Method and apparatus for providing telephony over a computer network

• US 6,493,325 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hjálmtysson, Gisli, Jagadish, Hosagrahar V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHULTZ, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US09/304,043
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/522, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 709/200, 709/221, 709/218, 709/245, 379/70, 379/71, 379/72, 379/75, 379/77, 379/74, 379/88.12, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.26, 379/88.25, 379/212, 379/216, 379/211
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• 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: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• 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 7/0072 Speech codec negotiation H04L65/1069 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

A method and system facilitate telephony over computer based networks. The parties to a telephone call need not have the same telephone application software capabilities before the call is initiated nor does the network have to provide standard signaling. Instead, in accordance with the method and system one of the parties defines to the other party the encoding/decoding technique to be used in the processing of the call. The definition can be either by supplying a copy of the application to the other party or by providing the other party with an indirect reference to where the application can be obtained.

Claims

1. A method for adapting a computer network to provide telephony, the method comprising:

receiving, at a gateway, a call from a telephone intended for a computer network telephone;

coding said received call at said gateway using a first coding technique;

transmitting to the computer network telephone information identifying a technique for decoding a call coded by said first coding technique, said information identifying the technique for decoding including an indirect reference to a location storing said decoding technique program, said location being remote from said destination; and

transmitting the coded call to the computer network telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a response from the computer network telephone wherein the response is coded using said first coding technique.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said indirect reference includes a pointer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said indirect reference includes a URL.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said information identifying the technique for decoding alternatively includes a program for performing said decoding.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said indirect reference includes a pointer.

6. A method for adapting a computer network to provide telephony, the method comprising:

receiving at a gateway, a telephone call encoded according to a first technique;

receiving, at said gateway, information identifying a technique for decoding said telephone call, said information identifying the technique for decoding including an indirect reference to a location storing said decoding technique program, said location being remote from said gateway;

decoding said call using said information identifying said technique for decoding; and

forwarding said call to a telephone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said encoding telephone call is received from a computer network telephone.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, information identifying said first coding technique;

receiving, at the gateway, a response from the telephone;

encoding the response in accordance with said first technique; and

transmitting the coded response to the computer network telephone.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said indirect reference includes a URL.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein said information identifying the technique for decoding alternatively includes a program for performing said decoding.

12. A method for adapting a computer network to provide telephony, the method comprising:

receiving, at a gateway, a call set up request from a computer network telephone; and

receiving, at the gateway, a notice relating to a coding technique and a decoding technique to be employed during the call.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

loading said decoding technique at the gateway in accordance with the received notice.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting to the computer network telephone a notice relating to said decoding technique to be used by the gateway.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving call information from the computer network telephone, coded to be compatible with said decoding technique.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said notice includes an indirect reference to software for performing encoding in accordance with said coding technique.

17. A method for adapting a computer network to provide telephony, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a gateway, a call set-up request from a telephone;

receiving, at the gateway, a coding/decoding protocol to be used during the call;

establishing, between the gateway and a destination computer network telephone, said coding/decoding protocol; and

coding the call from the telephone to the computer network telephone using the established coding/decoding protocol.

18. A method for establishing a telephone call over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

sending an invitation message toward an intended recipient, the invitation message including a reference to a location containing a coding/decoding mechanism to be used in transacting a telephone call with a first party, said location being remote from said intended recipient;

receiving a call from the recipient over the computer network, the call being encoded in accordance with the coding/decoding mechanism referred to in the invitation message; and

transmitting toward the intended recipient over the computer network call message packets coded in accordance with the coding/decoding mechanism referred to in the invitation message in the call involving the intended recipient.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said invitation message comprises an e-mail message.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said sending the invitation message comprises sending the message over the computer network over which the call is to be transacted.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said sending the invitation message comprises sending the message over another computer network.

22. A call management method, comprising, at a transmitter:

during a call initialization, transmitting to a receiver program instructions representing a coding/decoding algorithm to be used at the transmitter;

encoding call data according to said coding/decoding algorithm; and

transmitting the encoded call data to the receiver.

23. The call management method of claim 22, further comprising, at the receiver:

executing the program instructions to decode the encoded call data.

24. A call management method, comprising, at a receiver:

receiving from a transmitter an identifier of a network location where program instructions representing a coding/decoding algorithm to be used during a call are to be found;

downloading the program instructions from the network location; and

executing the program instructions to decode encoded call data received from the transmitter.

25. The call management method of claim 24, further comprising, at the transmitter:

encoding the call data according to said coding decoding algorithm.