System and method for communicating over a data network or the PSTN using a hybrid cordless telephone device
AssigneeVTech Telecommunications Limited
InventorSukhdeep Hundal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid cordless telephone system allows a user to place or receive a call over either a data network or a PSTN network. In one aspect, a system router and PSTN unit are coupled with a communications manager to avoid extensive redesign of router components and PSTN components while providing a wireless user with data network and PSTN connectivity. In another aspect, the system router of the hybrid cordless telephone system includes a communications manager configured to provide termination of data network calls or PSTN calls at the system router. Accordingly, a plurality of handsets can each access the system router to place or receive calls from the data or PSTN networks.
Claims35
A hybrid cordless telephone system, comprising:
- a base unit of the hybrid cordless telephone system comprising a chip configured with WDCT (wireless digital cordless telecommunications) processing functions;
- and
- a plurality of handsets, each handset capable of initiating a telephone call to a called party via the base unit, wherein:
- each handset comprises an antenna to wirelessly communicate with an RF module of the base unit using the WDCT processing functions, and a VoIP engine configured to provide VoIP engine functionality to its respective handset;
- the base unit comprises a system router coupled to the RF module of the base unit to receive one or more data packets corresponding to a telephone call initiated by one of the handsets;
- the system router is configured to forward the received data packets to either a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or to a data network according to information provided by the handset that initiated the telephone call;
- and
- the base unit further comprises a base unit processor configured to receive the data packets destined for the PSTN, and to process received data packets destined for the PSTN to produce analog voice signals suitable for transmission over the PSTN to the called party and to process data packets destined for the data network for transmission over the data network.
A hybrid cordless telephone system, comprising:
- a base unit of the hybrid cordless telephone system comprising a chip configured with WDCT (wireless digital cordless telecommunications) processing functions;
- a plurality of handsets, each handset capable of initiating a telephone call to a called party via the base unit, wherein
- each handset is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base unit;
- said handset comprising a VoIP engine configured to provide said handset with VoIP engine functionality;
- the base unit comprises a system router configured to receive one or more data packets corresponding to a telephone call initiated by one of the handsets, and forward the received data packets to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or to a data network using information provided by the handset that initiated the telephone call;
- and
- the base unit further comprises a base unit processor configured to receive the data packets destined for the PSTN, and to process the received data packets destined for the PSTN to produce analog voice signals suitable for transmission over the PSTN to the called party and to process data packets destined for the data network for transmission over the data network,
- wherein each handsets further comprises a VoIP button, a PSTN button, and a user interface configured to provide a dialed number for the called party, and
- wherein the system router further comprises a base communications module configured to select a network from the PSTN or the data network based upon which of the VoIP or PSTN buttons of the handset that initiated the telephone call have been pressed, and initiate the telephone call over the selected network in response to receiving the dialed number for the called party.
A method for managing telephone calls in a hybrid cordless telephone system comprising a plurality of handsets capable of initiating a telephone call via a base unit, the method comprising:
- initiating a telephone call using a handset selected from the plurality of handsets, of a hybrid cordless telephone system, said handset comprising a VoIP engine configured to provide said handset with VoIP engine functionality;
- receiving with the base unit comprising a chip configured with WDCT (wireless digital cordless telecommunications) processing functions, one or more packets corresponding to the telephone call over a wireless link between the base unit and the selected handset;
- determining whether to route the call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or to a data network based upon information received from the selected handset;
- in response to determining, based on the information received from the selected handset, that the call is routed to the data network, routing the data packets destined for the data network directly to the data network;
- and
- in response to determining, based on the information received from the selected handset, that the call is routed to the PSTN, converting the data packets destined for the PSTN to analog PSTN voice signals, and routing the analog PSTN voice signals to the PSTN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.