BACKGROUND

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to operation of a private cellular network and more specifically to interconnectivity of a private cellular network and a private branch exchange network of an organization in order to seamlessly extend accessibility of the private branch exchange network to the remote devices using a native dialer of the remote devices.

Description of the Related Art

A Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system provides a private telephone network connecting computers, laptops, desktop telephones, etc., within a company or organization. Users of the PBX phone system can communicate internally (within their company) and externally, using different communication channels such as Voice over IP (VoIP), ISDN, etc. A PBX also enables such organizations to have more phones than physical phone lines (PTSN). Additionally, a PBX system provides features like transfer calls, voicemail, call recording, interactive voice menus (IVRs) and call queues.

In addition to having PBX connected devices, users (e.g., employees) within an organization using a PBX system also have personal and/or organization-issued wireless enabled devices such as mobile phones, tablets, etc. (external devices). Due to mobility of users, maintaining a constant connection and access to their respective PBX devices (e.g., their desktop telephones) and/or connection to other PBX connected devices in their organization (as if a user is actually in his or her office with access to their respective PBX connected device) is a challenge.

Current solutions for maintaining remote connectivity and access to PBX devices are not seamless and require reconfiguring the external devices to allow for such access, where such reconfiguring includes the requirement of having to download an application (e.g., a VoIP application) on the external devices to allow access to PBX devices on the external devices.

SUMMARY

One or more example embodiments of inventive concepts are directed to enabling endpoint devices with cellular connectivity that are connected to a private cellular network, use their native dialer to connect to endpoints on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system (PBX devices) without having to reconfigure or download software/applications on the end devices. This connectivity enables corresponding users of such endpoint devices to have a seamless connection and access to their corresponding PBX device and/or other services and PBX devices on the PBX system, transforming each such endpoint device to function as a remote PBX device on the PBX network/system. Additionally and as will be described in more detail below, the connectivity between endpoint devices connected to a private cellular network and their respective PBX system will be through an IP Multimedia System (IMS) Access Point Name (APN) configuration, which results in the exchanged data and network traffic to receive a higher quality of service compared to other types of network traffic such as data APN.

In one aspect, a router associated with a private cellular network includes at least one memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to receive, from a user equipment, a request to register with the private cellular network, the user equipment having a unique identifier; determine, at the router or via cloud-based Evolved Packet Core (EPC) communicatively coupled to the router, a home EPC associated with the user equipment using the unique identifier of the user equipment; and establish an IP Multimedia Service (IMS) Access Point Name (APN) connection between the user equipment and the home EPC associated with the user equipment, the IMS APN enabling a seamless connectivity of the user equipment to a terminal on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system using a native dialer of the user equipment.

In another aspect, the user equipment does not have an application installed thereon and configured for facilitating connections to the PBX system.

In another aspect, a command provided on the user equipment for connecting to the terminal on the PBX system is the same as a command to be provided on a PBX device within the PBX system for establishing a connection to the terminal.

In another aspect, the connection request is one of a request to establish a voice communication with the terminal on the PBX system, a request to access a voicemail on the terminal on the PBX system, a request for establishing a multimedia session with the terminal on the PBX system, or a request from a PBX device for communicating with the user equipment.

In another aspect, a PBX server of the PBX system is communicatively coupled to the home EPC of the user equipment.

In another aspect, the router is configured to identify an edge EPC that is local to the router and communicatively coupled thereto, as the home EPC of the user equipment, if the unique identifier of the user equipment is available at a local routing table of the router.

In another aspect, when the router determines that the unique identifier of the user equipment is not available in the local routing table of the router, the router is configured to send a message to the cloud EPC requesting identification of the home EPC of user equipment.

In another aspect, the home EPC identified by the cloud EPC is not at the same physical location as the router.

In another aspect, the cloud EPC identifies the home EPC using the unique identifier of the user equipment and a corresponding routing table available at the cloud EPC.

In another aspect, the user equipment and the terminal on the PBX system are associated with the same user.

In one aspect, a system for a private cellular network includes a cloud-based evolved packet core (EPC); and a router communicatively coupled to the cloud-based EPC. The router includes at least one memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein and one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to receive, from a user equipment, a request to register with the private cellular network, the user equipment having a unique identifier; determine, at the router or via the cloud-based EPC, a home EPC associated with the user equipment using the unique identifier of the user equipment; and establish an IP Multimedia Service (IMS) Access Point Name (APN) connection between the user equipment and the home EPC associated with the user equipment, the IMS APN enabling a seamless connectivity of the user equipment to a terminal on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system using a native dialer of the user equipment.

In another aspect, the user equipment does not have an application installed thereon and configured for facilitating connections to the PBX system.

In another aspect, a command provided on the user equipment for connecting to the terminal on the PBX system is the same as a command to be provided on a PBX device within the PBX system for establishing a connection to the terminal.

In another aspect, the connection request is a request to establish a voice communication with the terminal on the PBX system or a request from a PBX device for communicating with the user equipment.

In another aspect, the connection request is a request to access a voicemail on the home EPC of the user equipment.

In another aspect, the router is configured to identify an edge EPC that is local to the router and communicatively coupled thereto, as the home EPC of the user equipment, if the unique identifier of the user equipment is available at a local routing table of the router.

In another aspect, when the router determines that the unique identifier of the user equipment is not available in the local routing table of the router, the router is configured to send a message to the cloud EPC requesting identification of the home EPC of user equipment.

In another aspect, the home EPC identified by the cloud EPC is not at the same physical location as the router.

In another aspect, the cloud EPC identifies the home EPC using the unique identifier of the user equipment and a corresponding routing table available at the cloud EPC.

In another aspect, the user equipment has a SIM card registered with the private cellular network.

In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register with a network, the user equipment having a unique identifier; determining, at the network or via cloud-based proxy communicatively coupled to the network, a home EPC associated with the user equipment using the unique identifier of the user equipment; and establishing an IP Multimedia Service (IMS) Access Point Name (APN) connection between the user equipment and the home EPC associated with the user equipment, the IMS APN enabling a seamless connectivity of the user equipment to a terminal on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system using a native dialer of the user equipment.

In one aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register with a network, the user equipment having a unique identifier; means for determining, at the network or via cloud-based proxy communicatively coupled to the network, a home EPC associated with the user equipment using the unique identifier of the user equipment; and means for establishing an IP Multimedia Service (IMS) Access Point Name (APN) connection between the user equipment and the home EPC associated with the user equipment, the IMS APN enabling a seamless connectivity of the user equipment to a terminal on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system using a native dialer of the user equipment.

