Selecting information handling system communication protocol based on network constraints

• US 9,307,376 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Anson, Douglas M., Toy, Arthur R., Dilliard, Wendy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US14/593,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20150124658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/887 limit per user or user related number
• 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: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls at an information handling system are managed based upon data transfer allocations associated with an information handling system wireless wide area network (WWAN) account to reduce data transfer overages at the WWAN account. If data transfer associated with a WWAN account approaches an allocation threshold, VoIP telephone calls associated with the information handling system that would use WWAN data transfer are instead configured to proceed through a WWAN telephone call with a WWAN telephone number that does not use data transfer.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a telephone call at an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a predetermined data allocation state associated with a wireless wide area network (WWAN) account of the information handling system, the WWAN account having a WWAN telephone number that includes a data allocation to communicate data and a telephone call allocation to place telephone calls;

detecting a request for a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone call associated with the information handling system, the VoIP call associated with a VoIP account having a VoIP telephone number, the VoIP telephone call to be communicated as data packets allocated to the data allocation; and

reconfiguring the VoIP telephone call to initiate as a WWAN telephone call associated with the WWAN account, wherein the WWAN telephone call is placed with a telephone call allocation that does not use the data allocation associated with the WWAN account.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting a request for a VoIP telephone call further comprises detecting an incoming telephone call at a VoIP server to a VoIP telephone number associated with the information handling system; and

reconfiguring the VoIP telephone call to initiate as a WWAN telephone call further comprises forwarding the VoIP telephone call from the VoIP server to a WWAN telephone number associated with the information handling system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

detecting a request for a VoIP telephone call further comprises detecting initiation of a VoIP telephone call with a VoIP telephone number at the information handling system; and

reconfiguring the VoIP telephone call to initiate as a WWAN telephone call further comprises sending the telephone call from the information handling system with a WWAN telephone number through the WWAN.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined data allocation state comprises exhaustion of data allocation for the WWAN account.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined data allocation state comprises exhaustion of data allocation shared by the WWAN account with plural other WWAN accounts.

6. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a wireless wide area network (WWAN) unit interfaced with the processor and operable to establish a WWAN interface;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) unit interfaced with the processor and operable to establish a WLAN interface;

a WWAN telephone module operable to establish a WWAN telephone call through the WWAN interface with a WWAN telephone number associated with a WWAN account and to communicate data, the WWAN telephone call using a telephone call allocation of the WWAN account, the data using a data allocation of the WWAN account;

a VoIP telephone module operable to establish a VoIP telephone call through the WWAN interface or through the WLAN interface, the VoIP telephone call established with a VoIP telephone number associated with a VoIP account, the VoIP telephone call using the WWAN data allocation when placed through the WWAN; and

a call allocation module interfaced with the WWAN telephone module and the VoIP telephone module and operable in response to a predetermined condition to configure the VoIP telephone call as WWAN telephone call, the predetermined condition including at least data allocation remaining on the WWAN account of less than a predetermined amount.

7. A system for selecting an information handling system communication protocol based upon network constraints, the system comprising:

an information handling system having a wireless wide area network (WWAN) interface and a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface;

a WWAN telephone module executing on the information handling system to establish a WWAN telephone call with a WWAN protocol and associated with a WWAN account having a WWAN telephone number through the WWAN interface, the WWAN account having a telephone call allocation and a data allocation;

a VoIP telephone module executing on the information handling system to establish a VoIP telephone call with a VoIP protocol and associated with a VoIP account having a VoIP telephone number through the WLAN interface or the WWAN interface; and

a call allocation module operable to configure a VoIP telephone call at the information handling system to interface through the WWAN interface with the VoIP protocol in the absence of a predetermined network constraint and with the WWAN protocol using the telephone call allocation in the presence of a predetermined constraint, wherein the predetermined constraint comprises a predetermined amount of remaining data allocation in the WWAN account.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the call allocation module resides on the information handling system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the call allocation module resides on a WWAN switch that supports WWAN telephone calls with the information handling system at the WWAN telephone number.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the call allocation module resides on a VoIP server that supports VoIP telephone call interfaces with the information handling system at the VoIP telephone number.