Architecture for transporting PBX signaling codes via sip

• US 20030043992A1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wengrovitz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,002,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13102 Common translator
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An integrated PBX and SIP telephony communications network supporting transmission of private signaling codes over SIP. A telephone emits a private signaling code for accessing a particular PBX function. An enhanced IP translator coupled to the telephone encapsulates the private signaling code within a SIP invite, request, response, information, notification message, and/or instant message. The SIP message with the encapsulated private signaling codes is transmitted over a communications network to a PBX. The PBX is also coupled to an enhanced IP translator that receives the SIP message and decapsulates the embedded private signaling codes. The codes are transmitted to the PBX for rendering a function for the telephone. A SIP user agent aware of the private signaling codes may also access functions provided by the PBX by encapsulating/decapsulating private signaling codes into/from SIP messages.

Claims

1. A telephony communications network comprising:

a telephony unit generating a telephony signaling code;

a translator coupled to the telephony unit, the translator encapsulating the telephony signaling code in a application layer control protocol message; and

a communications interface coupled to the translator for transmitting the message over a communications network.

2. The network of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more second telephony units; and

one or more second translators coupled to the one or more second telephony units, characterized in that the one or more second translators receive the message transmitted over the communications network and decapsulate the telephony signaling code in the message, further characterized in that the one or more second translators forward the telephony signaling code to the one or more second telephony units for performing a function in response to the telephony signaling code.

3. The network of claim 2 further comprising a server for routing the message to the one or more second translators.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the server provides a third party service for the telephony unit.

5. The network of claim 2, wherein the translator determines the one or more second translators viable for receiving the message and transmitting the message to the viable translators.

6. The network of claim 2, wherein the one or more second translators subscribe with the translator for receiving the message.

7. The network of claim 2, wherein the one or more second translators receive the message in an out-of-call data transfer.

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the telephony unit is a digital telephone.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the telephony unit is a private branch exchange unit.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein the session layer control protocol is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

11. The network of claim 10, wherein the telephony unit is a SIP user agent.

12. A telephony communications network supporting a session initiation protocol (SIP) session, the network comprising:

a SIP client transmitting and receiving SIP messages during the SIP session; and

a translator coupled to the SIP client, the translator configured to encapsulate and decapsulate private telephony signaling codes in and from the SIP messages for allowing the SIP client access to PBX functionality associated with the private telephony signaling codes.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the translator is an application programming interface.

14. A telephony communications network supporting a session initiation protocol (SIP) session, the system comprising:

a telephone appliance transmitting outgoing private telephony signaling codes for accessing associated PBX functionality;

a translator coupled to the telephone appliance, the translator configured to encapsulate the outgoing private signaling codes in outgoing SIP messages transmitted to the PBX via a SIP server providing a SIP service for the telephone appliance.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the SIP service is a call redirection service.

16. In a telephony communications network comprising a telephony unit and a translator coupled to the telephony unit, the translator comprising:

a signaling interface receiving a telephony signaling code;

a processor coupled to the signaling interface, the processor configured to encapsulate the telephony signaling code in a session layer control protocol message; and

a network interface coupled to the processor for transmitting the message over a communications network.

17. The translator of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to decapsulate a second telephony signaling code in a second session layer control protocol message received by the network interface for forwarding to the telephony unit over the signaling interface.

18. The translator of claim 16, wherein the session layer control protocol is a Session Initiation Protocol.

19. The translator of claim 18, wherein the telephony unit is a SIP user agent.

20. The translator of claim 16, wherein the telephony unit is a digital telephone.

21. The translator of claim 16, wherein the telephony unit is a private branch exchange unit.

22. A method for communication over a telephony network comprising:

generating a telephony signaling code;

encapsulating the telephony signaling code in a session layer control protocol message; and

transmitting the message over a communications network.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving the message transmitted over the communications network;

decapsulating the telephony signaling code in the message; and

performing a function in response to the telephony signaling code.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises determining one or more viable destinations to which to transmit the message and transmitting the message to the viable destinations.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises transmitting the message in an out-of-call data transfer.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting a subscription message for receiving the message.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the session layer control protocol is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising routing the message over a SIP server.