frequency signal from the cellular communication device.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing machine readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

detect a presence of a cellular communication device in a voice over Internet protocol service area; and

register an unregistered voice over Internet protocol communication device to a voice over Internet protocol service with a telephone number assigned to the cellular communication device by enabling voice over Internet protocol services to the voice over Internet protocol communication device in response to detecting the cellular communication device, the voice over Internet protocol communication device being unregistered to the voice over Internet protocol services when the radio frequency detector detects the presence of the cellular communication device, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are physically separate devices.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to disable a cellular service to the cellular communication device when the cellular communication device is detected in the voice over Internet protocol service area.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to register the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service by performing a session initiated protocol registration.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to:

detect an absence of the cellular communication device in the voice over Internet protocol service area; and

de-register the voice over Internet protocol communication device from the voice over Internet protocol service when the cellular communication device is absent from the voice over Internet protocol service area.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to enable a cellular service to the cellular communication device when the cellular communication device is absent from the voice over Internet protocol service area.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is to execute the instructions to detect the presence of the cellular communication device by detecting a radio frequency signal from the cellular communication device.