Wired cellular telephone system

Abstract

Disclosed is a telephone system using a telephone network interface configured to couple a cellular telephone to a cable network. The interface coupled in this way enables transmission and reception of communication signals to and from a cellular telephone network over the cable network allowing communication of the cellular phone to a cellular network connected to the cable network, for instance. The telephone network interface is further configured to enable the interface to communicatively couple with the cellular telephone using packet-based communication, such as session interface protocol (SIP) packet based communication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication apparatus comprising:
 a telephone network interface configured to communicatively couple a cellular telephone to a cable network enabling transmission and reception of communication signals to and from a cellular telephone network over the cable network;   wherein the telephone network interface is further configured to enable the interface to communicatively couple with the cellular telephone using packet based communication.   
     
     
         2 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication to transmit and receive signals compatible with packet based communication via at least the cable network. 
     
     
         3 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the gateway is configured as a session initiation protocol (SIP) gateway. 
     
     
         4 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the cellular telephone is configured as a SIP phone. 
     
     
         5 . The communication apparatus as defined  3 , further comprising:
 a second cellular telephone operable using SIP and communicatively coupled to the telephone network interface allowing SIP packet based communication between the second cellular telephone and the cellular telephone or another SIP telephone via the cable network.   
     
     
         6 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the telephone network interface is further communicatively coupled to a telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN). 
     
     
         7 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication and configured to enable the telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to transmit and receive communication signals with a telephone operable with packet based communication. 
     
     
         8 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the telephone network interface further comprises a docking receptacle configured to accept the cellular telephone. 
     
     
         9 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured to communicatively couple with an extension telephone that acts as a cordless phone communicating with the console by a protocol known in the art, such as a cordless telephone protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, or an IEEE 802.11 protocol. 
     
     
         10 . A method for telephone communications comprising:
 communicatively coupling a cellular telephone to a cable network using a telephone network interface operable for transmission and reception of communication signals to and from a cellular telephone network over the cable network;   wherein the telephone network interface is further configured to enable the interface to communicatively couple with the cellular telephone using packet based communication.   
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication to transmit and receive signals compatible with packet based communication via at least the cable network. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the gateway is configured as a session initiation protocol (SIP) gateway. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the cellular telephone is configured as a SIP phone. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined  12 , further comprising:
 providing a second cellular telephone operable using SIP and communicatively coupleable to the telephone network interface allowing SIP packet based communication between the second cellular telephone and the cellular telephone or another SIP telephone via the cable network.   
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the telephone network interface is further communicatively coupled to a telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN). 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication and configured to enable the telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to transmit and receive communication signals with a telephone operable with packet based communication. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the telephone network interface further comprises a docking receptacle configured to accept the cellular telephone. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the telephone network interface is further configured to communicatively couple with an extension telephone that acts as a cordless phone communicating with the console by a protocol known in the art, such as a cordless telephone protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, or an IEEE 802.11 protocol. 
     
     
         19 . A communication apparatus comprising:
 means for communicatively interfacing a cellular telephone with a cable network to enable transmission and reception of communication signals to and from a cellular telephone network with the cellular telephone over the cable network;   wherein the means for communicatively interfacing is further configured to communicate with the cellular telephone using packet based communication.   
     
     
         20 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the means for communicatively interfacing is configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication to transmit and receive signals compatible with packet based communication via at least the cable network. 
     
     
         21 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the gateway is configured as a session initiation protocol (SIP) gateway. 
     
     
         22 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 21 , wherein the cellular telephone is configured as a SIP phone. 
     
     
         23 . The communication apparatus as defined  21 , further comprising:
 a second cellular telephone operable using SIP and communicatively coupled to the means for communicatively interfacing allowing SIP packet based communication between the second cellular telephone and the cellular telephone or another SIP telephone via the cable network.   
     
     
         24 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the means for communicatively interfacing is further communicatively coupled to a telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN). 
     
     
         25 . The communication apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the means for communicatively interfacing is further configured as a gateway operable for packet based communication and configured to enable the telephone operable in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to transmit and receive communication signals with a telephone operable with packet based communication. 
     
     
         26 . The communication apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the means for communicatively interfacing further comprises a docking receptacle configured to accept the cellular telephone. 
     
     
         27 . The communication apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the means for communicatively interfacing is further configured to communicatively couple with an extension telephone that acts as a cordless phone communicating with the console by a protocol known in the art, such as a cordless telephone protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, or an IEEE 802.11 protocol.