Technique for communicating information over a broadband communications network
View Patent ↗The invention is directed to a technique for enabling communications to be transmitted between at least two associated counterpart devices at different locations, e.g., at work and home. One or more communications devices having a first identification code (e.g., telephone number) applicable to a first communications network are associated with one or more counterpart devices having a second identification code (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address) applicable to a second communications network.
1. A method for allowing communication between devices comprising:
receiving at a host a request from a first device for communication with a second device, wherein the host is configured to establish a connection between the first and second devices;
deriving at the host a first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code identifies the first device;
deriving at the host a second identification code from the request, wherein the second identification code identifies the second device;
using the first identification code to obtain a third identification code for identifying a third device, wherein the third identification code is stored at the host in association with the first identification code;
establishing the connection between the first device and the second device using the first identification code and second identification code; and
generating at the host a record containing the third identification code to associate the connection with the third device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, establishing a connection between the second device and the third device and a connection between the first device and the third device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is connected to a first network, the second device is connected to a second network and the third device is connected to a third network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first network comprises a private branch exchange, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a cable network.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the first device and the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the third identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the third identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first network comprises a cable network, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a private branch exchange.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device and the third identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the third device.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the first device.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the first device.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third identification code is accessed from a database storing the first identification code in association with the third identification code.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising provisioning the first device and the third device to have at least one common feature.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.
16. A system for allowing communication between devices comprising:
an interface configured for receiving from a first device a request for communication with a second device;
a database, wherein the database comprises identification codes;
a host configured for:
deriving a first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code identifies the first device;
deriving a second identification code from the request, wherein the second identification code identifies the second device;
using the first identification code to obtain a third identification code for identifying a third device, wherein the third identification code is stored in the database in association with the first identification code;
establishing the connection between the first device and the second device using the first identification code and the second identification code; and
generating a record containing the third identification code to associate the connection with the third device.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the host is further configured for establishing a connection between the second device and the third device and establishing a connection between the first device and the third device.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first device is connected to a first network, the second device is connected to a second network and the third device is connected to a third network.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first network comprises a private branch exchange, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a cable network.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the first device and the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the third identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.
22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the third identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.
23. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first network comprises a cable network, the second network comprises a public switched telephone network and the third network comprises a private branch exchange.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device and the third identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the third device.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the first device.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the first device.
27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first device and the third device are provisioned to have at least one common feature.
28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.
29. The system of claim 27 , wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.