WO2016016843A1 - Method for making a subject ubiquitous thanks to a plurality of terminals instructed by a specially developed algorithm to generate a telephone traffic via one telephone number and network of terminals operating according to such method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method to allow a telephone traffic from a network including a number whatsoever of terminals comprising mobile phones (1-4) and/or tablets and/or portable computers and/or desktop or fixed computers, all of said terminals (1-4) being connected to a data network like the internet network, said terminals having, if any, a telephone number of its own, the method provides the generation of one virtual telephone number, the use of such one virtual number on every terminal (1-4) of the network of terminals which in this way has all terminals having said number, being it thus possible for every terminal (1- 4) to make and receive telephone calls and to send or receive text and/or voice messages and/or images, via said one virtual number as well as via said his/her own telephone number, to and from any fixed or mobile telephone users connected to a data network or not. A network of terminals operating according to such method is also claimed.

Description

METHOD FOR MAKING A SUBJECT UBIQUITOUS THANKS TO A PLURALITY OF TERMINALS INSTRUCTED BY A SPECIALLY DEVELOPED ALGORITHM TO GENERATE A TELEPHONE TRAFFIC VIA ONE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND NETWORK OF TERMINALS OPERATING ACCORDING TO SUCH METHOD

The object of the present invention is a method for making a subject ubiquitous thanks to a plurality of terminals instructed to generate a traffic via one telephone number and specifically a method suitable for allowing a telephone traffic by using terminals connected to a data network and part of a network of terminals all of which having one and the same virtual telephone number, according to the preamble of the main claim.

The present invention refers to the sector of telephony, be it mobile or fixed, and finds its applications in a network of terminals, for instance portable telephone sets or mobile phones, tablets, portable or desktop computers connected to a telephone line and to the internet network, provided they are equipped with an audio system. The invention makes it possible for a user to realize a kind of "ubiquity" in that it makes it possible for such user to be traced or reached via any of such terminals located in anyone of a plurality of locations the user usually goes to. In other words, the invention makes such user always reachable, wherever a terminal thereof, for instance a mobile phone or a device thereof connected to the interned network, is located.

The invention also concerns a network of mobile phones including a plurality of portable telephone devices located at even considerable distances, and connected to each other remotely. Such devices have their own subscriber identity module or SIM, but all of them have one and the same telephone number.

It is worth noting that by "mobile phone" we mean, in particular, a portable telephone device, and by "network of mobile phones" we mean, in the present document, a plurality of mobile phones or telephone devices (i.e. at least two of the latter) connected to each other. However, the present invention not only refers to a network of mobile phones of the type mentioned above, but to any networks of devices or terminals (as specified above) connected to a data network and equipped with audio systems, in particular to the internet network and all having one and the same telephone number.

The use of a portable telephone device or mobile phone is very popular and by means of such device the owner of a telephone number can be reached in any (or almost any) location where he/she is.

However, a problem exists in that such owner might forget his/her mobile phone in any of the locations (home, workplace, car, etc.) where he/she is usually present during the day, the consequence being in that the advantage offered by the use of such telephone device, i.e. that whereby such owner can be reached by telephone calls in any moment of his/her day or can benefit from the telephone services, wherever he/she is, goes lost.

It is possible to overcome such drawback by buying several telephone devices and leaving them in the usual locations where the owner spends his/her day (for instance, home, workplace, car) . However, each of such devices has a telephone number and a subscriber identity module or SIM of its own; consequently, the subscriber shall have several positions open with one and the same telephone operator or with several telephone operators, and consequently he/she is reachable via different telephone numbers, which is uncomfortable for those who wish to get in touch with the owner himself/herself .

Finally, some telephone operators offer the possibility of having an additional SIM having the same telephone number. However, in such network of mobile phones defined by two telephone devices with different SIMs, the former device is the "master" one, whereas the other is a "slave" one. Furthermore, the different SIMs can have contact numbers (name, telephone number) stored that are different from one SIM to the other SIM, which means obliging the owner of the mobile phones to always check for the presence of the same data items on both SIMs, which implies the risk that the absence of one data item prevents the user from getting in contact with the desired people or service (s) .

A purpose or object of the present invention is to offer a network of mobile phones comprising a plurality of portable telephones devices that makes it possible to overcome the drawbacks of the status of the art as indicated above.

Specifically, a purpose of the invention is to offer a network of mobile phones that offers to his/her owner a substantial freedom of movement without running the risk of not being telephonically reachable in locations where he/she is possibly present in the different moments of a day (for instance, home, workplace, car, gym, etc.) .

Another purpose is to offer a network of mobile phones that does not oblige his/her owner to have several telephone numbers.

A further purpose is to offer a network of mobile phones wherein all devices are on equal terms or have the same importance and none of them is slaved to another mobile phone in the use.

Another purpose is to offer a network of mobile phones of the mentioned type wherein one or several of these telephone devices can be disabled from or enabled to the telephone traffic or to the internet network irrespective of any other devices of the network of mobile phones, being it possible to also perform such enabling or disabling by operating onto a telephone device different from that which is disabled or enabled.

Another purpose is to offer a network of mobile phones operating in such network by even using telephone sets of one and the same manufacturer.

A purpose of the present invention is to offer a method suitable for making it possible for said mobile phones (or devices or terminals as mentioned here above) to create the network of terminals mentioned above and to make it possible for a user, who owns such terminals, to activate anyone of them to make a telephone call to a fixed telephone number or to a mobile telephone number, connected to a data network or not, while at the same time disabling the operation of the remaining terminals sharing the common telephone number, yet allowing the individual terminals to still make and receive telephone calls via their own telephone number connected to the SIM installed thereon.

In particular, a purpose of the present invention is to offer a method for making a user obiquitous, by making the latter reachable at the same telephone address from several mobile phones and to generate calls or text messages from the same telephone number.

Thanks to this method, a user can use several mobile phones and several SIMs, or a wi-fi connection, his/her own tablet, a desktop or portable computer, equipped with an audio system, to generate and receive a traffic via one and the same personal telephone number. The method makes it possible for a user to become always reachable (from here comes the concept of "ubiquitousness " ) , without any need for having one and the same mobile phone with himself/herself , provided he/she has a terminal whatsoever provided with connectivity available; hence, he/she can always generate calls via other mobile phones supported by his/her own unique personal number, or even via mobile phones of third parties, without affecting the credit or the bill of such third party.

Another purpose of this invention is to make it possible for a user to use the voice and SMS service from several terminals by always logging with his/her own unique personal number and benefiting from the services (namely the voice and SMS services) provided by his/her reference operator in any context.

Another purpose is to offer a method that makes it possible to set a list of terminals enabled to interoperability and only such terminals or mobile phones can operate according to the invention, a user being in a position to receive and make calls or to generate text messages from all mobile phones by always logging with the same caller line identifier or CLI.

A further purpose is to offer a method of the mentioned type that allows a customer to generate a voice traffic and to send text messages by using the data service of any mobile or fixed subscriptions to the main telephone operators .

Another purpose is to offer to a user a method that allows a user to access a plurality of "virtual" features connected to one and the same telephone number settable on a plurality of telephone sets or terminals provided with SIM or wi-fi or LAN connectivity.

By using the method according to the invention, a user can have terminals located in different positions (home, car, office, etc.) and safely access his/her own services and his/her own data, by even changing the mobile phone, being it possible for him/her to directly check whether the telephony services are usable by him/her and to make sure that only the terminal available to him/her makes it possible to access the services, the data and his/her own personal number. As a matter of fact, virtualizing the data relevant to the use and to the directory makes it possible to access the information only via the terminal authenticated via the application that is active in that moment, the remaining applications being excluded concomitantly with the authentication of the last terminal logged in.

The method substantially allows a user to exclusively access his/her own data and his/her unique personal number from the desired terminal, and it will be necessary for the user to authenticate himself/herself with a new terminal in order for data to be visible through a different set, still in an exclusive manner.

The method is implemented according to the principles of the VOIP APPs and is enriched with additional services to make it possible:

• to share the personal information, the directory and the generated and received events,

• to have a safe and unique access to the telephone and memory services.

On the basis of the principles set forth here above, thanks to the technologies presently available, the implementation of this method is available on the most various platforms and on different types of equipment, hence wherever there is an equipment that can be interconnected to any data services (be it fixed or mobile) that is provided with audio/video systems.

It goes without saying that the application or algorithm that makes it possible to implement said method is compatible on the Apple, Android WindowsPhone , Blackberry, Symbian operating systems, and it will be possible to guarantee the portability of the solution also on subsequent versions of these systems, and likewise it will be possible to also make the application interoperable with any tablets and any notepads or desktop PCs.

On the other hand, the necessary remotization of the traffic-related features and of the voice and SMS services, which will always and in any case be managed by back-end systems, makes it possible to trace and control any kinds of generated events. Specifically the VOIP service, whatever the platform and the terminal from which it is generated are, is in any case managed by a VOIP server which will provide, trace and bill all events, by any piece of equipment will they be generated in that they pertain to one and the same number.

Therefore the service will be extendable to any audio or video devices provided with a built-in processor, memory and connectivity and it can be charged as a function of the terminal in use or independently of the type of terminal in that it always makes reference to one and the same number.

The method according to this invention will make it possible to control the type of terminal in use and will enable the installation, or not, of the application that makes its use possible as a function of the serial code or the IMEI code identifying the piece of equipment upon requesting the application or algorithm.

It follows that there will be provided a wide flexibility in opening the service to any type of terminals and it will also be possible to exclude types of terminals, brands of equipment, or individual terminals, on the basis of pre-loaded lists as potentially enabled to the service. It will also be possible, having installed the application, to selectively enable the use of connectivity providers .

This versatility makes it specially flexible and powerful the capability of defining a commercial offer, by binding it to a variety of goods or commercial products concerning the telephony world, in that it will be possible to bind the implementation of the invention:

• to the service of a specific mobile operator,

· of a specific manufacturer of terminals ( Smartphones , Tablets , etc.) ,

• co-marketing operations (SIM + smart pack containing several terminals of the same brand) ,

• converging fixed-mobile offers which might be the only ones enabling the use of the method according to the invention .

The algorithm used to implement the method virtualizes the subscription which becomes potentially independent of the terminal and of the SIM, by enabling the final user to generate and receive traffic events to/from one of the terminals enabled to the service, in particular from the last terminal authenticated at the system level.

These purposes and others which will be apparent to those skilled in the art are achieved by a method and by a network of terminals according to the attached claims.

For a better understanding of the present invention, the following drawings are attached for merely explanatory, not limitative, purposes, wherein:

figure 1 represents an explanatory diagram of an architecture visually showing the means used to implement a method according to the invention;

figure 2 represents a block diagram of a structural architecture on which the method according to claim 1 is based;

figure 3 represents a first step of implementation or use of the method of figure 1;

figure 4 represents a different step of implementation or use of the method of the figure 1;

figure 5 represents a further different step of implementation or use of the method of the figure 1; and figure 6 represents another different step of implementation or use of the method of figure 1.

With reference to the mentioned figures, the method according to the invention is shown in its use with a network of mobile phones (or "network of "terminals") 1-4, whose number is specified to equal four for explanatory purposes only, but can actually be greater or lower. Each of such terminals is provided with its own SIM and has its own telephone number associated with such SIM. Instead of mobile phones 1-4, tablets, also provided with a SIM or, alternatively, portable or desktop computers can be used indeed provided they are connected to a data network, in particular to the internet network.

However, thanks to the method that is implemented via an "application" (or operating algorithm) and that is the subject matter of the present invention, such mobile phones 1-4 might also have one and the same telephone number which "overlaps" that located on the SIMs of said phones. All of said mobile phones, as already said, are connected to a data network, for instance the internet network.

As shown in the architecture depicted in figure 1, the method according to the invention operates through a number of devices arranged on four levels:

1) the plurality of mobile phones 1-4 which contain an algorithm to access the use of the operating method according to the invention which can be activated by exerting a pressure on a image 1A-4A displayed on a screen of the telephone sets;

2) one or several "Back-end" servers 5, responsible for managing the application logic shared by the algorithms installed on the terminals or telephone sets 1-4; in addition to the profiling, safety, operational data maintenance, subscription management, etc. functions between the phones 1-4 and the server 5, a firewall 7 is also present installed close to the servers themselves;

3) a number of servers 6 each of which performs the classic operations whereby an analog telephone call is switched on to a data network (VOIP and vice versa) ;

4) a number of servers 8, responsible for transforming the traffic from the TDM (analog) mode to the VOIP mode and vice versa;

5) a Gate Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) unit 10 responsible for managing the point of interconnection necessary to receive and deliver the calls generated/received by the telephone sets 1-4 towards the remaining national and international operators.

The application logic according to which the method operates is resident in the first two elements of the architecture, whereas the subsequent three elements are standard elements and don't need any customization bound to the methodology according to the invention. In general each one of the servers 6 is a "Softswitch VOIP", every server 8 is responsible for transforming the traffic coming from the GMSC unit 10 in the TDM mode into a VOIP traffic and the calls incoming from the fixed and mobile national networks, and likewise it transforms from VOIP into TDM the traffic coming from the phones 1-4 which conversely will be generated and received in VOIP without any need for being sorted via the GSMC unit 10.

The algorithm used to access the architecture according to the method of the invention (or "application") can as already said be activated via a user's action on a graphical interface (for instance the image 1A-4A present on a screen 11 of the telephone set) .

Such algorithm or application, in a first presentation level 12 according to the invention, comprises two different modules, namely:

a) a "GUI Components" component 13; and

b) a "GUI Logic Handling" component 14 (a component bound to managing the application logic) .

The GUI Components component is responsible for the mainly graphical management and for the sequentiality of the user interface, starting from the Log-In page, the positioning of any notifications of advice or error on the screen, as well as the representation on the screen of the information retrieved from a second level 15 of the application defined by a "Business Logic Layer" component (part of the algorithm that interprets the user's requests from one side and those from the back-end server 5 on the other side) in a manner that is readable, sequential and compatible with the characteristics of the display of that specific telephone terminal in use and with the dimensions of the screen.

The component 13 also interacts with the GUI Logic Handling component 14 to forward the information entered by the user to the Business Logic component of the second level (which will be described later) as well as to validate and activate the sequence of the interactions requested by the final user. Such component 13 owns the application logic, which is committed to the component 14 inside the first presentation level 12 which is described here below.

Such GUI Logic Handling component is that part which implements the application logic of the graphical interface of the application on the telephone set. On the basis of a main sequence of user interactions (i.e. the sequence of the steps whereby the method-implementing algorithm is implemented, for instance its opening or activation) it manages the interaction between the user and the second level logic 15, with which it interacts to determine on one side which is the next page to display on the screen 11, as a function of the user's request and of the answers to the queries made by the "Business Logic Layer" component (which interprets the user's requests, for instance telephone calls ) . The component 14 has a plurality of interfaces stored therein, pre-loaded by the component 13, is in charge of syntactically checking the fields present internally to the various interfaces and is capable of reporting any syntax errors and of submitting requests for re-entering syntactically invalid information to the user, by properly addressing the GUI Components component 13.

The level 15 of the application on the telephone incapsulates all the application logic present at the user level i.e. the application logic of the method according to the invention. Such level 15, in general, connects the individual levels present in the application on the telephone and makes them interact and also has a memory containing the stored data at the local level (telephone set) and that which is to be retrieved in the servers 5 whereby, as a function of the user's requirements, it calls in turn the individual levels of the application with which it will interact whenever it will be necessary to query and interact with the servers 5 (defining a "Back-end system") .

The components included in the second level are:

a) an Application Logic component 17,

b) a Business Workflow Logic component 18, and

c) a Business Entities Logic component 19.

The Application Logic 17 implements the application logic of the system, receives requests and information from the previous level 14, mainly dependent on the user's requests and infers from the Business Workflow Logic 18 which are the next steps to be followed to meet the customer's request. This component knows profile information of the users, previously stored in the terminal or telephone by the user himself/herself and locally resident (on the terminal) and that which is centralized at the Back-end server 5's level. Consequently, as a function of the user's request, it infers the operating step followed by the customer, queries the Business Workflow component 18 and determines the next step by supplying the first presentation level 12 with the outcome of the processing made on the request, all information necessary to enrich the next page with user and system information (for instance the presentation of the directory following a user's request to send a message with the presence of a key for adding a new contact), as well as the optional actions following the just performed step. Last but not least, this component will know and trigger any interactions with the terminal wherever necessary (for instance, by activating the ringer) .

The Workflow Logic component 18 contains the application logic of the method according to the invention. It includes, in a memory unit of its own, the list of the services (voice call, SMS, additional services deriving from the method implementing algorithm according to the invention, if any, etc.) available and all of the possible scenarios of use for every individual service. Then it will be the authenticated user's profile which determines the scenarios of use available for each specific user, as well as the type of installation carried out and the available features .

In this component the microinformation necessary for every operating step is stored: the component under examination determines, together with a module corresponding to module 15, but present in the Back-end servers 5, where data should be stored, what actions the users is authorized to or not, and so on.

The Business Entity Logic component 19 contains the operating and service provision rules, for instance the logic flow for generating an SMS call.

A further third level 21 of the application represents the interface for managing and storing that data which is necessary locally. The remaining components don't access directly data, but consult this level (or module) to retrieve it .

This level includes a specific component 22 for managing data locally. It knows how is the latter stored and against a given request, for instance for a virtual number, it knows where to retrieve it. Every modified data item is stored by the component 22 which also takes care of the new memory address where it is stored.

A further component of level 21 is the Service Agent Component 25 which knows the logic of every service and contains the list of the metarules and of the metadata necessary for providing the services themselves. For every event whereby services are benefited from it provides, in the first instance at the second level 15, the rules that define the service provided, the macroinformat ion that shall be exchanged and the mechanisms used to verify and certify the information entered by the user (i.e. the semantic correctness of the input data) . In correspondence with every subsequent update of the algorithm under examination on the telephone the service updates will update, in most cases, the list of the services supported by this component 25 and the list of the metarules present at the next operating level, but at the exclusive use of the latter.

A fourth level of the application algorithm or simply application of the method according to the invention, present in the telephone, is a level 27 whereby access is gained to the local data. This level is in charge of performing a safe storage of the data that is resident inside the application or application algorithm. The data stored internally to that level are, for instance and mainly :

- temporary data of the current use (cash memory);

- profile data of the user who made the access and of the user who owns the instance i.e. of each individual application, part of a plurality of applications stored on an equal number of terminals. For this reason, "instance" will be referred to as "terminal" here below. The profile data is provided by the Back-end servers 5 upon customer authentication;

- local application data (local directory, history file of the calls and text messages from the terminal or telephone set) ;

- instance's PIN and PUK;

- IMEI of the terminal on which the application has been installed;

- the virtual number owned by the user; - any additional virtual numbers bound to the user.

It will be a task of the previously described level to determine any changes to the information locally stored at this level, as a function of the interaction with the user and of the commands coming from the Back-end servers 5.

A fifth level of the application is the transversal feature level 28. This level manages on one side the interaction with the Back-end servers 5 and with the terminal 1-4 on which the application is installed. The protocol logic of the terminal's operating system is stored therein, and consequently the way according to which to interact with the terminal itself.

In particular its components are:

- a safety component 30,

- a service configuration and control component 31, and

- a connection and communication component 32.

The safety component 30 is in charge of performing the safety functions inside the algorithm as well as the interaction functions with the external world, including amongst others the sensitive data encryption mechanisms upon storage, in order for them not to be accessible to external agents inside the terminal or outside upon establishing an internet connection.

The service configuration and control component 31 is in charge of determining the method management and operation modes on the basis of the operating system installed on the terminal 1-4 as well as the type of protocols supported by such terminal. Also, this component analyses and decodes the error messages depending on the data service as well as on the terminal itself, manages the configuration data bound to the terminal and to the individual services exposed by the connectivity and by the terminal itself, and stores the Back-end APN (Access Point Name) that the application and business service requests (where the term "business" represents whatever is understandable by a final user. For instance, a voice call is a "business" service) determined by the interaction with the customer shall be forwarded to.

The connection and communication component 32, controlled and managed by the previous component 31, is in charge of physically interacting with the terminal as well as with the external world through the internet connection put at the terminal's disposal. It knows the session opening and closing protocols, physically receives the call and message events from every Back-end server 5, is in a position to transfer a call to the terminal, receives low- level events and transforms them into user events (incoming message event, incoming call, etc.) and makes calls to the operating system of the terminal to enable the customer to receive or generate events, activates the ringers and the terminal's tones, etc..

By way of the method according the invention, a user loads the above described algorithm (or better, it retrieves it from an internet site or from a communication received from the telephone operator that the user is bound to and stores it) on the terminals or phones 1-4 of the network of mobile phones, and receives from the servers 5 a virtual telephone number through which the user, via anyone of said telephones, can make and/or receive telephone calls to/from the fixed or mobile network. As better described below, activating an application of the type described above (or user authentication) on any of the telephones 1-4 of the network results in inhibiting the activation of that application on the remaining telephones.

According to the method, the Back-end servers 5 will enable the generation of call events from any of the phones 1-4, while recognizing and storing the last user authentication and hence the activation of an algorithm or application on one of the terminals and re-directing any incoming events to the last authenticated instance. This way a customer will not be obliged any longer to bring his/her own mobile phone with himself/herself , he/she can have others and in order to enable the mobile phone located in the site where he/she is present he/she shall simply switch it on and activate said application or algorithm. This way he/she sends to the Back-end server 5 an information saying that the instance has been activated/authenticated on the mobile phone 1-4 he/she has with himself/herself in that moment. The servers 5 (defining a Back-end system) will deactivate any other installations or activations of the algorithm on the remaining terminals and will render the application that is authenticated by the customer in that moment, active.

In the different meanings and scenarios of use, the method makes it possible in any way not only the exclusive use of one terminal on which the application is installed, but also the possibility of having several terminals activated thus enabling all of them to generate calls under the same number and to receive calls (and also messages) according to a predetermined scale or sequence of intervention priority in the case that terminals having higher positions in such scale don't answer a call. It is also possible to think about calendar- or time-period-based settings determining a priori the terminal that should receive any incoming call or message as a function of the date and time of the incoming call event (this terminal including a telephone call or a message) .

According to the method, it is also possible and advantageously preferable to maintain a history file of the calls and SMS incoming to and outgoing from the individual terminals in a centralized manner, thus allowing a user to access his own "history box" from any terminal without being obliged to have the history file of the calls and of the text messages stored in the memory of the mobile phone that generated or received them. A customer will in any way always be in a position to decide, on the basis of each individual SMS or of every individual event, whether to save them locally or in the telephone in use. Should a customer not make any configuration, the event will be saved in the central memory (which is resident in the server 5) and it will be available from any telephone sets.

Advantageously will the personal user's directory also be stored at a centralized level so as to be easily accessible via the application or algorithm loaded in every terminal. Apart from any specific settings made by a user, this one can via the application or algorithm loaded decide :

- to access the directory resident in the telephone,

- to maintain two separate directories one of which internal to the telephone and one pertaining to the application, hence accessible from any mobile phones,

- to use one centralized directory depending on the mobile phone and accessible from each of the terminals on which the application is loaded.

It will also be possible to save items of the directory present in the telephone in his/her own personal centralized directory.

In order to install and activate the application on a telephone of a network of mobile phones in order to use the operating method according to the invention, reference is made to figure 3. In order to carry-out this installation, a user shall make a registration to its use. This action can take place on-line or at a telephone operator. This is represented by the block 300 in figure 3.

The Back-End system (the servers 5), called by a dedicated web page or by a vending system at a telephone operator, records the user data, identifies and generates a virtual number which is assigned thereto, recognizes and validates the user authentication data by recording the personal mobile number of the latter for a safe transmission of the access data, besides generating a personal identification number or PIN for user identification purposes (block 301) .

Upon finishing the previous operating step, a message is sent to the number or to a user's e-mail address (as a function of the preferences expressed by the latter), internally to which there will be present a link to a web- mobile page for installing the algorithm or application according to the method. At a later time a further message is sent along with a user's identification number (PIN), which shall be used by the latter to finalize the authentication and access to the network of terminals, for example a network of mobile phones.

This is represented in block 302.

A user accesses the web page and enters his/her own personal data and data usable for his/her recognition. This data will be useful to make it possible for the Back-end system (servers 5) to identify the virtual number associated with that user, in addition to the type of subscription made, the services available (subscribed to) by the user together with a tariff plan to be applied to the events that will be generated by that user (block 303) .

At this point, a user can make the authentication, following which the Back-end service will plan a download of the application or software or algorithm on the terminal 1-4 from which the customer authenticated himself/herself via the web-mobile page presented by the Back-end service (block 304) . Upon the download time, it will be possible for a customer to make his/her own choices related to the customization of the instance (or terminal/i . e . of the application that is resident in the latter) during the installation. This customization will basically concern the interaction characteristics of the application or algorithm, by selecting the dimensions of the images or icons 1A-4A, or the customization of any images, directory setting, foreground and background colors, etc. (block

305) .

Following the installation, the application just created on the terminal will identify the brand and the model of the terminal and, by accessing the configuration data put at disposal by the Back-End system, will customize the application for a correct displaying of the user interfaces and for a correct integration of the application itself with the characteristics of the terminal (ringer, screen dimensions, audio-video-headphone control, messaging and exchange of alarms from and to the terminal - block

306) .

Following the installation, a user can authenticate himself/herself on the application and finalize the customization of the latter. The first access of the application will determine the next steps, necessary for using the application and for initializing the services (block 307) .

The first authentication having been performed, it will be possible for the application to locally save the data necessary for providing the services, by communicating the first authentication event as well as the authentication data to the Back-end service (block 308) .

The servers 5 or Back-end service will receive the event and, through the authentication data, will determine the Back-End data to be saved by the application locally (including the virtual number associated with upon subscription) , will create an instance for the directory and the data of the user necessary for using the services. It will set-up the services themselves, starting from the initialization of the bundles-of-minutes or no-charge event meters, if any, will inform the charging systems that the subscription has actually been activated. Finally it will inform the VOIP platform that the user services have been activated (block 309) .

The VOIP server (server 6) will record the virtual number as an active number, along with the IP address associated with the user himself/herself (or better with the terminal 4 on which the application has been installed) . It will initialize the new user, will associate mail addresses or "nick-names" usable for managing the text messages with the user and with the "chats", and finally will log the terminal as an "extension" number, as usable to correctly re-direct any calls from and to other virtual numbers and to discriminate on-net events from off-net events (i.e. those coming or not from other networks of terminals on which an application is active for the implementation of the method according to the invention (block 310) ) .

This procedure is performed for all terminals of the network of terminals (for instance of the network of mobile phones or of a network comprising different devices, including mobile phones, tablets or portable computers provided they are connected or connectable to a data network) in order to achieve the advantages the method according the invention aims at achieving.

Figure 4 shows an example of use of the method according to the invention to activate the use of one of the terminals 1-4 (for instance a mobile phone) of the network of terminals.

For this purpose, a user shall access the terminal and intervene on its interface (image 1A-4A) . The user will be requested to enter the authentication PIN and he/she shall enter such a PIN (block 400) . The application identifies the PIN entered and sends it to the Back-end system (block 401) .

The Back-end system (server 4) validates the user recognition PIN (block 402) and, should it be wrong, it outputs an error message which enables the application to prompt the user to enter his/her PIN again. If the PIN entered is correct, then the VOIP server 6 is informed that a request has been activated on the terminal (1-4) being used, then it informs the application installed on the latter that the user got the authorization to access it and that a request for use has been activated. In parallel with this notification, the system logs the information that the activation of any previously activated terminals is suspended .

The VOIP server receives this notification and updates the IP address associated with the user while removing that of the last terminal activated (block 403) . From the instant in time this occurs, any events directed to the user will be re-directed to the terminal corresponding to the last IP address notified by the Back-end system.

The application installed on the now logged-in and operating terminal acknowledges this authorization and "activates" itself, by modifying the appearance of its own user interface and displaying the home page to access the accessible services via the method according to the invention (i.e., for instance, voice call, SMS transmission, read from directory, read from SMS history file, call history file, display of any events generated via the application) . This is represented by block 404.

The appearance having been modified, the user acknowledges that the application has been activated and goes on with the use of the terminal according to said methodology (block 405) .

The remaining terminals of the network of terminals logged in the servers 4 (or in the equivalent Back-end systems which are by themselves known to those skilled in this sector), according to the method of this invention, are now deactivated for that which concerns their use according to this method (i.e. via the virtual number generated with the latter) . Conversely, they can be used with their own numbers logged in their SIMs indeed.

Now a description will be made of how can a user, from any of the terminals of the network of terminals (for instance, the network of mobile phones 1-4), make a call. This is shown in the form of a block diagram in figure 5.

In order to use his/her terminal, a user shall activate it and operate on the image (1A-4A) that identifies the application according to the method on his display. Having entered the PIN, the user accesses the home page and selects the telephone icon (block 500) .

The application opens the call interface (block 501) and the user accesses the directory and selects a contact or enters a telephone number via the terminal's keyboard (block 502) . Then, the application notifies the call request to the Back-end system (block 503) which identifies the request and checks whether the service can be provided to the user as a function of the tariff plan and of the status of the residual credit, should the user benefits form a pre-paid subscription. If all of these checks are successful, then the request is sent to the VOIP server 6 (block 504) .

The VOIP server receives the request, identifies the network of the called number and forwards the call to the GMSC components 10 if the called number is that of a telephone user who does not benefit from an application according to the invention, or it generates a call incoming to the virtual number called, if the call is made to a user who benefits from the application according to the method (block 505) .

Upon receipt of the opening/acceptance of the call by the network that the called number belongs to, the VOIP server 6 forwards the call to the IP address corresponding to the application that is logged as active and forwards its respective signaling to the Back-end service or server 5 (block 506) .

Upon receipt of the call, the installed application interacts with the terminal by taking over the control of its audio system and opens the call initiated by the user (block 507) .

Then the user goes on with the call, upon finishing which he/she selects a call closing icon (block 508) . The installed application acknowledges this event and notifies it to the Back-End system (block 509) and to the VOIP server 6 (block 510) .

The VOIP server 6 closes the connection to the called number (or to the GMSC component 10) connected to the called operator (block 511) . Simultaneously, the Back-End system records the total duration of the call, charges the event, and records the event among the last events recorded by that customer (still in block 510) .

Conversely, if a user receives a call, the method operates according to the mode described below, which shall be read with reference to figure 6.

In the case of a call from a telephone or a terminal of another user who also owns an application in accordance with the method according to the invention or does not own it, such call is addressed to the VOIP server 6 which reports this event to the Back-End system or server 5 (block 600 in figure 6) . The latter receives the call request and checks the tariff profile and the subscription status. If these checks are successful, then the call is authorized (block 601) .

In the terminal activated by the user that the telephone call is directed to and on which the application according to the present invention is installed, such application receives the call from the VOIP server 6, thanks to the authorization provided by the Back-End system, takes over the control of the audio system of the terminal and generates the event notification (ringer, vibration, etc. - block 602) . If no answer comes from the user, then the application records this event and puts it among the unanswered calls.

Assuming that the user wishes to answer, having taken note of the input event, he/she shall act on the usual answer icon (block 603) and the application notifies the customer's consent to receive a call to the VOIP server 6 (block 604) .

The VOIP server 6 receives this notification and opens an incoming call, and forwards it to the IP address of the terminal that is active at the event time (block 605) . This way the application receives the call (block 606) and opens the audio of the call for the user (block 607) .

The user makes his/her telephone call, at the end of which he/she acts onto the usual call closing icon or receives the calling part's closing event (block 608) . If the application receives the call closing event, then it closes the audio and notifies this event to the VOIP server and to the Back-End system (block 609) . In this case, the VOIP server 6 closes the connection (block 610) whereas the Back-End system, following a VOIP server 6 'service notification, records the event in the received calls list (or in the unanswered calls list if the call has not been answered by the customer - block 611) .

In its basic meaning, the method according to the invention is applied to a network of several mobile phones, even of different technologies, but all of them enabled to the data services.

The individual terminals 1-4 of the network 1 can be placed in different locations (for instance home, workplace, car, etc.) even considerably distance from each other so that a user is not obliged any longer, as it occurs today, to always bring his/her mobile phone with himself/herself , in that he/she will always find a different one usable in any location he/she usually goes to in the different parts of a day. Such a different telephone device will always and in any way manage to answer a telephone call, to use the internet network or to send messages. All of this makes the use of a mobile phone much simpler and not subjected to the obligation of always bringing it with himself/herself because the user will always find one identical to the other in the location where he/she is.

The network of terminals according to the invention makes it much more simpler and safer the use of a mobile phone by a user in that the latter is not bound to or conditional on a telephone any longer, but it is the telephone which is bound to a location the user usually goes to in a day. Here the user always finds a telephone device that enables him/her to make telephone calls, to send messages, or to connect to the internet.

The method according to the invention makes it possible for one user to generate and receive a telephone traffic via the same virtual number (i.e. a number different from that of the SIMs installed on the telephone sets) from any terminal of such network that is owned by him/her and close thereby; this by simply switching the mobile phone on and activating the application loaded thereon. This way, even if he/she left this application pertaining to other mobile phones owned by him/her switched on and in the on-line mode, switching on/authenticating the current telephone will result in setting the remaining applications on the remaining terminals to the stand-by mode and will make the last telephone activated the only one capable of sending/receiving calls (or messages) according to the present method. As from the switch-on instant, the application loaded on such telephone will be on-line and will generate and receive all traffic events pertaining to the personal virtual number of the user.

However, as already said, the use of the application will be completely independent of the operation of the mobile phone and of the mobile subscription (SIM) in use with the various user's mobile phones. Switching a mobile phone on will not necessarily result in activating the application, and setting the mobile phones that are on to the "stand-by" mode, if any, will not interfere with the calls and the traffic events incoming to/outgoing from the mobile phones generated via the number present in their own SIM.

Also, every mobile phone of the network can make and receive calls (either via his/her own telephone number associated with his/her own SIM or via the application or algorithm mentioned above) to and from any telephone users, be they fixed or mobile, connected to a data network or not .

This way, for instance, a mobile phone placed in the user's house can be used in any case by his/her family members or relatives to make and receive calls via their own SIM without, however, making it possible to access the services and the virtual personal number bound to the application according to the method loaded on such mobile phone .

According to the method, it is also possible to enable a user who does not have with himself/herself any of his/her own mobile phones on which the above mentioned application is loaded, but can access another terminal of an acquaintance provided with such application (and who needs to access the services), to be able to generate and receive calls through the latter by simply accessing the application and authenticating himself/herself to the system on a non exclusive basis. In this scenario the application will operate for both virtual numbers, that of the telephone's owner and that of the temporary host. In this case any deviations of the events from and to the host will only be valid until switching the mobile phone or the application off or until any of the mobile phones owned by the subscriber user or of that who owns the telephone lent to the host authenticates or sets the "on-line" status of the application.

The method can also be applied to terminals operating for a company or an office. In this application a user can make a group subscription referred to a given firm and share one reference number for his/her own activity with partners or collaborators. Every collaborator or partner can access the group application and can generate calls by presenting himself/herself to the recipient with the company's mobile phone number; on the basis of an answer priority list set by that responsible therefor in the company (for instance the main station is that of a switchboard) , such collaborator will receive calls from external users on the basis of said priority if the collaborators having higher priorities did not answer the call yet.

It is important that among the various features dedicated to this use such priority list be set, the highest priority being for instance that associated with a secretary office's use, sequentially followed by the different functions established in the company.

The method according to this use is such that the memory of the application is managed locally but also centrally, wherein that responsible in the company will decide which is the list of the items of the directory to be made available to all users of the terminals of the application, whereas the number accessible to every individual company's function will be held locally or in centralized but reserved for memory areas.

The history file of the calls and of the messages shall in any case be accessible to that responsible in the company .

It is also expected that it should be possible to have a real time visibility on the list of the applications (or terminals) that are active and to make it possible to forward a call received or generated by another terminal inside the same group. This way the secretary office function can always and in any way receive any calls and decide whether to divert a call, by selecting an element in the active application list. Such request will be acknowledged by the Back-End system which will divert the call in progress to the selected terminal, after checking that it is active indeed.

It will also be possible to generate call and message events between the individual terminals without being necessarily obliged to dial the telephone number of the recipient party, but just taking advantage of the call forwarding mechanism of the Back-End system. If there are no incoming calls to forward, the Back-End system will acknowledge such request as a request for generating a VOIP call between two instances of the same application.

Additionally, that responsible in the company can support several virtual numbers, each of which pertaining to a specific company's user. It will always be possible to have one reference number, associated with the secretary office function which the remaining company's users can also answer, according to a priority list.

In this scenario of use there are provided separate history files of calls and text messages bound to each individual number, a shared company's directory, and personal directories dedicated to each individual function, whereas a separate or unified view of the directories will be available as a function of the choices made by that responsible in the company.

In this mode of use too it will be possible for that terminal which performs the secretary office function to forward calls to the individual company's users. The method can also be used for a network of telephone sets of a family or of a group of friends.

In this scope all users (telephones) on which the application is loaded will be on-line, all users or some ones only of them will be enabled to receive incoming calls, according to a priority list to be set upon configuring the applications loaded thereon, whereas it will be possible for every user to display the list of the on-line users and to make calls or short messages (SMS) internally to the group created by the different users. It will be possible to generate a (voice or SMS) event towards several users by setting up a connection similar to a " conference " .

Every application will make it possible to access a pre-set directory and it will be possible for every user to have the calls to outside the group and to numbers not comprised in the common directory barred, and likewise it will be possible for every user to set time periods in which the application is accessible. Every user will have his/her own personal identification number (PIN) , whereas it will be possible to have a PIN of a main user recognizable by all users acquired by him/her. Such main user will have a centralized control of all call events generated by each individual user.

A number of embodiments of the method according to the invention, as well as different applications thereof to different scopes have been described. Others will be inferred from the previous description (including the case whereby the terminals are connected to the internet network via a Wi-Fi connection) and shall be deemed to fall into the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method to allow a telephone traffic from a network of terminals comprising mobile phones (1-4) and/or tablets and/or portable computers and/or desktop or fixed computers, all of said terminals (1-4) being connected to a data network like the internet network, said terminals having in any way its own telephone number, characterized in that there are provided the generation of one virtual telephone number, the use of such one virtual number on every terminal (1-4) of the network of terminals which in this way has all terminals having said number, being it thus possible for every terminal (1-4) to make and receive telephone calls and to send or receive text and/or voice messages and/or images, via said one virtual number as well as via said his/her own telephone number, to and from any fixed or mobile telephone users connected to a data network or not .

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that every terminal (1-4) of the network of terminals contains an algorithm or application suitable for enabling such terminal to receive and make calls or to send and receive text and/or voice messages and/or images via said virtual number .

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said application is obtainable from a Back-End system and from a telephone operator whose services the user is subscribed to.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the user data is logged in such Back-end system and then the latter generates the application or algorithm with the virtual telephone number, said application being sent to the terminal through which the user is making such logging, said application being subsequently activated on such terminal and generating a data item which is received by the Back-End system, the latter detecting that the application has been activated on said terminal and confirming to systems (6, 8, 10) operating on the telephone traffic generated in the data network that the virtual telephone number has been activated.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said systems (6, 8, 10) operating on the telephone traffic are suitable for:

- switching an analog telephone call to a data or VOIP network and vice versa;

- transforming the traffic on a telephone line from an analog mode to a VOIP-like one, and vice versa,

- managing the interconnection of the telephone traffic with different telephone operators,

said systems making it possible the use of every terminal (1-4) of the network of terminals to make and receive a telephone call, to send or receive text and/or voice messages, to send or receive images to/from any telephone users connected or linked to a data line through the same number .

6. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the application or algorithm on the terminal (1-4) fits the characteristics of the latter for instance ringer, screen dimensions, audio-video-headphone control, messaging, and the like.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that all terminals of the network of terminals are active and operate on the basis of a predetermined operating priority scale, said scale making it possible to set a sequence according to which the individual terminals receive an incoming call event if the terminals having the highest priority in such scale don't answer the incoming call.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminals of the network of terminals operate individually on an incoming call event as a function of a predetermined intervention calendar or time periods.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that setting a terminal (1-4) to sending or receiving telephone calls and/or messages to the virtual number automatically results in barring the use of this number by the remaining terminals of the network of terminals.

10. A method according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that at least one of the following features is supported:

- storing a list of the telephone calls received and made by every terminal of the network of terminals and/or of every message sent or received by it in a common memory reachable by all terminals, said memory being virtual or being a memory of its own of the Back-End system;

- storing the telephone contacts in a common virtual memory reachable by all terminals, said memory being in the Back- End system.

11. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the following features are alternatively supported:

- temporarily saving the one virtual telephone number in every terminal of the network of terminals, or

- using the one virtual telephone number on a terminal of a different network of terminals pertaining to a different one virtual telephone number.

12. A network of terminals like fixed telephone sets, mobile phones, tablets, portable or fixed computers, connected to a data network and provided with an identifier or telephone number of their own operating according to the method of the previous claims.

13. A network of terminals according to claim 12, characterized in that said plurality of terminals contains at least two devices connected to a data network and provided with a telephone number of their own, said devices (1-4) being alternatively equal to each other or different from each other.