Telephone system based on presence and call routing method thereof

A call routing method in a telephony system, comprising:

• receiving a call dialed for a telephone number from a telephone device in a telephone network;
• acquiring from a presence server presence information of a subscriber, associated with a communications device and a VoIP communications device under the telephone number, to receive the dialed call on either the communications device or the VoIP communications device, the presence information comprising preferred device information indicative of which of the communications device and the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the subscriber for communicating under the telephone number, the presence server being connected to the telephone network;
• and
• routing, based upon the preferred device information and through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls, the dialed call to one of the communications device and the VoIP communications device for the subscriber to receive the dialed call,
• wherein when the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the subscriber, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the VoIP communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the communications device is a wireless telephone device, said acquiring comprises:
• requesting, by at least one select switching center call-connected to the telephone device, information on the subscriber from the HLR;
• receiving, by the HLR, corresponding status information from the presence server storing the presence information on the subscriber;
• and
• transmitting, by the HLR, the preferred device information to the at least one select switching center call-connected to the telephone device according to the subscriber's presence information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the subscriber for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the subscriber, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the subscriber through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.

A call routing method in a telephony system based on presence, comprising:

• receiving a request for presence information on a dialed subscriber from a first VoIP communications device in a VoIP system, the presence information indicating which of a telephone terminal and a second VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the dialed subscriber for communicating under a telephone number, and the dialed subscriber associated with the telephone terminal and the second VoIP communications device under the telephone number;
• providing from a presence server the presence information on the dialed subscriber to the first VoIP communications device, the presence server being connected to the VoIP system;
• receiving a dialing call for the telephone number from the first VoIP communications device;
• and
• routing, according to the presence information, the dialing call to the telephone terminal through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls, when the telephone terminal has the higher preference, and to the second VoIP communications device when the second VoIP communications device has the higher preference, for the dialed subscriber to receive the dialing call,
• wherein when the second VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the dialed subscriber, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the second VoIP communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the telephone terminal is a wireless telephone terminal, the routing comprises:
• requesting, by at least one select switching center call-connected to the first VoIP communications device, dialed subscriber information from the HLR;
• transmitting, by the HLR, information on the dialed subscriber to the at least one select switching center call-connected to the first VoIP communications device;
• and
• routing, by the at least one select switching center call-connected to the first VoIP device, the dialing call to the dialed subscriber's wireless telephone terminal through the at least one select switching center according to the dialed subscriber information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the subscriber for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the subscriber, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the subscriber through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.

A method of routing calls, the method comprising:

• storing on a presence server preferred device information of a user indicating which of a telephone and a VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the user for communicating under a telephone number, the user being associated with the telephone and the VoIP communications device under the telephone number;
• and
• connecting a call for the telephone number received by a telephone network to one of the telephone and the VoIP communications device of the user using the preferred device information, the call being routed through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls and a VoIP gateway,
• wherein the presence server is connected to and in communication with the telephone network,
• wherein when the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the user, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the VoIP communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the telephone is a wireless telephone device, at least one select switching center connecting the call requests information on the user from the HLR, and the HLR receives corresponding status information from the presence server storing the presence information on the user and transmits the preferred device information to the at least one select switching center connecting the call according to the user's presence information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the user for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the user, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the user through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.

A communications system comprising:

• a telephone network configured to connect a call request between a plurality of communications devices, and further configured to engage a VoIP gateway for connecting to a VoIP-enabled communications device;
• a presence server configured to store preferred device information of a user associated with a telephone and the VoIP-enabled communications device under a telephone number, the preferred device information indicating which of the telephone and the VoIP-enabled communications device has a higher preference by the user for communicating under the telephone number, the presence server being connected to and in communication with the telephone network;
• and
• a connection module configured to connect a call for the telephone number received by the telephone network to one of the telephone and the VoIP-enabled communications device according to the preferred device information stored on the presence server,
• wherein the call to the VoIP-enabled communications device is routed through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls and a VoIP gateway,
• wherein when the VoIP-enabled communications device has a higher preference by the user, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the VoIP-enabled communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the telephone is a wireless telephone device, at least one select switching center connecting the call requests information on the user from the HLR, and the HLR receives corresponding status information from the presence server storing the presence information on the user and transmits the preferred device information to the at least one select switching center connecting the call according to the user's presence information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the user for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the user, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the user through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.

A communications system comprising:

• a server system configured to store preferred device information of a user associated with a communications terminal and a VoIP communications device under a telephone number, the preferred device information indicating which of the communications terminal and the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the user for communicating under the telephone number;
• and
• a network system configured to connect a call for the telephone number received from a telephone in a telephone network to one of the communications terminal and the VoIP communications device of the user using the preferred device information, the call being routed through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls and a VoIP gateway,
• wherein the server system is connected to the telephone network,
• wherein when the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the user, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the VoIP communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the communications terminal is a wireless telephone device, at least one select switching center connecting the call requests information on the user from the HLR, and the HLR receives corresponding status information from the presence server storing the presence information on the user and transmits the preferred device information to the at least one select switching center connecting the call according to the user's presence information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the user for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the user, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the user through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.

A presence server in communication with a telephone system, a VoIP gateway, and a VoIP communications device, the telephone system being configured to connect a call to a communications device, and the VoIP gateway being coupled between the telephone system and a network and configured to connect to the VoIP communications device, the presence server comprising:

• presence information of a subscriber associated with the communications device and the VoIP communications device under a telephone number, the presence information comprising preferred device information indicative of which of the communications device and the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the subscriber for communicating under the telephone number, such that the telephone system routes a call dialed to the subscriber's telephone number through at least one select switching center, in the telephone network, for routing telephone calls, to one of the communications device and the VoIP communications device according to the preferred device information, and the subscriber receives the call on one of the communications device and the VoIP communications device,
• wherein the presence server is connected to the telephone system,
• wherein when the VoIP communications device has a higher preference by the subscriber, an IP address and at least one port number for accessing the VoIP communications device and an ID of the at least one select switching center are transmitted to a home location register (HLR),
• wherein when the communications device is a wireless telephone device, at least one select switching center routing the call requests information on the subscriber from the HLR, and the HLR receives corresponding status information from the presence server storing the presence information on the subscriber and transmits the preferred device information to the at least one select switching center routing the call according to the subscriber's presence information, and
• wherein if the wireless telephone terminal has a higher preference by the subscriber for receiving the dialed call according to the preferred device information of the subscriber, the dialed call is routed to the wireless telephone device of the subscriber through the select switching center of the wireless telephone device, without going through the VoIP gateway.