Method and system for managing enterprise-related mobile calls

• US 9,379,909 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Dalsu, George, Richard, Oliver, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US11/771,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,287 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and mobile devices for managing mobile calls to or from an enterprise-associated mobile device. The system and mobile device are configured to ensure all calls over a public land mobile network are routed through an enterprise communications system. The mobile device is prevented from directly calling remote parties through the public land mobile network and the public land mobile network forwards all calls addressed to the mobile device to the enterprise communications system. The enterprise communication system responds to a request to connect the mobile device and the remote party by establishing a first call with the mobile device, establishing a second call with the remote party, and bridging the two calls to connect the mobile device to the remote party.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a call from a remote party device to an enterprise-associated mobile device having a phone number, the mobile device being configured for wireless communications over a public land mobile network, wherein the public land mobile network is directly instructed by the mobile device based on administrator-level privileges configured within the mobile device to call forward a call request originally intended to the phone number of the mobile device to an enterprise phone number using a call forward command of the public land mobile network, the enterprise phone number being associated with the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to prevent user-level alteration of configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to call forwarding call requests addressed to the mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a call request to the enterprise phone number, the call request being call-forwarded by the public land mobile network in execution of the call forward command of the public land mobile network and originating as a call request from the remote party device to the phone number of the mobile device;

establishing, at the enterprise communication system, a first call leg between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system,

establishing, at the enterprise communication system, a second call leg between the enterprise communications system and the remote party device, and

bridging, at the enterprise communication system, the first and second call legs to connect the mobile device and the remote party device, completing the call from the remote party device to the mobile device, wherein the first and second call legs each include a voice call.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising detecting a Voice-over IP (VoIP)-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein establishing the first call leg comprises establishing a VoIP call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising detecting absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein establishing the first call leg comprises:

sending a data message from the enterprise communications system to the mobile device informing the mobile device of the request from the remote party device; and

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network from the mobile device, the circuit-switched voice call being addressed to the enterprise communications system, in response to acceptance of the request by the user of the mobile device, wherein the circuit-switched voice call is placed automatically by the mobile device in response to said acceptance.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising:

configuring the mobile device to block direct dial calls via the public land mobile network except calls addressed to the enterprise communications system, and

transmitting a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party device, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party device.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, further comprising detecting a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein establishing the first call leg comprises establishing a VoIP call between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system.

6. The method claimed in claim 4, further comprising detecting the absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and wherein establishing the first call leg comprises:

sending an acknowledgement message from the enterprise communications system to the mobile device in response to said data message; and

receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network from the mobile device, the circuit-switched voice call being addressed to the enterprise communications system, and wherein the circuit-switched voice call is placed automatically by the mobile device in response to said acknowledgement message.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the enterprise communication system comprises a private branch exchange (PBX) and an enterprise voice application server connected via a local network, and wherein establishing the second call leg with the remote party device includes completing a circuit-switched voice connection with the remote party device through the public switched telephone network via the PBX.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the first call leg and the second call leg are terminated at the PBX and bridging the first and second call legs is performed by the PBX under the control of the communication management server.

9. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the first call leg and the second call leg are terminated at the enterprise voice application server and bridging the first and second call legs is performed by the enterprise voice application server.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said call forward request is originally sent from the mobile device to the public land mobile network, prior to said alteration being prevented.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to prevent a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and the remote party device over the public land mobile network.

12. A system for enterprise-related call management, comprising:

an enterprise communications system including an enterprise voice application server and a private branch exchange (PBX);

an enterprise-associated mobile device having a phone number, the mobile device being configured for wireless communications over a public land mobile network, wherein the public land mobile network is directly instructed by the mobile device based on administrator-level privileges configured within the mobile device to call forward a call request originally intended to the phone number of the mobile device to an enterprise phone number using a call forward command of the public land mobile network, the enterprise phone number being associated with the mobile device,

wherein the mobile device is configured to prevent user-level alteration of configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to call forwarding call requests addressed to the mobile device; and

the enterprise communications system being configured to

receive a call request to the enterprise phone number which terminates to the PBX, the call request being call-forwarded by the public land mobile network in execution of the call forward command of the public land mobile network and originating as a call request from the remote party device to the phone number of the mobile device,

establish a first call leg between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system,

establish a second call leg between the enterprise communications system and the remote party device, and

bridge the first second call legs to connect the mobile device and the remote party device, completing the call from the remote party device to the mobile device, wherein the first and second call legs each include a voice call.

13. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to detect the presence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and, if so detected, establish the first call leg as a VoIP call between the enterprise communication system and the mobile device over said IP connection.

14. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein

the enterprise communications system is configured to detect the absence of a VoIP-capable IP connection with the mobile device and, if the absence is detected, send the mobile device a data message informing the mobile device of the request from the remote party device, and

wherein the mobile device is configured to output a user alert in response to the data message regarding the request, receive a user input accepting the request, and, in response to the user input, automatically place a circuit-switched voice call via the public land mobile network addressed to the enterprise communications system.

15. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the enterprise communication system is configured to receive a request by the mobile device to establish a call with the remote party device, and in response to the request, to establish a first call leg between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system, establish a second call leg between the enterprise communications system and the remote party device, and bridge the first call leg and the second call leg at the enterprise communications system to connect the mobile device and the remote party device;

and wherein the mobile device is configured to generate and transmit a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party device, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party device.

16. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to send said data message over a VoIP-capable IP connection with the enterprise communications system and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to establish the first call leg as a VoIP call between the enterprise communication system and the mobile device over said IP connection.

17. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein a VoIP-capable IP connection is not present between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system, and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to said data message, and wherein the mobile device is configured to automatically place a circuit-switched voice call to the enterprise communications system via the public land mobile network in response to the said acknowledgement message.

18. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the PBX is configured to terminate the first call leg and the second call leg under the control of the enterprise voice application server and wherein the PBX includes a bridging agent for bridging the first call leg and the second call leg.

19. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the enterprise voice application server includes a media processing component, and wherein the PBX and the enterprise voice application server are configured to establish one or more media paths between the PBX and the enterprise voice application server to terminate the first call leg and the second call leg at the media processing component of the enterprise voice application server, and wherein the enterprise voice application server includes a bridging agent for bridging the first call leg and the second call leg.

20. A mobile device having a phone number and associated with an enterprise, the enterprise including an enterprise communications system for managing enterprise-related calls, the mobile device comprising:

a communications subsystem for engaging in wireless communications with a public land mobile network;

a memory;

a processor for controlling the communications subsystem, and the memory; and

instructions stored in the memory executable by the processor to instruct the public land mobile network, by sending a call forward command of the public land mobile network directly from the mobile device to the public land mobile network based on administrator-level privileges configured within the mobile device, to call forward a call request originally intended to the phone number of the mobile device to an enterprise phone number which terminates to an enterprise communications system, the enterprise phone number being associated with the mobile device,

wherein the instructions include instructions to prevent a direct wireless voice call between the mobile device and a remote party device over the public land mobile network, and to prevent user-level alteration of configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to call forwarding a call request to the mobile device;

wherein the instructions include instructions to establish a first call leg between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system in response to a request to establish a call between the remote party device and the mobile device,

and wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to receive a call request to the enterprise phone number, the call request being call-forwarded via the public land mobile network in execution of the call forward command of the public land mobile network and originating as a call request from the remote party device to the phone number of the mobile device, to establish a second call leg between the enterprise communications system and the remote party device and to bridge the first and second call legs at the enterprise communication system to connect the mobile device and the remote party device, completing the call from the remote party device to the mobile device, wherein the first and second call legs each include a voice call.

21. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, further comprising a WiFi subsystem for establishing a VoIP-capable IP connection with the enterprise communications system over a WLAN, and wherein the instructions include instructions to establish said first call leg as a VoIP call over said IP connection.

22. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send the mobile device a data message informing the mobile device of the call request from the remote party device, and wherein the-instructions include instructions to output a user alert through the user interface in response to the data message regarding the call request, receive a user input accepting the request through a user interface, and, in response to the user input, automatically place a circuit-switched voice call via the communications subsystem and the public land mobile network addressed to the enterprise communications system.

23. The mobile device claimed in claim 20, wherein the request comprises a request by the mobile device to establish the call with the remote party device, and wherein the instructions include instructions to generate and transmit a data message addressed to the enterprise communications system in response to a user request to call the remote party device, the data message comprising a telephone address for the remote party device.

24. The mobile device claimed in claim 23, wherein the enterprise communications system is configured to send an acknowledgement message to the mobile device in response to said data message, and wherein the instructions include instructions to automatically place a circuit-switched voice call to the enterprise communications system via the public land mobile network in response to the said acknowledgement message.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions for routing a call between an enterprise-associated mobile device having a phone number and a remote party device through an enterprise communications system, the mobile device being configured for wireless communications over a public land mobile network, wherein the public land mobile network is directly instructed by the mobile device based on administrator-level privileges configured within the mobile device to call forward a call request originally intended to the phone number of the mobile device to an enterprise phone number using a call forward command of the public land mobile network, the enterprise phone number being associated with the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to prevent user-level alteration of configuration of the public land mobile network with regard to call forwarding call requests addressed to the mobile device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, at the enterprise communications system, a call request call-forwarded by the public land mobile network in execution of the call forward command of the public land mobile network and originating as a call request from the remote party device to the phone number of the mobile device;

instructions for

establishing, at the enterprise communication system, a first call leg between the mobile device and the enterprise communications system,

establishing, at the enterprise communication system, a second call leg between the enterprise communications system and the remote party device, and

bridging, at the enterprise communication system, the first and second call legs to connect the mobile device and the remote party device, completing the call from the remote party device to the mobile device, wherein the first and second call legs each include a voice call.