Telecommunications system

• US 10,542,140 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2019
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Light Phone Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Light Phone Inc.
• Inventors: Tang, Kaiwei, Hollier, Joseph, Simmons, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US16/406,136
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 455450, 4554521, 4555541, 455555, 455557
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

The telecommunications system of the present disclosure is designed for modern edge scalability to support one-number unification of multiple voice communication devices registered through heterogenous pots, cellular, and VOIP/SIP providers. The system advantageously utilizes only voice or audio services and requiring device data or SMS capabilities for device security verification and call routing management. Within this framework, actual secured device requests for call routing have an overhead limited to approximately a few seconds. The telecommunication system allows a viable service to function well in saturated cellular environments and poor signal scenarios due to prioritization of voice-channels over data and SMS network packets on 2G, 3G, 4G, and next generation cellular technology.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a primary mobile device with a primary phone number, the primary mobile device configured to permit call forwarding;

a primary carrier system, the primary mobile device in communication with the primary carrier system;

a secondary mobile device with a secondary phone number, the secondary mobile device operating on a second-generation (2G) cellular technology, the secondary mobile device configured to store configuration data and telemetry data;

a secondary carrier system, the secondary mobile device in communication with the secondary carrier system;

a proxy system configured to be in communication with the secondary mobile device, and to selectively synchronize with the secondary mobile device to store the configuration data and the telemetry data;

a call-handling switch in communication with each of the primary carrier system and the secondary carrier system; and

a cloud server node in communication with the proxy system and the call-handling switch, the cloud server node having at least one database, the cloud server node configured to receive and store the secondary phone number, the configuration data, and the telemetry data of the secondary mobile device via in the data base via the proxy system, and to verify, log, and control all communications from the secondary mobile device through the call-handling switch, and the cloud server node also configured to receive and store the primary phone number of the primary mobile device in the database, the configuration data including an association of the primary phone number of the primary mobile device with the secondary phone number of the secondary mobile device,

wherein, during an outbound call from the secondary mobile device, an outbound audio signal is generated at the secondary mobile device and communicated via the secondary carrier system to the call-handling switch, the outbound audio signal including a caller-id header with an outbound dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal encoding a caller-id associated with the second phone number of the secondary mobile device, and the call-handling switch communicates the outbound audio signal to the cloud server node, and the cloud server node converts the outbound DTMF signal to a data signal and correlates the secondary phone number given by the data signal converted from the caller-id header with the primary phone number, and the cloud server node communicates the primary phone number to the call-handling switch, and the call-handling switch delivers the outbound call to an external device, whereby the external device is given a caller-id set to the primary phone number instead of the secondary phone number, and

wherein, during an inbound call from the external device with an external phone number, an inbound audio signal is generated at the external device and communicated by the primary carrier system to the call-handling switch via a call forwarding setting of the primary mobile device, the inbound audio signal including a caller-id data signal associated with the external phone number of the external device, and the call-handling switch communicates the inbound audio signal to the cloud server node, and the cloud server node converts the caller-id data signal to an inbound DTMF signal, and the cloud server node communicates the inbound DTMF signal to the call-handling switch, and the call-handling switch delivers the inbound audio signal with the inbound DTMF signal to the secondary mobile device, whereby the secondary mobile device is given the external phone number associated with the external device.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the primary mobile device operates on a third-generation (3G) cellular technology or later generation cellular technology.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the primary carrier system includes a plurality of cell towers configured to receive and transmit both data signals and audio signals in the form of voice over Long Term Evolution (voLTE), and the primary carrier system is configured to both receive and transmit the data signals and the audio signals.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the secondary mobile device is configured to be placed in communication with the proxy system via a data cable.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 4, wherein the secondary mobile device is operating on 2G and has a main body with a power button, a speaker, a lock switch, a data cable port for use with the data cable, a microphone, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card port, a display, and a keypad, and wherein the display and the keypad are providing the form of a backlit plastic wall of the main body.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the secondary carrier system is configured to both receive and transmit audio signals, but not receive and transmit data signals including 4G data.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the proxy system is in communication with the cloud server node via http web-service internet protocols.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the cloud server node may be accessed via an internet application for management of the configuration data of the secondary mobile device, the configuration data including user account information, and direct dial numbers.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 8, wherein the primary mobile device is in selective communication with the cloud server node via the internet application.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 9, wherein the primary mobile device has an associated virtual card (vCard) that is configured and delivered to the primary mobile device by the cloud server node, the vCard containing Hayes-modem protocol codes customized to the primary carrier to manage the call forwarding setting of the primary mobile device.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein the vCard permits for a selective engaging or disengaging of the call forwarding of the primary mobile device to the secondary mobile device, the vCard including a first number to enable the call forwarding and a second number to disable the call forwarding.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising a cloud data server in communication with the cloud server node, the cloud data server having a plurality of databases and performing a delta-level replication synchronization with the cloud server node.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising an external carrier system in communication with both the call-handling switch and the external phone.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the external carrier system includes a plurality of cell towers configured to receive and transmit both data signals and audio signals in the form of voice over Long Term Evolution (voLTE), and the external carrier system is configured to both receive and transmit the data signals and the audio signals.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the cloud server node has a fuzzy algorithm module, the fuzzy algorithm module configured to receive at least a portion of the outbound DTMF signal and convert the portion to the data signal for the correlation with the primary phone number.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 15, wherein the outbound DTMF signal is further salted with a security sequence that permits for the recognition by the cloud server node of the portion of the outbound DTMF signal even where one or more digits of the outbound DTMF signal are not received.

17. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein there is a 2-factor, SMS-based authentication for pairing that permits the communication between the call-handling switch and the primary carrier system.

18. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a primary mobile device with a primary phone number, the primary mobile device configured to permit call forwarding;

a primary carrier system, the primary mobile device in communication with the primary carrier system;

a secondary mobile device with a secondary phone number, the second mobile device operating on the third-generation (3G) cellular technology or later generation cellular technology, the secondary mobile device configured to store configuration data and telemetry data;

a secondary carrier system, the secondary mobile device in communication with the secondary carrier system;

a call-handling switch in communication with each of the primary carrier system and the secondary carrier system; and

a cloud server node in communication with the secondary mobile device and the call-handling switch, the cloud server node having at least one database, the cloud server node configured to directly synchronize with the secondary mobile device without an intervening proxy system, the cloud server node configured to receive and store the secondary phone number, the configuration data, and the telemetry data of the secondary mobile device in the database, and to verify, log, and control all communications from the secondary mobile device through the call-handling switch, and the cloud server node also configured to receive and store the primary phone number of the primary mobile device in the database, the configuration data including an association of the primary phone number of the primary mobile device with the secondary phone number of the secondary mobile device,

wherein, during an outbound call from the secondary mobile device, an outbound audio signal is generated at the secondary mobile device and communicated via the secondary carrier system to the call-handling switch, the outbound audio signal including a caller-id header with an outbound dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal encoding a caller-id associated with the second phone number of the secondary mobile device, and the call-handling switch communicates the outbound audio signal to the cloud server node, and the cloud server node converts the outbound DTMF signal to a data signal and correlates the secondary phone number given by the data signal converted from the caller-id header with the primary phone number, and the cloud server node communicates the primary phone number to the call-handling switch, and the call-handling switch delivers the outbound call to an external device, whereby the external device is given a caller-id set to the primary phone number instead of the secondary phone number, and

wherein, during an inbound call from the external device with an external phone number, an inbound audio signal is generated at the external device and communicated by the primary carrier system to the call-handling switch via a call forwarding setting of the primary mobile device, the inbound audio signal including a caller-id data signal associated with the external phone number of the external device, and the call-handling switch communicates the inbound audio signal to the cloud server node, and the cloud server node converts the caller-id data signal to an inbound DTMF signal, and the cloud server node communicated the inbound DTMF signal to the call-handling switch, and the call-handling switch delivers the inbound audio signal with the inbound DTMF signal to the secondary mobile device, whereby the second mobile device is given the external phone number associated with the external device.

19. The telecommunications system of claim 18, wherein the secondary mobile device is operating on 4G and has a main body with a power button, a speaker, a lock switch, a microphone, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card port, a display, and a keypad, and wherein the display and the keypad are providing the form of a backlit plastic wall of the main body, and wherein the secondary mobile device further has WiFi and Bluetooth transceivers.

20. A method for using a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including a primary mobile device, a primary carrier system, a secondary mobile device, a secondary carrier system, a call-handling switch, and a cloud server node, the primary mobile device having a primary phone number, the primary mobile device configured to permit call forwarding, the primary mobile device in communication with the primary carrier system, the secondary mobile device having a secondary phone number, the secondary mobile device operating on a second-generation (2G) cellular technology, the secondary mobile device configured to store configuration data and telemetry data, the secondary mobile device in communication with the secondary carrier system, the call-handling switch in communication with each of the primary carrier system and the secondary carrier system, and the cloud server node in communication with the call-handling switch, the cloud server node having at least one database, the cloud server node configured to receive and store the secondary phone number, the configuration data, and the telemetry data of the secondary mobile in the database and to verify, log, and control all communications from the secondary mobile device through the call-handling switch, and the cloud server node also configured to receive and store the primary phone number of the primary mobile device in the database, the configuration data including an association of the primary phone number of the primary mobile device with the secondary phone number of the secondary mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

at least one of

a) during an outbound call from the secondary mobile device,

i) generating an outbound audio signal at the secondary mobile device;

ii) communicating the outbound audio signal via the secondary carrier system to the call-handling switch, the outbound audio signal including a caller-id header with an outbound dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal encoding a caller-id associated with the second phone number of the secondary mobile device;

iii) communicating, by the call-handling switch, the outbound audio signal to the cloud server node;

iv) converting, by the cloud server node, the outbound DTMF signal to a data signal and correlating the secondary phone number given by the data signal converted from the caller-id header with the primary phone number;

v) communicating, by the cloud server node, the primary phone number to the call-handling switch; and

vi) delivering, by the call-handling switch, the outbound call to an external device, whereby the external device is given a caller-id set to the primary phone number instead of the secondary phone number,

and

b) during an inbound call from the external device with an external phone number;

i) generating an inbound audio signal at the external device;

ii) communicating, by the primary carrier system to the call-handling switch via a call forwarding setting of the primary mobile device, the inbound audio signal including a caller-id data signal associated with the external phone number of the external device;

iii) communicating, by the call-handling switch, the inbound audio signal to the cloud server node;

iv) converting, by the cloud server node, the caller-id data signal to an inbound DTMF signal;

v) communicating, by the cloud server node, the inbound DTMF signal to the call-handling switch; and

vi) delivering, by the call-handling switch, the inbound audio signal with the inbound DTMF signal to the secondary mobile device, whereby the second mobile device is given the external phone number associated with the external device.