# US 7,412,257 B2 · Extending mobile phone networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,412,257 B2 - Document ID: US7412257B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/395,619 - Filed: 2006-03-31 - Published: 2006-08-10 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2003-02-10 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Inventors: Shawn D. Loveland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412257B2 ## CPC - H04M 1/006: {Call diverting means} - H04M 1/715: using two or more extensions per line (cordless telephones H04M1/725) - H04M 1/725: Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) - H04M 3/42: Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers (specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00) - H04M 1/72409: by interfacing with external accessories (hands-free H04M1/60) - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04M 3/42051: {where the notification is included in the ringing tone} - H04M 2203/1091: Fixed mobile conversion - H04M 2207/18: wireless networks - H04M 2207/206: composed of PSTN and wireless network - H04W 4/16: Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold - 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 Methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging mobile phone networks with other telephone networks. A telephone network comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines connected to telephones and to a gateway, which in turn is connected to one or more mobile phones and potentially to one or more landlines. When the gateway receives an inbound call from one of the mobile phones, or an outbound call from one or the telephones, the gateway applies routing rules to determine how to route the call. Routing may depend on a variety of factors, such as time of day, cost, the mobile phone receiving an inbound call. To help identify the mobile phone as the source of an inbound call, a distinctive ring may be selected. To account for differences in the mobile phone network and the telephone network, the gateway translates signals between the two networks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a gateway for a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a method of routing calls, outbound from the telephones to any of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones can be used for the calls outbound from any of the telephones, the method comprising acts of: the gateway receiving a first outbound call from a first telephone connected to the gateway through a first individually addressable telephone line; the gateway applying one or more routing rules to the first outbound call for selecting a first mobile phone that is connected to the gateway through which the first outbound call is to be routed; and connecting the first outbound call to the first selected mobile phone wherein a second outbound call from a second telephone connected to the gateway through a second individually addressable telephone line that is different from the first individually addressable telephone line is connected to the first selected mobile phone, the first selected mobile phone being selected by applying the one or more rules to the second outbound call so that outbound calls from different telephones can be connected through the same mobile phone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a time-of-day component for routing outbound calls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a cost component for routing outbound calls. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the telephone connected to the gateway comprises either a single-line analog telephone, a multi-line analog telephone, an integrated services digital network telephone, a digital telephone, or an Internet protocol telephone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to a mobile phone connected to the gateway differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through the telephone connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of the gateway translating between the one or more mobile phone network signals and the one or more telephone network signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more telephone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a dial tone signal, (ii) a stuttered dial tone signal for indicating received messages, (iii) a call forward signal, (iv) a phone forward signal, (v) a conference call signal, and (vi) a transfer signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more mobile phone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, (ix) a conference call signal, and (x) a transfer call signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of applying one or more other rules that control operation of the gateway. ### Claim 9 In a gateway for a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a method of routing calls, outbound from a telephone to any of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones can be used for a call outbound from a telephone, the method comprising steps for: for a first outbound call received at the gateway from a first telephone connected to the gateway through a first telephone line of the individually addressable telephone lines, determining that a first mobile phone connected to the gateway is to carry the first outbound call; routing the first outbound call to the first mobile phone that was determined to carry the first outbound call; for a second outbound call received at the gateway from a second telephone connected to the gateway through a second telephone line of the individually addressable telephone lines, determining that the first mobile phone connected to the gateway is to carry the second outbound call; and routing the second outbound call to the first mobile phone that was determined to carry the second outbound call so that outbound calls from different telephones can be routed through the same mobile phone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more routing rules stored at the gateway select a particular mobile phone for an outbound call. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the particular mobile phone is selected for the second outbound call based at least in part on at least one mobile phone being in use when the second outbound call is initiated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A method as recited in claim 9, wherein which of the mobile phones is selected to carry an outbound call depends on which of the individually addressable telephone lines is used to initiate the outbound call. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A method as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to the mobile phone differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through a telephone connected to at least one of the individually addressable telephone lines, the method further comprising a step for the gateway mapping the one or more mobile phone network signals to one or more corresponding telephone network signals and mapping the one or more telephone network signals to one or more corresponding mobile phone network signals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more telephone network signals and the one or more mobile phone network signals comprise at least one of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, and (ix) a signal for indicating received messages. ### Claim 15 A gateway for bridging one or more mobile phone networks supporting one or more mobile phones and a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and multiple telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, the gateway comprising: a plurality of mobile phone connectors that each connect a mobile phone to the gateway so that the gateway can receive and route calls using the mobile phones; a plurality of telephone line connectors that each connect an individually addressable telephone line and its connected telephone to the gateway so that the gateway can receive and route calls through the individually addressable telephone lines; a storage medium containing one or more routing rules that select from the mobile phones and the individually addressable telephone lines for routing calls received and placed through the gateway, such that a routing rule indicates that a first outbound call from a first telephone connected to a first individually addressable telephone line and a second outbound call from a second telephone connected to a second individually addressable telephone line are routed through the same mobile phone connected to the same mobile phone connector so that outbound calls from different telephones can be routed through the same mobile phone; and a processor that executes the routing rules and causes calls received and placed through the gateway to be routed according to the executed routing rules. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more land line connectors that connect one or more land lines to the gateway. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the mobile phone connectors comprise one or more wireless connectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the telephone line connectors comprise one or more wireless connectors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more charging cradles for charging the one or more mobile phones. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein the storage media stores certain data, a version of which is also stored on at least one mobile phone connected to the gateway, and wherein the storage medium also contains instructions that when executed by the processor synchronize the certain data with the version stored on a mobile phone connected to the gateway. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, further comprising one or more computer network connectors that connect the gateway to one or more computers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein one or more signals for interacting with the mobile phone networks differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network, and wherein the storage medium contains instructions that when executed by the processor map the one or more mobile phone network signals to one or more corresponding telephone network signals and map the one or more telephone network signals to one or more corresponding mobile phone network signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) A gateway as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the telephone line connectors supports at least one of (i) a single analog telephone line, (ii) multiple analog telephone lines, (iii) an integrated services digital network telephone line, (iv) a digital telephone line, (v) a wireless telephone line, or (vi) an Internet protocol telephone line. ### Claim 24 For a gateway connected to a telephone network that comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines and telephones, each telephone connected to one of the individually addressable telephone lines, a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of routing calls, outbound from a telephone to any of one of a plurality of mobile phones that are connected to the gateway such that any of the mobile phones and can be used for the calls outbound from a telephone, the method comprising acts of: the gateway receiving an outbound call from a telephone connected to the gateway through an individually addressable telephone line; the gateway applying one or more routing rules to the outbound call for selecting one of the mobile phones or landlines that are connected to the gateway through which the outbound call is to be routed; and connecting the outbound call to the selected one of the mobile phones or landlines wherein a routing rule indicates that outbound calls from different telephones can be connected through the same mobile phone. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a time-of-day component for routing outbound calls. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more rules comprises a cost component for routing outbound calls. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein one or more signals for interacting with a mobile phone network corresponding to a mobile phone connected to the gateway differ from one or more signals for interacting with the telephone network through the telephone connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of the gateway translating between the one or more mobile phone network signals and the one or more telephone network signals. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more telephone network signals and the one or more mobile phone network signals are selected from a group consisting of (i) a call waiting signal, (ii) an abandoned call signal, (iii) a hold signal, (iv) a message notification signal, (v) a caller ID signal, (vi) a caller waiting ID signal, (vii) a call forward signal, (viii) a phone forward signal, (ix) a conference call signal, (x) a transfer call signal, (xi) a ring voltage signal, (xii) a dial tone signal, and (xiii) a signal for indicating received messages. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein a computer is connected to the gateway, the method further comprising an act of receiving configuration information for the gateway from the computer.