Multi-Line Telephone Calling

• US 20120201239A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Glynn, F. Joseph, Stevens, J. Clark
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0066 Details of access arrangements to the networks where the access arrangement is a PSTN/ISDN access H04M7/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching

Abstract

Network architectures, methods, and operations for routing telephone calls are disclosed. A customer premise includes a conventional POTS dedicated communication line to a central office switch and a broadband connection to a data network. The central office switch and the data network are connected by a communication link. A first telephone call originated at the customer premise may be connected via the dedicated communication link. A second or subsequent call originated at the customer premise may be connected via the data network. Optionally, the same call identifier may be assigned to the first and second or subsequent calls.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone call over a data network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a class 5 central office switch, a POTS telephone call from a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein the telephone call is directed to a telephone number associated with a dedicated voice telephone line at a customer premises;

determining whether the dedicated voice telephone line is available to receive the telephone call;

if the dedicated voice telephone line is available, routing the telephone call to the dedicated voice telephone line;

if the dedicated voice telephone line is not available;

forwarding the telephone call from the class 5 end office switch to a data network service provider for completion over a data network;

transmitting a signal from the class 5 central office switch requesting that the data network service provider complete the call, the signal including the telephone number associated with the dedicated voice telephone line;

receiving, at a voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) gateway in the data network, the forwarded telephone call and the signal;

identifying a VoIP telephone connected to the dedicated voice communication line;

establishing a data connection between the VoIP gateway and the identified VoIP telephone connected to the dedicated voice communication line;

determining whether the VoIP telephone is available to receive the telephone call;

transmitting, based on a determination that the VoIP telephone is available, a ring signal from the VoIP gateway to the VoIP telephone;

determining, with the VoIP gateway, that the telephone call has been answered at the VoIP telephone;

setting a flag, at the data network service provider, indicating that the VoIP phone is busy;

reporting, from the data network service provider, notification that the telephone call has been answered by the VoIP telephone;

receiving, at the class 5 central office switch, the notification from the data network service provider that the call has been answered; and

setting, at the class 5 central office switch, a status of the secondary telephone to busy.

2. A method of connecting a POTS telephone call over a data network, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway in the data network, a signal from a telephone network, wherein the signal includes a telephone number of a primary telephone associated with a voice connection in the telephone network;

in response to the signal, establishing a data connection between the gateway and at least one secondary telephone associated with the telephone number; and

transmitting a ring signal to the at least one secondary telephone over the data network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a status flag indicating the availability of the voice connection.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal is transmitted to the gateway from a central office switch.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal is associated with an incoming telephone call.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing a data connection between the gateway and at least one secondary telephone associated with the telephone number comprises determining whether at least one secondary telephone associated with the telephone number is available.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein routing the POTS telephone call to the at least one secondary telephone over the data network comprises routing the call to a connection point associated with the telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the connection point comprises a DSL modem connected that maintains a connection to the data network and to the voice connection.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the connection point comprises a cable modem connected that maintains a connection to a cable network and to the voice connection.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from the at least one secondary telephone, a signal indicating that the at least one secondary telephone changed from an on-hook state to an off-hook state; and

in response to the change in state, connecting the call to the at least one secondary telephone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising recording the change in state of the at least one secondary telephone in a memory location associated with the data network.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the at least one secondary telephone changed from an on-hook state to an off-hook state to the telephone network.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the at least one secondary telephone, a signal indicating that the at least one secondary telephone changed from an off-hook state to an on-hook state; and

in response to the change in state, terminating the data connection between the gateway and at least one secondary telephone associated with the telephone number.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising recording the change in state of the at least one secondary telephone in a memory location associated with the data network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting a signal indicating that the at least one secondary telephone changed from an off-hook state to an on-hook state to the telephone network.

16. A system for connecting a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone call over a data network, the system comprising:

a class 5 central office switch configured to;

receive a POTS telephone call from a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein the telephone call is directed to a telephone number associated with a dedicated voice telephone line at a customer premises;

determine whether the dedicated voice telephone line is available to receive the telephone call;

if the dedicated voice telephone line is available, route the telephone call to the dedicated voice telephone line;

if the dedicated voice telephone line is not available;

forward the telephone call from the class 5 end office switch to a data network service provider for completion over a data network;

transmit a signal from the class 5 central office switch requesting that the data network service provider complete the call, the signal including the telephone number associated with the dedicated voice telephone line;

receive a notification from the data network service provider that the call has been answered; and

set a status of the secondary telephone to busy.

17. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) gateway in the data network, the VoIP gateway being configured to;

receive forwarded telephone call and the signal;

identify a VoIP telephone connected to the dedicated voice communication line;

establish a data connection between the VoIP gateway and the identified VoIP telephone connected to the dedicated voice communication line;

determine whether the VoIP telephone is available to receive the telephone call;

transmit, based on a determination that the VoIP telephone is available, a ring signal from the VoIP gateway to the VoIP telephone;

determine that the telephone call has been answered at the VoIP telephone;

set a flag, at the data network service provider, indicating that the VoIP phone is busy; and

report the notification that the telephone call has been answered by the VoIP telephone.