Patent ID: 8391277

Claim:
A base station for supporting communications over a VoIP network, including communications used to support cordless phone calls, analog phone calls, and transmission of an alarm message from a legacy alarm system, the base station comprising: a housing having an output port for exchange signals with the VoIP network and at least one input port for exchanging signals with a cordless phone handset, an analog line, and the legacy alarm system; a cordless phone transceiver within the housing, the cordless phone transceiver configured to exchange digital signaling with the cordless phone handset in order to support a cordless phone call; an analog line adaptor within the housing, the analog line adaptor configured to convert analog signaling used to support an analog phone call over a plain old telephone system (POTS) phone line into digital signaling; a media terminal adaptor (MTA) within the housing, the MTA configured to interface the digital signaling and the alarm messaging from the cordless phone transceiver and the analog line adaptor with the VoIP network according to a prioritization scheme, the prioritization scheme requiring the MTA to interrupt a phone call supported by the cordless phone transceiver upon determining a need for the legacy alarm system to transmit the alarm message over the VoIP network; and wherein the MTA determines the need for the legacy alarm system to transmit the alarm message upon receipt of an interrupt message sent from a disconnect detector included within the housing.