Managing bandwidth on demand for internet protocol messaging with capability for transforming telephony calls from one media type to another media type
First Claim
1. A method for assuring quality of service (QoS) for data network telephony (DNT) calls between agent stations each having a personal computer (PC) and a telephone, comprising steps of:
- (a) connecting the PC at each agent station to a wide area network (WAN) and to the telephone at each agent station in a manner to allow both DNT calls at the agent station PC and conventional calls at the agent station telephone to be processed at the telephone;
(b) monitoring bandwidth at the agent station on an existing DNT call between the two telephones at the agent stations over the wide area network (WAN);
(c) comparing available bandwidth to a prestored threshold value;
(d) in the event that available bandwidth is less than the prestored threshold value, informing at least one of the participants to the call of an impending switch from DNT to conventional PSTN; and
(e) establishing a conventional telephone call at the agent station via a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) between the telephones available to the participants in the DNT call, and terminating the DNT call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for assuring quality-of service for Data Network Telephone (DNT) calls, such as Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) calls has software for monitoring established DNT calls for adequate bandwidth. A threshold bandwidth, or parameter value related to bandwidth is stored, and tests are periodically made on the DNT call path and compared to the threshold. If the available bandwidth falls below the threshold, an alternative conventional call, such as a PSTN or ISDN call is made to replace the DNT call. Once the alternative call is established, the original call is ended. After the original call is ended, tests of the DNT path continue, and, in some cases, if adequate DNT bandwidth becomes available, the call is switched back to DNT. In some cases, alerts are posted for call participants, and provision is made for approval by one or both participants in a call for a switch in service type to be made.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for assuring quality of service (QoS) for data network telephony (DNT) calls between agent stations each having a personal computer (PC) and a telephone, comprising steps of:
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(a) connecting the PC at each agent station to a wide area network (WAN) and to the telephone at each agent station in a manner to allow both DNT calls at the agent station PC and conventional calls at the agent station telephone to be processed at the telephone;
(b) monitoring bandwidth at the agent station on an existing DNT call between the two telephones at the agent stations over the wide area network (WAN);
(c) comparing available bandwidth to a prestored threshold value;
(d) in the event that available bandwidth is less than the prestored threshold value, informing at least one of the participants to the call of an impending switch from DNT to conventional PSTN; and
(e) establishing a conventional telephone call at the agent station via a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) between the telephones available to the participants in the DNT call, and terminating the DNT call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A telephone/computer system comprising:
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a telephone at an agent station coupled by a conventional telephony channel to public switch telephony network (PSTN);
a multi-media computer at the agent station connected to a wide area network (WAN) processing Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls, including a sound card having input and output ports connected to a speaker line of the telephone; and
control code executing on the agent station computer adapted for monitoring bandwidth for a DNT call;
wherein the control code, upon determining bandwidth for an existing DNT call connected to the telephone at the agent station to be less than a prestored value, causes an alternative conventional telephony call to be established through the PSTN to replace the DNT call, terminating the DNT call, and the multimedia computer causes the alternative call to be placed via the telephone and conventional telephone channel to the PSTN. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A call center comprising:
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a plurality of agent stations, each agent station having a telephone connected by telephone channel to a telephony switching apparatus, the telephony switching apparatus connected to a public switched telephony network (PSTN);
a multi-media computer at selected ones of the agent stations, each of the multi-media computers connected on a local area network, and includes a sound card having microphone and speaker ports connected to a speaker line of telephones at the selected agent stations;
a processor connected on the LAN running a computer-telephony integration (CTI) application, also connected to the telephony switch by a CTI link;
a LAN connection to the Internet; and
control code executing on the multi-media computers at selected ones of the agent stations adapted for monitoring bandwidth for a Data Network Telephone (DNT) call over the Internet;
wherein the control code, upon determining bandwidth for an existing DNT call to be less than a prestored value, causes an alternative conventional telephony call to be established through the PSTN to replace the DNT call, terminating the DNT call, and the multimedia computer causes the alternative call to be placed via the telephone and conventional telephone channel to the PSTN. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification