IP telephone apparatus

• US 20060083222A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Akira, Kobayashi, Kazuto
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• 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 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection

Abstract

A source IP telephone inputs, from its numeric keypad, a telephone number of a call destination and obtains, from an ENUM server, a NAPTR record of the destination IP telephone based upon the input telephone number of the call destination. By referring to a search table, the source IP telephone retrieves, from the obtained NAPTR record, an available specific number in the ascending order of call rates from the lowest based upon communication services available to the source IP telephone. The source IP telephone transmits a call to the destination IP telephone by using the retrieved specific number.

Claims

1. An IP telephone apparatus comprising:

a dialing unit that is used to input a telephone number of a call destination;

a data obtainer that obtains, from an ENUM server, a NAPTR record of the call destination based on the input telephone number of the call destination;

a retrieval unit that retrieves, from the NAPTR record, an available specific number in the ascending order of call rates from the lowest based on communication services available to the source IP telephone apparatus; and

a transmitter that transmits a call to the call destination by using the retrieved specific number.

2. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said retrieval unit retrieves a first specific number, said transmitter starts a transmission process by using the first retrieved specific number.

3. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval unit retrieves a communication service via an independent communication network, a communication network using a 050 number system and a communication service via a PSTN in this order.

4. A communication service selection method, comprising:

inputting a telephone number of a call destination;

obtaining, from an ENUM server, a NAPTR record of the call destination based on the input telephone number of the call destination;

retrieving, from the NAPTR record, an available specific number in the ascending order of call rates from the lowest based on communication services available to the source IP telephone apparatus; and

transmitting a call to the call destination by using the retrieved specific number.