Granted Patent B2

US 7,995,560 · App. 11/497,656 · Granted Aug 9, 2011

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) endpoints connected to a SIP network;

at least one first keyset for a first SIP endpoint of the plurality of SIP endpoints, the at least one first keyset having multiple lines available for establishing connections to the first SIP endpoint, the multiple lines comprising a primary line and at least one secondary line;

a Back to Back User Agent (B2BUA) managing communications with the plurality of SIP endpoints;

a media negotiator connected to the B2BUA, the media negotiator negotiating media with the plurality of SIP endpoints responsive to an indication of a pending call;

wherein the at least one first keyset registers with the B2BUA such that only the primary line of the at least one first keyset registers with the B2BUA via a registration message, the registration message comprising address information for the at least one secondary line, the at least one secondary line not registering with the B2BUA;

wherein the B2BUA forwards the address information of the at least one secondary line to the media negotiator;

wherein the B2BUA manages calls to the at least one first keyset after the at least one first keyset registers with the B2BUA;

a gateway server connecting the B2BUA to a public switched telephone network or public land mobile network, the gateway server receiving an incoming call and responding by sending an invite message comprising calling party number information, address information for the gateway server, a called party number, and a media type to the B2BUA, the media negotiator determining a common media for all devices to be alerted regarding the incoming call, and the B2BUA forwarding the invite message to each registered primary line of the at least one first keyset; and

wherein the at least one first keyset is comprised of a plurality of first keysets and wherein one of the first keysets responds to the invite message forwarded by the B2BUA via a notify message for receiving the incoming call and wherein the B2BUA sends a notify message to the other first keysets that the incoming call has been connected and wherein each of the notify messages uses less resources than the invite message.

2. The communications system of claim 1 further comprising at least one second keyset for a second SIP endpoint of the SIP endpoints, the at least one second keyset having multiple lines available for establishing connections to the second SIP endpoint.

3. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the B2BUA acts as a proxy server.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the address information is comprised of a directory number.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein one of the at least one first keysets responds to the invite message forwarded by the B2BUA via a notify message for receiving the incoming call and wherein the B2BUA sends a notify message to any other of the at least one first keysets that the incoming call has been connected.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein one of the first keysets sending an invite message to the B2BUA for initiating a call to a telephone, the B2BUA, responding to the invite message by forwarding the invite message to the gateway server, the gateway server communicating with the telephone to initiate a connection between the telephone and the first keysets that sent the invite message to the B2BUA for initiating the call to the telephone.

7. A method of managing communications in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) communications system comprising:

for a plurality of a first keysets of SIP endpoints, registering a primary line for a each of the first keysets with a back to back user agent (B2BUA) via a registration message sent from each of the first keysets to the B2BUA, each of the registration messages comprising address information for at least one secondary line of the first keysets, the at least one secondary line of each of the first keysets not being registered with the B2BUA;

the B2BUA forwarding the address information of the at least one secondary line to a media negotiator;

the B2BUA managing calls to the first keysets after the first keysets register with the B2BUA;

a gateway server connecting the B2BUA to a public switched telephone network or public land mobile network;

the gateway server receiving an incoming call and responding by sending an invite message comprising calling party number information, address information for the gateway server, a called party number, and a media type to the B2BUA;

the media negotiator determining a common media for all devices to be alerted regarding the incoming call;

the B2BUA forwarding the invite message to the registered primary line of the first keysets;

one of the first keysets responding to the invite message forwarded by the B2BUA via a notify message for receiving an incoming call; and

the B2BUA sending a notify message to the other first keysets that the incoming call has been connected, wherein each of the notify messages uses less resources than the invite message.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein management of calls to the first keysets performed by the B2BUA is comprised of:

the B2BUA forwarding an answering message from the keyset that responded to the forwarded invite message to the gateway server for forming the connection between that keyset and a device that initiated the incoming call.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

one of the first keysets sending an invite message to the B2BUA for initiating a call to a telephone;

the B2BUA responding to the invite message for initiating the call to the telephone by forwarding the invite message to the gateway server; and

the gateway server communicating with the telephone to initiate a connection between the telephone and the first keyset that sent the invite message to initiate the call to the telephone.

Assignments (16)