Method and apparatus for placing telephone calls while connected to the internet

• US 6,188,688 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Buskirk, Martin Cornelius Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US08/853,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/263, 370/264, 370/270, 370/352, 370/355, 370/389, 370/493, 379/201, 379/202, 379/93.01, 379/93.09, 379/93.21, 379/158, 379/215
• US Class Current: 370/389
• 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

The present invention enables a user, logged on to a data network over a traditional telephone line, to place additional outgoing calls over that same line without interruption of the data session. The user is also able to provide communication between the outgoing call and the data session such that, voice over the data session can be conferenced into voice over the newly outgoing telephone session.

Claims

1. A non-disruptive method for placing one or more outgoing voice calls over a telephone line while said telephone line has an existing data session between a user workstation and a data service provider established, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a data channel from said user workstation, through a central office switch, to a mux/demux device, further comprising the steps of;

executing a first dial request from said user workstation to said central office switch, said first dial request requesting said data session with said data service provider;

sending a first request for instructions from said central office switch, responsive to receiving said first dial request, to a computer telephony interface server (CTI);

sending a first response from said CTI to said central office switch, responsive to said first request for instructions, instructing said central office switch to redirect said first dial request to a first telephone number representing a first free port on said mux/demux device; and

redirecting, by said central office switch, said first dial request to said first telephone number, thereby establishing a first connection between said user workstation and said mux/demux device;

establishing said existing data session between said user workstation and said data service provider over said telephone line using said data channel;

establishing a control channel between said user workstation and said mux/demux device over said telephone line;

indicating to said user workstation, by a user of said user workstation, that an outgoing voice call is requested;

establishing said outgoing voice call on a voice channel while said existing data session continues to concurrently operate on said data channel and retains an ability to simultaneously transmit data, further comprising th steps of;

sending, responsive to said indicating step, a second dial request from said user workstation to said mux/demux device on said control channel, said second dial request requesting said outgoing voice call to an external telephone number;

forwarding said second dial request from said mux/demux device to said CTI; and

completing said requested outgoing voice call, further comprising the steps of;

sending a message from said CTI to said central office switch, instructing said central office switch to connect said second dial request from one of a second telephone number or a port identifier representing a second free port on said mux/demux device to said external telephone number;

connecting, by said central office switch, said second dial request to said second telephone number or said port identifier; and

dialing, by said central office switch, said external telephone number;

communicating on said outgoing voice channel while said existing data session on said data channel continues to simultaneously operate and transmit data;

demultiplexing, in said user workstation, information received at said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

multiplexing, in said user workstation, information to be transmitted from said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

demultiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information received on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

multiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information to be sent over said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel; and

retaining an ability to place an additional outgoing telephone call on said telephone line.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, prior to the step of said CTI server sending said first response, said CTI server contacts said mux/demux device to determine said first telephone number and said first free port number.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, prior to the step of said CTI server sending said message, said CTI server contacts said mux/demux device to determine said second free port number.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said CTI maintains ongoing information as to a status of connectivity of said user workstation.

5. A system for non-disruptively placing one or more outgoing voice calls over a telephone line while said telephone line has an existing data session between a user workstation and a data service provider established, said system comprising:

means for establishing a data channel from said user workstation, through a central office switch, to a mux/demux device, further comprising;

means for executing a first dial request from said user workstation to said central office switch, said first dial request requesting said data session with said data service provider;

means for sending a first request for instructions from said central office switch, responsive to receiving said first dial request, to a computer telephony interface server (CTI);

means for sending a first response from said CTI to said central office switch, responsive to said first request for instructions, instructing said central office switch to redirect said first dial request to a first telephone number representing a first free port on said mux/demux device; and

means for redirecting, by said central office switch, said first dial request to said first telephone number, thereby establishing a first connection between said user workstation and said mux/demux device;

means for establishing said existing data session between said user workstation and said data service provider over said telephone line, using said data channel;

means for establishing a control channel between said user workstation and said mux/demux device over said telephone line;

means for indicating to said user workstation, by a user of said user workstation, that an outgoing voice call is requested;

means for establishing said outgoing voice call on a voice channel while said existing data session continues to concurrently operate on said data channel and retains an ability to simultaneously transmit data, further comprising;

means for sending, responsive to said means for indicating, a second dial request from said user workstation to said mux/demux device on said control channel, said second dial request requesting said outgoing voice call to an external telephone number;

means for forwarding said second dial request from said mux/demux device to said CTI; and

means for completing said requested outgoing voice call, further comprising;

means for sending a message from said CTI to said central office switch, instructing said central office switch to connect said second dial request from one of a second telephone number or a port identifier representing a second free port on said mux/demux device to said external telephone number;

means for connecting, by said central office switch, said second dial request to said second telephone number or said port identifier; and

means for dialing, by said central office switch, said external telephone number;

means for communicating on said outgoing voice channel while said existing data session on said data channel continues to simultaneously operate and transmit data;

means for demultiplexing, in said user workstation, information received at said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

means for multiplexing, in said user workstation, information to be transmitted from said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

means for demultiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information received on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

means for multiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information to be sent over said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel; and

means for retaining an ability to place an additional outgoing telephone call on said telephone line.

6. A computer program product for non-disruptively placing one or more outgoing voice calls over a telephone line while said telephone line has an existing data session between a user workstation and a data service provider established, said computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium and comprising:

computer-readable code means for establishing a data channel from said user workstation, through a central office switch, to a mux/demux device, further comprising;

computer-readable code means for executing a first dial request from said user workstation to said central office switch, said first dial request requesting said data session with said data service provider;

computer-readable code means for sending a first request for instructions from said central office switch, responsive to receiving said first dial request, to a computer telephony interface server (CTI);

computer-readable code means for sending a first response from said CTI to said central office switch, responsive to said first request for instructions, instructing said central office switch to redirect said first dial request to a first telephone number representing a first free port on said mux/demux device; and

computer-readable code means for redirecting, by said central office switch, said first dial request to said first telephone number, thereby establishing a first connection between said user workstation and said mux/demux device;

computer-readable code means for establishing said existing data session between said user workstation and said data service provider over said telephone line, using said data channel;

computer-readable code means for establishing a control channel between said user workstation and said mux/demux device over said telephone line;

computer-readable code means for indicating to said user workstation, by a user of said user workstation, that an outgoing voice call is requested;

computer-readable code means for establishing said outgoing voice call on a voice channel while said existing data session continues to concurrently operate on said data channel and retains an ability to simultaneously transmit data, further comprising;

computer-readable code means for sending, responsive to said computer-readable code means for indicating, a second dial request from said user workstation to said mux/demux device on said control channel, said second dial request requesting said outgoing voice call to an external telephone number;

computer-readable code means for forwarding said second dial request from said mux/demux device to said CTI; and

computer-readable code means for completing said requested outgoing voice call, further comprising;

computer-readable code means for sending a message from said CTI to said central office switch, instructing said central office switch to connect said second dial request from one of a second telephone number or a port identifier representing a second free port on said mux/demux device to said external telephone number;

computer-readable code means for connecting, by said central office switch, said second dial request to said second telephone number or said port identifier; and

computer-readable code means for dialing, by said central office switch, said external telephone number;

computer-readable code means for communicating on said outgoing voice channel while said existing data session on said data channel continues to simultaneously operate and transmit data;

computer-readable code means for demultiplexing, in said user workstation, information received at said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

computer-readable code means for multiplexing, in said user workstation, information to be transmitted from said user workstation on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

computer-readable code means for demultiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information received on said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel;

computer-readable code means for multiplexing, in said mux/demux device, information to be sent over said data channel, said voice channel, and said control channel; and

computer-readable code means for retaining an ability to place an additional outgoing telephone call on said telephone line.