Call connection technique

• US 5,428,608 A
• Filed: 12/30/1993
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T IPM Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freeman, Brian D., Strahs, Lee B., Hanson, Bruce L., Rochkind, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLUM, RUSSELL
• Application Number:
  US08/176,004
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/62, 370/94.1, 370/94.2, 370/110.1, 375/7, 375/8, 379/201, 379/90, 379/93, 379/94
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4281 when the called subscriber is connected to a data network using his telephone line, e.g. dial-up connection, Internet browsing
• 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

In an environment in which simultaneous voice/data (SVD) modems are provisioned in the public switched network for separating and separately routing voice and data calls from users having SVD modems, at least one user who is already employing a first connection through an SVD modem provisioned in the public switched network, for interacting with a remote destination over one of the two channels provided by an SVD modem, may have a second connection, over the second of the two channels provided by an SVD modem, automatically established for him. The second connection may be established in response to a request by one of the users. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the data channels supplied from each SVD modem of each of said users are routed to a common data application, e.g., a game, and a direct connection is established between the voice channels of the SVD modems in response to a command from the data application in response to the request of one of the users. Such a feature is called "voice assist" or, in the gaming context, "talk and play". A similar "data assist" feature can to automatically establish a data connection between users who are interacting with a common application over their voice channels. A context-sensitive voice assist feature is also provided to automatically establish a voice connection between a user of an application and an appropriate person, given the context in which the user requests the voice connection.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing a connection between a plurality of users, each of said users employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with each other over a first connection between said SVD modems, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, the method comprising the step of:

automatically establishing a second connection between said SVD modems in said public switched network, said second connection carrying the second one of said SVD modem channels and being independent of the path of said first connection.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said establishing step is performed in response to a request by one of said users.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said establishing step further includes the steps of:

using stored information for identifying which of said SVD modems in said network said users, other than said requesting user, are employing; and

connecting a path, for carrying said second channel, between said identified SVD modems and the SVD modem to which said requesting user is connected.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said path for carrying said second channel includes a conference bridge.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said path for carrying said second channel includes a common data application.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing information for identifying which of said SVD modems in said network said users are employing;

and wherein said establishing step further includes the steps of;

identifying which SVD modems in said network are employed by said users in response to said stored information; and

connecting a path for carrying said second of said SVD channels between said identified SVD modems.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first connection includes a common data application and said second connection is a direct voice channel connection.

8. A method for use in providing a connection between a plurality of users, each of said users employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with each other over a first connection between said SVD modems, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modern channels, the method comprising the step of:

automatically establishing a second connection between said SVD modems in said public switched network, said second connection carrying the second one of said SVD modern channels, and being independent of the path of said first connection;

wherein said first connection is via a packet switched network and said second connection is via a circuit switched connection.

9. A method for use in providing a voice connection between a plurality of users that are each connected to a common data application via respective simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modems, the method comprising the steps of:

separately routing the data channels supplied from each of said SVD modems of each of said users to a common data application, said routing being independent of the voice channels of said SVD modems; and

connecting the voice channels of ones of said SVD modems in response to a command from said data application.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said voice connection is established via a conference bridge.

11. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said routing step includes the step of:

logging into an SVD modem provided by said public switched network.

12. The invention as defined in claim 9 further comprising the step of:

receiving at said application a request, supplied over the data channel of a particular user'"'"'s SVD modem, to establish said connection between the voice channels.

13. The invention as defined in claim 12 further comprising the step of:

transmitting from said application to a user other than said particular user a request for permission to establish said connection between the voice channels;

and wherein said establishing step is performed only if an affirmative response is received from said other user.

14. A method for use in connecting a plurality of users of a common data application, each of said users being connected to said common data application over a connection that passes through a public switched network and includes (i) a first simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem connected to the user'"'"'s telephone line for supplying an output having a combined voice and data channel, (ii) a second SVD modem in said public switched network for separating the combined voice and data channel from said first SVD modem into separate voice and data channels, said data channel being connected to said common application, the method comprising the step of:

connecting together said separate voice channels of each of said plurality of users in said public switched network in response to a command received from said common application, the resulting connection existing independent of said common application, whereby said users can talk to each other over said connected voice channels.

15. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein the resulting connection is established via a conference bridge.

16. A method for use in connecting a plurality of users of a common data application, each of said users being connected to said common data application over a connection that passes through a public switched network and includes (i) a first simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem connected to the user'"'"'s telephone line for supplying an output having a combined voice and data channel, (ii) a second SVD modem in said public switched network for separating the combined voice and data channel from said first SVD modem into separate voice and data channels, said data channel being connected to said common application, the method comprising the step of:

connecting together said separate voice channels of each of said plurality of users in said public switched network in response to a command received from said common application, the resulting connection existing independent of said common application, whereby said users can talk to each other over said connected voice channels; and

wherein the resulting connection is established via a circuit switched connection.

17. A method for use in a public switched telephone network having a first simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem to which a first user has connected a first user SVD modem and a second SVD modem to which a second user has connected a second user SVD modem, a first connection existing between said first and second SVD modems in said public switched network for carrying one of the two SVD modem channels, the method comprising the step of:

automatically establishing a second connection between said first and second SVD modems of said public switched network, said second connection carrying the other of said two SVD modem channels.

18. A method for use in providing a connection between a user who is employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with an application over a first connection between said SVD modem and said application, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, said application having a plurality of different contexts in which said user can interact with said application, said user interaction always being within at least one of said contexts, the method comprising the step of:

automatically establishing a second connection from said user using the second of said SVD modem channels, said second connection being placed to a particular person via said SVD modem in said public switched network and said particular person being selected as a function of the context in which said user is interacting with said application.

19. A method for use in providing a connection between a user who is employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with an application over a first connection between said SVD modem and said application, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, said application having a plurality of different contexts in which said user can interact with said application, said user interaction always being within at least one of said contexts, said SVD modem being associated with an adjunct for controlling and coordinating the routing of said SVD modem channels, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a destination to which a second connection is to be connected, said determining being responsive to the particular context in which said user is interacting with said application;

transmitting a message to said adjunct over said first connection instructing said adjunct to establish a connection between said user and said determined destination using the second SVD modem channel.

20. The invention as defined in claim 19 further including the step of connecting the second SVD modem channel of said user to said determined destination.

21. A method for use in providing a connection between a plurality of users, each of said users employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with each other over a first connection between said SVD modems, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, the method comprising the step of:

establishing a second connection between said SVD modems in said public switched network, said second connection carrying the second one of said SVD modem channels and being independent of the path of said first connection;

said establishing step being characterized in that no destination address is supplied by the one of said users requesting said second connection.

22. A method for use in providing a connection between a plurality of users, each of said users employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with each other over a first connection between said SVD modems, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, the method comprising the step of:

establishing a second connection between said SVD modems in said public switched network, said second connection carrying the second one of said SVD modem channels and being independent of the path of said first connection, said establishing being performed without requiring any dialing by any of said users.

23. A method for use in providing a connection between a user who is employing a simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modem provisioned in a public switched network for interacting with an application over a first connection between said SVD modem and said application, said connection carrying a first one of the two SVD modem channels, said application having a plurality of different contexts in which said user can interact with said application, said user interaction always being within at least one of said contexts, the method comprising the step of:

establishing a second connection from said user using the second of said SVD modem channels, said second connection being placed to a particular person via said SVD modem in said public switched network and said particular person being selected as a function of the context in which said user is interacting with said application, said establishing being performed without requiring any destination address to be supplied by said user.