Method and device for coupling a POTS terminal to a non-PSTN communications network

• US 20050195799A1
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wiline Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wiline Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Wieland, Richard M., Diesso, Michael D., Burne, George L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

The present invention relates to using a communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network. In particular, it relates to a communications device that appears to the POTS terminal to be a telephone network. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.

Claims

1. A method using a communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network, including:

locally generating a connect sequence between a POTS terminal and a communications device, whereby the communications device appears to the POTS terminal to be a modem accessed via a telephone network;

locally decoding and encoding communications with the POTS terminal; and

conducting a packet-based session between the communications device and an application host.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein locally generating a connect sequence includes, the communications device:

providing the POTS terminal a dial tone;

receiving a dialing sequence from the POTS terminal; and

presenting the POTS terminal a modem signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparent telephone network appears to be a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein locally decoding and encoding communications includes translating between data carried on a modem signal and data packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application host engaged in the packet-based session corresponds to a dialing sequence received from the POTS terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further including connecting multiple communication devices through a packet concentrator linked to a communications host, wherein the packet concentrator and communications host are adapted to reduce a number of sockets required to maintain a plurality of communications device-to-communications host links through the packet concentrator.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

initiating a communications host session between the communications device and a communications host, prior to locally generating the connect sequence; and

conducting the packet-based application host session through the communications host.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communications host translates between packet-based data exchanged with the communications device and modem communications with the application host.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device conducts the application host session until discontinuation by a device other than the communications device.

10. Further including applying the method of claim 1 to an incumbent POTS terminal and substituting the communications network for a connection between the incumbent POTS terminal and an incumbent telephone network.

11. A method using a communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network, including:

initiating a packet-based communications host session between a communications device and a communications host;

detecting dialing by a POTS terminal coupled to the communications device;

initiating an application host session between the POTS terminal and an application host, through the communications host;

decoding and encoding communications with the POTS terminal, wherein the communications device appears to the POTS terminal to be a modem connected to the POTS terminal via a telephone connection; and

conducting the application host session.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications device presents a dial tone to the POTS terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the apparent telephone connection appears to be via a PSTN telephone network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the packet-based communications host session is initiated prior to detecting dialing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a single socket is used for the communications host session between the communications device and the communications host.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein decoding and encoding communications includes translating between data carried on a modem signal and data packets.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the application host session is initiated after detecting dialing, without need for decoding data from the POTS terminal other than the dialing sequence.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the application host corresponds to the dialing by the POTS terminal.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the application host session is conducted through the communications device until discontinued by a device other than the communications device.

20. The method of claim 11, further including connecting multiple communication devices through a packet concentrator linked to the communications host, wherein the packet concentrator and communications host are adapted to reduce a number of sockets required to maintain a plurality of communications device-to-communications host links through the packet concentrator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the communications host translates between packet-based data exchanged with the communications device and modem communications with the application host.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the communications device conducts the application host session until discontinuation by other than the communications device.

23. Further including applying the method of claim 11 to an incumbent POTS terminal and substituting the communications network for a connection between the incumbent POTS terminal and an incumbent telephone network.

24. A method of supporting a communications device coupled to a POTS terminal, including:

establishing a packet-based communications host session between a communications host and the communications device;

establishing an application host session with an application host;

receiving packets from the communications device containing data decoded from modem-based communications between the communications device and the POTS terminal; and

conducting the application host session between the communications device and the application host.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein establishing an application host session includes receiving phone number data from the communications device corresponding to a dialing sequence and connecting with the application host corresponding to the phone number data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the application host session is conducted through the communications host until discontinuation by a device other than the communications host.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the communications host session is maintained across multiple application host sessions.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the packet-based communications host session between a communications host and the communications device is conducted through a packet concentrator, wherein the packet concentrator and communications host are adapted to reduce a number of sockets required to maintain a plurality of communications device-to-communications host links through the packet concentrator.

29. A method of conducting plain old telephone service (“

POTS”

) terminal sessions using a network other than a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN network”

), without modifying the POTS terminal, including;

connecting the POTS terminal to a local communications device;

detecting a dial tone provided by the local communications device;

dialing a host phone number; and

communicating through the local communications device, as if the local communications device were a modem accessed via a PSTN network, with a host application identified to the communications device by the host phone number.

30. Further including applying the method of claim 29 to an incumbent POTS terminal and substituting connection to the local communications device for a connection between the incumbent POTS terminal and an incumbent telephone network.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the local communications device uses a wireless, packet-based communication channel to provide the POTS terminal access to the host application.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the wireless, packet-based communication channel is CDMA-compliant.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the wireless, packet-based communication channel is GSM-compliant.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the wireless, packet-based communication channel is GPRS-compliant.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the wireless, packet-based communication channel is compliant with IEEE 802.11, 802.16 or 820.20 standards.

36. A communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network, including:

a connector adapted to couple with the POTS terminal;

an onboard modem, in communication with the connector;

logic and resources coupled to the onboard modem, adapted to;

generate a connect sequence with the POTS terminal using the onboard modem, whereby the communications device appears to the POTS terminal to be a modem accessed via a telephone network;

locally decode and encode communications with the POTS terminal; and

conduct a packet-based session with an application host.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein locally generating a connect sequence includes the communications device:

providing the POTS terminal a dial tone;

receiving a dialing sequence from the POTS terminal; and

presenting the POTS terminal a modem signal.

38. A communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network, including:

a port adapted packet-based communications between the communications device and a communications host;

a connector adapted to couple with the POTS terminal;

an onboard modem, in communication with the connector;

logic and resources coupled to the onboard modem and the packet-based communications port, adapted to;

initiate a packet-based communications host session between the communications device and the communications host;

detect dialing by the POTS terminal;

initiate an application host session between the POTS terminal and an application host, through the communications host;

decoding and encoding communications with the POTS terminal, wherein the communications device appears to the POTS terminal to be a modem connected to the POTS terminal via a telephone connection; and

conducting the application host session.

39. A communications device to interface a plain old telephone system (POTS) terminal to a communications network, including:

a port adapted packet-based communications between the communications device and a communications host;

a connector adapted to couple with the POTS terminal;

an onboard modem, in communication with the connector;

logic and resources coupled to the onboard modem and the packet-based communications port, adapted to;

initiate a packet-based communications host session between the communications device and the communications host;

detect dialing by the POTS terminal;

initiate an application host session between the POTS terminal and an application host, through the communications host;

decoding and encoding communications with the POTS terminal, wherein the communications device appears to the POTS terminal to be a modem connected to the POTS terminal via a telephone connection; and

conducting the application host session.