Transparently routing a telephone call between mobile and VOIP services

• US 8,724,619 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bush, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PARTHKUMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/045,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20090168757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/237, 370/329, 370/338, 370/466, 370/515, 370/331, 370/229, 455/422.1, 455/417, 455/41.2, 455/518, 455/445, 455/436, 455/403, 709/203, 348/14.12, 348/515
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for routing a telephone call intended for a communications device between a mobile network and a VOIP service, where the mobile network and VOIP service may be connected through the PSTN. The VOIP service may receive telephone calls and may direct the telephone calls to the communications device through the Internet when a stable Internet connection is present, and may route telephone calls to the mobile network through the PSTN otherwise. When a call is routed to the mobile network, the mobile network may make the call the communications device to establish a telephone connection through a cellular link. While a telephone call is in progress, the VOIP service and communications device may be configured to seamlessly switch the telephone call to a different service depending on the status of the communications device'"'"'s Internet connection.

Claims

1. A method of switching a voice call communication session for a communications device from a mobile service to a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, wherein the communications device is in communication with a remote device during the voice call communication session, the method comprising:

maintaining a first voice call communication between the communications device and the remote device, wherein the first voice call communication is established for the communications device via the mobile service;

automatically establishing a second voice call communication between the communications device and the remote device via the VoIP service;

automatically disconnecting at least one call segment of the first voice call communication between the mobile service and the communications device, wherein the first voice call communication has a first audio latency and the second voice call communication has a second audio latency;

comparing the first audio latency to the second audio latency; and

adding a delay to the second audio latency of the second voice call communication such that the second audio latency matches the first audio latency of the first voice call communication, based at least in part on the comparing,

wherein the adding of the delay to the second audio latency of the second voice call communication is performed prior to the automatic disconnecting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising bridging at least one remaining call segment of the first voice call communication between the mobile service and the remote device with the established second voice call communication to maintain the voice call communication session for the communications device without interruption during the switching.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the communications device has a stable Internet connection,

wherein the second voice call communication is automatically established in response to determining that the communications device has stable Internet connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically establishing the second voice call communication further comprises transmitting communications of the second voice call communication via the VoIP service between the communications device and the remote device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically establishing the second voice call communication further comprises:

sending a request from the communications device to the mobile service to switch the first voice call communication from the mobile service to the VoIP service;

receiving a transfer of the first voice call communication at the VoIP service; and

establishing the second voice call communication between the VoIP service and the communications device in response to receiving the transfer.

6. A method of switching a voice call communications session of a communications device from a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service to a mobile service, wherein the communications device is in communication with a remote device during the voice call communication session, the method comprising:

maintaining a first voice call communication between the communications device and the remote device, wherein the first voice call communication is established for the communications device through via the VoIP service;

establishing a second voice call communication between the communications device and the remote device via the mobile service and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) in response to receiving the second voice call communication at the communications device;

automatically disconnecting at least one call segment of the first voice call communication between the VoIP service and the communications device, in response to determining that at least a portion of the VoIP service is not stable enough to support the first voice call communication or in response to determining that at least a portion of the VoIP service has been lost; and

bridging at least one remaining call segment of the first voice call communication between the VoIP service and the remote device with the established second voice call communication to maintain the voice call communications session for the communications device without interruption during the switching,

wherein, prior to establishing the second voice call communication, an audio latency associated with the second voice call communication is modified to match an audio latency associated with the first voice call communication.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether the communications device has lost a stable Internet connection,

wherein the second voice call communication is automatically established in response to determining that the communications device has lost stable Internet connection.

8. A method of switching a voice call communication between a first communications network that is associated with a mobile service and a second communications network that is associated with a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service at a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

establishing a first voice call communication over the first communications network between the mobile communications device and remote device;

receiving a second voice call communication over the second communications network;

determining whether the second voice call communication is associated with the remote device; and

automatically switching from the first voice call communication to the second voice call communication in response to determining that the second voice call communication is from the remote device, such that a communications session between the communications device and the remote device is not interrupted during the switching,

wherein prior to the switching, modifying an audio latency associated with the second voice call communication such that the audio latency associated with the second voice call communication matches an audio latency associated with the first voice call communication, and

wherein the automatic switching from the first voice call communication to the second voice call communication occurs using an explicit call transfer (ECT) protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the second voice call communication is associated with the remote device further comprises comparing a telephone number of the second voice call communication to a telephone number of the first voice call communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the second voice call communication is associated with the remote device further comprises comparing an Internet protocol (IP) address of the second voice call communication to an IP address of the first voice call communication.

11. A mobile communications device comprising:

at least one wireless communications transceiver and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program code to cause the mobile communications device to;

establish a first voice call communication via a mobile network between the mobile communications device and a remote device;

receive a second voice call communication via a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service;

determine whether the second voice call communication is associated with the remote device; and

automatically switch to the second voice call communication in response to determining that the second voice call communication is from the remote device, such that a communications session between the communications device and the remote device is not interrupted during the switch;

wherein, prior to the switch, the second voice call communication is modified such that an audio latency associated with the second voice call communication matches an audio latency associated with the first voice call communication.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the mobile communications device to:

disconnect the first voice call communication after the second voice call communication has been established.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless communications transceiver comprises Wi-Fi transceiver that enables a Wi-Fi connection to the VoIP service,

and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute computer program code to cause the mobile communications device to direct the at least one wireless communications transceiver to transmit status information to the VoIP service that indicates a strength of the Wi-Fi connection.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute computer program code to cause the mobile communications device to determine whether the second voice call communication is associated with a same IP address or a same telephone number as the first voice call communication.

15. The mobile communications device of claim 11, wherein the second voice call communication is established automatically and without input from a user of the mobile communications device.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless communications transceiver is further configured to receive a third voice call communication via the mobile network,

and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute computer program code to cause the mobile communications device to:

determine whether the third voice call communication is from the remote device; and

direct the at least one wireless communications transceiver to establish the third voice call communication in response to determining that the third voice call communication is from the remote device.