Apparatus and method for selecting communication modes

• US 6,356,533 B1
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Markowitz, Robert Edward, Robinson, Bethany Scott, Katseff, Howard Paul, Bruno, Richard Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): YAO, KWANG BIN
• Application Number:
  US09/130,982
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/253, 370/254, 370/255, 370/257, 370/258, 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/405, 370/410, 370/422, 370/423, 370/424, 370/426, 370/465, 370/466, 370/522, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/236, 709/244, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method that allows the communication mode for communicating between two user devices to be selected based on the abilities of the user devices and/or the preferences of the users. Using the present invention, when an operator of a user device enters the destination address for another user device with which communication is sought, a Client Routing Assessment Profile Services (CRAPS) processor receives the signals from the source user device. The signals include information of the identity of the source user device and the destination user device. The CRAPS processor retrieves profile information from a database corresponding to the identity of the source user device and/or the destination user device. Based on the profile information retrieved, the CRAPS processor sends boot signals to the user devices involved in the communication instructing them to change to the appropriate communication mode. Once the user devices are operating in the same mode, the CRAPS processor enables the communication between the user devices until an end condition occurs.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a communication connection between a source device and a destination device over a network, comprising:

identifying a communication mode useable by both the source device and the destination device;

establishing a communication connection between the source device and the destination device using the identified communication mode; and

sending boot signals to at least one of the source device and destination device, the boot signals causing at least one of the source device and destination device to boot into the identified communication mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communication signals from the source device identifying the destination device; and

retrieving information from a database indicating a list of the communication modes useable by the destination device.

3. A method of establishing a communication connection between a source device and a destination device over a network, comprising:

identifying a communication mode useable by both the source device and the destination device;

establishing a communication connection between the source device and the destination device using the identified communication mode;

sending a request message to the source device, the request message identifying a list of communication modes useable by the destination device and requesting that the source device identify a selected communication mode from the list of communication modes; and

receiving the selected communication mode from the list of communication modes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication signals include information identifying a preferred communication mode, the method further comprising:

determining if the preferred communication mode is in the list of communication modes retrieved from the database;

sending a request message to the source device if the preferred communication mode is not in the list of communication modes retrieved from the database, the request message identifying the list of communication modes useable by the destination device and requesting that the source device identify a selected communication mode from the list of communication modes; and

receiving the selected communication mode from the list of communication modes.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the list of communication modes includes at least one of analog, H.320, H.323, Cable, TCP/IP, Internet telephony, and ISDN.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication signals include information identifying a preferred communication mode, the method further comprising:

determining if the preferred communication mode is in the list of communication modes retrieved from the database; and

selecting a default communication mode if the preferred communication mode is not in the list of communication modes retrieved from the database.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a user identifier and a destination identifier;

retrieving information from a database indicating a preferred communication mode based on the destination identifier and the user identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user identifier includes at least one of a personal identification number, a telephone number, a credit card number, calling card number, home zip code, social security number, and an account number.

9. A communication apparatus for establishing a communication connection between a source device and a destination device over a network, comprising:

a controller; and

a memory, the controller identifying a communication mode useable by both the source device and the destination device based on information retrieved from the memory and establishing a communication connection between the source device and the destination device using the identified communication mode,

wherein the controller sends boot signals to at least one of the source device and the destination device, the boot signals causing at least one of the source device and the destination device to boot into the identified communication mode.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a network interface through which communication signals from the source device are received, the communication signals identifying the destination device, wherein the information retrieved from the memory indicates a list of the communication modes useable by the destination device.

11. A communication apparatus for that establishes a communication connection between a source device and a destination device over a network, comprising:

a controller; and

a memory, the controller identifying a communication mode useable by both the source device and the destination device from information retrieved from the memory, and establishing a communication connection between the source device and the destination device using the identified communication mode,

the controller sending a request message to the source device, the request message identifying a list of communication modes useable by the destination device, and requesting that the source device identify a selected communication mode from the list of communication modes, the controller receiving the selected communication mode from the list of communication modes.

12. The communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication signals further include information identifying a preferred communication mode, and wherein the controller:

(1) determines if the preferred communication mode is in the list of communication modes retrieved from the memory,

(2) sends a request message to the source device is the preferred communication is not in the list of communication modes retrieved from the database, the request message identifying the list of communication modes useable by the destination device and requesting that the source device identify a selected communication mode from the list of communication modes, and

(3) receives the selected communication mode from the list of communication modes.

13. The communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication signals further include information identifying a preferred communication mode, and wherein the controller:

(1) determines if the preferred communication mode is in the list of communication modes retrieved form the memory,

(2) selects a default communication mode if the preferred mode is not in the list of communication modes retrieved from the memory.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the list of communication modes includes at least one of analog, H.320, H.323, Cable, TCP/IP, Internet telephony, and ISDN.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller receives a user identifier and destination identifier and retrieves information from the memory indicating a preferred communication mode based on the destination identifier and the user identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user identifier includes at least one of a personal identification number, a telephone number, a credit card number, a calling card number, a home zip code, a social security number, and an account number.