Mobile Gateway

Abstract

A method of initiating a call to a callee using a mobile telephone involves: receiving, from a user of the mobile telephone, a callee identifier associated with the callee; transmitting an access code request message to an access server, the access code request message including the callee identifier; receiving an access code reply message from the access server in response to the access code request message, the access code reply message including an access code different from the callee identifier and associated with the callee identifier; and initiating a call with the mobile telephone using the access code to identify the callee.

1 - 129 . (canceled) 
     
     
         130 . A mobile telephone comprising:
 a processor circuit,   a network interface in communication with the processor circuit, and   a computer readable medium in communication with the processor circuit and encoded with codes for directing the processor circuit to:   receive, from a user of the mobile telephone, a callee identifier associated with the callee;   use the network interface to cause at least one request message to be transmitted to an access server, the at least one request message including the callee identifier and an IP address associated with a location of the mobile telephone;   receive an access code reply message from the access server in response to the at least one request message, the access code reply message including an access code different from the callee identifier and associated with the callee identifier, the access code being based on the IP address associated with the mobile telephone; and   initiate a call using the access code to identify the callee.   
     
     
         131 . An access server comprising:
 a processor circuit,   a network interface in communication with the processor circuit, and   a computer readable medium encoded with codes for directing a processor circuit to:   receive at least one request message associated with a mobile telephone initiating a call to a callee, the at least one request message including a callee identifier identifying the callee and an IP address associated with a location of the mobile telephone;   communicate with a routing controller to obtain from the routing controller an access code identifying an communication channel based on the IP address associated with a location of the mobile phone, the access code being different from the callee identifier and useable by the mobile telephone to initiate a call to the callee using the communication channel; and   cause a reply message including the access code to be transmitted to the mobile telephone.   
     
     
         132 . A method of completing a call from a mobile telephone to a callee using an access server, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the access server, a callee identifier associated with the callee, the callee identifier being transmitted by the mobile telephone;   receiving, at the access server, a location identifier associated with a location associated with the mobile telephone;   selecting an access code identifying one of a telephone number or Internet Protocol (IP) network address representing a channel capable of carrying a call from the mobile telephone to the callee identified by the callee identifier, said access code being based on the location identifier associated with the location of the mobile telephone;   sending, from the access server to said mobile telephone, said access code, said access code being different from said callee identifier and being based on said location identifier; and   detecting a call made with the mobile telephone using said access code to identify the callee and causing a routing controller to establish the call to the callee.   
     
     
         133 . The access server of  claim 131 , wherein the communication channel is configured to cooperate with an IP network to cause a call involving the mobile telephone and the callee to be routed through the IP network in response to a call received at a gateway associated with the communication channel. 
     
     
         134 . The access server of  claim 131 , the server further comprising:
 a network interface for receiving an one or more request messages, said request messages including a callee identifier received from a user of the mobile telephone and a location identifier separate and distinctive from said callee identifier, said location identifier identifying a location associated with the mobile telephone.   
     
     
         135 . The access server of  claim 131 , the server further comprising:
 an access code generator for selecting an access code from a pool of access codes based on the location that is associated with the mobile telephone, the selected access code enabling the mobile telephone to establish a call to the callee identified by the callee identifier, the selected access code being different from said callee identifier; and   a network interface for transmitting an access code reply message to the mobile telephone, said access code reply message including the selected access code, for use by the mobile phone in initiating the call to the callee.   
     
     
         136 . The method of  claim 132  further comprising transmitting said access code from said access server to the mobile telephone on a non-voice network. 
     
     
         137 . The method of  claim 132  wherein said location identifier represents a wireless voice signal station in wireless communication with the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         138 . The method of  claim 132  wherein said location identifier comprises a user-configured identifier of a location associated with the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         139 . The method of  claim 132  wherein said access code is temporarily associated with said callee identifier at least until the call is completed. 
     
     
         140 . The method of  claim 132  wherein the said access comprises an IP address associated with a channel operably configured to cooperate with an IP network to cause a call involving the mobile telephone and the callee to be routed through the IP network. 
     
     
         141 . The method of  claim 140  wherein the channel is associated with a gateway that provides communication services to a set of geographical locations including the location associated with the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         142 . The method of  claim 132  further comprising:
 communicating with the routing controller to obtain from the routing controller said access code, wherein said access code identifies a gateway that is useable by the mobile telephone to cause the routing controller to establish a call to the callee using the gateway. 
 
     
     
         143 . The method of  claim 132  wherein said access code expires after a period of time. 
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 132  further comprising identifying an access code that is associated with the location identified by the location identifier and that is not currently associated with another callee identifier. 
     
     
         145 . The method of  claim 132  further comprising selecting an access code associated with a communication system node with which the callee is associated. 
     
     
         146 . The method of  claim 132  wherein the access server receives a message with a location identifier field for use in determining an area associated with the mobile telephone. 
     
     
         147 . The mobile telephone of  claim 130  further comprising:
 transmitting means for causing an access code request message to be transmitted to an access server to cause the access server to seek an access code from a pool of access codes wherein each access code in said pool of access codes identifies one of a respective telephone number or Internet Protocol (IP) network address that enables a call to be made to call the callee identified by the callee identifier, said access code request message including said callee identifier and a location identifier separate and distinctive from said callee identifier, said location identifier identifying a location associated with the mobile telephone; 
 receiving means for receiving at the mobile telephone an access code reply message from the access server in response to said access code request message, said access code reply message including an access code different from said callee identifier and associated with said location identifier; and 
 means for initiating a call using said access code to identify the callee. 
 
     
     
         148 . The mobile telephone of  claim 130  wherein the telephone causes a location identifier of a location associated with the mobile telephone to be transmitted to the access server, wherein said location identifier includes at least one of:
 an IP address associated with the mobile telephone in an IP network; 
 an identifier of a wireless voice signal station in wireless communication with the mobile telephone; and 
 a user-configured identifier of a location associated with the mobile telephone. 
 
     
     
         149 . A system for initiating a call to a callee, the system comprising the mobile telephone of  claim 130  and further comprising:
 a routing controller; and 
 an access server comprising:
 a network interface for receiving from the mobile telephone at least one request message for an access code and for transmitting a reply including said access code to the mobile telephone; and 
 a routing controller interface for communicating with said routing controller to obtain from said routing controller said access code, wherein said access code identifies a channel and is useable by the mobile telephone to cause the routing controller to establish a call to the callee using the channel..]