Method and apparatus for accessing a telephone network from the internet

• US 6,693,893 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ehlinger, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/123,234
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 379/93.09, 379/93.18, 379/93.15, 379/93.34, 379/100.13
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A subscriber in communication with an IP network (12) such as the Internet, though a terminal (14) may launch an application on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN) (16) by entering a data packet that takes the format of a telephone number that identifies the PSTN application. An IP gateway (22) couples the IP network (12) to the PSTN (16) and serves to recognize the data packet in the format of the PSTN application telephone number as well as translate the packet yield a stream of DTMF or other signals corresponding to the PSTN application telephone number. The IP gateway (22) then launches the stream of signals to dial the telephone number of the PSTN application. The gateway may also request information or control PSTN calls via the signaling/data channel between the gateway and the PSTN.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a subscriber in communications through a terminal with an IP network to launch from the terminal an application of interest on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), comprising the steps of:

receiving in an IP network a data packet in the format of a telephone number that identifies the application of interest on the PSTN;

communicating the data packet to an P gateway in communication with the PSTN;

recognizing the data packet at the IP gateway and translating the data packet into a stream of signals corresponding to the telephone number identifying the application of interest on the PSTN;

determining, at the gateway, whether the identified application of interest on the PSTN is a voice application and, if so, receiving from the subscriber additional data packets following receipt of the initial data Racket that takes the format of the telephone number of the PSTN application and translating each additional data packet into a voice transmitting command; and

launching the stream of signals to the PSTN to dial the telephone number of the application of interest.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving at the IP gateway a voice command generated during the PSTN application; and

converting the voice command into a .wav file for receipt by the subscriber.

3. A method for enabling a subscriber in communications through a terminal with an IP network to launch from the terminal an application of interest on a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN), comprising the steps of:

receiving in an IP network a data packet in the format of a telephone number that identifies the application of interest on the PSTN;

communication the data packet to an IP gateway in communication with the PSTN;

recognizing the data packet at the IP gateway and translating the data packet into a stream of signals corresponding to the telephone number identifying the application of interest on the PSTN;

determining, at the gateway, whether the identified application of interest on the PSTN is a modem application and, if so, receiving from the subscriber additional data packets following receipt of the data packet that takes the format of the telephone number of the PSTN application; and

translating each said additional data packet into an analog signal for receipt by a modem voice transmitting command; and

launching the stream of signals to the PSTN to dial the telephone number of the application of interest.

4. The method according to claim 3 including the steps of:

receiving at the IP gateway analog signals generated during said PSTN application; and

translating said analog signals into data packets having an Internet Protocol.