Domain name server architecture for translating telephone number domain names into network protocol addresses

• US 6,594,254 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Net2Phone, Inc. (IDT Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NetSpeak Corporation (IDT Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Keith C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/911,519
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/354, 370/356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/475, 370/237, 370/401, 370/230, 379/88.17, 379/201, 379/210, 379/219, 379/220, 379/224, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/202, 709/230, 455/415, 455/461, 340/5.8
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for translating a domain name representing a telephone number into a network protocol address includes a domain name server architecture containing logic responsive to a telephone number domain name, the telephone number domain name representing the country code, area code, exchange, or subscriber number of a subscriber apparatus telephone number. The logic resolves the telephone number domain name into a network protocol address usable in ultimately initiating a communication with the subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched network. In one embodiment, a hierarchical tree of domain names and subdomain names representing the country codes, area codes and exchange codes of telephone numbers is constructed to assist in the process of resolving domain names to network protocol addresses.

Claims

1. A method for resolving data representing a telephone number of subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched communication network into a network protocol address on a packet-switched data network, the method comprising:

A. receiving a telephone number domain name derived at least in part from a reordered portion of the telephone number;

B. resolving the telephone number domain name into a network protocol address; and

C. supplying the network protocol address to the source;

wherein the telephone number comprises a plurality of segments, and the reordered portion comprises the segments in a reverse order while maintaining the number sequence of each segment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the telephone number domain name represents one of the carrier, country code, area code, exchange and subscriber number segment of the telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone number domain name comprises a segment representing a carrier domain name and step B comprises:

B.1 resolving a carrier domain name into a network protocol address of a carrier name server;

B.2 forwarding at least a portion of the telephone number domain name to the carrier name server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone number domain name further comprises a country code domain name and wherein step B further comprises:

B.1 resolving the country code domain name into a network protocol address of a country code domain name server;

B.2 forwarding the country code domain name to the country code domain name server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone number domain name further comprises an area code domain name and wherein step B further comprises:

B.1 resolving the area code domain name into an network protocol address of an area code domain name server;

B.2 forwarding the area code domain name to an area code domain name server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone number domain name further comprises an exchange domain name and wherein step B further comprises:

B.1 resolving the exchange domain name into a network protocol address of an exchange domain name server; and

B.2 forwarding the exchange domain name to the exchange domain name server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone domain name comprises data representing the telephone number.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the telephone domain name further comprises data representing a carrier domain name.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the network protocol address comprises an Internet protocol address.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone number comprises area code, exchange, and subscriber segments, each segment having a sequence of at least one number, and wherein the telephone number domain name comprises the segments of a telephone number in reverse order but with the number sequence of each segment maintained.

10. A domain name server apparatus for use on a computer network, the server apparatus accessible by one or more source client processes executing on the computer network, the domain name server apparatus comprising:

a processor for manipulating data;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing data;

connection logic, coupled to the processor and the memory, configured to couple the domain name server to a computer network;

at least one domain name stored in the memory, the domain name having associated therewith a network protocol address and having a portion thereof derived at least in part from a reordered portion of a telephone number;

resolution logic, responsive to at least a portion of a telephone number domain name received from a source, for generating a network protocol address associated with the portion of the telephone number domain name and for supplying the generated network protocol address to the source;

wherein the telephone number comprises a plurality of segments, and the reordered portion comprises the segments in a reverse order while maintaining the number sequence of each segment.

11. The domain name server apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of domain name labels stored in memory, each label having associated therewith a network protocol address, each domain name label representing at least one of the carrier, country code, area code, exchange and subscriber number segment of a telephone number.

12. The domain name server apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of domain name labels stored in memory, each domain name label having associated therewith a network protocol address, each domain name label representing country code data of a telephone number.

13. The domain name server apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of domain name labels stored in memory, each domain name label having associated therewith a network protocol address, each domain name label representing area code data of a telephone number.

14. The domain name server apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of domain name labels stored in memory, each domain name label having associated therewith a network protocol address, each domain name label representing exchange number data of a telephone number.

22. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the telephone number comprises area code, exchange, and subscriber segments, each segment having a sequence of at least one number, and wherein the telephone number domain name comprises the segments of a telephone number in reverse order but with the number sequence of each segment maintained.

15. A computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer system operatively coupled over a packet-switched data network to one or more executing tasks, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having program code embodied in the medium for enabling the translation of data representing the telephone number of subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched network into a network protocol address, the telephone number comprising area code, exchange, and subscriber segments, each segment having a sequence of at least one number, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving a telephone number domain name from a source, the telephone number domain comprising the segments of a telephone number in reverse order but with the number sequence of each segment maintained;

program code responsive to at least a portion of the telephone number domain name for generating a network protocol address; and

program code, responsive to the generated network protocol address, for forwarding the network protocol address to the source.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code for generating a network protocol address comprises:

program code for storing in the computer system, at least one domain name having associated therewith a network protocol address, the domain name representing at least one of the carrier, country code, area code, exchange, and subscriber number data of a telephone number.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code for generating a network protocol address comprises:

program code for storing in the computer system, a plurality of domain names, each having associated therewith a network protocol address, each of the domain names representing country code data of a telephone number.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code for generating a network protocol address comprises:

program code for storing in the computer system, a plurality of domain names, each having associated therewith a network protocol address, each of the domain names representing area code data of a telephone number.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code for generating a network protocol address comprises:

program code for storing in the computer system, a plurality of domain names, each having associated therewith a network protocol address, each of the domain names representing exchange data of a telephone number.

20. A system for facilitating communication between processes executing on a packet-switched communication network, the system comprising:

a domain name server operatively coupled to the packet-switched network, the domain name server comprising resolution logic configured to receive, from a source process, a telephone number domain name derived at least in part from a reordered portion of a telephone number, and configured to generate a network protocol address associated with at least a portion of the telephone number domain name, wherein the telephone number comprises a plurality of segments, and the reordered portion comprises the segments in a reverse order while maintaining the number sequence of each segment; and

a gateway server, operatively coupled to the packet-switched data network and the circuit-switched communication network, the gateway server addressable by the network protocol address and comprising logic configured to initiate a communication link between subscriber apparatus on the circuit-switched communication network and the source process on the packet-switched data network.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the telephone number comprises area code, exchange, and subscriber segments, each segment having a sequence of at least one number, and wherein the telephone number domain name comprises the segments of a telephone number in reverse order but with the number sequence of each segment maintained.