VENDOR NEUTRAL VOIP INTERFACE DEVICES AND COMPATIBLE PORTABLE PHONES

• US 20120063432A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patent Asset Management Advisors, LLC
• Original Assignee: ER HURD and Sons LLC
• Inventors: Hurd, Preston, Gill, Mohinder
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• 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 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface system for enabling communications between a plain old telephone service (POTS) device and a packet data network is disclosed. The VoIP interface system includes a POTS interface configured to communicate POTS voice telephone communications and a powered packet-based interface configured to communicate packet-based voice telephone communications with a host computer system that also provides power. The VoIP interface system also includes a memory system that includes a set of instructions, that direct the host system to prompt the user for a selection from a plurality of VoIP service providers, receive a selection identifying one of the plurality of VoIP service providers, identify profile information associated with the user and the selected one of the VoIP service providers, and populate one or more fields of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module based on the profile information when executed.

Claims

1. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface system for enabling communications between a plain old telephone service (POTS) device and a packet data network, the VoIP interface system comprising:

a POTS interface configured to communicate POTS two-way voice telephone communications with the POTS device;

a powered packet-based interface configured to communicate packet-based two-way voice telephone communications with a host computer system and receive power for the VoIP interface system from the host computer system;

a memory system configured to store a set of instructions, wherein when executed by the host computer system, the set of instructions direct the host computer system to prompt the user for a selection from a plurality of VoIP service providers, receive a selection identifying one of the plurality of VoIP service providers, identify profile information associated with the user and the selected one of the VoIP service providers, and populate one or more fields of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module based on the profile information; and

electronic circuitry communicatively coupled to the POTS interface, the powered packet-based interface, and the memory system, the electronic circuitry configured to convert the POTS two-way voice communications to packet-based voice communications and the packet-based voice communications to POTS voice communications.

2. The VoIP interface system according to claim 1, wherein the powered packet-based interface comprises a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

3. The VoIP interface system according to claim 2, wherein host computer system comprises a personal computer.

4. The VoIP interface system according to claim 2, wherein the POTS interface comprises an RJ11 telephone interface.

5. The VoIP interface system according to claim 4, wherein the POTS interface is further configured to provide the POTS device with low voltage direct current power via pins 2 and 5 of the RJ11 telephone interface.

6. The VoIP interface system according to claim 5, wherein the extension POTS port is configured to provide power to the one or more additional POTS devices.

7. The VoIP interface system according to claim 1, wherein the memory system comprises a flash memory.

8. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that when executed in a host computer system cause the host computer system to:

display a list of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers to a user of the host computer system;

prompt the user for a selection from the plurality of VoIP service providers;

receive a selection identifying one of the plurality of VoIP service providers;

identify profile information associated with the user and the selected one of the VoIP service providers, wherein the profile information includes at least a username, a password and a proxy server; and

populate one or more fields of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module based on the profile information.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the set of instructions, when executed in the host computer system, further cause the host computer system to verify the profile information with the selected one of the VoIP service providers.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the set of instructions, when executed in the host computer system, further cause the host computer system to launch one or more software programs related to the selected one of the VoIP service providers.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the set of instructions, when executed in the host computer system, further cause the host computer system to communicate two-way voice telephone communications with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface system.

12. A method for enabling communications between a plain old telephone service (POTS) device and a packet data network, the method comprising:

identifying a connection between a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface system and a host computer system;

transferring instructions stored on the VoIP interface system to the host computer system;

displaying a list of VoIP service providers to a user of the host computer system;

prompting the user for a selection from the list of the plurality of VoIP service providers;

receiving a selection identifying one of the plurality of VoIP service providers;

identifying profile information associated with the user and the selected one of the VoIP service providers, wherein the profile information includes at least a username, a password and a proxy server; and

populating one or more fields of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module based on the profile information.

13. The method for enabling communications according to claim 12, wherein the instructions are configured to autoload when connected to the host computer system.

14. The method for enabling communications according to claim 12, further comprising storing the modified SIP module in a memory system of the host computer system.

15. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interface system for enabling communications between a plain old telephone service (POTS) device and a packet data network, the VoIP interface system comprising:

a POTS interface configured to communicate POTS two-way voice telephone communications with the POTS device;

a packet-based interface configured to communicate packet-based two-way voice telephone communications with a host computer system;

a power adapter configured to provide power to the VoIP interface system;

a memory system configured to store a set of instructions, wherein when executed by the host computer system, the set of instructions direct the host computer system to prompt the user for a selection from a plurality of VoIP service providers, receive a selection identifying one of the plurality of VoIP service providers, identify profile information associated with the user and the selected one of the plurality of VoIP service providers, and populate a plurality of fields of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) module based on the profile information; and

electronic circuitry communicatively coupled to the POTS interface, the packet-based interface, and the memory system, the electronic circuitry configured to convert the POTS two-way voice communications to packet-based voice communications and the packet-based voice communications to POTS voice communications.

16. The VoIP interface system according to claim 15, wherein the packet based interface comprises an Ethernet interface.

17. The VoIP interface system according to claim 16, wherein the host computer system comprises a modem.

18. The VoIP interface system according to claim 16, wherein the host computer system comprises a router.

19. The VoIP interface system according to claim 15, wherein the POTS interface comprises an RJ11 telephone interface.

20. The VoIP interface system according to claim 15, wherein the memory system comprises a flash memory.

21. A portable plain old telephone service (POTS) device comprising:

a housing;

a POTS interface disposed on the housing, the POTS interface configured to communicate two-way voice telephone communications and receive power for the portable telephone system;

an extension POTS port disposed on the housing and configured to extend the two-way voice telephone communications to one or more additional POTS devices;

a keypad having a plurality of keys disposed on the housing, the keypad configured to receive user input via the plurality of keys;

an audio port disposed on the housing and configured to transfer the two-way voice telephone communications received over the POTS interface to a speaker system and to receive voice signals from a microphone system; and

electronic circuitry disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the POTS interface, the extension port, the keypad, and the audio port, the electronic circuitry configured to communicate the two-way voice telephone communications between the POTS interface and the audio port.

22. The portable telephone system according to claim 21, further comprising a liquid crystal blue light display powered with the power received at the POTS interface and communicatively coupled to the electronic circuitry, the liquid crystal blue light display configured to display call status information including the user input.

23. The portable telephone system according to claim 21, wherein the POTS interface comprises an RJ11 telephone interface.

24. The portable telephone system according to claim 23, wherein the POTS interface receives low voltage direct current power for the portable telephone system via pins 2 and 5 of the RJ11 telephone interface.

25. The portable telephone system according to claim 21, wherein the extension POTS port is further configured to provide power to the one or more additional POTS devices.

26. A portable wireless telephone docking system comprising:

a housing configured to cradle a wireless telephone device;

a plain old telephone service (POTS) interface disposed on the housing and configured to communicate two-way voice telephone communications and receive power for the portable wireless telephone docking system;

a wireless transceiver disposed within the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate the two-way voice telephone communications via radio signals to a wireless telephone device;

a charging interface disposed on the housing and configured to charge a battery of the wireless telephone device when the wireless telephone device is docked in the portable wireless telephone docking station; and

electronic circuitry disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the POTS interface, the wireless transceiver, and the charging interface, the electronic circuitry configured to communicate the two-way voice telephone communications between the POTS interface and the wireless transceiver.

27. The portable wireless telephone docking system according to claim 26, further comprising a powered packet-based interface configured to receive power for the portable wireless telephone docking system from a host computer system.

28. The portable wireless telephone docking system according to claim 26, further comprising an extension POTS port configured to extend voice telephone service to one or more additional POTS devices.

29. The portable wireless telephone docking system according to claim 28, wherein the extension POTS port is further configured to provide power to the one or more additional POTS devices.

30. The portable wireless telephone docking system according to claim 26, wherein the POTS interface comprises an RJ11 telephone interface.

31. The portable wireless telephone docking system according to claim 30, wherein the POTS interface receives low voltage direct current power for the portable telephone system via pins 2 and 5 of the RJ11 telephone interface.