IP telephone system, IP telephone apparatus and method for identifying destination user

• US 20060029046A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Toshiko, Toyoda, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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 telephone system includes a source IP telephone apparatus, a destination telephone apparatus, a Web server and an ENUM server. The IP telephone apparatuses function as base stations for multi-handset telephone systems and are connected to an IP network. The Web server stores ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the source or destination IP telephone apparatus. The ENUM server stores a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the ring tone information stored in the Web server. In the IP telephone system, the IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR record corresponding to an intended recipient'"'"'s telephone number. The IP telephone apparatus then transmits, to the Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient'"'"'s telephone number according to the obtained NAPTR resource record, and sounds a ring tone through the apparatus itself and the handsets that are connected to the apparatus according to the obtained ring tone information

Claims

1. An IP telephone system comprising:

an IP telephone apparatus that is connected to an IP network and functions as a base station for a multi-handset telephone system;

a Web server that stores ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to said IP telephone apparatus, and transmits, to said IP telephone apparatus, the ring tone information in response to a request from said IP telephone apparatus; and

an ENUM server that stores a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the ring tone information, the ring tone information being stored in said Web server, and transmits, to said IP telephone apparatus, the NAPTR resource record in response to a query from said IP telephone apparatus,

said IP telephone apparatus, when a call is received, that transmits, to said ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record according to an intended recipient telephone number, transmits, to said Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number, according to the obtained NAPTR resource record, and sounds a ring tone through the apparatus itself and all handsets that are connected to the apparatus according to the obtained ring tone information.

2. The IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein an http protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record stored in said ENUM server, and, when a call is received, said IP telephone apparatus, transmits, to said Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number according to the http protocol.

3. The IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein, when a call is received, said IP telephone apparatus obtains the intended recipient telephone number based on a description of a received INVITE message.

4. An IP telephone apparatus connected to a Web server and an ENUM server and functioning as a base station for a multi-handset telephone system, the Web server storing ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the ENUM server storing a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the ring tone information, the ring tone information being stored in the Web server, the IP telephone apparatus comprising:

a query unit that transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record according to an intended recipient telephone number, when a call is received from another IP telephone apparatus on the IP network;

a requester that transmits, to the Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number according to the obtained NAPTR resource record;

a transmitter that transmits the obtained ring tone information to the handsets that are connected to the IP telephone apparatus; and

a sound unit that sounds a ring tone according to the obtained ring tone information.

5. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said requester transmits, to the Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number according to an http protocol, the protocol being specified in the NAPTR resource record stored in the ENUM server.

6. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said query unit transmits a query for the NAPTR resource record according to the intended recipient telephone number obtained based on a description of the INVITE message, the message being received from another IP telephone apparatus.

7. A method for identifying a destination user using an IP telephone apparatus, the IP telephone apparatus being connected to a Web server and an ENUM server and functioning as a base station for a multi-handset telephone system, the Web server storing ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the ENUM server storing a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the ring tone information, the ring tone information being stored in the Web server, the method comprising:

transmitting, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record according to an intended recipient telephone number when a call is received from another IP telephone apparatus on the IP network;

transmitting, to the Web server, a request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number according to the obtained NAPTR resource record; and

sounding a ring tone according to the obtained ring tone information through the apparatus itself and all handsets that are connected to the apparatus.

8. The method for identifying a destination user according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting to the Web server comprises transmitting, to the Web server, the request for the ring tone information corresponding to the intended recipient telephone number according to an http protocol, the http protocol being specified in the NAPTR resource record stored in the ENUM server.

9. The method for identifying a destination user according to claim 7 further comprising obtaining the intended recipient telephone number based on a description of the INVITE message, the INVITE message being received from another IP telephone apparatus.

10. An IP telephone system comprising:

a destination IP telephone apparatus that stores a URI and ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the IP telephone apparatus and functions as a base station for a multi-handset telephone system;

an ENUM server that stores a NAPTR resource record specifying a URI corresponding to a telephone number assigned to said IP telephone apparatus, and transmits a NAPTR resource record in response to a query from said IP telephone apparatus; and

a source IP telephone apparatus that transmits, to said ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record by specifying a telephone number, and places a call based on a URI specified in the obtained NAPTR resource record,

said destination IP telephone apparatus that obtains ring tone information corresponding to the URI specified by said source IP telephone apparatus, and sounds a ring tone through the apparatus itself and the handsets that are connected to the apparatus, according to the ring tone information.

11. A method for identifying a destination user using a source IP telephone apparatus and a destination IP telephone apparatus, the source IP telephone apparatus and the destination IP telephone apparatus being connected to an ENUM server, the ENUM server storing a NAPTR resource record that specifies a URI corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the destination IP telephone apparatus storing a URI and ring tone information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the destination IP telephone apparatus and functioning as a base station for a multi-handset telephone system, the method comprising:

transmitting, from the source IP telephone apparatus to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record by specifying a telephone number;

placing, at the source IP telephone apparatus, a call based on a URI specified in the obtained NAPTR resource record;

obtaining, at the destination IP telephone apparatus, ring tone information corresponding to the URI specified by the source IP telephone apparatus; and

sounding a ring tone through the destination telephone apparatus itself and the handsets that are connected to the destination telephone apparatus, according to the ring tone information.