Cellular Docketing Station

• US 20080096528A1
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roach, Peter, DePani, Sebastiano
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system for communicating with the user of a cellular telephone via the cellular mobile radio (CMR) system and the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A communications interface appends the telephone exchange number of an outgoing communication to include an identifier unique to the communications interface. The outgoing communication is transmitted by the cellular telephone to the CMR system, which recognizes and verifies the outgoing communication as originating with the communications interface. Accordingly, the origination of the outgoing communication from a communications interface is documented prior to forwarding the outgoing communication to its intended recipient via the PSTN. Communications incoming to a communications interface are authenticated as such, and a record as to this is created, prior to forwarding the incoming communication to the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to facilitate communication for a telephone with a first communications network via a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone independently operable via the first communications network, the apparatus comprising:

a first connector portion configured to wirelessly facilitate communication with the radiotelephone, the radiotelephone being independently operable via the first communications network;

a second connector portion configured to facilitate communication with the telephone; and

a communications interface controller configured to determine whether the radiotelephone is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an authentication component configured to facilitate authentication of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connector portion is configured to physically couple to the radiotelephone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connector portion is configured to wirelessly couple to the radiotelephone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second connector portion is configured to facilitate an RJ-11 type connection with the telephone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface controller is configured to determine that a call initiated through the at least one telephone connector is distinct from a call initiated by the radiotelephone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising appending an identifier to a telephone number to which the outgoing communication is directed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the telephone is a conventional telephone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiotelephone is a handheld cellular radiotelephone.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate with a plurality of radiotelephones.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate communication between the telephone and a second communications network via the first communications network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second communications network is a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communications network is a Cellular Mobile Radiotelephone (CMR) system.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface controller is further configured to facilitate an authentication procedure with the first communications network.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate communication including at least one of the following:

a voice signal and a data signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a telephone support unit configured to arbitrate priority among outgoing communications.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiotelephone connector is configured to provide a docking interface for the radiotelephone.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to indicate whether the radiotelephone is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

19. An apparatus configured to facilitate initiation of an outgoing communication for a telephone with a radiotelephone network via a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone independently operable via the radiotelephone network, the apparatus comprising:

a second connector portion configured to receive an outgoing communications request from a telephone, the outgoing communications request including an outgoing telephone number;

a first connector portion configured to send the received communications request to a radiotelephone, the radiotelephone independently operable via the radiotelephone network;

wherein the first connector portion is further configured to facilitate severance of communication with the radiotelephone such that the radiotelephone operates independently from the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a telephone support unit configured to arbitrate priority among outgoing communications originating from the at least one telephone.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second connector portion is configured to facilitate an RJ-11 type connection with the telephone.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a communications interface controller configured to include an identifier with the outgoing telephone number, the identifier configured to indicate that the communication request is received from the telephone.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communications interface controller is configured to determine that a call initiated through the at least one telephone connector is distinct from a call initiated by the radiotelephone.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communications interface controller is further configured to facilitate an authentication procedure with a communications network.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is configured to facilitate communication including at least one of the following:

a voice signal and a data signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first connector portion is configured to provide a docking interface for the radiotelephone.

27. A computer readable medium configured to facilitate an incoming communication for a telephone with a radiotelephone via a radiotelephone network, the radiotelephone independently operable via the radiotelephone network, the apparatus comprising:

first connector portion logic configured to receive an incoming communications request from the radiotelephone network via the radiotelephone, the radiotelephone independently operable via the radiotelephone network, the incoming communications request for initiating a communication with a telephone; and

second connector portion logic configured to send the incoming communications request to the telephone.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising communications interface controller logic configured to include an identifier with the outgoing telephone number, the identifier configured to indicate that the communication request is received from the telephone.