Granted Patent B2

US 8,666,053 · App. 13/278,923 · Granted Mar 4, 2014

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A method for forwarding at least voice over Internet Protocol (IP) calls, the method comprising:

dialing a first telephone from a second telephone, to make a voice over IP call;

setting up the voice over IP call by at least transmitting a data packet via an IP network to a call manager which ensures that adequate network resources are available to accommodate the call;

wherein the call manager comprises a resources database and a customer database, the customer database determining whether a telephone number is on or off the IP network;

the call manager checking stored call forwarding profiles to determine whether there is an active call forwarding profile for said first telephone;

connecting said voice over IP call to said first telephone if the active call forwarding profile is not found by said checking; and

connecting the voice over IP call to a third telephone based on a call forwarding information, if the active call forwarding profile is found by said checking;

wherein the call forwarding information is comprised in the active call forwarding profile and is created by use of at least a display, and the display is not integral to a customer premises equipment that conforms to the signaling protocol SIP;

wherein a new call destination number is transmitted in another data packet; and

wherein the call manager uses at least the new call destination number to connect the voice over IP call to the third telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the active call forwarding profile is created based on a subscriber's entry on or selection of information displayed on a touch-sensitive screen.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recognizing a subscriber's words, spoken into a microphone to create or modify at least a portion of the active call forwarding profile.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

interconnecting the customer premises equipment wirelessly with at least one device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the customer premises equipment transmits through the IP network, at least the new call destination number.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the customer premises equipment is associated with the first telephone and is hereinafter first customer premises equipment; and

the call manager forwards the new call destination number through the IP network to a second customer premises equipment associated with the second telephone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the active call forwarding profile specifies that calls are only to be forwarded during predetermined periods of time.

8. A method for forwarding at least voice over Internet Protocol (IP) calls, the method comprising:

dialing a first telephone from a second telephone, to make a voice over IP call;

setting up the voice over IP call by at least transmitting a data packet via an IP network to a call manager which ensures that adequate network resources are available to accommodate the call;

wherein the call manager comprises a resources database and a customer database, the customer database determining whether a telephone number is on or off the IP network;

the call manager checking stored call forwarding profiles to determine whether there is an active call forwarding profile for said first telephone;

connecting said voice over IP call to said first telephone if the active call forwarding profile is not found by said checking;

connecting the voice over IP call to a third telephone based on a call forwarding information, if the active call forwarding profile is found by said checking; and

using an alerting parameter in a call delivery message to instruct a customer premises equipment associated with the third telephone to notify a subscriber that the voice over IP call is a forwarded call and not a call originally directed to the third telephone.

9. A system for forwarding voice over Internet Protocol (IP) calls, the system comprising:

a plurality of telephones, each telephone having a unique identifier;

a network device for routing at least the voice over IP calls between the plurality of telephones;

means for setting up a voice over IP call from a first telephone to a second telephone, by at least transmitting a data packet via an IP network to a call manager which ensures that adequate network resources are available to accommodate the voice over IP call;

wherein the call manager comprises a resources database and a customer database, the customer database determining whether a telephone number is on or off the IP network;

a memory storing call forwarding profiles;

means for checking stored call forwarding profiles in said memory, to determine whether there is an active call forwarding profile for said first telephone;

means for connecting said voice over IP call to said first telephone if the active call forwarding profile is not found by said means for checking;

means for connecting the voice over IP call to a third telephone by using at least a new call destination number, based on a call forwarding information, if the active call forwarding profile is found by said means for checking;

means for transmitting the new call destination number in another data packet;

a display not integral to a customer premises equipment, wherein the customer premises equipment conforms to the signaling protocol SIP; and

means coupled to the display, for receipt of the call forwarding information to be stored in the active call forwarding profile.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the means for determining is comprised in the customer premises equipment; and

the call forwarding profiles in said memory are also comprised in the customer premises equipment.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means for creating the active call forwarding profile based on a subscriber's entry on or selection of information displayed on a touch-sensitive screen.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the call forwarding profiles in said memory are comprised in the customer premises equipment; and

the customer premises equipment comprises a wireless interface module.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means for selecting the active call forwarding profile from among the call forwarding profiles in said memory;

wherein said memory is comprised in the customer premises equipment.

14. A system for forwarding voice over Internet Protocol (IP) calls, the system comprising:

a plurality of telephones, each telephone having a unique identifier;

a network device for routing at least the voice over IP calls between the plurality of telephones;

means for setting up a voice over IP call from a first telephone to a second telephone, by at least transmitting a data packet via an IP network to a call manager which ensures that adequate network resources are available to accommodate the voice over IP call;

wherein the call manager comprises a resources database and a customer database, the customer database determining whether a telephone number is on or off the IP network;

a memory storing call forwarding profiles;

means for checking stored call forwarding profiles in said memory, to determine whether there is an active call forwarding profile for said first telephone;

means for connecting said voice over IP call to said first telephone if the active call forwarding profile is not found by said means for checking; and

means for connecting the voice over IP call to a third telephone based on a call forwarding information, if the active call forwarding profile is found by said means for checking; and

means for using an alerting parameter in a call delivery message to instruct a customer premises equipment associated with the third telephone to notify a subscriber that the voice over IP call is a forwarded call and not a call originally directed to the third telephone.

Assignments (15)