Virtual second line hybrid network communication system

• US 6,351,464 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirchner, Mike C., Moey, Tony W. S., Galvin, Tom J., Hanson, Joel K., OʼBrien, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US09/399,601
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353-357, 370/401, 379/900
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A system and method for routing a telephone call on a PSTN network to a data device. The present invention utilizes an automatic call processing system that has a one number location service. A called party provides a calling profile that is stored in the automatic call processing (ACP) system. When a call is placed to a telephone number that is assigned to the called party, the call is routed to the ACP system. The ACP system calls each of the numbers of the calling profile for that called party until that party is reached. At least one of the destinations in the calling profile is a logical address for a data network. The automatic call processing system recognizes the logical address and queries a directory to determine if an IP address has been registered in the directory for the logical address of the called party. If the called party is using a data device that is logged on the Internet, an IP telephony agent, such as an IP telephony client running on the data device, registers the IP address of the data device together with the logical address of the caller. If the ACP system determines if an IP address is registered with the directory, the ACP system will direct the call to an Internet telephony gateway. The Internet telephony gateway encodes and packetizes the voice information for transmission over the data network to the data device.

Claims

1. A method communicating a voice call from a caller on a PSTN network to a called party utilizing a data device that is connected to a data network at an IP address indicating a location of said data device on said data network comprising the steps of:

registering said data device with a gatekeeper that stores said IP address in association with an alias assigned to said called party while said data device is connected to said data network;

dialing a PSTN number that is assigned to said called party;

routing said voice call to a sequence of destinations assigned to said called party such that at least one of said destinations in said sequence corresponds to said alias;

connecting said voice call to a gateway that transmits said voice call over said data network to said called party on said data device at said IP address; and

registering said data device with the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper storing a second IP address in association with the alias, the second IP address indicating a second location of the data device on said data network,

wherein the gatekeeper stores only one IP address in association with the alias at any given time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

querying said gatekeeper whenever one of the sequence of destinations corresponds to said alias to determine if said data device is connected to said data network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of registering said data device comprises registering a personal data assistant data device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of registering said data device comprises registering a data device that is wirelessly connected to said data network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of registering said data device further comprises:

using an IP telephony agent to automatically register said data device with said gatekeeper.

6. A system for placing a call from a calling party to a called party over a hybrid PSTN/data network comprising:

a telephone connected to said PSTN network that originates a call from said calling party over said PSTN network;

a data device that is connected to said data network;

a directory connected to said data network that registers an address on said data network in association with a network alias, the network address corresponding to a location of said data device on said data network;

an automatic call processing system that receives said call and sequentially routes said call in accordance with a calling profile having a plurality of destinations of which at least one destination of said plurality of destinations is the network alias; and

a translation device connected to both said PSTN network and said data network that queries said directory to determine if said data device has registered an address on said data network and to route said call over said data network to said address whenever said data device has a registered address on said data network,

wherein said directory registers a second address on said data network in association with the network alias, the second address corresponding to a second location of said data device on said data network, and

wherein the directory registers only one address of said data device in association with the network alias at any given time.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising an agent operative on said data device that registers said data device with said directory.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said agent is an IP telephony agent.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said directory is a gatekeeper that is locally connected to said translation device.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said data network is an IP network.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said IP network is the Internet.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein said translation device is an IP/telephony gateway.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein said data device is a personal data assistant.

14. The system of claim 6 wherein said data device is a personal data assistant having a wireless connection to said data network.

15. The system of claim 6 wherein said telephone comprises a wireless communication device that is connected to said PSTN network.

16. A method of communicating a voice call from a caller on a PSTN network to a called party utilizing a data device that is connected to a data network at an address on said data network that may change each time said data device is connected to said data network, the method comprising the steps of:

registering said address of said data device with a directory in association with an alias;

routing a call from said caller on said PSTN network to a sequence of destinations that are assigned to said called party such that at least one of said destinations in said sequence is said alias;

determining said address of said data device on said data network;

routing said call from said PSTN network through a translator to said address on said data network whenever said data device has registered said address with said directory and said call is routed to said alias; and

registering a second address of said data device with the directory in association with said alias,

wherein only one address of said data device is registered with the directory in association with the alias at any given time.

17. A method for placing a call from a calling party on a telephone on a PSTN network to a called party on a data device on a data network, said called party having a unique alias, comprising the steps of:

registering said data device in association with said alias in a directory that indicates whether said called party is logged-on to said data device and provides an address of said data device on said data network;

storing a destination profile for said called party using said alias in an automatic call processing system;

sequentially routing said call to a series of destinations in accordance with said destination profile;

accessing said directory to determine said log-on status of said called party and said address of said data device whenever a destination in said destination profile corresponds to said alias;

routing said call to said address if said called party is logged on to said data network;

translating said call to a data telephony call; and

registering said data device in association with said alias in the directory, indicating whether said called party is logged-on to said data device and providing a second address of said data device on said data network,

wherein the directory provides only one address of said data device at any given time.