Bulk calling using voice over IP telephony

• US 6,507,647 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mandalia, Baiju D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/275,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221-1-2, 379/229, 379/230, 379/265.02, 379/265.04, 379/265.11, 379/308, 379/309, 370/352, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A system for providing bulk calling over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising: an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony gateway for receiving at least one PSTN line; a database connected to the gateway for providing telephone customer information; one or more client information processing units, each unit capable of being linked to at least one IP telephone; and local area network connecting each of the client information processing units with the gateway. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method and computer readable storage medium that corresponds to the above system.

Claims

1. A system for providing bulk calling over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony gateway coupled to at least one point-to-point PSTN connection for bulk calling;

a database connected to the gateway for providing telephone customer information including telephone number used for bulk calling;

one or more client infornation processing units, each unit capable of being linked to at least one IP telephone;

a bulk dialing application running on at least one client information processing unit for commanding the gateway to dial a number in the database to connect the IP telephone to a telephone subscriber whose number is dialed over the point-to-point PSTN connection; and

a local area network connecting each of the client information processing units with the gateway so that the IP telephone connects to the gateway using voice over IP telephony and the gateway translates the voice over IP telephony to the point-to-point PSTN connection when connected using the bulk dialing application wherein the IP telephony gateway uses AIN architecture as an adjunct to the Service Control Point (SCP) inside the point-to-point PSTN connection.

2. The system for providing bulk calling in claim 1, wherein the gateway further comprising:

a means for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available and updating the database with the status of the subscribe'"'"'s availability.

3. The system for providing bulk calling in claim 2, wherein the means for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, includes determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is busy.

4. The system for providing bulk calling in claim 2, wherein the means for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, includes determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is forwarded.

5. The system for providing bulk calling in claim 2, wherein the means for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, includes determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is not being answered.

6. The system for providing bulk calling in claim 1, further comprising:

a connection from a subscriber to a point-to-point PSTN trunk on the IP telephony gateway.

15. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 5 wherein the instruction of running a bulk dialing application further comprises the instruction of:

determining if the telephone subscriber called is available and updating the database with the status of the subscriber'"'"'s availability.

7. A system for providing bulk calling over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony gateway coupled to at least one point-to-point PSTN connection for bulk calling with one or more telephone subscribers coupled to the point-to-point PSTN connection;

the gateway adapted to be coupled to a network for communicating with one or more operator units having IP telephony phones attached thereto;

a database connected to the gateway for providing telephone customer information including telephone numbers used for bulk calling; and

a bulk dialing application running on the gateway to dial a number in the database to connect at least one of the IP telephones to a telephone subscriber whose number is dialed over point-to-point PSTN connection so that the IP telephony phones connects to the gateway using voice over IP telephony on the network and the gateway translates the voice over IP telephony to the point-to-point PSTN connection when connected using the bulk dialing application wherein the IP telephony gateway uses AIN architecture as an adjunct to the Service Control Point (SCP) inside the point-to-point PSTN connection.

8. A method for providing bulk calling over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) comprising the steps of:

coupling at least one point-to-point PSTN connection to an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony gateway for bulk calling;

connecting a database to the gateway for providing telephone customer information including telephone numbers used for bulk calling;

coupling a local area network to connect at least one client information processing unit to the gateway;

running a bulk dialing application on at least one client information processing unit for commanding the gateway to dial a number in the database to connect the IP telephone to a telephone subscriber whose number is dialed over the point-to-point PSTN connection; and

coupling at least one IP telephone to at least one client information processing unit so that the IP telephone connects to the gateway using voice over IP telephony and the gateway translates the voice over IP telephony to the point-to-point PSTN connection when connected using the bulk dialing application wherein the coupling of the IP telephony gateway includes coupling the IP telephony gateway which uses AIN architecture as an adjunct to the Service Control Point (SCP) inside the point-to-point PSTN connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the coupling of the IP telephony further comprising:

connecting a subscriber to a point-to-point PSTN trunk on the IP telephony gateway.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the step of running a bulk dialing application further comprises the step of:

determining if the telephone subscriber called is available and updating the database with the status of the subscriber'"'"'s availability.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, further comprises the step of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is busy.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, further comprises the step of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is forwarded.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, further comprises the step of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is not being answered.

14. A computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for providing bulk calling over a public switched telephone network (PSTN), said program instructions comprising instructions for:

coupling at least one point-to-point PSTN connection to an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony gateway for bulk calling;

connecting a database to the gateway for providing telephone customer information including telephone numbers used for bulk calling;

coupling a local area network to connect at least one client information processing unit to the gateway;

running a bulk dialing application on at least one client information processing unit for commanding the gateway to dial a number in the database to connect the IP telephone to a telephone subscriber whose number is dialed over the point-to-point PSTN connection; and

coupling at least one IP telephone to at least one client information processing unit so that the IP telephone connects to the gateway using voice over IP telephony and the gateway translates the voice over IP telephony to the point-to-point PSTN connection when connected using the bulk dialing application wherein the instruction of coupling of the IP telephony gateway includes the IP telephony gateway which uses AIN architecture as an adjunct to the Service Control Point (SCP) inside the point-to-point PSTN connection.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the instruction of coupling of the IP telephony further comprising the instruction of:

connecting a subscriber to a point-to-point PSTN trunk on the IP telephony gateway.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising the instructions of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is busy.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising the instruction of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is forwarded.

19. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 16, further comprising the instruction of, wherein the instruction for determining if the telephone subscriber called is available, further comprises the instruction of:

determining if the telephone subscriber'"'"'s number dialed is not being answered.