Methods and apparatus for facilitating remote communication with an IP network

• US 20040057435A1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Punjabi, Anil, Ruyle, Kenney, Ruyle, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for facilitating communication via an IP network. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a proxy device is positioned topologically between an IP enabled communication device (e.g., an IP telephone) and an IP based network. The proxy device may establish a remote access connection to the network before or after receiving a request from the IP enabled communication device to communicate to or via the network. The proxy device then facilitates communication between the IP enabled communication device and the network. In addition, the proxy device may modify source and/or destination IP addresses in messages or other communications received from the IP enabled communication device prior to sending such messages or other communications to the network and may modify source and/or destination IP addresses in messages or other communications received from the network prior to sending such messages or other communications to the IP enabled communication device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating communication between two IP enabled communication devices, comprising:

determining a first IP address associated with a first IP enabled communication device;

determining a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device;

receiving a communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said first IP address as a source address and a third IP address as a destination IP address;

sending said communication to said second IP enabled communication device, said communication using a fourth IP address as a source IP address and said second IP address as a destination IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first IP enabled communication device and said second IP enabled communication device are IP enabled telephones.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection with an IP telephony network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said IP telephony network is an H.323 protocol compliant network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said establishing a connection with an IP telephony network includes receiving said fourth IP address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining said fourth IP address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said fourth IP address is received from a device that facilitates connection to a network, wherein said network includes said second IP enabled communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communication from said second IP enabled communication device, said communication using said second IP address as a source address and said fourth IP address as a destination IP address; and

sending said communication to said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said third IP address as a source IP address and said first IP address as a destination IP address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second IP address associated with said second IP enabled communication device includes receiving said second IP address from a gatekeeper device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device includes providing a communication to a gatekeeper device that includes a telephone number associated with said second IP enabled communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device includes receiving a communication from said gatekeeper device that includes said second IP address.

12. A method for facilitating communication between IP enabled communication devices, comprising:

establishing a connection to a network such that a first IP address is received as part of said connection;

receiving a request from a first IP enabled communication device to connect to said network, wherein said first IP enabled communication device is associated with a second IP address;

receiving a communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said second IP address as a source address and a third IP address as a destination IP address; and

sending said communication to said first device associated with said network, said communication using said first IP address as a source IP address and a fourth IP address as a destination IP address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said network include an IP telephony network network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first IP enabled communication device is an IP enabled telephone.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said device associated with said network functions as a gatekeeper for said network.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

facilitating communication between said IP enabled communication device and a second IP enabled communication device, wherein said second IP enabled communication device is associated with a fifth IP address.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said second IP address as a source address and said third IP address as a destination IP address; and

sending said communication to said second IP enabled device, said communication using said first IP address as a source IP address and said fifth IP address as a destination IP address.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a communication from said second IP enabled communication device, said communication using said fifth IP address as a source IP address and said first IP address as a destination IP address;

sending said communication to said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said second IP address as a destination IP address and said third IP address as a source IP address.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said facilitating communication between said first IP enabled communication and a first device associated with said network includes receiving a communication from said first device associated with said network using said fourth IP address as a source IP address and said first IP address as a destination IP address and sending said communication to said first IP enabled communication device using said second IP address as a destination IP address and said third IP address as a source IP address.

20. A method for facilitating communication between two IP enabled communication devices, comprising:

determining a first IP address associated with a first IP enabled communication device;

determining a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device;

receiving a first communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said first communication using said first IP address as a source IP address and a third IP address as destination IP address;

exchanging said second IP address for said third IP address as said destination IP address in said first communication;

exchanging said first IP address for a fourth IP address as said source IP address in said first communication; and

sending said first communication to said second IP enabled communication device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a second communication from said second IP enabled communication device, said second communication using said second IP address as a source IP address and a fourth IP address as destination IP address;

exchanging said third IP address for said second IP address as said source IP address in said second communication;

exchanging said first IP address for a fourth IP address as said source IP address in said second communication; and

sending said second communication to said first IP enabled communication device.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

establishing a connection to an IP telephony network associated with said second IP enabled communication device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said establishing said connection includes receiving said fourth IP address.

24. A system for facilitating communication between two IP enabled communication devices, comprising:

a memory;

a communication port; and

a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;

determine a first IP address associated with a first IP enabled communication device;

determine a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device;

receive a communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said first IP address as a source address and a third IP address as a destination IP address; and

sending said communication to said second IP enabled communication device, said communication using a fourth IP address as a source IP address and said second IP address as a destination IP address.

25. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for facilitating communication between two IP enabled communication devices, comprising:

first instructions for identifying a first IP address associated with a first IP enabled communication device;

second instructions for identifying a second IP address associated with a second IP enabled communication device;

third instructions for obtaining a communication from said first IP enabled communication device, said communication using said first IP address as a source address and a third IP address as a destination IP address; and

fourth instructions for providing said communication to said second IP enabled communication device, said communication using a fourth IP address as a source IP address and said second IP address as a destination IP address.