Method and system for extending services to cellular devices

Abstract

A system is provide for extending services to cellular devices. The system includes a wireless gateway having a client side with an intelligent client agent and a server side with an intelligent server agent, a wireless device having a first mode operable in a cellular system and a second mode operable in a wireless local area network and including an intelligent client agent for determining operation mode and for communicating with the intelligent client agent of the wireless gateway and a communications protocol for communication between the wireless gateway intelligent client agent and the wireless device intelligent client agent to effect services. The services include one or more of voice, directory, presence, and media services. The voice service includes at least one of call waiting, call forwarding conferencing, and caller identification. The media service includes at least one of interactive voice response (IVR), text-to-speech, speech recognition, play, record. The directory service includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) directory, a cellular network directory, an Internet directory and a private branch exchange (PBX) directory. The communications protocol includes encapsulation for at least one of directory, mobility and security services and other protocols. The other protocols include at least one of Internet protocol (IP), session initiation protocol (SIP), and lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and systems for extending services to cellular devices and is particularly concerned with using session initiation protocol.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There have be proposals on how to extend services to cellular phone users. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,360, a mobile branch exchange (MBX) allows a user of a mobile telephone to exploit the functionality of a private branch exchange (PBX) as if the user were using a PBX-connected wire line telephone in an office setting. However, this proposal uses computer telephony integration (CTI), which may lead to a complex solution that may not scale easily.

[0003] Session initiation protocol (SIP) was developed for interactive user session involving multimedia. It has become one of the leading signaling protocols for voice over IP (VoIP). There are now many services available based upon the SIP protocol. Unfortunately, a large number of subscribers do not have acc...

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