Voice internet transmission system

• US 6,438,124 B1
• Filed: 07/22/1998
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: I -Tink Company Limited
• Inventors: Wilkes, T. Clay, Radulovic, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/120,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/353, 370/352, 370/354, 379/201, 379/202, 379/211, 379/212, 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 395/200.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6427 Subscriber Access Module; Concentrator; Group equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A voice Internet transmission system which enables a person to have a conversation via the Internet without having to use a computer at either end of the conversation, and without incurring long distance telephone charges regardless of the distance between those having the conversation. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus consists of two non-Internet capable devices being enabled to connect to the Internet and either in duplex or simplex mode transmit packets of Internet formatted data comprising digitized, compressed and encrypted conversation between the devices. In other words, a person can pick up an ordinary telephone and converse with another person, regardless of the distance between them, without incurring long distance telephone charges. No special telephone is required, nor is a computer running special software. The apparatus which makes this possible is a system of Internet access nodes or VoiceEngines. These local Internet VoiceEngines provide digitized, compressed, and encrypted duplex or simplex Internet voice/sound.

Claims

1. An audio transmission system for transmitting voice/sound via the Internet, between at least two devices which are themselves incapable of formatting voice/sound data for Internet transmission, said system comprising:

at least one originating telephone means for transmission of an analog signal representing sound via a first switched telephone network;

at least one originating audio engine means for receiving the analog signal via the first switched telephone network, for verifying that the signal comes from the at least one originating telephone means that is authorized to transmit the signal, for scanning and deactivating malfunctioning audio engine hardware, for obtaining a destination telephone number from the at least one originating telephone means, for digitizing said signal, compressing the signal, encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet using an Internet protocol such that the at least one Internet packet is suitable for transmission via the Internet, and for transmitting the at least one Internet packet via the Internet;

at least one receiving audio engine means for receiving the at least one Internet packet transmitted by the originating audio engine means, de-encapsulating the at least one Internet packet to retrieve the signal, de-compressing the signal, converting the signal back to an analog form, and transmitting the analog signal via a second switched telephone network; and

at least one receiving telephone means for receiving the analog signal via the second switched telephone network.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating telephone means and the at least one receiving telephone means are telephones designed to bi-directionally communicate audio information via a switched telephone network in a duplex or simplex mode.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the at least one originating telephone means and the at least one receiving telephone means are telephones which are incapable of encapsulating an analog signal within Internet packets suitable for transmission via the Internet in accordance with an Internet protocol.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating and the at least one receiving telephone means are located at remote distances from each other such that long distance telephone rates would apply for a direct call between them.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating audio engine means has at least one audio port coupled by an audio port thread to the first switched telephone network.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one receiving audio engine means has at least one audio port coupled by a audio port thread to the second switched telephone network.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating audio engine means has an audio port coupled by an audio port thread to an Internet interface which is coupled to the Internet via a dedicated connection.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one receiving audio engine means has an audio port coupled by an audio port thread to an Internet interface which is coupled to the Internet via a dedicated connection.

9. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating telephone means and the at least one receiving telephone means are selected from the group consisting of a switched telephone network telephone, a cellular telephone, and a cable telephone.

10. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one originating audio engine means and the at least one receiving audio engine means are functionally interchangeable, such that the at least one originating audio engine means can perform all the functions of the at least one receiving audio engine means, and vice versa.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 wherein there are a plurality of originating and receiving audio engine means distributed at various dedicated Internet sites.

12. The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the at least one originating and the at least one receiving audio engine means are comprised of:

at least one audio port having at least one audio port thread, said at least one audio port thread providing access to a switched telephone network, and having at least a second audio port threat for providing access to an Internet interface means; and

an audio processing means for processing a plurality of first signals received via the switched telephone network and for processing a plurality of second signals received via the Internet in order to prepare the plurality of first signals for transmission via the Internet, and in order to prepare the plurality of second signals for transmission via the switched telephone network; and

a main audio engine process operating in audio engine memory which coordinates operation of the at least one audio port and the audio processing means.

13. The system as defined in claim 12 wherein the audio processing means comprises a digital signal processor capable of digitizing an analog signal received via the switched telephone network and compressing the digitized signal for transmission via the Internet.

14. The system as defined in claim 13 wherein the audio processing means comprises a digital signal processor capable of de-compressing a digitized signal received via the Internet and converting the digitized signal to an analog signal for transmission via the switched telephone network.

15. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein said audio engine means is a computer executing a multitasking operating system.

16. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein said multitasking operating system is selected from the group of operating systems consisting of Windows NT, UNIX and other multitasking operating systems.

17. An audio transmission system for transmitting voice/sound via the Internet, said system comprising:

at least one originating telephone means for transmitting an analog signal representing sound via a first switched telephone network;

at least one originating audio engine means for receiving the analog signal via the first switched telephone network, for verifying that the signal comes from the at least one originating telephone means that is authorized to transmit the signal, for scanning and deactivating malfunctioning audio engine means hardware, for obtaining a destination telephone number from the at least one originating telephone means, for digitizing the signal, compressing the signal, encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet using an Internet protocol such that the at least one Internet packet is suitable for transmission via the Internet, and for transmitting the at least one Internet packet via the Internet; and

a receiving computer means for receiving the at least one Internet packet transmitted by the originating audio engine means, de-encapsulating the at least one Internet packet to retrieve the signal, de-compressing the signal, converting the signal back to an analog signal, and playing the analog signal.

18. A system for transmitting information via the Internet using communication devices which do not transmit information using Internet communication protocols, said system comprising:

at least one originating communication means for transmitting non-Internet encapsulated data via a first switched telephone network;

at least one originating Internet translation engine means for receiving the non-Internet encapsulated data via the switched telephone network, verifying that the signal comes from an authorized originating communication means, for scanning and deactivating malfunctioning originating communication means hardware, for obtaining a destination telephone number from the at least one originating Internet translation engine means, for encapsulating said data into Internet packets using an Internet protocol such that said data is suitable for transmission via the Internet, and for transmitting the Internet packets via the Internet;

at least one receiving Internet engine means for receiving the Internet packets transmitted by the originating Internet translation engine means, de-encapsulating the Internet packet, and transmitting the non-Internet data via a second switched telephone network; and

at least one receiving communication means for receiving the non-Internet data via the second switched telephone network.

19. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein the at least one originating communication means and the at least one receiving communication means are selected from non-Internet protocol transmission capable devices designed to simultaneously transmit and receive data via a switched telephone network.

20. The system as defined in claim 19 wherein the at least one originating communication means and the at least one receiving communication means are telephones.

21. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein the at least one originating communication means and the at least one receiving communication means are located at remote distances from each other such that long distance telephone rates would apply for a direct telephone call between them.

22. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein the at least one originating Internet translation engine means and the at least one receiving Internet translation engine means are functionally interchangeable, and thus the at least one originating Internet translation engine means can perform all the functions of the at least one receiving Internet translation engine means, and vice versa.

23. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein there are a plurality of originating and receiving Internet translation engines distributed at various dedicated Internet connection sites.

24. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein the at least one originating Internet translation engine means comprises a digital signal processor capable of digitizing an analog signal received via the switched telephone network and compressing the digitized signal for transmission via the Internet.

25. The system as defined in claim 24 wherein the at least one receiving Internet translation means comprises a digital signal processor capable of de-compressing a digitized signal received via the Internet and converting the digitized signal to an analog signal for transmission via the switched telephone network.

26. A method for transmitting voice/sound via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an originating telephone means for transmitting an analog signal representing sound via a first switched telephone network, and providing a receiving telephone means for receiving the signal;

b) providing an originating audio engine means for receiving the signal via the first switched telephone network and transmitting the signal via the Internet via the steps of;

1) initializing all audio engine means hardware including audio engine means receive hardware;

2) activating an audio engine means receive event loop which provides an event notification signal when the signal is being received;

3) waiting for the event notification signal;

4) verifying that the audio engine means hardware is not malfunctioning when the event notification signal is received;

5) disabling malfunctioning audio engine means hardware if verification of the audio engine means hardware fails;

6) verifying that the signal being received is coming from the originating telephone means that is authorized to transmit the signal;

7) obtaining at least one telephone number for the receiving telephone means from the originating telephone means;

8) digitizing the signal;

9) compressing the signal;

10) encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet such that the signal can be transmitted via the Internet; and

11) transmitting the signal via the Internet;

c) providing a receiving audio engine means for receiving the signal via the Internet, de-encapsulating the signal from the at least one Internet packet, converting the signal to an analog signal, and transmitting the signal via a second switched telephone network; and

d) receiving the signal at the receiving telephone means via the second switched telephone network.

27. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the method comprises the additional step of encrypting the signal before transmitting the signal via the Internet.

28. The method as defined in claim 27 wherein the step of verifying that the signal being received is from an authorized audio engine subscriber includes the steps of:

a) obtaining a telephone number of the originating telephone means;

b) comparing the telephone number of the originating telephone means to a predefined list of authorized audio engine subscribers; and

c) requesting a password from the subscriber if the telephone number of the originating telephone means is not on the predefined list, such that audio engine subscribers can use the system from any switched telephone network location.

29. The method as defined in claim 28 wherein the step of obtaining the telephone number of the originating telephone means is determined using automatic number identification (ANI) or DTMF signals.

30. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of obtaining at least one number for a receiving telephone means includes the step of prompting a subscriber at the originating telephone means for additional numbers of receiving telephones such that the signal may be transmitted to a plurality of different receiving telephone means simultaneously.

31. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of encrypting the signal comprises the more specific step of encrypting the signal using an RSA encryption algorithm to protect the confidentiality of the signal.

32. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet such that the signal can be transmitted via the Internet includes the step of encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet which is prepared in accordance with an accepted Internet protocol.

33. The method as defined in claim 32 wherein the step of encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet prepared in accordance with an accepted Internet protocol comprises the more specific step of using Transport Connect Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

34. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of transmitting the signal via the Internet to a receiving audio engine means includes the further step of determining which receiving audio engine means should receive the signal by locating a receiving audio engine means which is preferably a local telephone call from the receiving telephone means.

35. The method as defined in claim 34 wherein the step of locating a receiving audio engine means which is preferably a local telephone call from the receiving telephone means comprises the additional step of locating an audio engine means which can make the least expensive long distance telephone call to the receiving telephone means if no receiving audio engine means can be located which is a local telephone call from the receiving telephone means.

36. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of providing a receiving audio engine means for transmitting the signal from the receiving audio engine means to the receiving telephone means via the second switched telephone network comprises the more specific step of initiating a main audio engine transmit process, said process including the steps of:

a) initializing all audio engine means hardware including audio engine means transmission hardware;

b) activating an audio engine send event loop which provides an event notification signal when a signal is to be transmitted;

c) waiting for the event notification signal;

d) verifying that the audio engine means hardware is not malfunctioning when the event notification signal is received; and

e) disabling malfunctioning audio engine means hardware if verification of the hardware fails.

37. The method as defined in claim 36 wherein the step of activating the audio engine send event loop which provides an event notification signal indicating a signal is to be transmitted from the receiving audio engine means to the receiving telephone means via the switched telephone network includes the further steps of:

a) verifying that the signal being received via the Internet is coming from an authorized audio engine subscriber;

b) reassembling the at least one Internet packet into the signal;

c) obtaining at least one receiving telephone number from the signal;

d) opening a connection to the receiving telephone means via the second switched telephone network;

e) decrypting the signal if the connection to the receiving telephone means is successful; and

f) transmitting the signal to the receiving telephone means.

38. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of obtaining at least one receiving telephone number from the originating telephone means includes the further step of obtaining a plurality of numbers for receiving telephone means provided by the subscriber at the originating telephone means such that the signal is transmitted simultaneously to all the receiving telephone means whose telephone numbers are provided by the subscriber.

39. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of obtaining at least one receiving telephone number from the originating telephone means includes the further step of pre-programming the originating audio engine means such that the signal is transmitted to a plurality of receiving telephone means whose telephone numbers have been previously provided to the originating audio engine means.

40. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the steps of providing a receiving audio engine means for receiving the signal via the Internet and transmitting the signal via a second switched telephone network to a receiving telephone means via the second switched telephone network includes the further step of redirecting the signal from the receiving telephone means to a new receiving telephone means when the system is directed to reroute signal temporarily to a new receiving telephone means.

41. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of providing an originating telephone means for transmitting a signal via a first switched telephone network and providing an originating audio engine means for receiving the signal via the first switched telephone network and transmitting the signal via the Internet comprises the further step of creating a virtual telephone means such that a subscriber using the originating telephone means calls a mapped telephone number of the originating audio engine means and the receiving audio engine means automatically transmits all signals transmitted to the mapped telephone number to a predefined receiving telephone means via the Internet.

42. A method for transmitting data from a device which transmits data via a switched telephone network, but which does not encapsulate data within Internet packets for transmission via the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an originating communication engine means which communicates via a first switched telephone network;

b) providing a transmitting Internet engine means for receiving data from the originating communication engine means via the first switched telephone network and for transmitting said data via the Internet by the steps of;

1) verifying that the data comes from the originating communication engine means that is authorized to transmit the data;

2) scanning and deactivating malfunctioning originating communication engine means hardware;

3) obtaining a destination telephone number from the at least one originating communication engine means;

4) digitizing the data;

5) compressing the data;

6) encapsulating the data within at least one Internet packet using an Internet protocol such that the at least one Internet packet is suitable for transmission via the Internet; and

7) transmitting the at least one Internet packet via the Internet;

c) providing a receiving Internet engine means for receiving the at least one Internet packet from the Internet, de-encapsulating the data from the at least one Internet packet, and for transmitting said data via a second switched telephone network; and

d) receiving the data at the receiving communication engine means from the receiving Internet engine means.

43. The method as defined in step 42 wherein the step of transmitting the data via the Internet includes the step of encapsulating the data within at least one Internet packet in accordance with an Internet protocol such that the signal can be transmitted via the Internet.

44. A method for transmitting voice/sound via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an originating telephone means for transmitting an analog signal representing sound via a first switched telephone network;

b) providing an originating audio engine means for receiving the signal via the first switched telephone network, verifying that the signal comes from the originating telephone means that is authorized to transmit the signal, scanning and deactivating malfunctioning originating audio engine means hardware, obtaining a destination telephone number from the originating telephone means, digitizing the signal, compressing the signal, encapsulating the signal within at least one Internet packet using an Internet protocol such that the at least one Internet packet is suitable for transmission via the Internet, and transmitting the at least one Internet packet via the Internet; and

c) providing a receiving computer means for receiving the at least one Internet packet via the Internet, de-encapsulating to recover the signal, decompressing and converting back to the analog signal and audibly playing the analog signal.