Speech communication service providing system

• US 20020133599A1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/34 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network

Abstract

A telephone, when dialing another telephone, gives first address information of another telephone to a server, and obtains call identifying information corresponding to the first address information and second address information as a dial number of a control unit from the server. The telephone gives the control unit a call containing the call identifying information based on the second address information. The control unit obtains the first address information corresponding to the call identifying information from the server, and allows the call from the telephone to arrive at another telephone corresponding to the first address information.

Claims

1. A speech communication service providing system comprising:

a server connected to the Internet; and

a call control unit of speech communications, said server including;

(A) a module of generating, when receiving a piece of first address information as a piece of address information of a destination of a speech communication from a terminal device, a piece of call identifying information corresponding to the first address information;

(B) a module of storing the call identifying information and the first address information;

(C) a module of notifying said terminal device of the call identifying information and second address information as apiece of address information of said control unit; and

(D) a module of notifying, when receiving the call identifying information from said control unit, if the same call identifying information is stored in said storing module, said control unit of the first address information corresponding thereto,

said control unit including;

(a) a module of inquiring of, when receives a call including a call identifying information from said terminal device, said terminal device transmitting the call using the second address information received from said server, said server about the first address information corresponding to the call identifying information included in the call; and

(b) a module of performing, when receiving the corresponding first address from said server, processes in order that the call from said terminal device arrives at another terminal device corresponding to the first address information.

5. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit transmits, only when receiving a response signal from said another terminal device receiving the call from said terminal device, a response signal corresponding to the call from said terminal device to said terminal device.

6. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device is a mobile telephone having an Internet connecting function.

7. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device and said another terminal device are computers having the Internet connecting function and an Internet telephony function, and

said control unit is an access point to the Internet.

8. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the second address information is a piece of called party charge address information, and

an installer of said control unit is burdened with a part or the whole of a charge for the speech communication between said terminal device and said another terminal device.

9. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said server gives said terminal device the call identifying information and the second address information in a way that makes these pieces of information visually unrecognizable by the user of said terminal device, and

said control unit receives the call transmitted based on an instruction inputted in a state where the user of said terminal device does not know the call identifying information and the second address information.

10. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said server gives advertisement information to said terminal device and notifies said terminal device of the call identifying information and the second address information on condition that the user of said terminal device is to browse the advertisement information.

11. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 1, wherein said server transmits a request for user authentication information to said terminal device and, only when the user authentication information received from said terminal device is valid, notifies said terminal device of the call identifying information and the second address information.

13. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of control units are connected to each other via a relay line, and

if said control unit closest to the position of said terminal device is different from said control unit closest to said another terminal device, said control unit corresponding to the second address information performs processes in order that the call from said terminal device arrives at said another terminal device via the relay line said control unit closest to said another terminal device.

15. A call service providing system according to claim 8, wherein said control unit is installed by an enterprise, and

said terminal device is a mobile telephone individually owned by an employee.

2. A speech communication service providing system comprising:

a server connected to the Internet; and

a plurality of call control units of speech communications, said server including;

(A) a module of generating, when receiving a piece of first address information as a piece of address information of a call destination of a speech communication from a terminal device, a piece of call identifying information corresponding to the first address information;

(B) a module of storing the call identifying information and the first address information;

(C) a module of obtaining second address information as a piece of address information of said control unit corresponding to positional information of said terminal device among said plurality of control units;

(D) a module of notifying said terminal device of the call identifying information and second address information; and

(E) a module of notifying, when receiving the call identifying information from said control unit, if the same call identifying information is stored in said storing module, said control unit of the first address information corresponding thereto,

said control unit including;

(a) a module of inquiring of, when receiving a call including the call identifying information from said terminal device, said terminal device transmitting the call using the second address information received from said server, said server about the first address information corresponding to the call identifying information included in the call; and

(b) a module of performing, when receiving the corresponding first address from said server, processes in order that the call from said terminal device to arrive at another terminal device corresponding to the first address information.

3. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said server receives the positional information of said terminal device from said terminal device.

4. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said server obtains the positional information of said terminal device by inquiring of a service enterprise for providing the speech communication service for said terminal device about the positional information of said terminal device.

12. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein address information of said control unit closest to a position of said terminal device is obtained as the second address information corresponding to the positional information of said terminal device.

16. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said control unit transmits, only when receiving a response signal from said another terminal device receiving the call from said terminal device, a response signal corresponding to the call from said terminal device to said terminal device.

17. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device is a mobile telephone having an Internet connecting function.

18. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal device and said another terminal device are computers having the Internet connecting function and an Internet telephony function, and

said control unit is an access point to the Internet.

19. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the second address information is a piece of called party charge address information, and

an installer of said control unit is burdened with a part or the whole of a charge for the speech communication between said terminal device and said another terminal device.

20. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said server gives said terminal device the call identifying information and the second address information in a way that makes these pieces of information visually unrecognizable by the user of said terminal device, and

said control unit receives the call transmitted based on an instruction inputted in a state where the user of said terminal device does not know the call identifying information and the second address information.

21. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said server gives advertisement information to said terminal device and notifies said terminal device of the call identifying information and the second address information on condition that the user of said terminal device is to browse the advertisement information.

22. A speech communication service providing system according to claim 2, wherein said server transmits a request for user authentication information to said terminal device and, only when the user authentication information received from said terminal device is valid, notifies said terminal device of the call identifying information and the second address information.

14. A speech communication service providing system comprising:

a server connected to the Internet; and

first and second access points to the Internet, said first and second access points being connected via a route where a predetermined quality of communications is ensured,

first and second terminal devices each having an Internet connecting module and an Internet telephony module and being connected respectively to said first and second access points,

said server including;

(A) a generating module of generating, when receiving a piece of first address information as a piece of address information of said second terminal device from said first terminal device, call identifying information corresponding to the first address information;

(B) a module of storing the call identifying information and the first address information;

(C) a module of notifying said first terminal device of the call identifying information and second address information as a piece of address information of said first access point; and

(D) a module of notifying, when receiving the call identifying information from said first access point and if the same call identifying information is stored in said storing module, said first access point of the first address information corresponding thereto,

said first access point including;

(a) a module of inquiring of, when receiving a call including the call identifying information from said first terminal device, said first terminal device transmitting the call using the second address information received from said server, said server about the first address information corresponding to the call identifying information contained in this call; and

(b) a module of performing, when receiving the corresponding first address information from said server, processes in order that the call from said first terminal device arrives at said second terminal device corresponding to the first address information via the special route and said second access point.