Auto sensing home base station for mobile telephone with remote answering capabilities

• US 8,515,417 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Scott M., Meadows, Vernon
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMONDS, MARCUS C
• Application Number:
  US13/249,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455560-561, 455/428, 455/3.04, 455/41.2, 455/74.1, 455410-411, 4554261-4262, 4554321-433, 455/435.1, 455/454, 455/462, 455/517, 455/525, 455/553.1, 4555541-5542, 455/555, 455/556.1, 455/567, 455/13.1, 455/11.1, 370315-327, 370/352, 370/360, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• 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 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

The present invention discloses in one embodiment a mobile telephone capable of communicating with a home base station through radio signals. The mobile telephone registers with a home base station before beginning to communicate with the home base station. The home base station is capable of sensing the presence of the mobile telephone in its coverage area and subsequently establishing contact with the mobile telephone, if the mobile telephone is registered with the home base station. The home base station can support a plurality of telephone devices, including corded and cordless telephone devices, and provides call placement and answering services to these telephone devices if there is a registered mobile telephone within its coverage area.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication services through a mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising:

detecting, by a home base station, presence of mobile telephones within a coverage area of the home base station;

storing, by the home base station, information identifying the mobile telephones, wherein the mobile telephones are in communication with the mobile telecommunications network;

communicating, by the home base station, with a local telephone device;

comparing, by the home base station, the mobile telephones to determine a mobile telephone of the mobile telephones having at least one of a strongest radio signal strength with the home base station, a history for remaining within the coverage area of the home base station, and a history of high quality connections to the home base station; and

selecting, by the home base station, the mobile telephone from the mobile telephones for placing, via the mobile telecommunications network, an outgoing telephone call requested from the local telephone device, the mobile telephone selected from the mobile telephones determined to have at least one of the strongest radio signal strength with the home base station, the history for remaining within the coverage area of the home base station, or the history of high quality connections to the home base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communications between the home base station and the local telephone device follow Bluetooth protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communications between the home base station and the mobile telephones follow Bluetooth protocols.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the home base station from the mobile telephone of the mobile telephones, an incoming call indication that an incoming call has been received by the mobile telephone of the mobile telephones;

ringing, by the home base station, the local telephone device; and

providing, by the home base station to the local telephone device, identification information associated with the mobile telephone of the mobile telephones to indicate to a user of the local telephone device that the incoming call was directed to the mobile telephone of the mobile telephones.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the home base station, a privacy request from the local telephone device; and

sending, by the home base station, a request to the mobile telephones to disable audio input and output units associated with the mobile telephones for a duration of a communication resulting from the outgoing telephone call.

6. A method for providing telephone services in a mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising:

detecting, by a home base station, presence of at least two mobile telephones within a coverage area of the home base station;

facilitating, by the home base station, establishing communication between a local telephone device and the home base station;

facilitating, by the home base station, establishing communication between the at least two mobile telephones and the home base station;

detecting, by the home base station, activation of the local telephone device;

receiving, at the home base station, a dialed telephone number from the local telephone device; and

selecting, by the home base station, a mobile telephone from the at least two mobile telephones for placing, via the mobile telecommunications network, an outgoing telephone call requested from the local telephone device, the mobile telephone selected from the at least two mobile telephones determined to satisfy designated criteria, wherein the designated criteria comprises at least one of a strongest radio signal strength with the home base station amongst the at least two mobile telephones, a history of remaining within the coverage area amongst the at least two mobile telephones, and a track record of quality connections to the home base station amongst the at least two mobile telephones; and

directing, by the home base station, a transmission of the dialed telephone number to the mobile telephone selected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the home base station from the mobile telephone of the at least two mobile telephones, an incoming call indication that an incoming call has been received by the mobile telephone of the at least two mobile telephones;

ringing, by the home base station, the local telephone device; and

providing, by the home base station to the local telephone device, identification information associated with the mobile telephone of the at least two mobile telephones to indicate to a user of the local telephone device that the incoming call was directed to the mobile telephone of the at least two mobile telephones.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing, at the home base station, information identifying each of the at least two mobile telephones;

receiving identification information from one of the at least two mobile telephones;

comparing the identification information with the information identifying each of the at least two mobile telephones; and

if the identification information matches at least a portion of the information identifying each of the at least two mobile telephones, sending a request to establish communication with the one of the at least two mobile telephones.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, on a display device of the home base station, the identification information of the one of the at least two mobile telephones.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a signal from one of the at least two mobile telephones, the signal indicating an incoming call;

ringing the local telephone device connected to the home base station;

detecting the local telephone device answering the incoming call; and

sending a message to the one of the at least two mobile telephones, the message indicating that the local telephone device answered the incoming call.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the one local telephone device is available for answering the incoming call.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication between one of the at least two mobile telephones and the home base station follows Bluetooth protocols.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the local telephone device is a cordless telephone device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication between the home base station and the cordless telephone device follows Bluetooth protocols.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the home base station, a privacy request from the local telephone device; and

sending, by the home base station, a request to the at least two mobile telephones to disable audio input and output units associated with the at least two mobile telephones for a duration of a communication resulting from the outgoing telephone call.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting, by the home base station, a strength of radio signals from the at least two mobile telephones.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the local telephone device is a corded telephone device.

18. A method for facilitating communications between a telephone device and a mobile communications network, the method comprising:

wirelessly detecting, by a home base station, presence information related to at least two mobile communications devices;

detecting, by the home base station, activation of the local telephone device;

receiving, by the home base station, a communication request from the local telephone device, the communication request indicating a destination address; and

responsive to receiving the communication request, selecting, by the home base station a mobile communications device from the at least two mobile communications devices for placing an outgoing telephone call via the mobile telecommunications network to the destination address, the mobile communications device selected from the at least two mobile communications devices based on the mobile communications device satisfying designated criteria, wherein the designated criteria comprises at least one of a strongest radio signal strength with the home base station amongst the at least two mobile communications devices, a history of remaining within a coverage area amongst the at least two mobile communications devices, and a track record of quality connections to the home base station amongst the at least two mobile communications devices; and

sending the destination address to the mobile communications device selected.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing intercom communication services for the local telephone device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile communications device includes a cellular telephone.