From here to VOIP
Here's a product I want: a cordless phone. No, not a cellular phone. Just a cordless phone. And yes, while there are tons of such phones on the market, the one I want is not available. Read on for my first draft of what it looks like.
Like all cordless phones it comes in two pieces: a base station and a handset. The base station of this phone is also an 802.11b/g wireless router. It plugs into your voice line using standard RJ45 plug, and between your computer and your broadband modem (whether cable or DSL or satellite) using standard ethernet.
The handset is like a regular handset except it uses 802.11b/g to communicate wirelessly with the base station. And it has a little more computing power built in than most handsets. It needs the power because the handset is digitizing your voice and then sending it to the basestation using Voice Over IP (over the 802.11b/g connection.) And, in reverse, is transforming signals it is receiving from the basestation from digital back into analog before sending the sounds to your ears.
Software running on your computer listens for the phone to ring and either passes the call through the base station to the wireless handset, or takes the call itself with it's voice mail capability, turning your computer into an answering machine.
When you place a call from the handset it sends the number being dialed to the base station, which in turn actually dials the number out over your normal voice line and passes the resulting connection back to the handset.
So far we've just replicated the functionality of a very cheap piece of consumer electronic gear (the cordless phone with built in answering machine,) but look what our setup makes possible.
Most simply, the handset has direct access to your address book on your computer. No more 10 entry (or whatever) speed dial - you get your complete up to the second contact list from your computer right in the handset without any synching issues.
But that is just the tip of the iceburg in terms of the integration that would then be possible. Why not forward your IM voice chat to your cordless handset when you step (a short distance) away from your computer? Why not stream your mp3s to your handset when you are sitting out in the backyard? When a call comes through the music stops and you hear your phone ringing. Or add some speach recognition to the loop (okay, maybe this isn't quite ready yet) and dictate an email message through your handset that your computer then mails from your account (using an email address you got out of your now remotely accessible contacts list.)
And then the big win, especially for certain types of corporate customers, is that in addition to the handset working within range of the base station, you could also place a voice over IP call from any 802.11b/g hotspot. At first this doesn't seem all that cool, since everyone already has a cellphone, and there is no way that 802.11x hotspots are ever going to have the footprint that cellular services have. But what if you are a corporate customer with a large office? Or a corporate campus? Or multiple offices at different geographic locations. Instead of giving every employee a cell phone, you give them one of these cordless phones. It works everywhere you have 802.11x coverage, which for many of these companies means everywhere. Now all calls between handsets (even if the handsets are in offices across the globe) are free! And calls to any other phones are billed at cheaper landline rates.
Even the regular consumer could get a few big wins from this. What if I take my handset to Europe? If there is 802.11b/g in the hotel where I am staying I can make VOIP calls that travel for free over the internet to my home computer, which then dials the call out through my landline. Could be pretty cool. I can make local calls from my home number from any internet connected 802.11b/g access point anywhere in the world.
And you could do this today. With off the shelf components. And with no need to stike any deals with telecoms. What am I missing?
a patent?
No, I just want someone to make it. Preferably Apple so that it doesn't look like crap. Also, since they control the "whole widget" they have the best shot at getting seamless integration with address book and the other iApps. And you are going to need zero-conf to get all the connections set up without hassle, and they have great experience there too.
I'd be happy to beta test the unit though!
Well, that plus the fact that I couldn't really get the patent without actually knowing something about what I am talking about. Damn details!
Oh, don't let details deter you.
Maybe I'll get what I want after all: see here.
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Here's a product I want: a cordless phone. No, not a cellular phone. Just a cordless phone. And yes, while there are tons of such phones on the market, the one I want is not available. Read on for my first draft of what it looks like.
The handset is like a regular handset except it uses 802.11b/g to communicate wirelessly with the base station. And it has a little more computing power built in than most handsets. It needs the power because the handset is digitizing your voice and then sending it to the basestation using Voice Over IP (over the 802.11b/g connection.) And, in reverse, is transforming signals it is receiving from the basestation from digital back into analog before sending the sounds to your ears.
Software running on your computer listens for the phone to ring and either passes the call through the base station to the wireless handset, or takes the call itself with it's voice mail capability, turning your computer into an answering machine.
When you place a call from the handset it sends the number being dialed to the base station, which in turn actually dials the number out over your normal voice line and passes the resulting connection back to the handset.
So far we've just replicated the functionality of a very cheap piece of consumer electronic gear (the cordless phone with built in answering machine,) but look what our setup makes possible.
Most simply, the handset has direct access to your address book on your computer. No more 10 entry (or whatever) speed dial - you get your complete up to the second contact list from your computer right in the handset without any synching issues.
But that is just the tip of the iceburg in terms of the integration that would then be possible. Why not forward your IM voice chat to your cordless handset when you step (a short distance) away from your computer? Why not stream your mp3s to your handset when you are sitting out in the backyard? When a call comes through the music stops and you hear your phone ringing. Or add some speach recognition to the loop (okay, maybe this isn't quite ready yet) and dictate an email message through your handset that your computer then mails from your account (using an email address you got out of your now remotely accessible contacts list.)
And then the big win, especially for certain types of corporate customers, is that in addition to the handset working within range of the base station, you could also place a voice over IP call from any 802.11b/g hotspot. At first this doesn't seem all that cool, since everyone already has a cellphone, and there is no way that 802.11x hotspots are ever going to have the footprint that cellular services have. But what if you are a corporate customer with a large office? Or a corporate campus? Or multiple offices at different geographic locations. Instead of giving every employee a cell phone, you give them one of these cordless phones. It works everywhere you have 802.11x coverage, which for many of these companies means everywhere. Now all calls between handsets (even if the handsets are in offices across the globe) are free! And calls to any other phones are billed at cheaper landline rates.
Even the regular consumer could get a few big wins from this. What if I take my handset to Europe? If there is 802.11b/g in the hotel where I am staying I can make VOIP calls that travel for free over the internet to my home computer, which then dials the call out through my landline. Could be pretty cool. I can make local calls from my home number from any internet connected 802.11b/g access point anywhere in the world.
And you could do this today. With off the shelf components. And with no need to stike any deals with telecoms. What am I missing?
- jim 2-09-2004 11:11 pm
a patent?
- dave 2-09-2004 11:38 pm
No, I just want someone to make it. Preferably Apple so that it doesn't look like crap. Also, since they control the "whole widget" they have the best shot at getting seamless integration with address book and the other iApps. And you are going to need zero-conf to get all the connections set up without hassle, and they have great experience there too.
I'd be happy to beta test the unit though!
- jim 2-09-2004 11:45 pm
Well, that plus the fact that I couldn't really get the patent without actually knowing something about what I am talking about. Damn details!
- jim 2-09-2004 11:46 pm
Oh, don't let details deter you.
- mark 2-10-2004 12:35 am
Maybe I'll get what I want after all: see here.
- jim 3-27-2004 7:35 pm