Automatic Configuration of Telecommunication Station Sets

• US 20080152098A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Plante, Denis, Felske, Kent, Paryzek, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision

Abstract

A telecommunication station set such as an IP phone is configured based on proximity of a user. Proximity of the user relative to the station set can be determined using RF-ID, UWB, GPS, direct user input, contextual information or other technology. For example, the user may carry a badge equipped with an RF-ID tag. The RF-ID tag is operative in response to an RF-ID reader associated with the phone, when in close proximity, to signal user ID and password, which may be encrypted. The user ID and password are sent to a SIP server, which authenticates the user and retrieves user-specific configuration details which are returned to the IP phone. The IP phone configures itself with the user-specific parameters. If the user moves away from the phone, as determined by the RF-ID tag being out of range of the reader, the IP phone de-configures itself.

Claims

1. Apparatus that facilitates configuration of a telecommunications station set, comprising:

proximity determination circuitry operable to provide an indication that the user is within a predetermined proximity to the station set; and

configuration circuitry operable in response to the proximity indication to configure the station set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a device operable to facilitate calculation of present location of a user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the configuration circuitry is operable to configure the station set based at least in-part on data from the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data includes at least one of unique ID, user ID and password.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the at least one of unique ID, user ID and password are encrypted.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one of unique ID, user ID and password are decrypted by the configuration circuitry.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further including authentication circuitry operable to authenticate the user based on user ID and password

8. The apparatus of claim 5 further including authentication circuitry operable to authenticate the user based on a unique ID number which is translated into a user ID and password by circuitry.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry is operable to configure the station set with user-specific parameters.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry is operable to configure the station set with user type specific parameters.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device includes an RF-ID tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the RF-ID tag is embedded in a badge.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the proximity determination circuitry includes an RF-ID reader associated with the station set.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry includes a SIP server

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the configuration circuitry includes a server operable to decode a unique ID, and send a user ID and password to the SIP server.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further including de-configuration circuitry operable to de-configure the station set in response to an indication that the user is outside a predetermined proximity to the station set.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further including disabling circuitry operable to disable the station set in response to an indication that the user is outside a predetermined proximity to the station set.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device includes an ultra wide band RF pulse generator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the RF pulse generator is operable to transmit an indication of user ID and password.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the proximity determination circuitry includes an ultra wide band RF pulse generator.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the RF pulse generator is operable to transmit an indication of station set ID.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes RF pulse receivers disposed in known locations.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes a position calculation server operable in response to data from the RF pulse receivers to calculate the position of the device relative to the station set.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device includes a transceiver operable to provide an indication of device location, the transceiver being operable to utilize at least one of ultra wideband, ultrasonic, infrared and other RF based location technologies such as Wi-Fi based RTLS.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes a position calculation server operable in response to the transceiver to calculate the position of the device relative to the station set.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proximity determination circuitry is operable in response to contextual information.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the contextual information includes indications of when the user will be near to the station set.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the indications are derived from an electronic schedule.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the station set includes an external controller for signaling contextual information.