Techniques for providing telephonic communications over the internet

• US 6,584,094 B2
• Filed: 09/12/1996
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Specht, Dennis W., Pratap, Mahendra, Maroulis, Serafim
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US08/713,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/410, 370/522, 370/524, 370/230, 370/389, 370/352, 370/356, 370/355, 379/229-232, 379/900
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

Improved methods for providing a voice communications path over the internet. According to a first embodiment, a first PBX coupled to a first internet gateway device determines whether or not a second PBX has access to a second internet gateway device and, if so, the second PBX sends the IP (internet protocol) address of the second internet gateway device to the first PBX, and the first PBX sends the IP address of the first internet gateway device to the second PBX, over the PSTN (public switched telephone network) and/or over a network signalling channel. The first and second internet gateway devices then set up a voice communications path over the internet between the first and second PBXes.

Claims

1. A method for providing a voice communications path over an internet, including the steps of:

(a) a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX), coupled to a first internet gateway device, determining whether a second PBX has access to a second internet gateway device;

(b) and, if the first PBX determines that the second PBX has access to the second internet gateway device, the first PBX sending an IP (internet protocol) address of the first internet gateway device to the second PBX and the second PBX sending an IP address of the second internet gateway device to the first PBX; and

(c) establishing the voice communications path over the internet, wherein the IP addresses of the first and second internet gateway devices are sent over at least one of a PSTN (public switched telephone network) and a network signaling channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the first and second internet gateway devices setting up the voice communications path over the internet between the first and second PBXes.

3. A method of providing a voice communications path over an internet for use with a system that includes a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) coupled to a first internet gateway device and to a first POTS (plain old telephone set) telephone, wherein the first PBX is equipped to establish a communications path with a second PBX over at least one of a PSTN (public switched telephone network) and a network signalling channel, and wherein the second PBX is coupled to a second POTS telephone, the method CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of:

(a) in response to a telephone number entered into the first POTS telephone and corresponding to the second PBX, the first PBX establishing a signalling path to the second PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(b) the first PBX constructing a request packet which includes an IP (internet protocol) address to the first PBX, an IP address of the first internet gateway device, and the telephone number dialed into the first POTS telephone;

(c) the first PBX sending the request packet to the second PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(d) in response to a receipt of the request packet, the second PBX determining whether it is coupled to a second internet gateway device;

(e) if the second PBX is coupled to the second internet gateway device, the second PBX constructing a response packet including an IP address of the second internet gateway device, and sending the response packet to the first PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(f) upon receipt of the response packet, the first PBX sending a reservation signal to the first internet gateway device;

(g) in response to the reservation signal, the first internet gateway device requesting the internet to provide the voice communications path between the first internet gateway device and the second internet gateway device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the voice communications path of step (g) further includes the first PBX and the second PBX, in addition to the first internet gateway device, the internet, and the second internet gateway device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the voice communications path includes two internet channels between the first internet gateway device and the second internet gateway device, and allows voice communications between the first POTS telephone and the second POTS telephone.

6. A method for providing a communications path between a first POTS (plain old telephone set) telephone and a second POTS telephone over an internet, the method for use with a system that includes a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) coupled to a first internet gateway device and to the first POTS telephone, wherein the first PBX is equipped to establish a communications path with a second PBX over at least one of a PSTN (public switched telephone network) and a network signalling channel, and wherein the second PBX is coupled to the second POTS telephone;

the method CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of;

(a) in response to a telephone number entered into the first POTS telephone and corresponding to the second PBX, the first PBX establishing a communications path to the second PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(b) the first PBX constructing a request packet which includes an IP (internet protocol) address of the first PBX, an IP address of the first internet gateway device, and the telephone number dialed into the first POTS telephone;

(c) the first PBX sending the request packet to the second PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(d) in response to a receipt of the request packet, the second PBX determining whether it is coupled to a second internet gateway device;

(e) if the second PBX is coupled to the second internet gateway device, the second PBX constructing a response packet including an IP address of the second internet gateway device, and then sending the response packet to the first PBX over at least one of the PSTN and the network signalling channel;

(f) upon receipt of the response packet, the first PBX sending a reservation signal to the first internet gateway device;

(g) in response to the reservation signal sent by the first PBX, the first internet gateway device requesting the internet to provide two internet channels between the first internet gateway device and the second internet gateway device, wherein the two internet channels are used to provide telephonic communications between the first POTS telephone and the second POTS telephone.

7. A method of providing a voice communication path between a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and a second PBX, comprising:

establishing a first communications path between said first PBX and said second PBX using at least one of a PSTN (public switched telephone network) and a network signaling channel;

communicating an Internet Protocol (IP) address of said first PBX from said first PBX to said second PBX via said first communications path; and

establishing a second communications path in response to said first PBX receiving an IP address of said second PBX via said first communications path, said second communications path comprising an internet path for enabling said voice communication path.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first communications path is the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first communications path is the network signalling channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said network signalling channel carries in-band signalling.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said network signalling channel carries out-of-band signalling.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said network signalling channel carries at least one of:

a common channeling signal 7 (CCS7);

a Digital Private Network Signalling System (DPNSS); and

a QSIG channel.

13. A method of providing a voice communication path between a first Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and a second PBX, comprising:

receiving, at the first PBX, a telephone number from a first POTS (plain old telephone set) telephone;

constructing a request packet comprising an internet protocol (IP) address of the first PBX, an IP address of a first internet gateway device, and the telephone number received from the first POTS telephone;

communicating the request packet via at least one of a PSTN (public switched telephone network) and a network signaling channel, said request packet adapted for delivery to the second PBX;

receiving, via at least one of the PSTN and the network signaling channel, a response packet including an IP address of a second internet gateway device; and

sending a reservation signal to the first internet gateway device, said reservation signal adapted to cause the first internet gateway device to request an internet to provide two internet channels between the first internet gateway device and the second internet gateway device, wherein the two internet channels are used to provide telephonic communications between the first POTS telephone and a second POTS telephone associated with the second PBX.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said network signaling channel carries out-of-band signaling.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said network signaling channel carries at least one of a common channeling signal 7 (CCS7), a Digital Private Network Signaling System (DPNSS), and a QSIG channel.