NETWORK TELEPHONY INTERFACE SYSTEMS BETWEEN DATA NETWORK TELEPHONY AND PLAIN OLD TELEPHONE SERVICE

• US 20020057671A1
• Filed: 03/06/1998
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dan Kikinis
• Original Assignee: Dan Kikinis
• Inventors: KIKINIS, DAN
• Granted Patent: US 6,456,615 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1307 Call setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A telephony system has a Data Network Telephony (DNT)-capable telephone apparatus at a first location having a port adapted to connect to a data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls, and a computerized telephony bridge remote from the first host location. The computerized bridge has a trunk-line port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Connection Oriented/Switched Telephony (COST) telephone calls on a COST network; a data network port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls on the data network; conversion circuitry for converting data dynamically between DNT and COST telephone calls; and control routines adapted to receive a first call from one of the COST and DNT networks, to place a call associated with the received call on the network other than the network on which the call is received, and to dynamically convert data between the associated calls. The computerized telephony bridge is connected to the DNT interface at a first location by the data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls. COST calls placed to a number associated with the call center go to the bridge, where an equivalent IP number is used to place a DNT call to the call center. The conversion circuitry then dynamically translates data between the calls in both directions effectively connecting persons placing COST calls with telephones having only DNT phone capability. Apparatus and methods for agents at such locations to place calls to persons connected to a POTS network are taught as well.

Claims

1. A telephony system, comprising:

a telephone apparatus at a first location having a Data Network Telephony (DNT) interface with a port adapted to connect to a data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls; and

a computerized telephony bridge remote from the first location;

the computerized bridge comprising;

a trunk-line port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Connection-Oriented/Switched Telephony (COST) telephone calls on a COST network;

a data network port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls on the data network;

conversion circuitry for converting data dynamically between DNT and COST telephone calls; and

control routines adapted to receive a first call from one of the COST and DNT networks, to place a call associated with the received call on the network other than the network on which the call is received, and to dynamically convert data between the associated calls;

wherein the computerized telephony bridge is connected to the DNT interface at at least one agent station at the first host location by the data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data network is the Internet, and the DNT calls are Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) calls.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the DNT interface is a DNT-telephony-capable telephone.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the DNT interface is a multi-media personal computer (PC).

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the bridge further comprises a digitally-stored look-up table relating COST telephone numbers to IP addresses, and wherein the control routines are adapted to retrieve specific data from an incoming call, either COST or DNT, and to use the retrieved data to access the look-up table to determine an associated COST telephone number or IP address, and to use the associated COST telephone number or IP address to place a call associated with the incoming call.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the specific data from the incoming call is coded in a portion of an IP address associated with the incoming call.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the code routines are adapted to receive a DNT call from a caller, and to negotiate with the caller to ascertain a COST telephone number to use to place a COST call associated with the incoming DNT call.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the bridge further comprises an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, and wherein the IVR unit negotiates with the caller to ascertain a COST telephone number for a call to be associated with the incoming DNT call.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone apparatus is located at a call center host location having multiple agent stations, individual ones of the agent stations equipped with one or more of said telephony apparatus.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the host location has two or more agent stations and further comprises a computerized DNT router at the first host location, the router connected to the data telephony network and the one or more DNT interfaces at the agent stations connected to the router, wherein the router is adapted to receive DNT calls from the computerized telephony bridge and to route the calls to individual agent stations based on pre-stored routing rules.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the look-up table associates a COST telephone number with an IP address of the router, enabling callers on a COST network to access the DNT call center with a COST telephone number.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the COST telephone number is a no-charge-to-calling-party number.

13. The call center system of claim 10 further comprising additional host locations, each having two or more agent stations, a computerized DNT router at each agent station connected to the DNT network and to the DNT interfaces at the agent stations, wherein each router has a separate IP address and each router is adapted to receive DNT calls from the computerized telephony bridge and to route the calls to individual agent stations at the agent stations connected to the router at each host location based on pre-stored routing rules, which may be different at different host locations.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data network is the Internet and the COST network is a publicly-switched telephone network (PSTN).

16. The method of claim 14 wherein, in step (a) the DNT interface is a DNT-telephony capable telephone.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein in step (a) the DNT interface is a multi-media personal computer (PC).

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the bridge unit in step (c) further comprises a digitally-stored look-up table relating COST telephone numbers to IP addresses, and wherein in step (e) the association is done by accessing the look-up table.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein, in step (e) the association is made by retrieving a COST telephone number coded in a portion of an IP address associated with the incoming call, and the COST number is retrieved and used to place the associated COST call in step (f).

21. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (e) the association is made by negotiating with the DNT caller to determine a COST telephone number.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the bridge further comprises an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, and wherein in step (e) the IVR unit negotiates with the caller to ascertain a COST telephone number for a call to be associated with the incoming DNT call.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the bridge unit further comprises a digitally-stored look-up table associating IP addresses with COST telephone numbers, and the association is made in step (e) by using an IP address received with the incoming DNT call to access the database and retrieve a COST number associated with the IP address.

14. A method for implementing a data network telephony (DNT) call center, comprising steps of:

(a) forming a call center of one or more agent stations at a first host location, each agent station having a Data Network Telephony (DNT) interface having a port adapted to connect to a data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls, and each DNT interface having an IP address;

(b) connecting a data network telephony (DNT) network to the DNT interface at the one or more agent stations;

(c) connecting, remote from the first host location, a computerized bridge unit to the DNT network by a data network port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls on the data network, the bridge unit having a trunk-line port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Connection Oriented/Switched Telephony (COST) telephone calls on a COST network, conversion circuitry for converting data dynamically between DNT and COST telephone calls, and control routines adapted to receive a first call from one of the COST and DNT networks, to place a call associated with the received call on the network other than the network on which the call is received, and to dynamically convert data between the associated calls;

(d) receiving a COST call at the bridge unit placed by a caller on the POTS network using a COST number;

(e) associating the COST call with the IP address of the DNT interface at one of the one or more agent stations at the first host location;

(f) placing a DNT call to the IP address; and

(g) dynamically converting data at the bridge between the COST call and the associated DNT call, thereby effectively connecting the COST caller with an agent at the agent station.

19. A method for implementing a data network telephony (DNT) call center having ability for agents at the call center to place calls to COST network telephones, comprising steps of:

(a) forming a call center of one or more agent stations at a first host location, each agent station having a Data Network Telephony (DNT) interface having a port adapted to connect to a data network capable of transmitting DNT telephony calls, and each DNT interface having an IP address;

(b) connecting a data network telephony (DNT) network to the DNT interface at the one or more agent stations;

(c) connecting, remote from the first host location, a computerized bridge unit to the DNT network by a data network port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls on the data network, the bridge unit having a trunk-line port and associated circuitry for receiving and placing Connection Oriented/Switched Telephony (COST) telephone calls on a COST network, conversion circuitry for converting data dynamically between DNT and COST telephone calls, and control routines adapted to receive a first call from one of the COST and DNT networks, to place a call associated with the received call on the network other than the network on which the call is received, and to dynamically convert data between the associated calls;

(d) receiving a DNT call at the bridge unit placed by a caller at an agent station at the first host location;

(e) associating the DNT call with a COST telephone number;

(f) placing a POTS call to the COST telephone number; and

(g) dynamically converting data at the bridge between the DNT call and the associated COST call, thereby effectively connecting the DNT caller with a person at a telephone connected to the COST network.