Indirect Mobile Communication via VoIP Meeting Point
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile phone communication systems incur high costs and variable quality due to airtime charges for maintaining channels and are affected by wireless and VoIP communication vagaries, limiting the ability to make and receive low-cost, high-quality calls globally.
Innovation Solution
An indirect communication system using WiMAX-compatible RF and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows a mobile phone to send a short signal to initiate a meeting point on the Internet, enabling communication without continuous airtime usage, where the calling device connects to the Internet and waits for the receiving device to join, using a meeting point server to redirect packets and minimize airtime charges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If mobile phone communication uses traditional wireless channels, then communication can be established, but airtime charges accrue and communication quality is subject to wireless vagaries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an Internet-based communication channel as an intermediary between mobile phones. Instead of directly communicating over wireless channels, mobile phones use the Internet (via VoIP) as a mediator for actual voice transmission, while only using wireless channels for initial connection setup and notification. This separates the unreliable wireless portion from the actual communication, improving quality while reducing airtime costs.
2Reliability
If mobile phone sends continuous signals to maintain communication channel, then communication quality is maintained, but airtime charges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by using wireless channels only for initial notification (ringing tone) and occasional status updates, while the actual continuous communication occurs over the Internet. The mobile phone periodically checks connection status and sends brief updates, but does not maintain a continuous wireless channel for voice transmission, thereby reducing airtime charges while maintaining communication quality.
3Reliability
If mobile phone uses VoIP for communication, then communication quality improves, but device complexity increases due to Internet connectivity requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into distinct functional components: mobile phones handle user interaction and initial connection setup, while separate Internet-based VoIP infrastructure handles the actual voice transmission. This segmentation allows mobile phones to remain relatively simple devices without requiring full VoIP stack implementation, as the complex VoIP functionality is provided by external servers and infrastructure.
4Loss of energy
If mobile phone connects to Internet for communication, then airtime charges are reduced, but loss of time occurs during connection establishment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing Internet connections and VoIP channels before actual communication is needed. The system maintains ready-to-use communication pathways through the Internet, so when a call is initiated, the transition to low-cost VoIP communication occurs rapidly. Connection establishment time is minimized because the Internet pathway is already prepared and waiting, rather than needing to be created from scratch during each call.
Data Source
AI summary
An indirect communication system and a method of indirect communication include a mobile phone as either a calling device or receiving device. The mobile phone calls another device to set up a prospective communication, and then uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to communicate with the other device over the Internet. The receiving device receives a generated signal notifying the receiving device of a proposed communication with the calling device. A server sets up a meeting point channel after the calling device has connected to the server. The server receives outgoing VoIP packets from the calling device and redirects the outgoing VoIP packets to the receiving device.