Voice-over-internet protocol gateway

• US 20060159066A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RCZ LLC
• Original Assignee: RCZ LLC
• Inventors: Mitchell, Ryan J., Nurnberger, Alfred R.
• Application Number:
  US11/038,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159066A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0087 Network planning or provisioning

Abstract

A VOIP gateway that includes a web server. The gateway is configured to accept configuration data over the Internet by way of the web server. In one embodiment, the VOIP gateway includes a telephone line connection interface, able to connect to a telephone line that may carry a plurality of channels. The gateway also includes an Internet connection interface and a channel assigner, user configurable to assign a subset of the channels from the telephone line connection interface to telephone calls incoming from the Internet connection interface that are directed to telephone numbers having a shared characteristic.

Claims

1. A VOIP gateway, comprising:

(a) a web server; and

(b) said VOIP gateway being configured to accept configuration data over the Internet by way of said web server.

2. The VOIP gateway of claim 1, being further configured to send information designed to prompt a user to enter configuration information over the Internet by way of said web server.

3. The VOIP gateway of claim 1, further including functions associated with a private automated branch exchange (PABX).

4. A VOIP gateway, comprising:

(a) a telephone line connection interface, able to connect to a telephone line that may carry a plurality of channels;

(b) an Internet connection interface; and

(c) a channel assigner, user configurable to assign a subset of said channels from said telephone line connection interface to telephone calls incoming from said Internet connection interface that are directed to telephone numbers having a shared characteristic.

5. A VOIP gateway, comprising:

(a) an interface adapted to be connected to a display screen;

(b) an interface adapted to be connected to a data input device; and

(c) an electronic network adapted to display on said display screen a sequence of displays, each one of said displays showing prompts to guide a user in inputting configuration data into said VOIP gateway by way of said interface adapted to be connected to a data input device.

6. The VOIP gateway of claim 5, wherein said data input device that is connected to said input interface is connected to said input device by the Internet.

7. The VOIP gateway of claim 5, wherein said display screen and said input device are both part of a computer that is connected to said VOIP gateway over the Internet.

8. A VOIP gateway, comprising:

(a) an interface adapted to be connected to a standard telephone set; and

(b) wherein said VOIP gateway is adapted to prompt a user by way of a telephone set connected to said interface, to enter an internet address by way of said telephone set.

9. The VOIP gateway of claim 8, wherein said VOIP gateway attempts to connect to the Internet using said internet address and advises said user as to whether or not said attempt was successful.

10. A VOIP gateway, comprising:

(a) an interface adapted to be connected to a standard telephony line;

(b) an IP interface adapted to be connected to the Internet;

(c) wherein a maximum number of telephone calls may be processed simultaneously and wherein when an additional telephone call is received over said IP interface at a time when said gateway is processing said maximum number of telephone calls, the additional telephone call is placed in a call progress queue and held for up to a maximum time period before either being connected, if a line becomes available, or rejected if no line becomes available during said maximum time period.

11. The VOIP gateway of claim 10 which sends a “

ringing”

signal to said additional telephone call while it is being held in said call progress queue.