Methods and apparatus to provide extended voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services

• US 9,344,987 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Doradla, Anil Kumar, Gorti, Sreenivasa, Wolter, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US13/691,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20140153480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/331, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/356, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 379/142.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42255 with the subscriber having a personal network-independent number
• 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: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to provide extended voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are disclosed. An example residential gateway comprises a radio frequency (RF) detector to detect a presence of a cellular communication device, a service controller to enable a VoIP communication device when the cellular communication device is present, wherein the VoIP communication device and the cellular communication device are different devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, via a processor, whether a cellular communication device is present in an area;

registering, via the processor, a voice over Internet protocol communication device to a voice over Internet protocol service in response to a presence detection of the cellular communication device entering the area, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are physically separate devices; and

de-registering, via the processor, the voice over Internet protocol communication device from the voice over Internet service in response to an absence detection of the cellular communication device leaving the area.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service comprises enabling the voice over Internet protocol communication to communicate via a telephone number associated with the cellular communication device.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises updating a list of barred voice over Internet protocol devices.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises performing a session initiated protocol de-registration.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the cellular communication device and the VoIP communication device are associated with a same telephone number.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising disabling a cellular service to the cellular communication device when the cellular communication device is present in the area.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service comprises updating a list of active voice over Internet protocol communication devices.

8. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

determining whether a cellular communication device is present in an area;

registering a voice over Internet protocol communication device to a voice over Internet protocol service in response to a presence detection of the cellular communication device as present in the area, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are separate devices; and

de-registering the voice over Internet protocol communication device from the voice over Internet service in response to an absence detection of the cellular communication device leaving the area.

9. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service comprises enabling the voice over Internet protocol communication to communicate via a telephone number associated with the cellular communication device.

10. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises updating a list of barred voice over Internet protocol devices.

11. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises performing a session initiated protocol de-registration.

12. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the cellular communication device and the VoIP communication device are associated with a same telephone number.

13. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise disabling a cellular service to the cellular communication device when the cellular communication device is present in the area.

14. A storage device as defined in claim 8, wherein the registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service comprises updating a list of active voice over Internet protocol communication devices.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

memory having machine readable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor to execute the machine readable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether a cellular communication device is present in an area;

registering a voice over Internet protocol communication device to a voice over Internet protocol service in response to a presence detection of the cellular communication device as present in the area, wherein the voice over Internet protocol communication device and the cellular communication device are separate devices; and

de-registering the voice over Internet protocol communication device from the voice over Internet service in response to an absence detection of the cellular communication device leaving the area.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device to the voice over Internet protocol service comprises enabling the voice over Internet protocol communication to communicate via a telephone number associated with the cellular communication device.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises updating a list of barred voice over Internet protocol devices.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the de-registering of the voice over Internet protocol communication device comprises performing a session initiated protocol de-registration.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the cellular communication device and the VoIP communication device are associated with a same telephone number.