IP PHONE SYSTEM AND IP PHONE TERMINAL REGISTRATION METHOD

• US 20070274308A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kodaka, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

An IP phone terminal registration method capable of reducing the workload as to telephone terminal setup and excluding working mistakes by achieving automated phone terminal registration is provided. Upon connection of a telephone terminal to IP network, a DHCP device issues a terminal registration request to a main apparatus. The main apparatus performs automated phone number allocation to thereby perform terminal registration processing. The DHCP device sends back to the telephone terminal an item of network information that contains therein IP address of the main apparatus and the phone number thus allocated. The phone terminal sets up the IP address of main apparatus and the phone number as self-terminal information, thereby automating the phone terminal registration.

Claims

1. An IP phone system including at least one IP phone terminal, an IP phone system main apparatus for managing the IP phone, and a network information notifying device for notification of network information to IP equipment on an IP network, wherein

the IP phone terminal has a network information processing unit for performing processing of network information to be received from or sent to said network information notifying device and operates in a new registration event to send to said network information notifying device a connection request message containing therein its own MAC address and an IP address received from said network information notifying device and terminal type information indicating that the terminal per se is an IP phone terminal,

said network information notifying device has a network information control unit for performing management and control of network information to be notified to IP equipment and a storage unit prestoring therein an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus, said network information control unit being responsive to receipt of the connection request message from IP phone terminal for sending, when terminal type information in this message indicates it is a telephone terminal, a terminal registration request message containing the MAC address and IP address of said IP phone terminal and the IP address toward the IP phone system main apparatus based on the IP address being stored in said storage unit,

said IP phone system main apparatus has a telephone control unit for performing management and control of said IP phone terminal and a manager unit for managing more than one telephone number while taking correspondence between the MAC address of IP phone terminal and the IP address, said telephone control unit being responsive to receipt of the terminal registration request message for referring to management information of the manager unit and for sending to said network information notifying device any one of a telephone number as already registered with correspondence to the MAC address and IP address contained in said terminal registration request message and a newly registered telephone number,

the network information control unit of said network information notifying device is responsive to receipt of the telephone number for notifying the newly registered IP phone terminal of this telephone number and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus as stored in said storage unit, and

the network information processing unit of said IP phone terminal performs setup processing based on the telephone number received and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus.

2. The IP phone system according to claim 1, wherein the notification of said network information uses dynamic host configuration protocol (“

DHCP”

), wherein said network information notifying device is a DHCP device, and wherein the notification of terminal type from said IP phone terminal to said DHCP device is sent while being contained in a REQUEST message.

3. An IP phone terminal registration method in an IP phone system including at least one IP phone terminal, an IP phone system main apparatus for managing the IP phone, and a network information notifying device for notification of network information to IP equipment on an IP network, said method comprising the steps of:

sending from the IP phone terminal to said network information notifying device a connection request message containing therein its own MAC address and an IP address received from said network information notifying device and terminal type information indicating that the terminal per se is an IP phone terminal;

causing said network information notifying device having a storage unit prestoring therein an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus to operate, upon receipt of the connection request message from IP phone terminal, to send a terminal registration request message containing the MAC address and IP address of said IP phone terminal and the IP address toward the IP phone system main apparatus based on the IP address being stored in said storage unit when terminal type information in this message indicates it is a telephone terminal;

causing said IP phone system main apparatus having a manager unit for managing more than one telephone number while taking correspondence between the IP address and MAC address of IP phone terminal to operate, upon receipt of the terminal registration request message, to refer to management information of the manager unit and then send to said network information notifying device any one of a telephone number as already registered with correspondence to the MAC address and IP address contained in said terminal registration request message and a newly registered telephone number;

causing said network information notifying device to send forth toward said IP phone terminal both the telephone number and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus being stored in said storage unit; and

performing registration of the IP phone terminal by execution of setup processing based on the telephone number received by said IP phone terminal and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus.

4. The IP phone terminal registration method according to claim 3, wherein the notification of said network information uses DHCP, said network information notifying device is a DHCP device, and the notification of terminal type from said IP phone terminal to said DHCP device is sent while being contained in a REQUEST message.

5. An IP phone terminal registration processing method for use in an IP phone system including at least one IP phone terminal, an IP phone system main apparatus for management of the IP phone and a network information notifying device for performing notice of network information to an IP equipment on IP network, wherein the method is for registration of an IP phone terminal at said network information notifying device and comprises the steps of:

causing said network information notifying device to prestore in a storage unit thereof an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus;

receiving from the IP phone terminal a connection request message containing therein its own MAC address and an IP address as received from said network information notifying device and terminal type information indicating that the terminal itself is an IP phone terminal;

when the terminal type information in the connection request message indicates that it is a telephone terminal, sending a terminal registration request message containing the MAC address of said IP phone terminal and the IP address toward the IP phone system main apparatus based on the IP address being stored in said storage unit;

receiving any one of a telephone number as already registered while being corresponded by said IP phone system main apparatus to the MAC address of said IP phone terminal and the IP address and a newly registered telephone number; and

notifying said IP phone terminal of this telephone number along with the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus as stored in said storage unit.

7. The IP phone terminal registration processing method according to claim 5, wherein the notification of said network information uses DHCP, said network information notifying device is a DHCP device, and the notification of terminal type from said IP phone terminal to said DHCP device is sent while being contained in a REQUEST message.

6. An IP phone terminal registration processing method for use in an IP phone system including at least one IP phone terminal, an IP phone system main apparatus for management of the IP phone and a network information notifying device for performing notice of network information to an IP equipment on IP network, wherein said method is for IP phone terminal registration at said IP phone terminal and comprises the steps of:

causing said network information notifying device to prestore in a storage unit thereof an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus;

causing the IP phone terminal to send to said network information notifying device a connection request message containing its own MAC address and an IP address received from said network information notifying device and terminal type information indicating that the terminal per se is an IP phone terminal;

causing said network information notifying device to send the MAC address of said IP phone terminal and the IP address toward the IP phone system main apparatus based on the IP address being prestored in said storage unit;

receiving from said network information notifying device a telephone number registered with correspondence to the MAC address of the IP phone terminal and the IP address and received from said IP phone system main apparatus via said network information notifying device and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus being stored in said storage unit; and

performing setup processing of said IP phone terminal based on the received telephone number and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus.

8. The IP phone terminal registration processing method according to claim 6, wherein the notification of said network information uses DHCP, said network information notifying device is a DHCP device, and the notification of terminal type from said IP phone terminal to said DHCP device is sent while being contained in a REQUEST message.

9. An IP phone terminal for connection to an IP network, said IP phone terminal including a storage unit for storing therein message information, an interface unit for connection to the IP network, a network setup processing unit having a network setup function for automated allocation of necessary information containing therein an IP address, an audio processing unit, a device control unit for controlling these respective units, and any one of a handset interface unit and a handset as operatively associated with said audio processing unit, wherein

when connecting the IP phone terminal to the IP network, message information to be defined below is sent to and received from a network information notifying device on the network side and a network-side apparatus including an IP phone system main apparatus having telephone terminal registration and calling connection functions,

a DISCOVER message and a REQUEST message and a REQUEST message containing therein an terminal IP address and terminal type information are sent from said IP phone terminal to said network-side apparatus,

an OFFER message containing said terminal IP address is received in response to the DISCOVER message while receiving, in response to the REQUEST message, an ACK message containing the IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus and said terminal IP address and an extension telephone number corresponding to the IP address, and

the IP addresses and the extension number of said ACK message are set to said IP phone terminal.

10. The IP phone terminal according to claim 9, wherein said IP phone system main apparatus is arranged to determine whether MAC address registration is present or absent in said IP phone terminal for sending, when the registration is found, an extension number of a corresponding record toward said IP phone terminal and for allocating when the registration is absent a new extension number and then registering it in a storage while taking correspondence among the extension number and MAC address and IP address to thereby set a connection state of the IP phone terminal to connection.

11. An IP phone system main apparatus linkable to an IP network for executing calling connection between IP phone terminals of the IP network, said apparatus comprising:

a telephone control unit operative to receive, when an IP phone terminal is connected to said IP network, a message containing a terminal IP address and terminal type information as sent from said IP phone terminal via a network information notifying device and respond to receipt of the message for sending toward said IP phone terminal via said network information notifying device a message containing therein an IP address of IP phone system main apparatus and an extension telephone number and a terminal IP address; and

an information registration manager unit for performing registration management while taking correspondence between the IP address and the extension telephone number.

12. The IP phone system main apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said IP phone system main apparatus is arranged to determine whether MAC address registration is present or absent in said IP phone terminal for sending when the registration is found an extension number of a corresponding record toward said IP phone terminal and for allocating when the registration is absent a new extension number and then registering it in a storage while taking correspondence among the extension number and MAC address and IP address to thereby set a connection state of the IP phone terminal to connection.

13. An IP phone system including an IP phone terminal, an IP phone system main apparatus for management of the IP phone terminal, and a network information notifying unit for allocating network information such as an IP address to an IP phone terminal on an IP network and the IP phone system main apparatus, wherein

said IP phone terminal has a network information processing unit for performing processing of network information to be sent to and received from said network information notifying device,

when connecting said IP phone terminal to the IP network, an IP address formal acquisition message containing terminal type information indicative of a type of said IP phone terminal per se is sent to said network information notifying device in response to receipt of a message indicative of out-of-connection of IP phone terminal and a message containing therein a candidate IP address of said IP phone terminal of said IP phone system main apparatus,

said network information notifying device has a network information control unit for performing management and control of network information to be notified to said IP phone terminal and each equipment of said IP phone system main apparatus and a storage unit prestoring therein an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus,

when said network information control unit receives the IP phone terminal out-of-connection message, the device is responsive to receipt of this message for sending to said IP phone system main apparatus the message containing the candidate IP address of said IP phone terminal and is responsive to receipt of said IP address formal acquisition message for sending, if the terminal type information in this message is information indicative of an IP phone terminal, a terminal registration request message containing a MAC address of said IP phone terminal and an IP address to said IP phone system main apparatus and also is responsive to receipt of a message containing a telephone number for sending to said IP phone terminal a message containing therein an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus and IP address and telephone number of said IP phone terminal,

said IP phone system main apparatus has a telephone control unit for performing management and control of said IP phone terminal and a manager unit for performing telephone number management while taking correspondence between the MAC address of IP phone terminal and the IP address and operates when said phone control unit receives the terminal registration request message to refer to more than one telephone number of the manager unit to thereby send toward said network information notifying device any one of a telephone number being as already registered and a newly registered telephone number while taking correspondence between the MAC address and IP address being contained in said terminal registration request message, and

the telephone number received by the network information processing unit of said IP phone terminal and the IP address of the IP phone system main apparatus are set up as IP phone terminal information.

14. The IP phone system according to claim 13, wherein said network information notifying device is a DHCP device, said connection request message is a DISCOVER message, said message containing the candidate IP address is an OFFER message, said IP address formal acquisition message is a REQUEST message, and the message containing the IP address and the IP address of IP phone terminal and the telephone number is an ACK message.

15. An IP phone terminal setup method for setting a telephone number and an IP address to an IP phone terminal to be linked to an IP network, said method comprising the steps of:

sending, when connecting said IP phone terminal to said IP network, a DISCOVER message to a network information notifying device for notifying said IP phone terminal of network information and for allocating network information such as an IP address;

when said network information notifying device receives said message, responding to this message for sending to said IP phone terminal an OFFER message containing therein a candidate IP address of IP phone terminal;

when said IP phone terminal receives the OFFER message, sending to said network information notifying device a REQUEST message containing a terminal IP address and an item of terminal type information;

when a network information control unit of said network information notifying device receives the REQUEST message from said IP phone terminal, sending a terminal registration request message containing a MAC address of the IP phone terminal and an IP address toward an IP phone system main apparatus for management of said IP phone terminal based on said IP address;

when a telephone control unit of said IP phone system main apparatus for execution of management and control of said IP phone terminal receives the terminal registration request message, referring to more than one management telephone number for sending to said network information notifying device any one of an already registered telephone number and a newly registered phone number while taking correspondence to the MAC address and the IP address as contained in said terminal registration request message;

when the network information control unit of said network information notifying device receives the telephone number, notifying said IP phone terminal of an ACK message containing therein this telephone number and the terminal IP address along with an IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus; and

setting as IP phone terminal information the telephone number and the terminal IP address received by a network information processing unit of said IP phone terminal and the IP address of said IP phone system main apparatus.