# US 2013/0155170 A1 · Mobile phone docking station multi-network telephony hub > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155170 A1 - Document ID: US20130155170A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/327,000 - Filed: 2011-12-15 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. - Inventors: Elliot G. Eichen; Rafael Andres Gaviria Velez; Lee N. Goodman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155170A1 ## CPC - H04M 1/04: Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers - H04M 1/72409: by interfacing with external accessories (hands-free H04M1/60) - H04M 7/0069: {comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals} - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04W 48/18: Selecting a network or a communication service - H04W 84/045: {using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B} - H04W 88/10: adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A docking station includes a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. The docking station includes a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones. The docking station further includes a switch configured to: receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and route the first call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device. The first mobile device comprises a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving a first call at a docking station via a first mobile device docked in the docking station; receiving a second call at the docking station via a second mobile device docked in the docking station; ringing one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or one or more cordless phones connected to the docking station with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device; and ringing the one or more POTS or the one or more cordless phones connected to the docking station with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: routing the first call through the docking station to the one or more POTS phones or the one or more cordless phones; and routing the second call through the docking station to the one or more POTS or one or more cordless phones. ### Claim 3 The method 1, wherein the second ringtone is different than the first ringtone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is connected to a first mobile carrier network via a first wireless link and the first call is received by the first mobile device via the first mobile carrier network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the second mobile device is connected to a second mobile carrier network via a second wireless link. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the second mobile carrier network is different than the first mobile carrier network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, receiving a third call at the docking station via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) connected to the docking station; and ringing the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or cordless phones connected to the docking station with a third ringtone specific to the PSTN. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: routing the third call through the docking station to the one or more POTS phones or cordless phones. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a fourth call at the docking station via a broadband access network connected to the docking station, wherein the fourth call comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call; and ringing the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or cordless phones connected to the docking station with a fourth ringtone specific to the fourth call being a VoIP call. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving incoming video data from the first or second docked mobile devices or a broadband access network connected to the docking station; converting, at the docking station, the video data into a television or monitor-compatible format; and sending the converted video data to a television or a monitor connected to the docking station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving incoming data from the first or the second docked mobile devices or a broadband access network connected to the docking station; and sending the incoming data to one or more destination client devices via a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) connected to the docking station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). ### Claim 14 A docking station, comprising: a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port; a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones; a switch configured to: receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and route the first call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, wherein the first docking port comprises a Universal Serial Bus port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, wherein the first mobile device comprises a portable digital computing device that includes the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, further comprising: a second docking port configured to physically dock with a second mobile device, wherein the second docking port includes a USB port; wherein the switch is configured to: receive a second call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, and route the second call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, further comprising: a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones; wherein the switch is further configured to route the first call to the cordless interface, and wherein the cordless interface rings the one or more cordless telephones with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The docking station of claim 18, further comprising: a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones; wherein the switch is further configured to route the second call to the cordless interface, and wherein the cordless interface rings the one or more cordless telephones with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, wherein the switch is further configured to: receive a third call at the docking station via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) connected to the docking station, and route the third call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more POTS phones with a ringtone specific to the PSTN. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The docking station of claim 14, wherein the switch is configured to: receive a fourth call at the docking station via a broadband access network connected to the docking station, wherein the fourth call comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, and route the fourth call to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscribe line interface rings the one or more POTS phones with a ringtone specific to the fourth call being a VoIP call. ### Claim 23 A docking station, comprising: a first docking port configured to physically dock with a first mobile device, wherein the first docking port includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port; a second docking port configured to physically dock with a second mobile device, wherein the second docking port includes a USB port, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a portable digital computing device that include the capability to communicate via a mobile carrier network or via other network connections, a subscriber line interface connected to one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones; a cordless interface connected to one or more cordless telephones; a switch configured to: receive a first call via the first mobile device docked in the docking station, receive a second call via the second mobile device docked in the docking station, route the first and second calls to the subscriber line interface, wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones with a first ringtone specific to the first mobile device, and wherein the subscriber line interface rings the one or more Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phones with a second ringtone specific to the second mobile device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).