Method and apparatus for cosocket telephony

• US 6,714,536 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eric M. Dowling
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THIEN D
• Application Number:
  US09/120,499
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for allowing a packet data connection to be established by sending an indication of a network address through a telephony path. In a first embodiment, a protocol stack initiates the establisment of an Internet connection by sending a data segment through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) telephony path and then operates and maintains the Internet connection on separate packet connection. Dialing digits are used to indicate the address of a remote computer or wireless device via the telephony path. This invention also enables mixed PSTN/internet multimedia telephone calls. In an exemplary embodiment, when a point-to-point telephone PSTN connection is established, a screen of information automatically appears at one or both ends of the connection via the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of establishing and operating a packet switched data connection between a first computerized device and second computerized device, wherein the first and second computerized devices are respectively coupled by a first telephone subscriber interface and a second telephone subscriber interface to a circuit switched telephone network, the method comprising:

coupling a set of telephone dialing digits via the first telephone subscriber interface to the circuit switched telephone network to cause a circuit-switched telephone call to be placed and a telephone ringing signal indication to be delivered by the telephone network to the second telephone subscriber interface, whereby a circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection is established to couple into communication the first and second telephone subscriber interfaces when the second telephone subscriber interface is placed into an off-hook state in response to the incoming telephone ringing signal indication;

sending a data segment from the first computerized device to the second computerized device via the established circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection so as to initiate the establishment of the packet switched data connection, wherein the data segment comprises information that indicates a desire to set up the packet switched data connection between the first and second computerized devices; and

communicating with the first and second computerized devices via the packet switched data connection;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, and wherein at least one of the computerized devices is a user computerized device with a user interface, and the packet switched data connection is used to carry application layer data for presentation by the user interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second telephone subscriber interface is selectively placed into the off-hook state in response to the incoming telephone ringing signal indication and in response to an inspection of a set of caller identification data transmitted by the telephone company to the second telephone subscriber interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second computerized devices are embodied as smart phone devices that respectively comprise the first and second telephone subscriber interfaces and respectively comprise a first and a second packet data interface, wherein the data segment is sent as a tone sequence by a CTI interface, and wherein after the tone sequence and concurrently with the communicating, the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection is used only to support voice communications, whereby the combination of the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection that carries voice and the packet-switched data connection that carries data is used to support simultaneous multimedia communications between the first and second computerized devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the packet-switched data connection is used to transfer video data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the packet-switched data connection is used to transfer image data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the packet-switched data connection is used to transfer textual data.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the packet-switched data connection is used to supply a connection between first and second application programs respectively residing on the first and second computerized devices, and wherein the application programs provide a distributed user interface whereby a user action made to the user interface of the first application program is also indicated in the user interface of the second application program.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first telephone subscriber interface comprises a voice band interface of DSL subscriber line, and both the first telephone subscriber interface and the packet data connection share a single telephone line as a physical layer interface.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first telephone subscriber interface comprises a voice channel of a wireless air interface, and both the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection and the packet data connection are multiplexed for communication via the wireless air interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the other of the computerized devices is a server-side computerized device which delivers the application layer data to the user computerized device for coupling to user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computerized device implements a client-side application program communication protocol and the second computerized device implements a server-side application program communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computerized device implements a server-side application program communication protocol and the second computerized device implements a client-side application program communication protocol.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein said packet switched data connection comprises a TCP/IP stream socket established across the Internet.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information in the data segment comprises a packet switched network address associated with the first computerized device.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the packet network address comprises a session layer address.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the packet network address comprises a transport layer address.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein the packet network address comprises a network layer address.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein the packet network address comprises an application layer address.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data segment is a SYN segment a TCP/IP connection setup sequence.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data segment is sent at the substantially beginning of the telephone call after the second telephone subscriber interface has been placed into an off hook state as a part of a co-socket set-up procedure, and wherein the first telephone subscriber interface is a CTI interface and the data segment is sent as a tone sequence in response to a detection of the off-hook condition of the second telephone subscriber interface.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein after the co-socket set up procedure completes, the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection is used to support only voice communications.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephone subscriber interface comprises a voice band interface of DSL of a subscriber line, and both the first telephone subscriber interface and the packet data connection share a single telephone line as a physical layer interface.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first telephone subscriber interface comprises a voice channel of a wireless air interface, and both the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection and the packet data connection are multiplexed for communication via the wireless air interface.

24. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the second computerized device via the circuit switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection a second data segment, wherein the second data segment comprises information used to set up the packet switched data connection between the first and second computerized devices.

25. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the second computerized device, via a packet switched network path different from the subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, a second data segment, wherein the second data segment comprises information used to set up the packet switched data connection between the first and second computerized devices.

26. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the second computerized device a second data segment, wherein the second data segment comprises a packet switched network address associated with the second computerized device.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the packet network address comprises a session layer address.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the packet network address comprises a transport layer address.

29. The method according to claim 26 wherein the packet network address comprises a network layer address.

30. The method according to claim 26 wherein the packet network address comprises an application layer address.

31. A first computerized device for use in a system wherein the first computerized device initiates a telephone call via a circuit switched telephone network to a second computerized device, the first computerized device comprising:

a first telephone subscriber interface adapted to be coupled to a circuit switched telephone network;

a processor;

a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including;

a first software function that causes a set of telephone dialing digits to be coupled via the first telephone subscriber interface to the circuit switched telephone network to cause a circuit-switched telephone call to be placed and a telephone ringing signal indication to be delivered by the telephone network to a second telephone subscriber interface, whereby a circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection is established to couple into communication the first and second telephone subscriber interfaces when the second telephone subscriber interface is placed into an off-hook state in response to the incoming telephone ringing signal indication;

a second software function that causes a data segment to be sent from the first computerized device to the second computerized device via the established circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, wherein the data segment comprises information that indicates a desire to set up the packet switched data connection between the first and second computerized devices; and

a third software function that causes data to be communicated with the second computerized device utilizing the packet switched data connection;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, and wherein at least one of the computerized devices is a user computerized device with a user interface, and the packet switched data connection is used to carry application layer data for presentation by the user interface.

32. A method of establishing and operating a packet switched data connection between a first computerized device and second computerized device, wherein the first and second computerized devices are respectively coupled by a first telephone subscriber interface and a second telephone subscriber interface to a circuit switched telephone network, the method comprising:

receiving at the second telephone subscriber interface an incoming telephone call generated in response to a set of telephone dialing digits being coupled by the first telephone subscriber interface to a circuit switched telephone network, wherein the incoming telephone call comprises a telephone ringing signal;

in response to the incoming telephone call, placing the second subscriber interface into an off-hook state to establish a circuit switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection between the first and second telephone subscriber interfaces;

receiving at the second subscriber interface a data segment, wherein the data segment was transmitted from the first subscriber interface via the established circuit switched, subscriber-to-subscriber connection;

initiating the establishment of the packet switched data connection by extracting and using a set of information contained in the data segment; and

communicating with the first and second computerized devices via the packet switched data connection;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, and wherein at least one of the computerized devices is a user computerized device with a user interface, and the packet switched data connection is used to carry application layer data for presentation by the user interface.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the incoming call further comprises a set of caller identification data transmitted by the telephone company to the second telephone subscriber interface, and the second telephone subscriber interface is selectively placed into the off-hook state in response to the incoming telephone ringing signal indication and an inspection of the set of caller identification data.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the set of information contained in the data segment comprises an address on a packet switched network, and the address is associated with the first computerized device.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the second computerized device is a server and the second telephone subscriber interface is a CTI interface.

36. A second computerized device for use in a system where the first computerized device initiates a telephone call via a circuit switched telephone network to a second computerized device, the second computerized device comprising:

a second telephone subscriber interface adapted to be coupled to the circuit switched telephone network;

a processor;

a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including;

a first software function that detects at the second telephone subscriber interface an incoming telephone call generated in response to a set of telephone dialing digits being coupled by the first telephone subscriber interface to a circuit switched telephone network, wherein the incoming telephone call comprises a telephone ringing signal;

a second software function, responsive to the detection, that causes the second subscriber interface to be placed into an off-hook state to establish a circuit switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection between the first and second telephone subscriber interfaces;

a third software function that identifies a data segment received at the second subscriber interface, wherein the data segment was transmitted from the first subscriber interface via the established subscriber-to-subscriber connection;

a fourth software function that causes a packet switched data connection to be initiated with the first computer device by using a set of information contained in the data segment; and

a fifth software function that causes data to be communicated with the second computerized device via the packet switched data connection;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the circuit-switched, subscriber-to-subscriber telephone connection, and wherein at least one of the computerized devices is a user computerized device with a user interface, and the packet switched data connection is used to carry application layer data for presentation by the user interface.

37. For use in a computerized system that couples to a packet switched data network and to a public switched telephone network, a method of initiating a packet switched data connection, the method comprising:

sending a set of telephone number dialing digits to a telephony interface, wherein the set of telephone number dialing digits are to be coupled to the public switched telephone network to identify a recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the public switched telephone network determines a route for an outgoing communication to follow in order for the outgoing communication to be delivered to the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device associated with the telephone number dialing digits;

sending a data segment via the telephony interface to the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the outgoing communication comprises the data segment and the data segment contains an indication that the packet switched data network connection needs to be initiated, and once the packet switched data connection is initiated, the packet switched data connection is coupled to an application layer program in the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the application program is configured to receive and process data packets sent over the packet switched data connection; and

sending a data packet to the application program in the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device via the packet switched data network connection;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the path used to route the outgoing communication through the public switched telephone network to the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device based upon the set of telephone number dialing digits.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the packet switched data connection is a session layer packet switched data connection and the data packet sent to the application program in the sending is an unsolicited data packet.

39. The method of claim 37, the data packet sent to the application program in the sending is an unsolicited data packet.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the packet switched data connection uses an acknowledged packet protocol.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the packet switched data connection is a TCP/IP stream socket connection.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the packet switched data connection uses a first network switching infrastructure different from a second network switching infrastructure used to carry the outgoing communication through the public switched telephone network.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the computerized system comprises the telephony interface.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device is a wireless subscriber device and the telephone number dialing digits correspond to the telephone number of the wireless subscriber device used to reach the wireless subscriber device from the public switched telephone network.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the path used to route the outgoing communication through the public switched telephone network is a circuit switched voice band channel established in response to the wireless subscriber device answering a telephone call.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the path used to route the outgoing communication comprises a PSTN data packet that routes through the public switched telephone network infrastructure to the wireless subscriber device based upon the telephone number dialing digits.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein data packet sent to the application program in the sending carries application layer data that causes application layer data to be coupled to the user via a user interface provided by the wireless subscriber device.

48. A computerized system comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium that comprises a set of software functions, the set of software functions including;

a first software function that causes a set of telephone number dialing digits to be sent to a telephony interface, wherein the set of telephone number dialing digits are to be coupled to the public switched telephone network to identify a recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the public switched telephone network determines a route for an outgoing communication to follow in order for the outgoing communication to be delivered to the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device associated with the telephone number dialing digits;

a second software function that causes a data segment to be sent via the telephony interface to the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the outgoing communication comprises the data segment and the data segment contains an indication that the packet switched data network connection needs to be initiated, and once the packet switched data connection is initiated, the packet switched data connection is coupled to an application layer program in the recipient telephony subscriber endpoint device, wherein the application program is configured to receive and process unsolicited data packets sent over the packet switched data connection; and

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path that is different than the path used to route the outgoing communication through the public switched telephone network to the recipient wireless subscriber endpoint device based upon the set of telephone number dialing digits, and the recipient wireless subscriber endpoint device is a computerized device that includes a packet data network interface.

49. A computerized system according to claim 48, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises:

a third software function that causes an unsolicited data packet to be sent to the application program in the recipient wireless subscriber endpoint device via the packet switched data network connection.

50. For use in a wireless subscriber handset that provides both a telephony connectivity and a packet data service connectivity by wirelessly coupling to separate underlying network switching infrastructures, characterized in that the telephony connectivity is supported by a public switched telephone network switching infrastructure that uses dialed telephone numbers to route information to subscriber telephony endpoints and the packet data service connectivity is supported by a packet switched data network switching infrastructure that supports at least network and transport communication protocol stack layers, and the packet switched data network switching infrastructure uses packet header information associated with one or more of these layers to determine how a packet is to be routed to its destination, a method comprising:

receiving at a telephony interface in the wireless subscriber handset an indication of incoming communication, wherein the incoming communication is directed to the telephony interface based upon a set of telephone number dialing digits coupled from an initiating communications endpoint to the public switched telephone network, wherein the telephone number dialing digits identify the wireless subscriber handset on the wireless telephony network, and wherein the incoming communication traverses a path through the public switched telephone network switching infrastructure;

receiving, at the telephony interface in the wireless subscriber handset as a part of the incoming communication, a data segment, wherein the data segment contains an indication of a packet network connection to be initiated, wherein the data segment is coupled to the public switched telephone network from the initiating communications endpoint;

processing the incoming communication by evaluating the information contained in the data segment and causing the packet data connection to be established in response thereto;

receiving via the packet switched data connection a data packet; and

coupling at least a portion of the data packet to an application layer program;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path through the packet switched data network switching infrastructure, and this path is different than the path through the public switched telephone switching infrastructure used to route the incoming communication to the wireless subscriber handset.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the packet switched data connection is a session layer packet switched data connection and the data packet is an unsolicited data packet.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the data packet is an unsolicited data packet.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the data packet carries application layer data that causes application layer data to be coupled to the user via a user interface provided by the wireless subscriber handset.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the packet switched data network switching infrastructure is further characterized in that it is used to support Internet connectivity in the wireless device, wherein the wireless device further engages in client-server communications with one or more remote servers connected to the Internet.

55. A wireless subscriber handset that provides both a telephony connectivity and a packet data service connectivity by wirelessly coupling to separate underlying network switching infrastructures, characterized in that the telephony connectivity is supported by a public switched telephone network switching infrastructure that uses dialed telephone numbers to route information to subscriber telephony endpoints and the packet data service connectivity is supported by a packet switched data network switching infrastructure that supports at least network and transport communication protocol stack layers, and the packet switched data network switching infrastructure uses packet header information associated with one or more of these layers to determine how a packet is to be routed to its destination, the wireless subscriber handset comprising:

a user interface capable of supporting user interactions;

a wireless air interface that supports both the telephony connectivity and the packet data service connectivity;

a processor;

a computer readable medium that comprises a set of software functions, the set of software functions including;

a first software function that causes an indication of incoming communication to be detected at a telephony interface in the wireless subscriber handset, wherein the incoming communication is directed to the telephony interface based upon a set of telephone number dialing digits coupled from an initiating communications endpoint to the public switched telephone network, wherein the telephone number dialing digits identify the wireless subscriber handset on the wireless telephony network, and wherein the incoming communication traverses a path through the public switched telephone network switching infrastructure;

a second software function that causes the incoming communication to be received for processing, wherein the incoming communication is coupled via the telephony interface in the wireless subscriber handset and the incoming communication comprises a data segment, wherein the data segment contains an indication of a packet network connection to be initiated, wherein the data segment is coupled to the public switched telephone network from the initiating communications endpoint;

a third software function that causes the incoming communication to be processed by evaluating the information contained in the data segment and in response thereto, also causes the packet data connection to be established;

a fourth software function that listens for a data packet received via the packet data connection; and

a fifth software function that causes at least a portion of the data packet to be coupled to an application layer program;

wherein the packet switched data connection uses a packet switched transmission path through the packet switched data network switching infrastructure, and this path is different than the path through the public switched telephone switching infrastructure used to route the incoming communication to the wireless subscriber handset.

56. The wireless subscriber handset of claim 55, wherein the user interface supports Internet web browsing.

57. The wireless subscriber handset of claim 55, wherein the user interface further supports voice telephony for user telephone calls.

58. The wireless subscriber handset of claim 55, wherein the packet switched data connection is a session layer packet switched data connection and the data packet is an unsolicited data packet.

59. The wireless subscriber handset of claim 55, wherein the data packet is an unsolicited data packet.

60. The wireless subscriber handset of claim 55, wherein the data packet carries application layer data that causes application layer data to be coupled to the user via a user interface provided by the wireless subscriber handset.