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

• US 6,424,647 B1
• Filed: 02/02/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• 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: Choon, Loh Eng, Edelson, Steven D., Ng, Ede Phang
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US09/240,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/401, 370/389, 370/404, 370/427, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 379/100.11
• 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 69/329 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 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN
• 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, a differential timing 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 information related to their respective Internet protocol address and telephone numbers. The caller party additionally submits information related to the recipient Internet phone'"'"'s telephone number. Then the Internet connection for the intended phone call is automatically completed. Alternatively, the differential dialing routine can be performed by a knocking server on the Internet, and a directory server on the Internet can match callers and recipients by their respective telephone numbers. Additionally, the knocking server permits caller equipment to be without dialing capabilities as these are now at the knocking server.

Claims

1. A method for automatically establishing a phone call over an Internet connection, said method comprising the steps of:

notifying automatically, by a dialing routine with a telephone call connection, of an intended phone call over an Internet connection by caller party communication equipment to recipient party communication equipment in response to dialing of said telephone call connection at said caller party communication equipment;

undertaking automatically the Internet connection and then a connection to a directory service on the Internet by each of said caller and recipient party communication equipment;

providing automatically, by said caller party communication equipment, information related to said caller party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and a unique identifier of said caller party communication equipment and unique identifier of said recipient party communication equipment;

providing automatically, by said recipient party communication equipment, information related to said recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and said unique identifier of said recipient party communication equipment;

completing automatically said Internet connection between said caller and recipient party communication equipment for said intended phone call.

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 a predetermined ringing characteristic detectable by said recipient party communication equipment.

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

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined ringing characteristic is included in a single ringing interval.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the telephone numbers of the recipient and caller are known to each caller 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).

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined ringing characteristic comprises duration of the ringing interval, said caller party communication equipment being usable to detect a ringing interval at said recipient party communication equipment through a tone detector of said caller party communication equipment as a dynamic way to determine said duration of the ringing interval.

11. The method according to claim 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.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said unique identifier comprises a telephone number.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of dynamically determining the termination of said differential dialing sequence after said steps of providing automatically.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising said caller party communication equipment monitoring reception of a dialing sequence by said caller party communication equipment by way of a ring back to said caller party communication equipment.

15. The method according to claim 3, wherein said differential ringing sequence is detected by at least one of a differential timing between a time interval of ringing of each call by said caller and recipient party communication equipment and a differential value between a number of rings of each call by said caller and recipient party communication equipment.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of completing automatically said Internet connection comprises using the unique identifier associated with recipient party'"'"'s communication equipment for automatic identification and connection of respective said recipient and caller party communication equipment.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of completing automatically said Internet connection includes dynamically using a unique identifier associated with recipient party communication equipment to map a finite number of Internet IP addresses to an infinite number of unique identifiers to provide an infinite number of Internet IP addresses virtually assigned to a gateway for an infinite number of terminal devices.

18. The method according to claim 4, 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.

37. The method according to claim 1, wherein said unique identifier of the recipient party communication equipment submitted by the caller party communication equipment to the directory server is different from the unique identifier submitted by the recipient party communication equipment, said directory server looking up its database to link different unique identifiers to the same recipient party communication equipment.

19. A method of making an Internet connection to a remotely located Internet processor comprising applying a predetermined ringing characteristic by telephone line to said remotely located Internet processor, detecting said predetermined ringing characteristic with said remote Internet processor, and establishing a connection to said remotely located Internet processor over the Internet in response to the detecting of said ringing characteristic by said remotely located Internet processor,

wherein said predetermined ringing characteristic is applied to said remotely located Internet processor by a caller'"'"'s Internet processor, and

wherein said connection over the Internet is established by said caller'"'"'s Internet processor furnishing a unique identifier and an IP address of said caller'"'"'s Internet processor to a directory server and said remotely located Internet processor providing to said directory server a unique identifier and IP address of said remotely located Internet processor.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said unique identifiers comprise the telephone numbers of said caller'"'"'s Internet processor and said remotely located Internet processor.

21. A method for establishing a phone call over an Internet connection, said method comprising the steps of:

making an Internet connection by caller party communication equipment intending to establish a phone call connection over said Internet connection with recipient party communication equipment;

providing by said caller party communication equipment information related to said caller party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet Protocol address and a unique identifier and information related to said recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s unique identifier to a directory server and knocking server on said Internet connection;

notifying automatically by said knocking server to said recipient party communication equipment of an intended said phone call connection over said Internet connection, said notifying being a dialing routine over a telephone call connection to said recipient party communication equipment;

making an Internet connection by said recipient party communication equipment in response to said recipient party communication equipment detecting said dialing routine by said knocking server;

providing automatically, by said recipient party communication equipment, said recipient party communication equipment'"'"'s Internet protocol address and said unique identifier to said directory server; and

completing automatically said Internet connection between said caller and recipient party communication equipment for said intended phone call.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said dialing routine generates a differential ringing sequence detectable by said recipient party communication equipment.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises providing a predetermined ringing interval and then disconnecting said telephone connection to said recipient party communication equipment for a predetermined stop 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.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said caller party communication equipment is usable to detect ringing intervals at said recipient party communication equipment through a tone detector of said caller party communication equipment as a dynamic way to determine said predetermined ringing interval.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein said directory service is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein said knocking server is located nearer said recipient party communication equipment than said caller party communication equipment on said Internet connection between said caller and recipient party communication equipment.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein said knocking server is located nearer said caller party communication equipment than said recipient party communication equipment on said Internet connection between said caller and recipient party communication equipment.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein said differential ringing sequence varies in accordance with at least one of geographic locations of each of said knocking server and recipient party communication equipment and condition of transmission paths in said Internet connection.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said differential ringing sequence comprises parameters based on said predetermined ringing interval, said predetermined stop interval, and number of times said predetermined ringing interval and said predetermined stop interval are repeated, said parameters for said predetermined ringing interval, said predetermined stop interval and said number of times being stored in a look-up table at said knocking server, said parameters varying path said geographic locations and said transmission path.

30. The method according to claim 21, wherein said caller party communication equipment comprises at least one of a gateway receiving telephone equipment, a local area network of personal computers, a stand alone personal computer, and an Internet phone.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein said recipient party communication equipment comprises at least one of a gateway servicing telephone equipment, a local area network of personal computers, a stand alone personal computer, and an Internet phone.

32. The method according to claim 21, wherein said dialing routine comprises a differential dialing sequence.

33. The method according to claim 21, further comprising said recipient party communication equipment detecting a dialing sequence by said caller party.

34. The method according to claim 21, further comprising said caller party communication equipment monitoring reception of a dialing sequence by said caller party communication equipment by way of a ring back routine to said caller party communication equipment.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein said differential dialing sequence is detected by at least one of a differential timing between a time interval of ringing of each call and a differential value between a number of rings of each call.

36. The method according to claim 21, wherein said step of completing automatically said Internet connection includes dynamically using a telephone number associated with one of said recipient party communication equipment and caller communication equipment to map a finite number of Internet IP addresses to an infinite number of telephone numbers to provide an infinite number of virtual Internet IP addresses for a gateway Intranet, and IP address mapping in an Internet connection.