US 7,406,330 B2Granted

Method and system for extending IP PBX services to cellular wireless communication devices

AssigneeSprint Spectrum L.P.

InventorsVon K. McConnell, Jeffrey F. Phillips, Dorene Weiland, Charles E. Woodson, Farni Weaver, Lyle W. Paczkowski

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Abstract

An IP PBX system that serves enterprise telephones via a landline IP network connection is be expanded to serve cellular wireless communication devices (WCD) via a cellular wireless carrier's radio access network (RAN). Calls to and from the cellular WCD are connected through the cellular carrier's RAN and the IP PBX system, so that the IP PBX system can control and manage the calls just as the IP PBX would control and manage calls involving other extensions on the IP PBX. A cellular WCD thereby becomes an IP PBX client station, i.e., an extension on the IP PBX system. As such, the cellular WCD can seamlessly benefit from many of the same IP PBX features that other more conventional IP PBX client stations (e.g., desk phones) enjoy.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN) a call request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in a wireless coverage area of the RAN, wherein the cellular RAN includes a base station that radiates to define the wireless coverage area and a mobile switching center (MSC) that is communicatively linked with the base station;
responsively (a) engaging in first call setup signaling between the cellular RAN and a media gateway system to set up a first leg of the call between the cellular RAN and the media gateway system, (b) identifying an IP PBX system that serves the cellular WCD, and (c) engaging in second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system;
and
setting up the call from the IP PBX system for the cellular WCD
wherein the media gateway system includes a media gateway (MGW) and a media gateway controller (MGC),
where engaging in the first call setup signaling between the cellular RAN and the media gateway system to set up the first leg of the call comprises engaging in the first call setup signaling between the MSC and the MGC to set up the first leg of the call between the MSC and the MGW, and
wherein engaging in the second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up the second leg of the call comprises engaging in the second call setup signaling between the MGC and the IP PBX system to set up the second leg of the call.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving into a cellular radio access network (RAN) a call request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in a wireless coverage area of the RAN wherein the call is an outside call from a directory number on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a directory number of the cellular WCD;
responsively (a) engaging in first call setup signaling between the cellular RAN and a media gateway system to set up a first leg of the call between the cellular RAN and the media gateway system, (b) identifying an IP PBX system that serves the cellular WCD, and (c) engaging in second call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway system and the IP PBX system;
and
setting up the call from the IP PBX system for the cellular WCD, wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system comprises setting up the call from the IP PBX system via the media gateway system back to the cellular RAN and in turn to the cellular WCD,
wherein setting up the call from the IP PBX system via the media gateway system to the cellular RAN comprises:
(i) engaging in third call setup signaling between the IP PBX system and the media gateway system to set up a third leg of the call between the IP PBX system and the media gateway system, and (ii) engaging in fourth call setup signaling between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN to set up a fourth leg of the call between the media gateway system and the cellular RAN.

3 more elements

A system comprising:

a cellular radio access network (RAN) comprising (i) a base station that radiates to produce a wireless coverage area and (ii) a mobile switching center that provides connectivity between the base station and the public switched telephone network, wherein the cellular RAN is operated by a cellular carrier;
a media gateway system comprising (i) a media gateway arranged to engage in bearer communication with the mobile switching and (ii) a media gateway controller arranged to engage in signaling communication with the mobile switching center and with the media gateway;
an IP PBX system arranged to serve a plurality of enterprise telephone stations that are situated on an enterprise packet-switched network, the IP PBX system being further arranged to engage in signaling communication with the media gateway controller and bearer communication with the media gateway, wherein the IP PBX system comprises (i) a hosted master IP PBX server sitting as a node on a core data network operated by the cellular carrier and (ii) a slave IP PBX server sitting as a node on the enterprise packet-switched network, and wherein the core data network is communicatively linked with the enterprise packet-switched network;
wherein, when the cellular RAN receives a request seeking to set up a call for a cellular wireless communication device (WCD) that is operating in the wireless coverage area, the cellular RAN engages in first call setup signaling with the media gateway controller to set up a first leg of the call between the cellular RAN and the media gateway;
wherein, the media gateway controller determines that the IP PBX system serves the cellular WCD, and the media gateway controller responsively engages in second call setup signaling with the IP PBX system to set up a second leg of the call between the media gateway and the IP PBX system;
and
wherein the IP PBX system sets up the call for the cellular WCD.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/902,323Filed 29 Jul 2004
Published: US 2006/0030357 A19 Feb 2006
Granted: 29 Jul 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04W 84/16
Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks: wPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
H04M 3/42314
Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers: in private branch exchanges
H04M 2203/1091
Related to the purpose or context of the telephonic communication: fixed mobile conversion
H04W
Wireless communication networks