Method and System for Providing Voice Communication Over Data Networks

• US 20070127700A1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fandrianto, Jan, Chen, Michael, Sutardja, Budi, Lin, Chun-Chau, Sutardja, Ramah, Sadikun, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/464,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127700A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/355.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• 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 7/006 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 method and system are disclosed in which an Internet subscriber can establish real-time voice conversations over the Internet. By performing a call negotiation scheme to identify and locate the other calling party, an Internet telephone can establish a voice communication channel over the Internet to a telephony or computer device.

Claims

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47. A method for communicating, comprising:

receiving a network address and an identification code from a first station, wherein the network address is associated with the first station and the identification code uniquely identifies the first station;

storing the network address and the identification code in a memory;

receiving a search request from a second station, the search request identifying the identification code;

in response to the search request, identifying the network address based, at least in part, on the identification code; and

establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising assigning the network address to the first station.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the identification code comprises a telephone number.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein:

receiving the network address and the identification code from the first station comprises receiving the network address and the identification code at a network server associated with a first network;

storing the network address and the identification code comprises storing the network address and the identification code in a memory at the network server; and

establishing the communication channel comprises establishing the communication channel between the first station and the second station over at least a portion of the first network.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein receiving the search request comprises:

transmitting the identification code from the first station to the second station; and

receiving the search request from the second station, wherein the search request identifies the identification code.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein transmitting the identification code from the first station to the second station comprises:

establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station over a second network; and

transmitting the identification code from the first station to the second station over the communication channel established over the second network.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

determining whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network; and

in response to determining that the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network, terminating the communication channel between the first station and the second station over the second network.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein determining whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network comprises:

transmitting a signal from the first station to the second station; and

determining based on a response received from the second station at the first station whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network.

55. A system for communication, comprising:

a first station;

a second station;

a first network operable to communicate information; and

a network server, operable to;

receive a network address and an identification code from the first station, wherein the network address is associated with the first station and the identification code uniquely identifies the first station;

store the network address and the identification code in a memory;

receive a search request from the second station, the search request identifying the identification code;

in response to the search request, identify the network address based, at least in part, on the identification code;

communicate the network address to the second station; and

establish a communication channel between the first station and the second station over the first network.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the identification code comprises a telephone number.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein:

the first station is operable to transmit the identification code to the second station; and

the second station is operable to transmit the search request to the network server, wherein the search request identifies the identification code.

58. The system of claim 57, further comprising a second network, and wherein the first station is operable to transmit the identification code to the second station by:

establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station over a second network; and

transmitting the identification code to the second station over the communication channel established over the second network.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the first station is further operable to:

determine whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network; and

in response to determining that the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network, terminate the communication channel between the first station and the second station over the second network.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the first station is further operable to determine whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network by:

transmitting a signal to the second station; and

determining, based on a response received from the second station, whether the first station and the second station can support a communication channel for voice communication over the first network.

61. A communication apparatus, comprising:

an authentication module operable to receive a network address and an identification code from the first station, wherein the network address is associated with the first station and the identification code uniquely identifies the first station;

an address/code registration module operable to store the network address and the identification code in a memory;

an address query module operable to;

receive a search request from the second station, the search request identifying the identification code; and

in response to the search request, identify the network address based, at least in part, on the identification code; and

a channel establishment module operable to establish a communication channel between the first station and the second station over the first network.

62. The communication apparatus of claim 61, wherein the identification code comprises a telephone number.

63. A system for communicating, comprising:

means for receiving a network address and an identification code from a first station, wherein the network address is associated with the first station and the identification code uniquely identifies the first station;

means for storing the network address and the identification code in a memory;

means for receiving a search request from a second station, the search request identifying the identification code;

means for identifying the network address based, at least in part, on the identification code in response to the search request; and

means for establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station.

64. A method for communicating, comprising:

receiving an identification code from a first station, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies a second station that is coupled to a circuit-switched network;

identifying a gateway associated with the second station, wherein the gateway couples the circuit-switched network to a packet-based network;

determining a route to the identified gateway;

establishing a first communication channel between the first station and the second station using the determined route, wherein the route traverses at least a portion of the packet-based network and at least a portion of the circuit-switched network;

determining whether the second station supports packet-based communication; and

in response to determining that the second station supports packet-based communication, establishing a second communication channel between the first station and the second station over the packet-based network.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein establishing the second communication channel comprises:

establishing the second communication channel; and

terminating the first communication channel.

66. The method of claim 64, further comprising assigning a network address to the first station.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein determining whether the second station supports packet-based communication comprises:

transmitting a call setup signal from the first station to the second station over the packet-based network and the circuit-switched network;

determining whether the second station supports packet-based communication based at least in part on whether the first station receives an acknowledgement signal from the second station.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein transmitting the call setup signal comprises transmitting an out-of-band signal.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the out-of-band signals comprise Signaling System #7 (SS7) signals.

70. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

receiving, at the second station, the call setup message; and

transmitting, from the second station, an acknowledgement signal to the first station without the second station being taken off the hook.

71. A system for communicating, comprising:

a first station;

a second station;

a circuit-switched network operable to communicate information in accordance with a circuit-switched communication protocol;

a packet-based network operable to communicate information in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol; and

a network server operable to;

receive an identification code from the first station, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies a second station that is coupled to a circuit-switched network;

identify a gateway associated with the second station, wherein the gateway couples the circuit-switched network to the packet-based network;

determine a route to the identified gateway; and

establish a first communication channel between the first station and the second station using the determined route, wherein the route traverses at least a portion of the packet-based network and at least a portion of the circuit-switched network, wherein the first station is further operable to;

determine whether the second station supports packet-based communication; and

in response to determining that the second station supports packet-based communication, establish a second communication channel between the first station and the second station over the packet-based network.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the network server is operable to establish the second communication channel by:

establishing the second communication channel; and

terminating the first communication channel.

73. The system of claim 71, wherein the network server is operable to determine whether the second station supports packet-based communication by:

transmitting a call setup signal from the first station to the second station over the packet-based network and the circuit-switched network;

determining whether the second station supports packet-based communication based at least in part on whether the first station receives an acknowledgement signal from the second station.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the first station is further operable to transmit the call setup signal by transmitting an out-of-band signal.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the out-of-band signals comprise Signaling System #7 (SS7) signals.

76. The system of claim 73, wherein the second station is operable to:

receive the call setup message; and

transmit an acknowledgement signal to the first station without being taken off the hook.

77. A system for communicating, comprising:

means for receiving an identification code from a first station, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies a second station that is coupled to a circuit-switched network;

means for identifying a gateway associated with the second station, wherein the gateway couples the circuit-switched network to a packet-based network;

means for determining a route to the identified gateway;

means for establishing a first communication channel between the first station and the second station using the determined route, wherein the route traverses at least a portion of the packet-based network and at least a portion of the circuit-switched network;

means for determining whether the second station supports packet-based communication; and

means for establishing a second communication channel between the first station and the second station over the packet-based network in response to determining that the second station supports packet-based communication.