Systems and methods for rapid setup of telephony communications

• US 9,179,482 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage America LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Efrati, Tzahi, Sterman, Baruch
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/835,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140269498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/240, 370/328, 370/331, 370/354, 370/356, 370/389, 370/395.54, 370/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections

Abstract

When an incoming communication is directed to a telephony device that is capable of conducting an IP-based communication via an IP telephony system and a cellular-based communication via a mobile telephony service provider, the communication is initially setup as a cellular-based communication via the mobile telephony service provider. At the same time, an IP-based communication channel is setup between the telephony device and an IP telephony system. Once the IP-based communication channel is available, the communication is transitioned from the cellular-based communication channel to the IP-based communication channel.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors of an IP telephony system for setting up a telephony communication, the method comprising:

setting up a first cellular-based communication path via a mobile telephony service provider to a telephony device that is capable of simultaneously conducting an Internet protocol (IP) communication via a data network and a cellular-based communication via a mobile telephony service provider, and commencing a telephony communication with the telephony device over the first communication path;

sending a communication to the telephony device that causes an IP software application on the telephony device to register with the IP telephony system via a data network;

setting up a second IP-based communication path to the telephony device via the data network; and

transitioning the telephony communication from the first communication path to the second communication path, wherein the transitioning comprises;

conferencing together the first cellular-based communication path and the second IP-based communication path; and

terminating the first cellular-based communication path such that the telephony communication continues over only the second IP-based communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting up the first communication path and commencing the telephony communication over the first communication path comprises placing a call to a native identifier of the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a communication to the telephony device comprises causing a push notification to be sent to the telephony device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a communication to the telephony device comprises causing a predetermined identifier to be included in caller ID information that is sent to the telephony device when the first communication path is setup to the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider.

5. A system for setting up a telephony communication with a telephony device, comprising:

means for setting up a first cellular-based communication path via a mobile telephony service provider to a telephony device that is capable of conducting an Internet protocol (IP) communication via a data network and a cellular-based communication via a mobile telephony service provider, and commencing a telephony communication with the telephony device over the first communication path;

means for sending a communication to the telephony device that causes an IP software application on the telephony device to register with an IP telephony system via a data network;

means for setting up a second IP-based communication path to the telephony device via the data network; and

means for transitioning the telephony communication from the first communication path to the second communication path, wherein the transitioning means conferences together the first cellular-based communication path and the second IP-based communication path, and then terminates the first cellular-based communication path such that the telephony communication continues over only the second IP-based communication path.

6. A system for setting up telephony communication with a telephony device, comprising:

a cellular communication path setup unit including at least one processor that sets up a first cellular-based communication path via a mobile telephony service to a telephony device that is capable of condcting an Internet protocol (IP) communication via a data network and a cellular-based communication via a mobile telephony service provider, and the commences a telephony communication with the telephony device over the first communication path;

an IP communication path setup unit that sends a communication to the telephony device that causes an IP software application on the telephony device to register with an IP telephony system via a data network, and that sets up a second IP-based communication path to the telephony device via the data network; and

a communication path transition unit that transitions the telephony communication from the first communication path to the second communication path, wherein the communication path transition unit conferences together the first cellular-based communication path and the second IP-based communication path, and then terminates the first cellular-based communication path such that the telephony communication continues over only the second IP-based communication path.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the cellular communication path setup unit places a call to a native identifer of the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the IP communication path setup unit causes a push notification to be sent to the telephony device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the IP communication path setup unit setup unit causes an IP software application on the telephony device to register with the IP telephony system by causing a predetermined identifier to be included in caller ID information that is sent to the telephony device when the cellular communication path setup unit causes the first communication path to be setup to the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider.

10. A method performed by one or more processors of an IP telephony system for setting up a telephony communication with a telephony device, the method comprising:

setting up a first cellular-based communication path via a mobile telephony service provider to a telephony device that is capable of conducting an Internet protocol (IP) communication via a data network and a cellular-based communication via a mobile telephony service provider, and commencing a telephony communication with the telephony device over the first communication path;

setting up a second IP-based communication path to the telephony device via a data network by;

causing an IP software application on the telephony device to register with the IP telephony system via the data network by either causing a push notification to be sent to the telephony device or causing a predetermined identifier to be included in caller ID information that is sent to the telephony device when the first communication path is setup to the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider, and

setting up an IP based communication with the telephony device via the data network; and

transitioning the telephony communication from the first communication path to the second communication path.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein causing an IP software application on the telephony device to register with the IP telephony system comprises causing a push notification to be sent to the telephony device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein causing an IP software application on the telephony device to register with the IP telephony system comprises causing a predetermined identifier to be included in caller ID information that is sent to the telephony device when the first communication path is setup to the telephony device via the mobile telephony service provider.