Methods and systems for enabling end-user equipment at an end-user premise to effect communications having certain destinations when an ability of the end-user equipment to communicate via a communication link connecting the end-user equipment to a communications network is disrupted

• US 9,049,576 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Arsenault, Jonathan Allan, Clark, David William, Wolf, Eric John, Murray, Sean MacLean
• Primary Examiner(s): SINKANTARAKORN, PAWARIS
• Application Number:
  US12/452,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,352 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-228, 370/252, 370/253, 370352-356, 370/465, 370/466, 379 3201- 33, 379 37- 51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A method for effecting communications, such as telephone calls, accesses to data network sites (e.g., web sites), alarm system communications, and/or other communications, having certain destinations over a communications network. The method comprises: receiving a request for a communication originated by first end-user equipment at a first end-user premise when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via a first communication link connecting the first end-user equipment to the communications network is disrupted; determining, based on a destination of the communication, that the communication is to be effected over the communications network; and causing information pertaining to the communication to be exchanged between the first end-user equipment and the communications network via a wireless communication link established between the first end-user equipment and second end-user equipment at a second end-user premise and a second communication link connecting the second end-user equipment to the communications network. Also provided are apparatus and computer-readable media containing a program element executable by a computing system to perform such a method.

Claims

1. A method for effecting communications over a communications network, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a communication originated by first end-user equipment at a first end-user premises, said first end-user equipment including a first communications gateway acting as a communications hub for said first end-user premises and providing communications over said communications network for said first end-user equipment at said first premises, when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate over said communications network via said first communications gateway is disrupted;

determining, based on a destination of the communication, that the communication is to be effected over the communications network; and

establishing a wireless communication link between said first communications gateway and a second communications gateway at a second end-user premises, said second communications gateway acting as a hub at the second-end user premises and connecting second end-user equipment at the second end-user premises to the communications network to effect communications by said second end-user equipment over said communications network;

causing information pertaining to the communication to be exchanged between the first end-user equipment and the communications network via said wireless communication link established between the first end-user equipment and said second communications gateway to effect said communications over said network by way of said second communications gateway.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising determining that the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determining that the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted comprises verifying the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, said verifying comprising:

performing a verification of a state of the first communication link based on a signal conveyable via the first communication link; and

determining that the first communication link is disrupted based on a result of the verification.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, said verifying comprising:

performing a verification of a state of a software or hardware component of the first end-user equipment; and

determining that the software or hardware component of the first end-user equipment is disrupted based on a result of the verification.

6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determining that the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted comprises receiving information indicative of a disruption of the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, said determining comprising determining that the destination of the communication corresponds to a predetermined destination.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, said determining comprising receiving an indication that the destination of the communication is such that the communication is to be effected over the communications network.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, the destination of the communication being specified by an identifier of a piece of equipment for which the communication is destined.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, the identifier comprising at least one of a telephone number, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, the identifier comprising at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an Ethernet hardware address.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, the destination of the communication being specified by an identifier of a party for which the communication is destined.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising establishing the wireless communication link between the first end-user equipment and the second end-user equipment.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, said establishing comprising causing a first one of the first end-user equipment and the second end-user equipment to wirelessly transmit certain information to a second one of the first end-user equipment and the second end-user equipment to establish the wireless communication link.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, the certain information comprising an identifier of the second end-user equipment.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, the identifier of the second end-user equipment comprising at least one of a hardware identifier and an IP address.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15, the certain information comprising access information for the second end-user equipment.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, the access information for the second end-user equipment comprising at least one of a password and a wireless network key.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, the certain information comprising an identifier of the first end-user equipment.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, the certain information comprising access information for the first end-user equipment.

21. A method as claimed in claim 13, whereas said causing is performed by said first communications gateway.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, said establishing comprising wirelessly transmitting certain information to the second communications gateway to establish the wireless communication link between the first communications gateway and the second communications gateway.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, the second end-user equipment comprising a communication apparatus connected to the second communication link and to an end-user device at the second end-user premises, said wirelessly transmitting comprising wirelessly transmitting the certain information to the communication apparatus of the second end-user equipment to establish the wireless communication link between the communication apparatus of the first end-user equipment and the communication apparatus of the second end-user equipment.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, the second end-user equipment comprising a communication apparatus connected to the second communication link and to an end-user device at the second end-user premises, said wirelessly transmitting comprising wirelessly transmitting the certain information to the end-user device at the second end-user premises to establish the wireless communication link between the communication apparatus of the first end-user equipment and the end-user device at the second end-user premises.

25. A method as claimed in claim 21, said establishing comprising causing the end-user device at the first end-user premises to wirelessly transmit certain information to the second end-user equipment to establish the wireless communication link between the end-user device at the first end-user premises and the second communications gateway.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1, the information pertaining to the communication comprising information allowing a physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, the information allowing the physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified comprising location information indicative of the physical location of the first end-user premises.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26, the information allowing the physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified comprising an identifier of a piece of equipment of the first end-user equipment, the identifier being associated in a database with location information indicative of the physical location of the first end-user premises.

29. A method as claimed in claim 1, the communication being a telephone call.

30. A method as claimed in claim 1, the communication being an outgoing communication, said method comprising causing information pertaining to an incoming communication originated by communication equipment connected to the communications network to be exchanged between the first end-user equipment and the communication equipment via the wireless communication link and the second communication link.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, the incoming communication being an incoming telephone call.

32. A communications gateway at a first end-user premises for effecting communications over a communications network provided by a service provider to said first end-user premises, said communications gateway comprising:

a processing entity configured to;

receive a request for a communication originated by first end-user equipment at said first end-user premises when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via a first communication link connecting the first end-user equipment by way of said communications gateway to the communications network is disrupted; and

determine, based on a destination of the communication, that the communication is to be effected over the communications network;

a wireless interface for establishing a wireless link between said communications gateway and a second communications gateway at a second end-user premises for effecting communications over said communications network provided by said service provider to said second end-user premises;

at least one routing entity configured to cause communications from said first end-user equipment at said first premises to be routed over said first communications link when possible, and to cause information pertaining to the communication to be exchanged between the first end-user equipment and the communications network via a wireless communication link established over the wireless interface between the first end-user equipment and said second communications gateway at said second end-user premises and a second communication link connecting the second end-user equipment to the communications network, when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via said first communication link by way of said communications gateway to the communications network is disrupted.

33. A communications gateway as claimed in claim 32, said processing entity is configured to determine that the ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted.

34. A communications gateway as claimed in claim 32, said routing entity being configured to establish the wireless communication link between the first end-user equipment and the second end-user equipment.

35. Non-transitory computer-readable media containing a program element executable by a computing system to perform a method for effecting communications over a communications network, said program element comprising:

program code for causing the computing system to receive a request for a communication originated by first end-user equipment at a first end-user premises, said first end-user equipment including a first communications gateway acting as a communications hub for said first end-user premises equipment at said first premises, when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate over said communications network via said first communications gateway is disrupted;

program code for causing the computing system to determine, based on a destination of the communication, that the communication is to be effected over the communications network; and

program code for causing the computer system to establish a wireless communication link between said first communications gateway and a second communications gateway at a second end-user premises, said second communications gateway acting as a hub at the second-end user premises and connecting second end-user equipment at the second end-user premises to the communications network to effect communications by said second end-user equipment over said communications network;

program code for causing the computing system to cause information pertaining to the communication to be exchanged between the first end-user equipment and the communications network via said wireless communication link established between the first end-user equipment and said second communications gateway to effect said communications over said network y way of said second communications gateway.

36. A method for effecting a phone call originated by a telephone at a first end-user premises, the first end-user premises including first communications gateway connected to a communications network via a first communication link, said method comprising:

determining that an ability of the first communications gateway to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted;

determining that the phone call is an emergency phone call;

determining, if the phone call is an emergency phone call, that the phone call is to be effected over the communications network;

establishing a wireless communication link between the first communications gateway and second end-user equipment at a second end-user premises; and

causing information pertaining to the emergency phone call to be transmitted to communication equipment associated with an emergency phone call answering point via the wireless communication link and a second communication link connecting the second communications gateway to the communications network.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36, the information pertaining to the emergency phone call comprising information allowing a physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified.

38. A method as claimed in claim 37, the information allowing the physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified comprising location information indicative of the physical location of the first end-user premises.

39. A method as claimed in claim 37, the information allowing the physical location of the first end-user premises to be identified comprising an identifier of a piece of equipment of the first end-user equipment, the identifier being associated in a database with location information indicative of the physical location of the first end-user premises.

40. Apparatus for effecting a phone call originated by a telephone at a first end-user premises, the first end-user premises including first end-user equipment connected to a communications network via a first communication link, said apparatus comprising:

a processing entity configured to;

determine that an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via the first communication link is disrupted;

determine that the phone call is an emergency phone call; and

determine, if the phone call is an emergency phone call, that the phone call is to be effected over the communications network; and

a wireless interface for establishing a wireless link between said communications gateway and a second communications gateway at a second end-user premises;

a routing entity configured to;

establish a wireless communication link between the first end-user equipment and second end-user equipment at a second end-user premises; and

cause information pertaining to the emergency phone call to be transmitted to communication equipment associated with an emergency phone call answering point via the wireless communication link and a second communication link connecting the second end-user equipment to the communications network, when an ability of the first end-user equipment to communicate via a first communication link connecting the first end-user equipment by way of said communications gateway to the communications network is disrupted.