Method and apparatus for making a phone call connection over an internet connection

• US 6,373,835 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1997
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SEVAK Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MediaRing.com Incorproated (Keshav Manglam Impex Pvt Ltd)
• Inventors: Ng, Ede Phang, Loh, Eng Choon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/910,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/380, 370/389, 370/392, 370/396, 370/401, 370/404, 370/427, 370/435, 370/450, 370/465, 370/354-359, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 379/100.16
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• 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: 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 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

The present invention includes a method or Internet phone for automatically dialing up a phone call connection across an Internet connection. Initially the caller manually dials a recipient'"'"'s telephone number, and once the telephone call connection is made, the caller party'"'"'s Internet phone automatically starts a dialing routine which notifies the recipient party'"'"'s Internet phone that a phone call connection over an Internet connection is desired. The dialing may be a differential ringing sequence or a single ringing interval. Upon the dialing routine being detected by the recipient party'"'"'s Internet phone, the parties end the telephone connection and proceed to make separate connections to the Internet, including a connection to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). The caller party and recipient party Internet phones submit their respective Internet protocol address and telephone numbers. The caller party additionally submits the recipient Internet phone'"'"'s telephone number. Then the Internet connection for the intended phone call is automatically completed.

Claims

1. A method for automatically establishing a phone call between a caller party communication equipment and a recipient party communication equipment over an Internet connection via a directory service on the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:

at the caller party communication equipment, dialing a destination telephone number of the recipient party communication equipment using a dialing routine;

said dialing routine initiating a unique ringing sequence to notify the recipient party communication equipment that the caller party communication equipment desires to establish an Internet connection with the recipient party communication equipment;

in response to receiving a signal that the recipient party communication equipment is available for the Internet connection, establishing an Internet connection between the caller party communication equipment and an Internet service provider;

receiving from the Internet service provider an Internet protocol address;

providing automatically to the directory service on the Internet the caller party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and telephone number, and said recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s telephone number;

in response to the directory service receiving the recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and telephone number, determining at the directory service a match between the recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s telephone number provided by the caller party communication equipment and the recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s telephone number provided by the recipient;

providing to the caller party communication equipment the Internet protocol address of the recipient party communication equipment to allow sending and receiving data via the Internet connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said dialing routine comprises automatically dialing and completing a telephone call connection to said recipient party communication equipment with selectively one of a differential ringing sequence and a single ringing interval, each of said differential ringing sequence and said single ringing interval being detectable by said recipient party communication equipment.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises providing a predetermined ringing and then disconnecting said telephone connection to said recipient party communication equipment for a predetermined interval, and then repeating automatically for a given number of times another telephone connection to said recipient party communication equipment followed by said predetermined ringing interval and then disconnecting said another telephone connection.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said single ringing interval is utilized by said dialing routine when said telephone number of said recipient party communication equipment is known to said caller party communication equipment, and said telephone number of said caller party communication equipment is known to said recipient party communication equipment.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said telephone number is known by matching up with an entry in a phone book directory in each of said caller and recipient party communication equipment.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of undertaking said Internet connection comprises undertaking a connection with an Internet service provider and said directory service is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said caller party communication equipment comprises at least one of a stand alone personal computer, Internet phone, and gateway.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein said recipient party communication equipment comprises at least one of a stand alone personal computer, Internet phone, and gateway.

23. The method according to claim 3, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises parameters based on an interval of said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval, and number of times said predetermined ringing and said predetermined stop interval are repeated, said parameters for said interval of said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval and said number of times being composed as a look-up table at said caller party communication equipment, said parameters being based on said geographic locations of a caller and recipient, and a transmission path.

24. The method according to claim 3, wherein an interval of said predetermined ringing can be substituted by a duration to a tone detection of a ringing tone by said recipient party communication equipment, said caller party communication equipment being usable to detect said ringing tone of said recipient party communication equipment through a tone detection of a modem of said caller party communication equipment as a dynamic way to determine said interval of said predetermined ringing.

25. The method according to 1, wherein said caller party communication equipment is configured for attempting an Internet connection with said recipient party communication equipment if a busy tone is received when said caller party communication equipment executes said notifying.

7. A method for automatically establishing a phone call between a caller party communication equipment and a recipient party communication equipment over an Internet connection via a directory service, said method comprising the steps of:

dialing at the caller party communication equipment a telephone number of a recipient party communication equipment to establish a telephone phone call connection;

initiating a dialing routine to notify said recipient party communication equipment of an intended phone call connection across an Internet connection;

terminating said telephone call connection in response to said recipient party detecting said dialing routine by said caller party communication equipment;

at the caller party communication equipment, establishing a separate connection with an Internet service provider and them making a connection to a directory service on the Internet;

providing to the directory service the caller party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and telephone number and said recipient party'"'"'s telephone number; and

receiving, in response to the directory service receiving the recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and telephone number and performing a match between the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the caller party communication equipment and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the recipient party communication equipment, the Internet protocol address of the recipient party communication equipment to enable the caller party communication equipment to send data to and receive data from the recipient party communication device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said dialing routine comprises automatically dialing and completing a telephone call connection to said recipient party with selectively one of a differential ringing sequence and a single ringing interval, each of said differential ringing sequence and said single ringing interval being detectable by said recipient party.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises providing a predetermined ringing and then disconnecting said telephone connection to said recipient party communication equipment for a predetermined interval, and then repeating automatically for a given number of times another said telephone call connection to said recipient party followed by said predetermined ringing interval and then disconnecting said another telephone call connection.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said single ringing interval is utilized by said dialing routine when said telephone number of said recipient party is known to said caller party before said step of dialing automatically, and said telephone number of said caller party is known to said recipient party before said step of dialing automatically.

26. The method according to claim 9, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises parameters based on an interval of said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval, and number of times said predetermined ringing and said predetermined stop interval are repeated, said parameters for said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval and said number of times being composed as a look-up table at said caller party communication equipment, said parameters being based on said geographic locations of a caller and recipient, and a transmission path.

27. The method according to claim 9, wherein an interval of said predetermined ringing can be substituted by a duration to a tone detection of a ringing tone by said recipient party communication equipment, said caller party communication equipment being usable to detect said ringing tone of said recipient party communication equipment through a tone detection of a modem of said caller party communication equipment as a dynamic way to determine said interval of said predetermined ringing.

11. An Internet phone comprising:

memory means for storing a dialing routine for initiating a unique ringing sequence to notify a recipient device that a calling device desires to make a phone call over an Internet connection;

memory means for storing a dialing routine detection process for detecting a unique ringing sequence from a calling device;

processor means coupled to said memory means for downloading and processing said dialing routine and detection routine;

means coupled to said processor means for indicating when said Internet connection is established;

relay means for selectively switching between an audio device and a telephone switching network, said relay means being responsive to said processor means;

audio interface means coupled between said relay means and said processor means for selectively converting an audio signal from said audio device into a digital signal for said processor means, and converting a digital signal from said processor means into an audio signal for said audio device, said audio interface means being responsive to said processor means; and

telephone network interface means coupled between said processor means and said relay means for selectively converting a digital signal from said processor means into an analog signal for transmission across said telephone switching network, and converting an analog signal received from across said telephone switching network into a digital signal for said processor means, said telephone network interface means being responsive to said processor means.

12. The Internet phone according to claim 11, wherein said operating routines comprise an operating system routine, a modem algorithm, a speech processing algorithm, and an acoustic echo cancellation algorithm.

13. The Internet phone according to claim 12, wherein said processor means comprises a host processor means coupled to said memory means for processing said operating system routine and said Internet related protocols, and an Internet processor coupled between said host processor means and each of said audio interface means and said telephone network interface means for processing said modem algorithm, speech processing algorithm, and echo cancellation algorithm.

14. The Internet phone according to claim 11, wherein said audio interface means comprises a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) coupled to said relay means, a coder-decoder (PCM Codec) coupled to said processor means, and an audio multiplexer coupled between said subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) and said coder-decoder (Codec).

16. The Internet phone according to claim 11, wherein said dialing routine comprises automatically dialing and completing a telephone connection to said Internet phone of said recipient party followed selectively by one of a differential ringing sequence and a single ringing interval, each of said differential ringing sequence and said single ringing interval being detectable by said Internet phone of said recipient party.

17. The Internet phone according to claim 16, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises providing a predetermined ringing and then disconnecting said telephone call connection to said Internet phone of said recipient party for a predetermined interval, and then repeating for a given number of times automatically the steps of completing another said telephone call connection to said Internet phone of said recipient party with another said predetermined ringing interval and then disconnecting said another telephone call connection.

18. The Internet phone according to claim 16, wherein said memory further comprises a phone book directory of a selective potential one of said Internet phone for a caller and recipient party for said intended phone call over said Internet connection.

19. The Internet phone according to claim 11, wherein said connection routine comprises a routine for undertaking an Internet connection and making a connection to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), and selectively providing said Lightweight Directory Access Protocol with an Internet Protocol address, and telephone number of said intended caller and recipient to establish said Internet connection.

20. The Internet phone according to claim 19, wherein said routine for undertaking said Internet connection comprises a routine for automatically establishing a connection with an Internet service provider.

28. The Internet phone according to claim 17, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises parameters based on an interval of said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval, and number of times said predetermined ringing and said predetermined stop interval are repeated, said parameters for said predetermined ringing, said predetermined stop interval and said number of times being composed as a look-up table at said caller party communication equipment, said parameters being based on said geographic locations of a caller and recipient, and a transmission path.

29. The Internet phone according to claim 17, wherein an interval of said predetermined ringing can be substituted by a duration to a tone detection of a ringing tone by said recipient party communication equipment, said caller party communication equipment being usable to detect said ringing tone of said recipient party communication equipment through a tone detection of a modem of said caller party communication equipment as a dynamic way to determine said interval of said predetermined ringing.

15. The Internet phone according to clam 11, wherein said telephone network interface means comprises a data access arrangement (DAA) coupled to said relay means, and a linear audio range analog-to-digital (AD) and digital-to-analog (DA) converter coupled between said data access arrangement (DAA) and said processor means.

30. A method for establishing an Internet connection between a caller party communication equipment and a recipient party communication equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

using a dialing routine for initiating a unique ringing sequence to notify the recipient party communication equipment that the caller party communication equipment desires to establish an Internet connection with the recipient party communication equipment;

using a dialing detection signaling protocol to detect the dialing routine;

in response to receiving the caller party'"'"'s Internet protocol address and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number from the caller party communication equipment, and in response to receiving the recipient party'"'"'s Internet protocol address and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number from the recipient party communication equipment, matching the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the caller party with the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the recipient party; and

providing the recipient party'"'"'s Internet protocol address to the caller party communication equipment and the caller party'"'"'s Internet protocol address to the recipient party communication equipment.

31. An apparatus for establishing an Internet connection between a caller party communication equipment and a recipient party communication equipment comprising:

a dialing routine device for initiating a unique ringing sequence to notify the recipient party communication equipment that the caller party communication equipment desires to establish an Internet connection with the recipient party communication equipment;

a dialing detection signaling protocol to detect the dialing routine;

a directory service for receiving from the caller party communication equipment the caller party'"'"'s Internet protocol address and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number, and for receiving from the recipient party communication equipment the recipient party'"'"'s Internet protocol address and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number, and for matching the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the caller party and the recipient party'"'"'s telephone number provided by the recipient party;

the directory service then providing the recipient party'"'"'s Internet protocol address to the caller party communication equipment and the caller party'"'"'s Internet protocol address to the recipient party communication equipment.