System and apparatus for adapting operations of a communication device

• US 8,427,985 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• 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 Stanley, Pearson, Larry B., Wallis, R. Tyler, Ryan, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US13/461,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120220273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 370352-356, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/419, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455431-444, 455/461, 455518-519, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/554.1, 455/556.1, 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, at a base station, communicating with a mobile phone where the base station comprises a premises wireless access point, at the base station, communicating with a mobile communication system by way of a broadband connection, and instructing a landline phone communicatively coupled to the base station to communicate with a remote end user device via the mobile communication system utilizing identification information of the mobile phone and responsive to communications between the base station and the mobile phone. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A set top box comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions;

a broadband interface; and

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

transmitting signals for facilitating establishing communications with a cellular phone;

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

enabling a landline phone communicatively coupled 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 communications between the controller circuit and the cellular phone, wherein the communication between the landline phone and the remote end user device comprises a voice call.

2. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising disabling communications between the landline phone and the cellular communication system responsive to detecting that the cellular phone is outside of a communication range threshold of the set top box.

3. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising disabling communications between the landline phone and the cellular communication system responsive to receiving a request from the cellular phone.

4. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to 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.

5. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

disabling communications with the cellular phone while the landline phone is enabled to communicate with the cellular communication system; and

enabling the landline phone to communicate with the remote end user device via a second communication system utilizing identification information of the landline phone when the landline phone is not enabled to communicate with the remote end user device via the cellular communication system.

6. The set top box of claim 5, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

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

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

7. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

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

causing the landline phone to present an incoming call alert responsive to the detecting the incoming call; and

preventing the cellular phone from presenting the incoming call alert.

8. The set top box 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 landline phone and the cellular communication system.

9. The set top box 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 landline phone and the cellular communication system responsive to receiving a termination request from the cellular phone.

10. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:

receiving from the landline phone a request to initiate an outgoing call; and

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

11. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is communicatively coupled to the cellular communication system by way of a data communications protocol.

12. The set top box of claim 11, wherein the cordless phone protocol corresponds to a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications protocol, and wherein the data communications protocol corresponds to an internet protocol.

13. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is in communication with a public switched telephone network communication system and an internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system.

14. A server comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

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

receiving a request to establish communications from a premises cellular access point device; and

enabling a landline phone communicatively coupled to the premises cellular access point device to communicate with a remote end user device utilizing identification information of a cellular phone, wherein the communication between the landline phone and the remote end user device comprises a voice call.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the controller circuit is in communication with a public switched telephone network communication system and an internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system.

16. The server of claim 14, wherein the premises cellular access point device is incorporated in a set top box, and wherein the controller circuit communicates with the set top box over a broadband connection.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the identification information of the cellular phone comprises an electronic serial number, and wherein communications with the landline phone are disabled responsive to detecting that the cellular phone is outside of a communication range threshold of the set top box.

18. A method comprising:

at a base station, communicating with a mobile phone, wherein the base station comprises a premises wireless access point device;

at the base station, communicating with a mobile communication system by way of a broadband connection;

instructing a landline phone communicatively coupled to the base station to communicate with a remote end user device via the mobile communication system utilizing identification information of the mobile phone and responsive to communications between the base station and the mobile phone; and

disabling communications between the landline phone and the mobile communication system responsive to detecting that the mobile phone is outside of a communication range threshold of the base station, wherein the base station is incorporated into a media processor that provides media services via an interactive television network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communication between the landline phone and the remote end user device comprises a voice call.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification information of the mobile phone comprises an electronic serial number.