Method for setting up a connection to a terminal via a communication device, and a terminal and a communication device for implementing the method

• US 20060268752A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Brieskorn, Jurgen, Ackermann-Markes, Achim
• Granted Patent: US 7,961,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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

A connection addressed via a directory number is set up to a terminal by setting up a partial connection to a communication device, with determined additional information being conveyed to the communication device as part of the partial connection. As a result of said partial connection and depending on the additional information conveyed, the partial connection is further switched to the terminal by the communication device.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for setting up a connection to a terminal that is coupled via a packet-oriented network to a communication device and a connection controller, comprising:

providing a directory number assigned to a first terminal which is used to logically address the first terminal for a connection;

providing a first terminal hardware address in order to access the first terminal;

providing a first communication device hardware address in order to access the communication device;

assigning the first communication device hardware address to the first network address;

assigning by the connection controller the first network address and a first additional information to the directory number;

assigning by the communication device the first additional information to the first terminal hardware address; and

setting up the connection to the first terminal via the directory number, comprising;

determining by the connection controller a network address assigned to the directory number and an additional information assigned to the directory number,

determining a communication device hardware address assigned to the determined network address,

setting up a partial connection to a communication device based on the determined communication device hardware address, the partial connection set up via the determined communication device hardware address, the determined additional information being conveyed to the communication device as part of the partial connection,

determining a terminal hardware address based on the conveyed additional information, and

switching by the communication device the partial connection to a terminal based on the determined terminal hardware address.

16. The method according to claim 15,

wherein a communication unit comprises the communication device and the terminal,

wherein the determined terminal hardware address is the same as the determined communication device hardware address, and

wherein a further connection is made to the terminal by the communication device via a device internal message.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein when the first communication device is deactivated, the method further comprising:

assigning the first network address to the first terminal hardware address; and

assigning by the connection controller the directory number to the first network address and to a second additional information controlling the first terminal.

18. The method according to claim 16,

wherein the first communication device is coupled to the first terminal such that an activation or a deactivation of the first communication device is detected by the first terminal, or

wherein the first communication device is coupled to the first terminal such that an activation and a deactivation the communication device is detected by the first terminal.

19. The method according to claim 15, the method further comprising:

sending to the connection controller a log-off message for releasing the directory number when the first communication device is deactivated or activated;

sending to the connection controller a log-on message for assigning the directory number to the first network address and to a second additional information controlling the first terminal when the first communication device is deactivated; and

sending to the connection controller a log-on message for assigning the directory number to the first network address and to the first additional information controlling the communication device when the first communication device is activated.

20. The method according to claim 15, the method further comprising:

when the first communication device is deactivated;

assigning the first network address to the first terminal hardware address, and

assigning by the connection controller the directory number to the first network address and to a second additional information controlling the first terminal; and

when the first communication device is activated;

assigning the first network address to the first communication device hardware address, and

assigning by the connection controller the directory number to the first network address and to the first additional information controlling the first communication device.

21. The method according to claim 20, the method further comprising:

providing an address server for administering and allocating network addresses,

when the first communication device is deactivated;

sending from the first communication device to the address server, a log-off message for releasing the first network address, and

sending to the address server, a log-on message for assigning the first network address to the first terminal hardware address; and

when the first communication device is activated;

sending from the first terminal to the address server, a log-off message for releasing the first network address, and

sending to the address server, a log-on message for assigning the first network address to the first communication device hardware address.

22. The method according to claim 20, the method further comprising:

providing a second terminal having a third hardware address, wherein the assigning of the directory number is to the first network address and to a third additional information pertaining to the third terminal instead of to a first additional information; and

setting up a connection addressed via the directory number to the second terminal.

23. The method according to claim 22, the method further comprising:

signaling the directory number as an outgoing directory number in the case of an outgoing connection from the first or second terminal.

24. The method according to claim 22, the method further comprising:

setting up a second connection to the second terminal, comprising;

assigning by the connection controller the first network address and the third additional information to a second directory number,

assigning by the communication device the third hardware address to the third additional information, and

setting up the second connection to the second terminal by determining the third hardware address on the basis of the third additional information, which is conveyed as part of the connection setup process and to which the third hardware address of the second terminal has been assigned, and using said third hardware address for switching of the partial connection to the second terminal by the first communication device.

25. The method according to claim 24, the method further comprising:

setting up a third connection to the first terminal, comprising;

assigning by the connection controller the first network address and a fourth additional information to a third directory number,

assigning by the communication device a fourth additional information to the first terminal hardware address, and

setting up to the first terminal the third connection addressed via the third directory number by determining the first terminal hardware address on the basis of the fourth additional information, which is conveyed as part of the connection setup process and to which the first terminal hardware address of the first terminal has been assigned, and using said first terminal hardware address for switching of the partial connection to the first terminal by the communication device.

26. The method according to claim 25, the method further comprising:

when the first communication device is deactivated;

assigning a second network address to the first terminal hardware address

assigning by the connection controller the second network address and the fourth additional information controlling the first terminal to the third directory number,

canceling by the connection controller the assignment of the second directory number to the first network address and to the third additional information, and

canceling the assignment of the first network address to the first communication device hardware address.

27. The method according to claim 24, the method further comprising:

when the first communication device is activated;

assigning a third network address to the first communication device hardware address,

assigning by the connection controller the third network address and third additional information to the second directory number, and

assigning by the communication device the third hardware address to the third additional information

28. The method according to claim 27, the method further comprising:

when the first communication device is activated;

canceling by the connection controller the assignment of third directory number to the first network address and to the fourth additional information.

29. The method according to claim 27, the method further comprising:

when the first communication device is activated;

canceling the assignment of the first network address to the first terminal hardware address.

30. A communication device for setting up a connection via a packet-oriented network to a called terminal coupled to the communication device wherein the called terminal has been assigned a directory number via which it is logically addressed for a connection, the called terminal has been assigned a terminal hardware address via which it is addressed in the network, comprising:

a communication device hardware address via which the communication device is be addressed in the network;

a server device for calling up a further-switching unit assigned to an additional information as the result of an incoming partial connection addressed via the directory number and depending on the port information conveyed,

a switching unit assigned to port information that determines the terminal hardware address of the called terminal and for further switching the partial connection to the called terminal using the determined terminal hardware address;

a network-address-determining unit that assigns the communication device hardware address to a network address and that interrogates the network address;

a log-on unit that conveys the directory number, the network address, and the port information controlling the communication device in a registration message to a connection controller based on an activation of the communication device, and

a log-off unit that conveys the directory number and the network address and the port information in a deregistration message to the connection controller based on a deactivation of the communication device.

31. A terminal coupled to a connection controller via a packet-oriented network and coupled to a communication device,

a directory number assigned to the terminal providing a logical address in order to connect to the terminal;

a terminal hardware address assigned to the terminal providing a address to access the terminal via the network;

a network address assigned to the terminal hardware address;

an additional information of a port that controls the terminal;

a detection unit that detects an activation or deactivation of the communication device via a message from the communication device;

a log-on unit that conveys to the connection controller via a registration message the network address and the additional information after detecting the deactivation of the communication device; and

a log-off unit that conveys to the connection controller via a deregistration message the network address after detecting the activation of the communication device.

32. The terminal according to claim 31, wherein detection unit detects the activation via the reception of a data-transport message from the communication device and detects the deactivation via the absences of a data-transport message from the communication device.

33. The terminal according to claim 31, wherein the deregistration message includes the additional information.