Abstract:
A communication system and method are disclosed for allowing a consumer to place wireless calls over their wireless communication device from telephones connected through-out their location. The communication system includes a first interface to communicate with a telephone network, a second interface to communicate with a wireless network, a third interface to communicate with a first communication device (e.g., telephones, facsimile machines, computers), a fourth interface to communicate with a second communication device, and control circuitry. The control circuitry connects the third interface to the first interface and connects the fourth interface to the second interface to provide simultaneous communication between the first communication device and the telephone network and between the second communication device and the wireless network.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/302,870, filed on Apr. 30, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,799, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to telecommunications and hand-held wireless devices; and more particularly, to a premises telephonic interface system allowing a telephonic device to communicate over a hand-held wireless device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Consumers are increasingly using cellular and other wireless technology to make and receive telephone calls. The deployment of more cellular networks and the technological advances in cellular phone technology have resulted in more consumers using hand-held wireless communications devices. Many consumers have become reliant of these hand-held wireless devices for their communications needs. 
     Moreover, many cellular service carriers offer economically advantageous cellular packages where a consumer pays on a monthly basis for a certain quantity of airtime minutes. Typically, the more minutes purchased, the less the average minute charge. Additionally, many cellular carriers do not charge customers an additional fee for long distance calls placed using their cellular service. In many instances, a consumer may save money by placing long distance calls over their cellular phone, rather than pay for long distance charges incurred by making a call using their residential wire-based local phone service provider. Therefore, consumers will in many instances desire to use their wireless phone at home. 
     However, depending on the wireless service, the wireless reception might only work in a portion of a consumers house (i.e., upstairs—not in the downstairs or basement). This becomes problematic when receiving cellular calls at home as a consumer might miss a call because the consumer is in a part of the location which does not get adequate reception, or the consumer might leave the phone in a suitable location (e.g., upstairs) and have to rush to the phones location when it rings. In many situations, consumers already have telephones connected throughout their location (e.g., residence, business). Consumers therefore desire a mechanism to allow them to access their cellular phone using any telephone at their location, while maintaining the convenience and mobility of the hand-held communications device. 
     Certain wireless equipment providers offer cellular fixed wireless terminals. These wireless terminals allow the connection of telephonic devices from which wireless calls can be placed and received. Furthermore, a wireless terminal can activate all phone jacks at a single location for placing and receiving wireless calls using the same phone number when the wireless terminal is connected to a standard phone jack. These wireless terminals operate via A.C. power or battery. Although some carriers allow the same cellular phone number or calling plan to be used by two different cellular communications devices, many do not and typically consumers are required to pay a surcharge for such convenience. Moreover, these wireless terminals do not provide hand-held convenience or mobility, nor do they additionally interface a telephone network to allow a consumer to select which network to use to place the call, nor allow calls to be simultaneously placed over the wireless and telephone networks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for allowing a consumer to place wireless calls over their hand-held wireless communications device from telephones connected through-out their location, while keeping the convenience and flexibility of a hand-held communications device. Additionally, the present invention allows simultaneous calls to be placed over wireless and telephone network using different connected standard telephonic devices. Furthermore, connected telephonic devices can select which network to place a call, which provides additional convenience and personal security, especially in an emergency situation when only one of the networks is accessible. 
     More specifically, the present invention includes a communications premises station system for receiving a hand-held wireless communications device which communicates with a wireless network and has a premises station interface. The communications premises station system has one or more telephonic interfaces for communicating with one or more telephonic devices (e.g., telephones, facsimile machines, computers). 
     When the hand-held wireless communications device is placed in premises station (similar to a battery charger cradle), the hand-held wireless communications device electrically connects to communications premises station system. The premises station can either be a physically separate unit or incorporated into the communications premises station system. A call processing element of the communications premises station system exchanges signaling information with the hand-held wireless communications device, and converts incoming signals from the hand-held wireless communications device to incoming signals to the telephonic device, and converts outgoing signals from the telephonic device to outgoing signals to the hand-held wireless communications device. In this manner, when the hand-held wireless communications device is placed in the premises station, wireless telephonic calls can be placed from and received by a telephonic device connected to the communications premises station system. 
     The wireless network is typically a cellular network; however the present invention is not so limited. Rather, the present invention allows this to be based on a consumer choice of which wireless provider and communications device to use. The communications premises station system also provides D.C. power, indications of on-hook and off-hook conditions, ring current, ring-back tones and busy tones to the connected telephonic devices. 
     Moreover, the present invention also allows the communications premises station system to be connected to a standard telephone network so that connected telephonic devices can communicate both over the wireless and the telephone networks. Additionally, an embodiment of the present invention includes a switching mechanism which allows for a single connected telephonic device to selectively switch between the wireless and telephone networks. Moreover, when two or more telephonic devices are connected to the communications premises station system, simultaneous calls can be placed over the wireless and telephone networks. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The appended claims set forth the features of the present invention with particularity. The invention, together with its advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
     FIGS. 1A,  1 B,  2 A and  2 B are block diagrams of an exemplary network environment in which the present invention may be practiced; 
     FIGS. 3A-3B are message sequence charts illustrating the flow of messages among a telephonic device, call processor and hand-held wireless communication device in an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4A-4B are is a flow diagrams illustrating the steps performed by a call processor in an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps performed by a switching mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1A,  1 B,  2 A, and  2 B and their discussion herein are intended to provide a description of a general operating environment in which the present invention can be practiced. The present invention is not limited to a single operating environment. Moreover, the architecture and functionality of the present invention as taught herein and would be understood by one skilled in the art is extensible to an unlimited number of operating environments and embodiments in keeping with the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     Turning first to FIG. 1A, an exemplary operating environment is illustrated in which the present invention may be practiced. As shown, the present invention comprises a premises station  110  connected by link  117  to a premises converter  120 . In embodiments, premises station  110  and premises converter  120  are incorporated into a single physical unit. A plurality of telephonic devices  130 ,  135 ,  140  are connected to a premises converter  120  via standard telephone cords  131 ,  137 . Premises station  110  provides an electrical interface to a hand-held wireless communication device  100  for communicating signaling information and user calls, as well as providing power for operating and charging the battery of hand-held wireless communication device  100 . 
     An embodiment of the interface between hand-held wireless communication device  100  and premises station  110  is better illustrated in FIG.  1 B. The bottom  105  of hand-held wireless communication device  100  contains a plurality of communications and power connectors  106  which come in contact with matching connectors  116  on the surface  115  of premises station  110 . In an embodiment, connector  106 A mates with connector  116 A to provide a signaling communications path between the hand-held wireless communication device  100  and premises converter  120  for exchanging call signaling information (e.g., incoming call, place outgoing call, end call, and other remote operation functionality provided by the hand-held wireless communication device  100 ); connector  106 B mates with connector  116 B to provide a call communications path between the hand-held wireless communication device  100  and premises converter  120  for exchanging call signals representing the telephonic call; and connector  106 C mates with connector  116 C to provide D.C. power from the premises station  110  to the hand-held wireless communication device  100 . 
     When hand-held wireless communications device  100  resides in premises station  110 , telephone calls may be placed and received by telephones  130 ,  135 ,  140  over a wireless network. In addition, facsimile machines and data communications equipment (e.g., computers) could be connected to premises converter  120  for placing and receiving telephonic calls (e.g., telephone, facsimile and data calls). 
     Turning now to FIG. 2A, shown is a block diagram of a second exemplary operating environment in which the present invention may be practiced. In this configuration, a plurality of telephonic devices (e.g., telephones, facsimile machines, computers) are electrically connected to premises converter  220  for placing and receiving simultaneous or non-simultaneous telephonic calls over wireless network  280  and telephone network  290 . 
     Wireless telephonic calls can be made when hand-held wireless communications device  200  is located in premises station  210 , which can either be a separate unit, or incorporated into premises converter  220  as shown in FIG.  2 A. Call processor  223 , connected to premises station  210  via link  217 , exchanges call signaling messages with the hand-held wireless communications device  200 , converts incoming signals from the hand-held wireless communications device to incoming signals compatible with the first telephonic device; and converts outgoing signals from the first telephonic device to outgoing signals compatible with the hand-held wireless communications device. 
     An embodiment of call processor  223  is shown in FIG. 2B, in which call processor  223  comprises a processor  260 , memory  265 , a wireless communications device interface  266 , and a telephonic interface  268 , which are electrically coupled via bus  262 . Memory  265  is one type of computer-readable medium, and typically comprises random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), integrated circuits, and/or other memory components. Memory  265  typically stores computer-executable instructions to be executed by processor  260  and/or data which is manipulated by processor  260 . Telephonic interface  268  communicates with telephonic devices  231 ,  232 ,  234 ,  235  over link  224 . Additionally, telephonic interface  268  supplies telephonic devices  231 - 235  with D.C. power, indications of on-hook and off-hook conditions, ring current, ring-back tones and busy tones. As would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, numerous other embodiments for call processor  223  are possible in keeping with the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Returning to FIG. 2A, premises converter  220  contains at least one telephone network interface  298  for connecting to telephone network  290  over line  297 . In an embodiment, line  297  is a standard phone cord which connects to telephone network  290  via a standard residential wall phone socket, and carries a standard analog phone signal. In other embodiments, telephone network interface  298  can be more sophisticated for multiplexing a plurality of telephone calls over line  297  or digitally interfacing telephone network  290 . 
     Premises converter  220  also optionally comprises a switching element  225  for allowing the premise converter switch a connected telephonic device  234 ,  235  between the wireless network  280  and telephone network  290 . As shown in FIG. 2A, switching element  225  has two ports  226 ,  227  for connecting to telephonic devices  234 ,  235 . Switching element  225  typically comprises a non-blocking cross-connect functionality. This switching capability allows the premises converter to provide enhanced features such as connecting telephonic device  234  to one of the wireless and telephone networks  280 ,  290 , while simultaneously connecting telephonic device  235  to the other network  280 ,  290 ; providing 3-way calling by bridging both telephonic devices  234 ,  235  to a call placed or received over the wireless or telephone network  280 ,  290 ; and providing ringing current to telephonic devices  234 ,  235 . Additionally, switching element  225  comprises control circuitry which allows telephonic devices  234 ,  235  to select which of the wireless or telephone networks  280 ,  290  to connect (e.g., telephonic device  234 ,  235  generates tones “*w” to connect to wireless network  280 , and tones “*t” to connect to telephone network  290 ; or via a line selection button on telephonic device  234 ,  235 ). 
     The embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 2A provides significant flexibility for the consumer. For example, telephonic device  231  can only place calls over the wireless network  280 ; telephonic device  233  can only place calls over the telephone network  290 ; and 2-line telephonic device  232  allows the consumer to use the capabilities of the two line phone to select between the wireless network  280  and telephone network  290 . As discussed supra, telephonic devices  234 ,  235  are connected to switching element  225  which provides additional network selectability. Moreover, this embodiment according to the present invention allows simultaneous calls to be placed over the wireless and telephone networks  280 ,  290 , with one or more telephonic devices  231 - 235  to connect to these wireless and telephone network calls. 
     Hand-held wireless device  200  supports remote operation by call processor  223  through the exchange of signaling information. This exchanging of signaling information, inter alia, allows call processor  223  to direct hand-held wireless device  200  to place a call to a specified number or to answer an incoming call; and allows hand-held wireless device  200  to inform call processor  223  of an incoming call (e.g., a ring indication signal) and to verify the occurrence of any request operation or receipt of a signaling message. Additionally, hand-held wireless device  200  exchanges telephonic signals with call processor  223  which represent the actual telephonic call. The signaling information could be in-band (i.e., sent over the same communications path) or out-of-band (i.e., using a separate signaling communications path). The operation and the exchange of signaling information is further described in relation to FIGS. 3A-3B. 
     FIG. 3A is a message sequence chart that depicts the operation of the invention for initiating and completing a wireless call from a telephonic device. Message sequence charts are a well-known format for depicting communication between elements. When a telephonic device goes off-hook, an off-hook indication  305  is received by the call processing element, which generates a dialtone signal for the telephonic device. Call processing element then collects phone number digits ( 315 ) from the telephonic device, and relays them to the hand-held wireless communications device ( 320 ). Hand-held communications device then places the wireless call and sends a ring indication signal  325  to the call processing element, which then provides ring current  330  to the telephonic device. Once the wireless call is established, the hand-held wireless device communicates a call connect indication  340  to the call processing element, which then connects the telephonic device to the hand-held wireless communications device as indicated by call completion  345 . 
     FIG. 3B is a message sequence chart that depicts the operation of the invention for completing a wireless call from the hand-held communications device to a telephonic device. When the hand-held wireless communications device receives a request from the cellular network to complete an incoming call, the call processing element receives an incoming call indication  355  from the hand-held communications device, and provides ring current  360  to the telephonic device. Call processing element recognizes when the telephonic device goes off-hook (represented by off-hook indication  365 ), and communicates a call completion request  370  to the hand-held communications device, which accepts the call from the wireless network. The wireless call is then established, and the call processing element connects the telephonic device to the hand-held wireless communications device as indicated by call completion  375 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 4A, illustrated are the steps performed by call processor  223  (FIG. 2A) for initiating a call over the wireless network in an embodiment of the present invention. Processing begins with step  400 , and then proceeds to step  405  where the call processor loops until it detects an off-hook condition of a telephonic device. Then, dialtone is generated (step  408 ), the telephone digits are collected (step  410 ), and the wireless communications device is signaled to place a call using the collected digits (step  415 ). Then, in step  420 , if a ring indication is received from the wireless communications device, then, if a call connect request indication is received in step  430  (i.e., the cellular call was completed), then the call is connected between the hand-held wireless communications device and the telephonic device in step  435  and the call processor converts communications signals as required. When the call is completed as determined in step  440 , the call is terminated as represented by step  445 . Otherwise, if a ring indication is not received in step  420 , then if a busy indication has been received as determined in step  425 , a busy signal tone is generated in step  427 ; otherwise, a call not placed indication signal is generated in step  428 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 4B, illustrated are the steps performed by call processor  223  (FIG. 2A) for connecting a call from the hand-held wireless communications device to a telephonic device. Processing begins with step  450 , and then proceeds to step  455  where the call processor loops until it receives an incoming call indication from the hand-held wireless communications device. Then, if the telephonic devices are busy as determined in step  460 , the a busy signal indication is returned to the hand-held wireless communications device in step  465 . Otherwise, ring current is generated in step  470 . If a telephonic device goes off-hook as determined in step  475 , then the call is connected between the hand-held wireless communications device and the telephonic device in step  480  and the call processor converts communications signals as required. When the call is completed as determined in step  485 , the call is terminated as represented by step  490 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, illustrated are the steps performed by the switching element  225  (FIG. 2A) in an embodiment of the present invention. Processing begins with step  500 . If ring current is detected in step  505 , then the switch element, in step  510 , bridges the call processing element to the on-hook telephonic devices connected to the switching element ports  226 ,  227 . Then, if an attached on-hook telephonic device goes off-hook as determined in step  515 , the switching element disconnects the other on-hook telephonic devices from the call processing element in step  520 , and then loops in step  525  until the call is completed. The call is then terminated in step  530  by disconnecting the bridged telephonic device from the call processor. 
     The switching matrix also monitors its ports  226 ,  227  for the condition of a connected telephonic device going off-hook as determined in step  550 . If such an off-hook condition is detected, then, if it is a wireless call request as determined in step  555 , then the telephonic device is bridged to the call processing element in step  560 ; otherwise the telephonic device is bridged to the telephone network connection  299  in step  565 . The switching element monitors the call, and when completed as determined in step  570 , the call is terminated in step  575 . 
     In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of our invention may be applied, it will be appreciated that the embodiment described herein with respect to the drawing figures is only illustrative and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. To the contrary, the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.