System for audio communication between two terminals connected to the internet network

• US 6,014,687 A
• Filed: 12/06/1996
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kazunori, Watanabe, Hidekazu, Asai, Masahiro, Oyama, Akimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US08/760,954
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.31-200.36, 395/200.47-200.49, 370/351-352, 370/400-403, 379/93, 379/201, 379/207, 379/211, 379/213, 379/215, 379/220, 379/10, 379/14-15, 379/27-34, 709/200-206, 709/217-219, 709/238-242
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6427 Subscriber Access Module; Concentrator; Group equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• 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: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 : where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856

Abstract

A telephone system using terminals in computer network connected via servers to transmit data containing at least audio data through the computer networks. A server is provided with a data base storing call-out information used to connect to a destination terminal. When a source terminal makes a call to a destination terminal, the server of the computer network searches out the connection address of the destination terminal from the data base. Then, the server calls up the destination terminal and establishes connection between the server of the computer network and the destination terminal.

Claims

1. A server for an internet network telephone system having a plurality of terminal devices, a telephone network, and an internet network for transmitting audio signals, wherein said internet network is connected to said plurality of terminal devices via said telephone network, said server comprising:

a data base for storing a public phone number for point-to-point protocol and an internet protocol address concerning each of said plurality of terminal devices;

a plurality of modems for respectively connecting said plurality of terminal devices to said server by way of said telephone network;

means for obtaining a public phone number and an internet protocol address of a second terminal device stored in said data base;

means for accessing said second terminal device by using said public phone number and said internet protocol address of said second terminal device when a first terminal device currently connected to said server makes a request to said server to be connected to said second terminal device currently disconnected from said internet network, thereby enabling communication between said first and second terminal devices over said internet network;

means for disconnecting said first terminal device from said server after said first terminal device makes said request to said server;

means for reconnecting said server to said first terminal device using an internet protocol address for said first terminal device when said second terminal device has been connected to said internet network and

means for informing said first terminal device that said second terminal device did not respond when said second terminal device is unavailable.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein said internet network includes a first server and a second server to which said first terminal device and said second terminal device are connected, respectively, and wherein said first and second terminal devices are connected through said first and second servers.

4. A server according to claim 1, further comprising means for informing said first terminal device of a status of said request to be connected to said second terminal device.

5. A server according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying said first terminal device when said second terminal device has been connected to said internet network.

3. A method of communication between first and second terminal devices through a telephone network connected to a server of an internet network, said method comprising the steps of:

storing in a data base of said server a public phone number for point-to-point protocol and an internet protocol address for a plurality of terminal devices;

making a request from said first terminal device currently connected to said server for connection to said second terminal device currently disconnected from said internet network;

disconnecting said first terminal device from said server after said first terminal device makes said request to said server;

obtaining a public phone number and an internet protocol address for said second terminal device stored in said data base;

accessing said second terminal device using said public phone number and said internet protocol address;

reconnecting said server to said first terminal device using an internet protocol address for said first terminal device when said second terminal device has been connected to said internet network; and

informing said first terminal device that said second terminal device did not respond when said second terminal device is unavailable.