Method and apparatus for Voice over Internet Protocol telephony using a virtual private network

• US 20040260747A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC, Inc. (Illinois) (Wintrust Financial Corporation)
• Inventors: Edmon, Eugene L., Ying, Goangshiuan Shawn, Brown, Carlton L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,808,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1056 Multi-site
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• 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: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for utilizing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone with a built-in VPN client is disclosed. A VoIP telephone with an internal VPN client module incorporated into the VoIP telephone establishes a VPN tunnel directly from the VoIP telephone VPN client to an IP-PBX network access point. A VPN session, established in response to keypad input from a user of the VoIP telephone, is conducted over the VPN tunnel to a remote location. In a disclosed method, a secured VoIP telephone communication link is established by receiving a request from a user of the VoIP telephone, processing the request, and sending a signal from the VoIP telephone unit'"'"'s VPN client over a data interface to a remote location. After exchange of authentication messages between the VoIP telephone VPN client and a remote location'"'"'s VPN server, a VPN session is established.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone communication link, the method comprising:

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel directly from a VPN client incorporated into a VoIP telephone to an Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX) network access point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) connection between the VoIP telephone and a gateway.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gateway is a residential gateway.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting a VPN session using the VoIP telephone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein conducting a VPN session comprises making a plurality of calls to a plurality of destinations over the VPN session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the VPN tunnel is in response to a request from a user of the VoIP telephone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request is formed using a keypad entry on the VoIP telephone.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising concluding the VPN session upon request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is received via a user initiated keypad entry on the VoIP telephone.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is an instruction from a VPN server.

11. A Voice over Internet Protocol telephone apparatus comprising:

an encoder and decoder module responsive to a handset of the VoIP telephone apparatus;

a data processor responsive to the encoder and decoder module; and

a virtual private network (VPN) client module responsive to the data processor.

12. The VoIP telephone apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a keypad responsive to user input;

a visual display window responsive to the virtual private network client and responsive to user input; and

a dedicated handset.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual display window displays a current status of a virtual private network session.

14. A method for establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone communication link, the method comprising:

activating a VoIP telephone;

initializing a virtual private network client within the VoIP telephone; and

negotiating a virtual private network (VPN) session between the VoIP telephone and a virtual private network (VPN) server at a remote location.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein negotiating comprises:

sending a first authentication message from the VoIP telephone virtual private network (VPN) client to the remote VPN server;

receiving at the VoIP telephone VPN client a second authentication message from the remote VPN server; and

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel connection between the VoIP telephone and the remote location in response to receiving the second authentication message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the VPN tunnel connection provides a voice communication path.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the VPN tunnel connection provides a facsimile transmission.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising conducting a VPN session between the VoIP telephone and the VPN server at the remote location.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising concluding the VPN session between the VoIP telephone and the VPN server at the remote location.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein concluding the VPN session is in response to user input detected at the VoIP telephone.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein concluding the VPN session is in response to a message received from the remote VPN server at the VoIP telephone VPN client.

22. A method for establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone communication link, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user of a VoIP telephone unit having an internal virtual private network (VPN) client to place a secure telephone call;

sending a signal from the VoIP telephone unit over a data interface to a remote location; and

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) session with a server at the remote location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the request comprises user input detected at a keypad on the VoIP telephone unit.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the internal VPN client is an IPSec-based client.

25. A method of communicating between a remote network location and a VoIP telephone unit, the method comprising:

receiving a signal at the remote network location from a virtual private network (VPN) client in the VoIP telephone unit; and

establishing a secure connection between a virtual private network (VPN) server at the remote network location and the VPN client in the VoIP telephone unit in response to receiving the signal.

26. A virtual private network (VPN) server comprising:

a first interface to receive a signal at a network location from a remote virtual private network (VPN) client disposed in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone unit; and

a second interface to establish a secure connection with the remote VPN client.

27. A virtual private network (VPN) tunnel comprising a communications link established directly between a virtual private network (VPN) client incorporated into a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone and an Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX) network access point.

28. The VPN tunnel of claim 27, wherein the VPN tunnel utilizes an IPSec-based architecture.

29. A network communication system comprising:

a virtual private network (VPN) server including;

a first interface to receive a signal at a network location from a remote virtual private network (VPN) client disposed in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone unit;

a second interface to establish a secure connection with the remote VPN client; and

an Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP-PBX) access point responsive to the VPN server.

30. The network communication system of claim 29, further comprising a local area network coupled to the VPN server.