Internet phone protocol

• US 6,618,369 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Hyeon Cheol, Kim, Jung Hyun, Huh, Jung Sun, Jeong, Man Su
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Jamal A.
• Application Number:
  US09/405,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 370/358, 370/400, 370/401, 370/252, 370/389, 379/88.17, 379/88.18
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 7/006 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

Abstract

An Internet phone protocol including a physical hierarchy for providing a mechanic and functional units for connecting, maintaining and releasing between linking media; a device driver hierarchy for defining driving characteristics of each electric and mechanic unit of the physical hierarchy; a real time operating system (RTOS) programming hierarchy for controlling an overall system; a user datagram protocol (UDP)/Internet protocol (IP) hierarchy for defining characteristics for processing a packet stream in packet change; an interface hierarchy for receiving a user'"'"'s intention to a system; a voice/real-time transport protocol (VOICE/RTP) hierarchy for linking a voice channel between Internet phones; and an independent multimedia office communication system protocol (referred to as MOCS protocol hereinafter) hierarchy for rendering Internet phones to store in exchange status information to each other for independent and direct linking, by which one Internet phone indenpendently and directly transfers its own status information to all of the other Internet phones connected to the LAN, so that it can be directly linked to a desired Internet phone without a call server.

Claims

1. A method of providing an Internet phone protocol, comprising:

providing a physical hierarchy for linking, maintaining and releasing between linking media;

providing a device driver hierarchy for defining driving characteristics of each electric and mechanic unit of the physical hierarchy;

providing a real time operating system programming hierarchy for controlling an overall system;

providing a user datagram protocol (UDP)/Internet protocol (IP) hierarchy for defining characteristics for processing a packet stream in packet change;

providing an interface hierarchy for receiving a user'"'"'s intention to a system;

providing a voice/real-time transport protocol (VOICE/RTP) hierarchy for linking a voice channel between Internet phones; and

providing an independent multimedia office communication system protocol hierarchy for rendering Internet phones to store in exchange status information to each other for independent and direct linking.

2. A method of providing an Internet phone protocol comprising:

providing a media access control header positioned at the uppermost place for setting a network address of a first Internet phone sending a message and a network address of a second Internet phone receiving the message;

providing an IP header (Internet protocol header) for setting an IP address and a UDP of the second Internet phone receiving the message;

providing a frame having a frame check sequence (FCS) for confirming whether a content of the first Internet phone is accurately transferred to the second Internet phone without an error; and

providing a status message header having an interphone number, status information and error information for establishing a direct link between the first and second Internet phones.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the status message header comprises:

a message type region positioned at the uppermost place for setting a message type required for a call control;

a region for setting a device type for discriminating a kind of each terminal connected to a LAN;

a group ID region for allocating a group for receiving a phone from an external source, like in a key phone;

a station ID region for setting a number on each terminal for intercommunication;

a status region for storing a current status information of each terminal; and

an IP address region for storing an IP address of each terminal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the status message includes a 1-byte message type region for discriminating a message required for the call control and a 8-byte region for storing other terminal information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the status message header enables the direct link between the first and second Internet phones without using a call server.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the network address is an Ethernet address.

8. The Internet phone of claim 5, wherein the MOCS call control message comprises:

a byte region positioned at an uppermost place for setting a message type required for a call control;

a byte region for setting an interphone number (Source ID) of an Internet phone for transferring a next message;

a byte region for setting an interphone number of an Internet phone for receiving the next message;

a byte region for setting a dialing number besides the interphone communication;

a byte region for informing the second Internet phone of a cause if there is an error or linking is not made;

a byte region for transferring a current status information of the first Internet phone to all other Internet phones on the network;

a byte region for informing all of the other Internet phones on the network of the interphone number of a third Internet phone as an additional function such as a multi-party conference-set up or a forward; and

a byte region for informing the second Internet phone of an RTP (real-time transport protocol) port number of the first Internet phone to open a direct voice channel after the call operation is finished.

7. An Internet phone comprising:

means for providing a media access control header positioned at the uppermost place for setting a network address of a first Internet phone sending a message over a network and a network address of a second Internet phone receiving the message;

means for providing an IP header (Internet protocol header) for setting an IP address and a UDP of the second Internet phone receiving the message;

means for providing a frame having a frame check sequence (FCS) for confirming whether a content of the first Internet phone is accurately transferred to the second Internet phone without an error; and

means for providing an MOCS call control message having an interphone number, status information and error information for establishing an direct link between the first and second Internet phones.

9. The Internet phone of claim 7, wherein the status message header enables the direct link between the first and second Internet phones without using a call server.

10. The Internet phone of claim 7, wherein the network address is an eithernet address.

11. An Internet phone transfer method for linking, comprising:

transmitting status information from one of a plurality of Internet phones on a network to all of the other Internet phones connected to the LAN whenever a status of the one Internet phone is changed;

storing status information of other Internet phones as received by each of the plurality of Internet phones and transmitting a setup message directly to a receiving Internet phone desired for connection, if the receiving Internet phone is in a feasible status for linking; and

transmitting from the receiving the Internet phone a connection message directly to the Internet phone that transmitted the setup message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a communication link is established between the receiving Internet phone and the Internet phone that sent the setup message without using a call server on the LAN.

13. An Internet phone protocol transfer method comprising:

a step in which when a first Internet phone changes from an on hook state to an off hook state for linking to a second Internet phone, status information (‘

busy’

) of the first Internet phone at the time is provided to all other Internet phones connected to the LAN, and a dial tone is generated at the first Internet phone until buttons of an Interphone number of the first Internet phone are pressed down;

a step in which when the buttons of the Interphone number are pressed down, a setup message is transferred to a second Internet phone to request the establishment of a link between the first and second Internet phones, and then, the second Internet phone rings if the second Internet phone is in a feasible status for linking, and simultaneously, the second Internet phone transfers a response message to the first Internet phone, while if the second Internet phone is not in the feasible status for linking, the second Internet phone transfers a reject message to the first Internet phone;

a step in which the first Internet phone received the response message rings back tone, and the second Internet phone transfers a connection message to the first Internet phone, and simultaneously informs all other Internet phones connected to the LAN of its status information (‘

busy’

), so that the second Internet phone cannot be linked to any other Internet other than the first Internet phone;

a step in which when the second Internet phone is returned to the on hook state from the off hook state, the second Internet phone transfers a disconnection message to the first Internet phone, while informing the other Internet phones connected to the LAN of its status information (‘

idle’

) so that the other Internet phones connected to the LAN can recognize that the second Internet phone is in a feasible status for linking; and

a step in which, upon receipt of the disconnection message from the second Internet phone, the first Internet phone generates a guard tone to inform the user of the disconnection of the link, and when the first Internet phone is returned to the on hook state from the off hook state, the first Internet phone informs all of the other Internet phones connected to the LAN of its status information (‘

idle’

) to indicate that it is in a feasible status for linking, wherein the link between the first and second Internet phones is achieved without using a call server on the LAN.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a communication link is established between the first and second Internet phone without using a call server.

15. A method of establishing a communication link between a plurality of Internet phones connected to a local area network (LAN), comprising:

transferring a status of a prescribed Internet phone from the prescribed Internet phone to the other ones of the plurality of Internet phones;

receiving and storing the status of the prescribed Internet phone at the age of the other ones of the plurality of Internet phones;

transmitting a setup message from an initiating one the plurality of Internet phones to at least one receiving Internet phone if the status of the at least one receiving Internet phone is in an available state; and

transmitting a connection message from the at least one receiving Internet phone to the initiating Internet phone upon receiving the setup message from the initiating Internet phone, wherein the communication link between the initiating one of the plurality of Internet phones to the receiving one of the plurality of Internet phones is achieved without using a call server.

16. A method of establishing a communication link between first and second Internet phones connected to a local area network (LAN), comprising:

transferring a status of a first Internet phone from the first Internet phone to a second Internet phone over the LAN;

receiving and storing the status of the first Internet phone at the second Internet phone;

transmitting a setup message from the second Internet phone to the first Internet phone if the status of the first Internet phone is in an available state; and

transmitting a connection message directly from the first Internet phone to the second Internet phone upon receiving the setup message from the second Internet phone, wherein the communication link between the first Internet phone to the second Internet phone is achieved without using a call server.