Cellular docking station

• US 9,258,845 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: DePani, Sebastiano, Roach, Peter O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US14/076,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/426.2, 455/465, 455/74.1, 455/555, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

an interface unit for facilitating communication with a cellular telephone; and

a communications interface controller for

receiving, from a telephone handset, an outgoing communication,

determining whether the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus, wherein determining whether the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus comprises at least one of detecting a signal emanating from the cellular telephone or transmitting a query to the cellular telephone, and

forwarding the outgoing communication to the interface unit based on a determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus, wherein the interface unit is further configured for forwarding the outgoing communication to the cellular telephone for transmission to a cellular mobile radiotelephone system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus further comprises determining whether the cellular telephone is physically connected to the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface controller is further configured for:

receiving a verification sequence from an authentication unit associated with the cellular mobile radiotelephone system, the verification sequence for confirming that the outgoing communication originated from the apparatus;

performing a predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence; and

relaying a result of the predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence back to the authentication unit associated with the cellular mobile radiotelephone system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a telephone support unit for:

receiving the outgoing communication at a first time from the telephone handset and receiving a further outgoing communication at a second time from a further telephone handset, wherein the first time is before the second time;

providing priority to the outgoing communication received at the first time; and

notifying the further telephone handset of an unsuccessful completion of the further outgoing communication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface controller is further for determining whether the cellular telephone is in use.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein forwarding the outgoing communication to the interface unit based on the determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus further comprises forwarding the outgoing communication to the interface unit based on the determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the apparatus and based on a determination that the cellular telephone is not in use.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outgoing communication is directed to a telephone number and wherein the communications interface controller is further for appending an identifier to the telephone number, the identifier corresponding to the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications interface controller is further for:

receiving, from the cellular telephone, an outgoing communication directed to a telephone number; and

appending an identifier to the telephone number, the identifier corresponding to the apparatus.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, at a communications interface comprising a communications interface controller, an outgoing communication from a telephone handset;

determining, by the communications interface controller, whether a cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface, wherein determining whether the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface comprises at least one of detecting a signal emanating from the cellular telephone or transmitting a query to the cellular telephone;

forwarding, by the communications interface controller, the outgoing communication to an interface unit of the communications interface based on a determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface; and

forwarding, by the interface unit, the outgoing communication to the cellular telephone for transmission to a cellular mobile radiotelephone system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface further comprises determining whether the cellular telephone is physically connected to the communications interface.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a verification sequence from an authentication unit associated with the cellular mobile radiotelephone system, the verification sequence for confirming that the outgoing communication originated from the communications interface;

performing a predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence; and

relaying a result of the predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence back to the authentication unit associated with the cellular mobile radiotelephone system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the outgoing communication is received at a first time and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a further outgoing communication at a second time from a further telephone handset, wherein the first time is before the second time;

providing priority to the outgoing communication received at the first time; and

notifying the further telephone handset of an unsuccessful completion of the further outgoing communication.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether the cellular telephone is in use.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forwarding the outgoing communication to the interface unit of the communications interface based on the determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface further comprises forwarding the outgoing communication to the interface unit of the communications interface based on the determination that the cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface and based on a determination that the cellular telephone is not in use.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the outgoing communication is directed to a telephone number and wherein the method further comprises appending an identifier to the telephone number, the identifier corresponding to the communications interface.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an interface unit for facilitating communication with a cellular telephone; and

a communications interface controller for

receiving a verification sequence from an authentication unit associated with a cellular mobile radiotelephone system, the verification sequence for confirming that an outgoing telephone communications request received by the cellular mobile radiotelephone system originated from the apparatus,

performing a predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence, and

relaying a result of the predetermined manipulation of the verification sequence back to the authentication unit associated with the cellular mobile radiotelephone system.