Technique for communicating information over a broadband communications network
View Patent ↗A system and method 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 applicable to a first communications network are associated with one or more counterpart devices having a second identification code applicable to a second communications network.
1. A method for establishing connections between devices, the method comprising:
receiving at a host a request from a first device to establish communications with a second device, wherein the host is configured to establish a connection between the first and second devices and the first device and a third device;
deriving at the host a first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code is stored in a database at the host in association with the second device and in association with a second identification code, and wherein the first identification code identifies the second device and wherein the second identification code identifies the third device;
using the first identification code to establish a first connection between the first device and the second device;
using the first identification code to retrieve the second identification code from the database; and
using the second identification code to establish a second connection between the first device and the third device.
2. 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.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first network comprises a public switched telephone network, the second network comprises a private branch exchange and the third network comprises a cable network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device and the second identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the third device.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second identification code is accessed from a database storing the first identification code in association with the second identification code.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein communications are allowed between at least two of the first device, the second device and the third device.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising provisioning the second device and the third device to have at least one common feature.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.
12. A system for establishing connections between devices, the system comprising:
a database configured to:
store a first identification code in association with a second device and a second identification code; and
store the second identification code in association with a third device;
an interface configured for receiving from the first device a request to establish communications with the second device;
a host configured to:
derive the first identification code from the request, wherein the first identification code identifies the second device; and
use the first identification code to establish a first connection between the first device and the second device;
use the first identification code to retrieve the second identification code from the database; and
use the second identification code to establish a second connection between the first device and the third device.
13. The system of claim 12 , 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.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first network comprises a public switched telephone network, the second network comprises a private branch exchange and the third network comprises a cable network.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first identification code comprises a telephone number associated with the second device.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the second identification code comprises an internet protocol address associated with the third device.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the second identification code comprises a media access control address associated with the third device.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein communications are allowed between at least two of the first device, the second device and the third device.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second device and the third device are provisioned to have at least one common feature.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the common feature comprises voice mail messaging.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the common feature comprises call transfer.