Network-based method and apparatus for initiating and completing a telephone call via the internet

• US 6,594,257 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Natarajan, Gautham, Kearney, Timothy, Witte, Robert E., Doshi, Rajesh R., Ricciardi, Dominic M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US09/656,829
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352-356, 370/400, 370/401, 709/200-206, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 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: H04M 7/1255 where the switching fabric and the switching logic are decomposed such as in Media Gateway Control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A network-based method for initiating and completing a voice telephony call via the Internet comprises the steps of receiving call completion data at a voice/data network gateway of the public switched telephone network from an Internet application web server, which may comprise an Internet service provider or other entity serving Internet users via an Internet application web server, and transmitting call completion data to telecommunications switches for connecting an Internet user to a telephone of an application agent associated with the Internet server. The application agent may be associated with a 1-8YY toll-free number or other national or international telephone number. Call progress data is translated into data communications protocol format to be returned to the Internet server where it may be displayed to the user. Preferably, the link between the Internet application web server and the voice/data network gateway comprises a telecommunications data link, for example, an ISDN data link. Once a voice telephone call is established between a user and an application agent, other parties may be added to the call via a conference bridge. Other services and features that may not be available or implementable in a customer premises based system but are in a network-based solution comprise tone, video, facsimile, video, modem, speech recognition and other features.

Claims

1. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data network gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said method comprises a synchronous request response.

2. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data network gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said method comprises a synchronous request response.

3. A method at a web server of communication between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway of status relative to the request function wherein said method comprises an autonomous event response.

4. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data network gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises an initialization and termination function.

5. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises a session management function.

6. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises a call management function.

12. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said call management function comprises adjusting transmission gain on a leg of a call link to one of a calling party or to a called party.

7. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises an announcement function.

8. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises a conferencing function.

9. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing by the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises a signaling data monitoring and collection function.

10. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing by the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises an event notification function.

11. A method at a web server of communicating between a voice/data network gateway and the web server in a public telecommunications network to control the initiation and completion of a voice telephony call comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the web server to the voice/data network gateway generated by a function call, the function call identifying a particular function and requesting a response;

directing the voice/data network gateway to establish at least a first link and a second link, said first and second links being connected to complete said voice telephony call; and

receiving a status response from the voice/data gateway indicative of status relative to the request function wherein said function comprises a socket event notification function.