Method of providing intra-company two way voice communications over a data network

• US 20050249132A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: inSORS Integrated Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Zvonkovich, Joseph J., Kohler, Clifford A., Galich, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number

Abstract

A method of providing an intra-company voice communication service has the general steps of providing a company with a plurality of remote geographic facilities linked by a data network, determining a call traffic pattern for each of the facilities by analyzing a call detail record for each facility, determining performance specifications for the data network, and providing and implementing a converged digital telephony data network. Through the method of the invention, a service may thereby be provided that allows for a company to eliminate public telephone carrier service charges for intra-company phone calls between remote facilities. A preferred embodiment of the method of the invention utilizes the World Wide Web for carrying out various of the steps of the invention to achieve time and travel savings. Further embodiments of the invention include programming the gateway at one or more of the company facilities to access a PSTN whereby phone calls from the data network may be sent and received over the PSTN. An additional embodiment of the invention interconnects data networks from a plurality of companies which each are individually intra-connected between facilities to carry digital telephony format communications. digital telephony format calls may thereby be sent between any of the various facilities of the two companies. Additionally, a gateway at one or more of the facilities of the interconnected companies may be programmed to interface with a PSTN to send and receive phone calls over the PSTN.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of providing a reduced cost phone service to business, wherein a first and a second company each have a plurality of geographically remote facilities, a plurality of phones at each of the facilities;

the first and second companies have respective first and second data networks that link each of the respective company facilities to other of the company facilities, a digital telephony gateway at each of the facilities interfacing the plurality of phones with the respective data network, whereby the first and second companies may transmit intra-company phone calls between company facilities over the respective first and second data networks in digital telephony format;

the method comprising the step of;

a) interconnecting the first data network with the second data network whereby telephone calls between any of the first company facilities may be made to any of the second company facilities over the interfaced first and second data networks in digital telephony format.

22. A method of providing a reduced cost phone service to business as in claim 21, wherein said step of interconnecting said first and second data networks comprises connecting one of the first company gateways to one of the second company gateways with a digital connection and providing a firewall server on said connection to selectively filter digital traffic and thereby provide network security.

23. A method of providing a reduced cost phone service to business as in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

a) providing a video camera and monitor to a first company facility and to a second company facility, interfacing said cameras and monitors with respective gateways;

b) programming said gateways to convert video signals between standard analog format and digital format and to transmit said digital signals over said interfaced first and second data networks; and

c) providing a video controller for controlling video traffic whereby said first company facility and said second company facility may conduct a video tele-conference over said interfaced first and second data networks.

24. A method of providing a reduced cost phone service to business as in claim 21, further comprising a public switched telephone network external to each respective of the first company and second company facilities;

further comprising the steps of programming a first gateway at one of the first company facilities to access an external public switched telephone network whereby said first gateway may connect a phone signal with a first phone external to said facility, and whereby a telephone call originating from one of said second company facilities may be transmitted over said interfaced first and second company data networks to said first company facility gateway, converted to standard analog format, and transmitted to said external first phone.

25. A method of providing a reduced cost phone service to business as in claim 24, further comprising the steps of programming a second gateway at one of the second company facilities to interface with a public switched telephone network external to said second company facility whereby said second gateway may receive an incoming standard analog phone signal from a phone external to said location, convert said incoming standard analog phone signal to digital telephony format, transmit said digital telephony format signal over the interfaced first and second company data networks to said first company facility gateway for transmission to said external first phone.

26. (canceled)

27. A method of making a telephone call between companies, each company having a phone, a digital telephony gateway, and a data network;

the company networks connected to one another;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) generating a standard analog phone signal from a first company phone;

b) converting said standard analog signal with the first company digital telephony gateway to digital telephony format;

c) transmitting said digital telephony signal over the connected first company and second company data networks to the second company digital gateway; and

d) converting said digital telephony signal with the second company gateway to standard analog format and transmitting said standard analog signal to a phone at the second company.

28. A method of making a telephone call between two phones, wherein a company has first and second facilities, a digital telephony gateway at each facility, a public switched telephone network external to each facility, a data network connecting the facilities;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) generating a standard analog phone signal from a first phone, transmitting said standard analog phone signal to the company first facility over the public switched telephone network;

b) converting said standard analog signal with the first facility digital telephony gateway to digital telephony format;

transmitting said digital telephony signal over the company data network to the company second facility;

converting said digital telephony signal with the second facility gateway to standard analog format;

c) and transmitting said standard analog signal to a second phone external to the second facility over a ptblic switched telephone network.

29. A method of making a telephone call between two phones, wherein a plurality of companies each have a digital telephony gateway and a data network, with the respective company networks connected to one another;

a public switched telephone network external to each of the companies;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) generating a standard analog phone signal from a first phone, transmitting said standard analog phone signal to a first company over a public switched telephone network;

b) converting said standard analog signal with a first company digital telephony gateway to digital telephony format;

transmitting said digital telephony signal over the interconnected company data networks to a second company; and

c) converting said digital telephony signal with a second company gateway to standard analog format; and

transmitting said standard analog signal to a second phone external to said second company over a public switched telephone network