Mesh network telephone system

• US 8,917,716 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: MUSE Green Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tran, Bao Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US11/405,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,172 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/401, 370/406, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/121 Details of network access arrangements or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed having one or more mesh network appliances (such as ZigBee appliances); a mesh network telephone base station in communication with the mesh network appliances, the mesh network telephone base station including a telephone jack wired to a plain old telephone service (POTS) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) land-line; and a telephone in communication with the one or more mesh network appliances including the mesh network telephone base station.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a mesh network cordless telephone base station positionable inside a building and configured to communicate with a mesh network, wherein the mesh network telephone base station includes a telephone jack wired to a plain old telephone service (POTS) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) land-line;

a cordless telephone positionable inside the building and configured to communicate with the cordless telephone base station via the mesh network, wherein the mesh network is configured to transfer data between the cordless telephone and the cordless telephone base station over intermediate nodes; and

a server coupled to the base station, wherein the server is configured to receive a search query from the cordless telephone, wherein the server is configured to search one or more databases based on the search query and return a search result on a display, wherein the server is configured to select a third party associated with one of the search results to call back the cordless telephone, and wherein the server is configured to transmit the cordless telephone'"'"'s caller identification (Caller ID) to the third party to call back the cordless telephone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mesh network comprises an 802.15 network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to record a message from a caller, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to answer two calls by selecting a first line or a second line, and wherein the cordless telephone is configured to receive distinctive ring tones and rings with a melody or distinctive ring pattern.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cordless telephone comprises a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the third party pays a fee for each Caller ID transmitted to the third party.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more databases comprise one or more of music, food, restaurant, movie, map, telephone directory, news, blogs, weather, stocks, calendar, sports, horoscopes, lottery, messages, traffic, and direction.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a mesh network appliance configured to provide one of home security, door access control, lighting control, power outlet control, dimmer control, switch control, temperature control, humidity control, carbon monoxide control, fire alarm control, blind control, shade control, window control, oven control, cooking range control, personal computer control, entertainment console control, television control, projector control, garage door control, car control, pool temperature control, water pump control, furnace control, heater control, thermostat control, electricity meter monitor, water meter monitor, gas meter monitor, and remote diagnostic.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the cordless telephone is coupled to a cellular telephone configured to answer calls directed at the cellular telephone.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to synchronize calendar, contact, emails, blogs, or instant messaging with the cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to synchronize calendar, contact, emails, blogs, or instant messaging with a personal computer.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a patient monitoring appliance coupled to the POTS or PSTN through the mesh network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient monitoring appliance is configured to monitor drug usage and patient falls.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient monitoring appliance is configured to monitor patient movement.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising an indoor positioning system coupled to one or more mesh network appliances configured to provide location information derived using nodes of the mesh network.

15. The system of claim 1, comprising a call center coupled to the cordless telephone configured to provide a human response if a patient falls and is unable to get up, wherein a patient monitoring appliance monitors patient falls.

16. The system of claim 1, comprising a web server coupled to the mesh network and to the POTS and configured to provide information to an authorized remote user.

17. A system, comprising:

a cordless telephone including a ZigBee transceiver configured to communicate digitized voice and data via a ZigBee wireless link, wherein the cordless telephone is positionable inside a building;

a mesh network cordless telephone base station wirelessly coupled to the cordless telephone via the ZigBee wireless link, wherein the mesh network cordless telephone base station is positionable inside the building, is configured to communicate via a mesh network, and includes a telephone jack coupled to a plain old telephone service (POTS) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) land-line; and

a server coupled to the base station, wherein the server is configured to receive a search query from the cordless telephone, wherein the server is further configured to search one or more databases based on the search query and return a search result on a display, wherein the server is configured to select a third party associated with one of the search results to call back the cordless telephone, and wherein the server is configured to transmit the cordless telephone'"'"'s caller identification (Caller ID) to the third party to call back the cordless telephone.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server is coupled to the POTS or PSTN, wherein the server is configured to provide information to one of directory assistance, yellow page directory, white page directory, search engine, music, food, restaurant, movie, map, telephone directory, news, blogs, weather, stocks, calendar, sports, horoscopes, lottery, messages, traffic, and direction wherein the third party pays a fee for each Caller ID transmitted to the third party.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to synchronize calendar, contact, emails, blogs, or instant messaging with a personal computer or a cellular telephone.

20. The system of claim 17, comprising a call center coupled to the cordless telephone and configured to provide a human response if a patient falls and is unable to get up, wherein the cordless phone is configured to monitor patient falls.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a search query on a server from a cordless telephone positionable inside a building, wherein the server is coupled to a mesh network cordless telephone base station positionable inside the building and configured to communicate with the cordless telephone via one or more mesh network wireless communication links, and wherein the cordless telephone base station includes a telephone jack wired to a plain old telephone service (POTS) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) land-line;

searching one or more databases based on the search query;

returning a search result on a display;

selecting by the server a third party associated with one of the search results to call back the cordless telephone; and

transmitting by the server the cordless telephone'"'"'s caller identification (Caller ID) to the third party to call back the cordless telephone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the third party pays a fee for each Caller ID transmitted to the third party.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more databases comprise one or more of music, food, restaurant, movie, map, telephone directory, news, blogs, weather, stocks, calendar, sports, horoscopes, lottery, messages, traffic, and direction.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising providing one of home security, door access control, lighting control, power outlet control, dimmer control, switch control, temperature control, humidity control, carbon monoxide control, fire alarm control, blind control, shade control, window control, oven control, cooking range control, personal computer control, entertainment console control, television control, projector control, garage door control, car control, pool temperature control, water pump control, furnace control, heater control, thermostat control, electricity meter monitor, water meter monitor, gas meter monitor, and remote diagnostic, through a mesh network appliance.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more mesh network wireless communication links include one or more ZigBee wireless communication links.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising synchronizing one or more of a calendar, contacts, emails, blogs, and instant messaging of the cordless telephone with a personal computer or a cellular telephone.

27. The method of claim 21, comprising providing a human response from a call center coupled to the cordless telephone if a patient falls and is unable to get up, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to monitor patient falls.

28. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to:

receive a search query from a cordless telephone positionable inside a building, wherein the cordless telephone is configured to communicate with a mesh network cordless telephone base station via one or more mesh network wireless communication links, and wherein the mesh network cordless telephone base station is positionable inside the building and includes a telephone jack wired to a plain old telephone service (POTS) or a public switched telephone network (PSTN) land-line;

search one or more databases based on the search query;

return a search result on a display;

select a third party associated with one of the search results to call back the cordless telephone; and

transmit the cordless telephone'"'"'s caller identification (Caller ID) to the third party to call back the cordless telephone.