IP telephone terminal searching for a destination with a telephone number to set up a call connection over an IP network

• US 20030095546A1
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakano, Tsuneyuki, Sekine, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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

Abstract

An IP (Internet Protocol) telephone terminal includes a communication subsection transmitting and receiving data to and from one or more IP telephone terminals on a peer to-peer connection over an IP network, and a search subsection comparing a telephone number received by the communication subsection with a telephone number allotted to the IP telephone terminal. When the result from comparison indicates a coincidence between both of the telephone numbers under comparison, the communication subsection transmits the IP address assigned thereto. The IP address thus transmitted efficiently allows a call connection to be set up from a calling telephone terminal having transmitted the telephone number.

Claims

1. An IP (Internet Protocol) telephone terminal connectable to any of a plurality of IP telephone terminals over an IP network, each of the plurality of IP telephone terminals having a telephone number and an IP address allotted, wherein first one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals, when originating a call, transmits the telephone number allotted to second one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals, said IP telephone terminal comprising:

a communication section for transmitting and receiving data to and from the plurality of IP telephone terminals on a peer-to-peer connection, the data including a telephone number and an IP address; and

a comparing section for comparing the telephone number received by said communication section with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal to produce a result from comparison in dependence upon whether or not the telephone number received coincides with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal;

said communication section operative in response to the result from comparison for transmitting the IP address allotted to said IP telephone terminal over the IP network when the result from comparison indicates that the telephone number received coincides with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal;

whereby the IP address transmitted by said communication section allows a call connection to be established over the IP network from the first IP telephone terminal to said IP telephone terminal.

2. The IP telephone terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communication section transmits, when the result from comparison indicates that the telephone number received does not coincide with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal, the telephone number received by said communication section to third one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals which has ever been connected to said IP telephone terminal;

whereby a search is allowed to continue for the second IP telephone terminal to which the call connection is to be established from the first IP telephone terminal.

3. The IP telephone terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein said communication section comprises a storage circuit for storing therein the IP address of the third one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals which has ever been connected to said IP telephone terminal;

said communication section transmitting, when the result from comparison indicates that the telephone number received does not coincide with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal, the telephone number received by said communication section to the third IP telephone terminals having the IP address stored in said storage circuit.

4. The IP telephone terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communication section transmits, when the result from comparison indicates that the telephone number received does not coincide with the telephone number allotted to said IP telephone terminal, the telephone number received by said communication section to fourth one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals which has not been connected to said IP telephone terminal;

whereby a search is allowed to continue for the second IP telephone terminal to which the call connection is to be established from the first IP telephone terminal.

5. The IP telephone terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communication section transmits and receives the data in a form of IP packet, said IP telephone terminal further comprising:

a port for sending and receiving an analog speech signal;

a packet assembler/deassembler for converting protocol between the analog speech signal and the IP packet; and

a call connection section for transmitting the IP packet including the IP address received by said communication section to thereby establish the call connection over the IP network.

6. A gatekeeper for setting up a call connection over an IP (Internet Protocol) network between any ones of a plurality of IP telephone terminals which are under control of said gatekeeper, each of the plurality of IP telephone terminals having a telephone number and an IP address allotted, wherein first one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals, when originating a call, transmits the telephone number allotted to second one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals,

said gatekeeper comprising a communication section for transmitting and receiving data to and from at least one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals on a peer-to-peer connection, the data including a telephone number and an IP address;

and

said communication section receiving the telephone number allotted to the first IP telephone terminal to transmit the telephone number received to third one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals, and receiving the IP address allotted to the second IP telephone terminal to transmit the IP address received to the first IP telephone terminal;

whereby the third IP telephone terminal is allowed to conduct a search for the second IP telephone terminal to which the call connection is to be established from the first IP telephone terminal.

7. A system for searching for intended one of a plurality of IP (Internet Protocol) terminals connectable to any other of the plurality of IP terminals over an IP network, each of the plurality of IP terminals having particular identification information and an IP address allotted, wherein first one of the plurality of IP terminals, when originating a call, transmits the identification information particular to second one of the plurality of IP terminals, each of said IP terminals comprising:

a communication section for transmitting and receiving data to and from the plurality of IP telephone terminals on a peer-to-peer connection, the data including the identification information and an IP address; and

a comparing section for comparing the identification information received by said communication section with the identification information particular to said IP terminal to produce a result from comparison in dependence upon whether or not the identification information received coincides with the identification information particular to said IP terminal;

said communication section operative in response to the result from comparison for transmitting the IP address allotted to said IP terminal over the IP network when the result from comparison indicates that the identification information received coincides with the identification information particular to said IP telephone terminal;

whereby the IP address transmitted by said communication section allows a call connection to be established over the IP network from the first IP telephone terminal to said IP telephone terminal.

8. A method of searching for intended one of a plurality of IP (Internet Protocol) telephone terminals connectable to any other of the plurality of IP telephone terminals over an IP network, comprising the steps of:

allotting each of the plurality of IP terminals to a telephone number and an IP address;

transmitting from first one of the plurality of IP terminals, when originating a call, the telephone number allotted to second one of the plurality of IP terminals on a peer-to-peer connection;

receiving the telephone number transmitted in said step of transmitting by third one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals;

comparing the telephone number received by the third IP telephone terminal with the telephone number allotted to the third IP telephone terminal;

transmitting the IP address allotted to the third IP telephone terminal over the IP network when a result from said step of comparing indicates that the telephone number received by the third IP telephone terminal coincides with the telephone number allotted to the third IP telephone terminal; and

establishing a call connection over the IP network from the first IP telephone terminal to the second IP telephone terminal by means of the IP address transmitted.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of transferring, when the result from said step of comparing indicates that the telephone number received by the third IP telephone terminal does not coincide with the telephone number allotted to the third IP telephone terminal, the telephone number received in said step of receiving to fourth one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals which has ever been connected to the third IP telephone terminal;

whereby a search is allowed to continue for the second IP telephone terminal to which the call connection is to be established from the first IP telephone terminal.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of storing the IP address of the fourth IP telephone terminal which has ever been connected to the third IP telephone terminal,

in said step of transferring, the telephone number received being transferred to the fourth IP telephone terminal having the IP address stored.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising the step of transferring, when the result from said step of comparing indicates that the telephone number received by the third IP telephone terminal does not coincide with the telephone number allotted to the third IP telephone terminal, the telephone number received in said step of receiving to fourth one of the plurality of IP telephone terminals which has not been connected to the third IP telephone terminal;

whereby a search is allowed to continue for the second IP telephone terminal to which the call connection is to be established from the first IP telephone terminal.