FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment and with an IP telephone which is adapted to carry out the method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Desk-sharing is getting more and more popular. Desk sharing is an office concept and arrangement according to which two or more employees share the same workstation or desk in a typically pre-arranged manner that allows each of the employees to have access to the specified workstation. A desk sharing solution is, for example, favorable in cases where the employees of a firm work in shifts, because as soon as one shift is over and the employee leaves his workplace or desk, the next employee may use this workplace in the subsequent shift, so the desks or workplaces are never unused.

Usually, employees working in an office implementing the desk sharing concept share a desk and a VoIP phone device, but bring their own computer, as a notebook or a laptop computer for working at a shared desk, and it is also rather common that this computer then can be used by the employee for registering himself with an IP telephone, as a VoIP phone device, with his own credentials by entering the relevant phone menu and typing his number and his pin or code or password.

When an employee, in the following referred to as user, leaves the office and the next user takes over the desk, at first, he needs to register at the phone with his own credentials as mentioned above, namely, by entering for example his phone number, PIN, code, and/or password so that his personal data is uploaded in the phone device at the desk, as the phone number assigned to him in the company, keys that are preconfigured according to his specific requirements, or other user specific configuration features.

This registration procedure, the user has to carry out every time he wants to work at his desk in a desk sharing workplace, is time-consuming. Moreover, it bears some risks. For example, if the user forgets to register or enters wrong registration data, then he might be losing all calls directed to his own personal telephone number, or if he dials a number to call somebody, then this person will not be able to identify the caller on the basis of the telephone number alone. Moreover, there are also further functions that could be lost depending on the features used by each desk-share user. These might be, for example, calls for collective ringing groups, or calls to contact center controlled groups that the desk-share user belongs to.

Therefore, the present invention is based on the object to overcome the above described problems concerning the registration procedure at a VoIP telephone at a shared desk. In particular, the present invention is based on the object to provide a method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment and an IP telephone that saves the user from performing a manual error-prone registration procedure.

This object is solved according to the present invention by a method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment having the features set forth in the claims and an IP telephone adapted to carry out the method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment comprising a plurality of desks is provided wherein each desk is equipped with an IP telephone connected to a communication network, in particular, to a local area network, wherein the IP telephone holds a database comprising data of all desk-share users of the desk-share environment, the data comprising at least a user ID and a MAC address of a terminal device for each user assigned to a user profile, the method comprising the steps of—receiving, at the IP telephone, an IP data packet from a first terminal device via the communication network; verifying the MAC address in the IP data packet received from the first terminal device; and when the MAC address corresponds to a MAC address in the data of the database, activating the user profile assigned to the MAC address in the IP telephone.

Thus, according to the present invention, a method is provided which enables an automatic registration of a user with his own credentials at the VoIP phone at his shared desk, as soon as the user is in the office or at his shared desk, without the user having to perform any manual steps to register himself. This avoids any errors which may be encountered with the registration procedure and moreover is time saving, since the user does not have to perform the registration steps himself. The basis of the inventive method or mechanism is that each desk-share user is using a laptop computer or notebook, and that this laptop computer is connected to the company's LAN network via the VoIP phone. This is a capability that almost all VoIP phone devices offer. The VoIP phone on the shared desk, at first, provides an interface to the user (UI) to configure his phone credentials. The user enters his phone number or whatever ID is used to verify the users, his PIN, code, password, and the MAC address of his PC.

All LAN packets from the Laptop to the communication network are routed via the VoIP phone. Periodically, e.g. every 60 seconds, the phone receives packets from the user's laptop computer to identify the user that is connected to it. The user identification is effected via the MAC address of the laptop computer, which is part of the header of the IP protocol header packets that are sent from the laptop computer to the communication network and is unique for each laptop computer or other computing devices.

According to a preferred embodiment, the IP telephone periodically, e.g. every 60 seconds as mentioned above, receives IP data packets.

Advantageously, if in the step of verifying the MAC address, the IP telephone determines that the MAC address does not correspond to the MAC address of the activated user profile and is a new MAC address, then the method further comprises a step of checking, whether the new MAC address is comprised in the data; and when it is determined that the new MAC address is comprised in the data, activating the user profile assigned to the new MAC address in the IP telephone.

Preferably, the method further comprises a step of activating a default user profile, if it is determined that the new MAC address is not comprised in the data.

According to another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises a step of activating the previously activated user profile, if it is determined that the new MAC address is not comprised in the data.

According to still another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises a step of activating an emergency calls only mode, if it is determined that the new MAC address is not comprised in the data.

Moreover, it is advantageous, if the method further comprises a step of detecting a change in the periodically received data packets, in particular, detecting a stop of the data traffic received from the first terminal device.

Preferably, if a stop of the data traffic received from the first terminal device is detected by the IP telephone, then the IP telephone proceeds according to a preselected option from a number of options comprising activating a default user profile, activating an emergency calls only mode, or maintaining the activated user profile.

Further, according to the present invention, an IP telephone is provided, which is adapted to carry out the method, wherein the IP telephone is adapted to hold a database comprising data of a plurality of desk-share users of a desk-share environment, the data comprising at least a user ID and a MAC address of a terminal device for each user assigned to a user profile, the IP telephone comprising means for receiving an IP data packet from a first terminal device via the LAN, means for verifying the MAC address in the IP data packet received from the first terminal device; and—means for activating the user profile assigned to the MAC address in the IP telephone.

The IP telephone according to the present invention offers the same advantages as have already been described above with respect to the inventive method. In particular, the IP telephone according to the present invention saves a user from performing a registration process every time he starts his work shift at a shared desk.

According to a preferred embodiment, the IP telephone is a VoIP telephone.

Preferably, the IP telephone further comprises means for activating a user profile according to a predetermined time schedule.

The invention and embodiments thereof will be described below in further detail in connection with the drawings.

