Wired service for wireless subscribers

• US 8,620,331 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Eichholz, Kathy, Larzalere, Brent Joseph, Hoppe, Diana P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US12/949,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

Methods and systems for establishing landline telephone services for wireless telephone subscribers are provided. One embodiment of a method includes receiving a request to establish a voice connection between a first telephone device and a second telephone device, wherein the second telephone device is a landline telephone device, and further wherein a particular wireless telephone number is associated with the second telephone device; referencing a mapping of one or more wireless telephone numbers and corresponding IP addresses, wherein the particular wireless telephone number associated with the second telephone device is mapped to a particular IP address in the referenced mapping; and utilizing said referenced mapping, initiating a voice connection between the first telephone device and the second telephone device.

Claims

1. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of establishing a landline telephone call for a wireless telephone subscriber, the method comprising:

receiving a request to establish a voice connection between a first telephone device and a second telephone device, wherein the second telephone device is a landline telephone device, and further wherein a particular wireless telephone number is associated with the second telephone device;

referencing a mapping of wireless telephone numbers and corresponding IP addresses, wherein the particular wireless telephone number associated with the second telephone device is mapped to a particular IP address in the referenced mapping, wherein the referenced mapping is generated according to the following process;

receiving a request from a wireless telephone subscriber associated with the second telephone device to establish a landline telephone service;

assigning the particular wireless telephone number to the wireless telephone subscriber;

determining that a connection is established between a high-speed data modem and a landline telephone adapter associated with the landline telephone device, wherein the high-speed data modem is associated with the particular IP address, the particular IP address belonging to the wireless telephone subscriber;

determining that a connection is established between at least one landline telephone jack and the landline telephone adapter, wherein the landline telephone jack is associated with the landline telephone device; and

mapping the particular wireless telephone number with the particular IP address, wherein, based on the mapping, the landline telephone device is capable of performing one or more of placing calls and receiving calls using the particular wireless telephone number; and

utilizing said referenced mapping, initiating a voice connection between the first telephone device and the second telephone device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein an existing wired telephone number is used as the particular wireless telephone number by porting the existing wired telephone number to the particular wireless telephone number.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein one or more of the following is established for the particular wireless telephone number:

address-based 911 services;

directory-assistance services;

a calling name;

directory listing services; and

billing services.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein one or more wired features are associated with the particular wireless telephone number, and wherein the one or more wired features comprise call hunting, call forwarding, call pick-up, and call transfer.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein utilizing said referenced mapping to initiate a voice connection between the first telephone device and the second telephone device includes determining which particular IP address is mapped to the particular wireless telephone number associated with the second telephone device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein initiating a voice connection comprises routing wireless call detail records (CDRs) for the particular wireless telephone number to wireline billing systems, wherein the wireless CDRs are treated as wired telephone usage.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the request to establish a voice connection between a first telephone device and a second telephone device is received via one or more of a public switched telephone network, a wireless telephone network, and the internet.

8. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of establishing a landline telephone call for a wireless telephone subscriber, the method comprising:

receiving a call that was routed to a landline telephone adapter by virtue of a mapping to a particular wireless telephone number, wherein the mapping includes a mapped pairing of the particular wireless telephone number and a particular IP address, and further wherein the mapping is generated according to the following process;

receiving a request from the wireless telephone subscriber to establish a landline telephone service;

assigning the particular wireless telephone number to the wireless telephone subscriber;

determining that a connection is established between a high-speed data modem and the landline telephone adapter, wherein the high-speed data modem is associated with the particular IP address, the particular IP address belonging to the wireless telephone subscriber;

determining that a connection is established between the at least one landline telephone jack and the landline telephone adapter, wherein the landline telephone jack is associated with the landline telephone device;

mapping the particular wireless telephone number with the particular IP address, wherein, based on the mapping, the landline telephone device is capable of performing one or more of placing calls and receiving calls using the particular wireless telephone number; and

establishing availability of one or more of the following in connection with the particular wireless telephone number;

(1) address-based 911 services;

(2) directory-assistance services;

(3) a calling name;

(4) directory listing services;

(5) billing services; and

(6) additional wired features, wherein the additional wired features include one or more of call hunting, call forwarding, call pick-up, and call transfer; and

initiating a voice connection with a landline telephone device associated with at least one landline telephone jack coupled to the landline telephone adapter.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein assigning the particular wireless telephone number to the wireless telephone subscriber comprises:

determining that the wireless telephone subscriber has an existing wired telephone number, wherein the existing wired telephone number is used as the particular wireless telephone number by porting the existing wired telephone number to the particular wireless telephone number.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein assigning the particular wireless telephone number to the wireless telephone subscriber comprises:

assigning a new wireless telephone number as the particular wireless telephone number.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein wireless call detail records (CDRs) for the particular wireless telephone number are routed to wireline billing systems, wherein the wireless CDRs are treated as wired usage.

12. A system for providing landline telephone service to a wireless telephone subscriber, the system comprising:

a switch for establishing a connection between a first telecommunication device and a second telecommunication device, wherein the second telecommunication device is a landline telecommunication device, and further wherein the second telecommunication device is associated with a particular wireless telephone number, wherein said switch is coupled to an information network;

a customer site that facilitates sending and receiving landline telephone calls to and from the second telecommunication device, wherein the customer site is coupled to the information network, wherein the customer site comprises,

(1) a high-speed data modem, the high-speed data modem having a particular IP address; and

(2) a telephone adapter, wherein the telephone adapter is coupled to at least one landline telephone jack, and further wherein the at least one landline telephone jack is coupled to one or more landline telecommunication devices, one of which is the second telecommunication device; and

computer-readable media embodied with a data structure that includes a mapping of wireless telephone numbers to IP addresses, the mapping in connection with the switch,

(1) wherein the mapping comprises mapped pairs of wireless telephone numbers and IP addresses, and

(2) wherein the mapped pairs include mapping of the particular wireless telephone number to the particular IP address.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the switch is located in a public switched telephone network, a wireless telephone network, the internet, or a VoIP network.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the information network comprises one or more of a public switched telephone network, a wireless telephone network, the internet, and a VoIP network.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the particular wireless telephone number is associated with at least one of the following:

address-based 911 services for the particular wireless telephone number;

directory-assistance services for the particular wireless telephone number;

a calling name for the particular wireless telephone number;

directory listing services for the particular wireless telephone number;

billing services associated with the particular wireless telephone number; and

additional wired features associated with the particular wireless telephone number, wherein the additional wired features include one or more of call hunting, call forwarding, call pick-up, and call transfer.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein wireless call detail records (CDRs) for the particular wireless telephone number are routed to wireline billing systems, wherein the wireless CDRs are treated as wired usage.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein establishing a connection between the switch, information network, and customer site enables at least one of the one or more landline telephone devices to send and receive telephone calls using the particular wireless telephone number.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein enabling at least one of the one or more landline telephone devices to send telephone calls comprises:

enabling a call to be placed by at least one of the one or more landline telephone devices, wherein the call being placed is associated with the particular wireless telephone number.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein enabling at least one of the one or more landline telephone devices to receive telephone calls comprises:

enabling a call to be received by at least one of the one or more landline telephone devices when the particular wireless telephone number is dialed.