System for Providing Mobile VoIP
A system for providing handoff for a mobile devices comprising a mobile phone programmed to automatically handover between differing data bearers and to optimally detect those bearers in a roaming environment keeping power consumption to a minimum. Repeating means for these mobile devices to extend the range of coverage and the protocol for that coverage.
1 . A telecommunications system capable of sending data from a mobile unit to an intended recipient comprising:
a mobile unit; said mobile unit being capable of transmitting a communication to said intended recipient using a WLAN and a WWAN;
an access point capable of receiving said communication from said mobile unit; said access point being connected to a communication network; said communication network being capable of transmitting said communication to the intended recipient;
wherein said communication is transmitted to said access point from said mobile unit to be transmitted to said intended recipient through a communication path on said communication network; said communication being encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WLAN.
2 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said communication is encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.
3 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said communication is not encoded into IP before being transmitted to said communication network when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is not capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.
4 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said communication is a person's voice and said IP is VoIP.
5 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 3 wherein said system determines whether said communication path comprises said WLAN or said WWAN based on least cost routing algorithms.
6 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said least cost algorithm is computed to minimize the inter-network transcoding steps.
7 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system is capable of handing off the transmission of said communication between different communication paths seamlessly.
8 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system is capable of handing off the transmission of said communication between different communication paths in a manner to appear seamless.
9 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 , wherein said mobile unit further comprises an audio processing layer that is independent of, and capable of interacting with, multiple radio communication paths to maintain consistent audio quality.
10 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said handoff is accomplished by maintaining at least two radio links simultaneously.
11 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 9 , wherein handoff is between a WLAN and a WWAN.
12 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 , wherein said mobile unit makes said determination.
13 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said access point is a PC.
14 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said transmission between said mobile unit and said access point can utilize a Bluetooth data channel to improve error correction and increase range.
15 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile unit is capable of transmitting data to said access point using Bluetooth and wi-fi; said system determining which one to use based on considerations of power consumption and quality of service.
16 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 , wherein said handoff is controlled by said mobile unit.
17 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 , wherein said handoff is accomplished by using a conference bridge.
18 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 17 , wherein said mobile unit initiates a connection to the conference bridge.
19 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 5 , wherein said system is capable of performing authentication based on the communication path used.
20 . A telecommunications system comprising:
a mobile unit; said mobile unit having a transmitter;
an access point, in radio communication with said mobile unit; said access point having a data receiver to receive data from said mobile unit and a data transmitter to transmit data to a communication network; said communication network being capable of communicating with an intended recipient;
wherein a communication is received by said mobile unit and is transmitted to a session initiation server to be communicated to said intended recipient through a communication path on said communication network when said communication path comprises a WLAN.
21 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said session initiation server is based on the SIP standard.
22 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said communication is transmitted to said session initiation server when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel
23 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said communication is not transmitted to a session initiation server when said communication path comprises a WWAN and said WWAN is not capable of transmitting data using a separate data channel.
24 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said session initiation server is located on said mobile unit.
25 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said access point is in radio communication with said mobile unit via a repeater.
26 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25 , wherein said repeater comprises two or more WLANs configured to minimize interference.
27 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25 , wherein said repeater can interconnect between WLANs.
28 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25 , wherein said repeater utilizes diversity.
29 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25 , wherein said repeater may connect to a wired phone system.
30 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 25 , wherein said repeater maintains contact with said session initiation server allowing incoming calls.
31 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said system is capable of discovering the communication paths that are available between said mobile unit and said intended recipient.
32 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the parameters of the communication paths discovered for a location are stored in said session initiation server.
33 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the mobile unit and Access Point respond to a discovery request with its identity and routing parameters.
34 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 32 , wherein said mobile unit senses the resources available at a particular location to determine the available communication paths for said location and said available communication paths are stored in said session initiation server for that location.
35 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the mobile unit is capable of entering a sleep mode when not connected to a WLAN; said mobile unit being capable of exiting said sleep mode to receive a communication from a WLAN in response to a signal received by said mobile unit through WWAN.
36 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the session initiation server can emulate the UMA protocol.
37 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the Access Point can transcode to a different protocol.
38 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the mobile unit is capable of playing games while simultaneously communicating to said session initiation server.
39 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the mobile unit is capable of playing music under control of said session initiation server.
40 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said mobile unit further comprises a digital signal processor capable of processing digital signals within said mobile unit.
41 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 40 , wherein said digital signal processor is utilized in encoding said communication into IP.
42 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said mobile unit is programmable.
43 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said radio communication may be via an unmodified WLAN Access Point.
44 . A telecommunications system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said mobile unit compresses the audio prior to transmission over the radio network.
45 . A method for sending data from a mobile unit to an intended recipient, comprising the steps of:
receiving a person's communication in a mobile unit;
transmitting said communication to an access point that is connected to a network; said network being in communication with said intended recipient;
transmitting said communication over a path on said network to the intended recipient; said communication being encoded into IP when said path comprises a WLAN; said communication being encoded into IP when said path comprises a WWAN that is capable of sending data over a separate data channel; said communication being not encoded into IP when said path comprises a WWAN that is not capable of sending data over a separate data channel; and
determining whether said path comprises said WLAN or said WWAN based on least cost routing algorithms.