Method and apparatus for conducting call waiting-caller identification in a packet switched network

• US 6,785,301 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chapman, John T., Bakies, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H.
• Application Number:
  US09/607,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/142.02, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.08, 379/88.21, 379/215.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/245, 379/207.15, 379/207.01, 379/207.03, 379/207.13, 370/522, 370/352, 370/236, 370/401, 370/410, 370/426, 370/496
• US Class Current: 370/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

The invention uses a novel signaling protocol for conducting call waiting-caller ID messaging. Instead of waiting for an acknowledge back from the caller ID box, an acknowledge signal is generated locally at a gateway. This allows the packet switched network to meet the timing requirements of the circuit switched network. The gateway tricks the central office switch into believing an actual acknowledge signal was sent from the caller ID box. The central office switch accordingly sends the caller ID information. This ID information is then propagated across the IP network to the caller ID box.

Claims

1. A gateway, comprising:

a signal detector configured to detect an indication signal directed to a caller ID box, the indication signal identifying presence of a call waiting call to a destination phone number associated with the caller ID box and the signal detector detecting the indication signal at an intermediate gateway location in a call path to the caller ID box between a circuit switched network originating the indication signal and a packet switched network further transporting the indication signal from the circuit switched network toward the caller ID box; and

a controller configured to generate a local acknowledge signal from the intermediate gateway location on behalf of the caller ID box when the indication signal is detected at the intermediate gateway location prior to the caller ID box receiving the indication signal over the packet switched network.

2. A gateway according to claim 1 wherein the gateway includes a first interface to couple to a circuit switched network and a second interface to couple to an IP network.

3. A gateway according to claim 1 wherein the controller breaks an upstream voice channel when the indication signal is detected to stop propagation of a remote caller ID box acknowledge.

7. A gateway according to claim 1 wherein the gateway is a trunk gateway that receives the indication signal from a Local Digital Switch and generates the local acknowledge signal back to the Local Digital Switch.

4. A gateway, comprising:

a signal detector to detect an indication signal directed to a caller ID box, the indication signal identifying presence of a call waiting call to a destination phone number; and

a controller to generate a local acknowledge signal when the indication signal is detected independently of any caller ID box that may be located at the destination phone number, and wherein the controller breaks a downstream voice channel and then reestablishes the downstream voice channel after a remote acknowledge signal is detected from the caller ID box.

5. A gateway according to claim 4 wherein the downstream voice channel collects FSK signals representing information about the call waiting call and converts the FSK signals into IP message packets.

6. A gateway according to claim 5 wherein the controller forwards the IP message packets to the caller ID box only when the remote acknowledge signal is detected from the caller ID box.

8. A gateway, comprising:

a signal detector to detect an indication signal directed to a caller ID box, the indication signal identifying presence of a call waiting call to a destination phone number;

a controller to generate a local acknowledge signal when the indication signal is detected independently of any caller ID box that may be located at the destination phone number, wherein the gateway is a trunk gateway that receives the indication signal from a Local Digital Switch and generates the local acknowledge signal back to the Local Digital Switch; and

a residential gateway coupled between the trunk gateway and the caller ID box, the residential gateway forwarding signaling identifying the call waiting call to the caller ID box only when a remote acknowledge signal is detected from the caller ID box.

9. A gateway according to claim 8 wherein the signaling comprises FSK signals, the controller converting the FSK signals into digital data and sending the digital data as IP packets to the residential gateway, the residential gateway converting the digital data in the IP packets back into FSK signals and sending the FSK signals to the caller ID box.

10. A method for conducting call waiting caller ID signaling in a packet switched network, comprising:

detecting an indication signal indicating a second phone call to a destination phone number already conducting a first phone call;

detecting the indication signal at an intermediate network location between a circuit switched network sending the indication signal and a packet switched network located between the circuit switched network and a caller ID box at the destination phone number;

generating a local acknowledge signal at the intermediate network location imitating an actual acknowledge signal that would be generated from the caller ID box at the destination phone number; and

managing call waiting caller ID signaling for the destination phone number locally at the intermediate network location to comply with circuit switched network acknowledge timing for the call waiting caller ID signaling and managing other call waiting caller ID signaling remotely from the caller ID box.

11. A method according to claim 10 including receiving the indication signal from a Local Digital Switch and generating the imitated acknowledge signal back to the Local Digital Switch.

12. A method according to claim 10 including temporarily disconnecting an upstream voice path between an IP network and a circuit switched network when the indication signal is detected.

13. A method according to claim 10 including:

monitoring for FSK signals providing information about the second phone call;

monitoring for an actual acknowledge signal generated from the caller ID box; and

forwarding the FSK signals to the caller ID box only when the actual acknowledge signal is detected.

15. A method according to claim 13 including:

accumulating all of the FSK signals;

converting the FSK signals into digital data;

formatting the digital into IP packets; and

sending the IP packets to a residential gateway for converting back into FSK signals.

16. A method according to claim 13 including generating the local acknowledge signal at a trunk gateway and controlling the propagation of the FSK signals to the caller ID box at a residential gateway.

14. A method for conducting call waiting caller ID signaling in a packet switched network, comprising:

receiving an indication signal indicating a second phone call to a destination phone number already conducting a first phone call;

generating a local acknowledge signal imitating an actual acknowledge signal that would be generated from a caller ID box at the destination phone number;

managing call waiting caller ID signaling for the destination phone number remotely from the caller ID box;

monitoring for FSK signals providing information about the second phone call;

monitoring for an actual acknowledge signal generated from the caller ID box;

forwarding the FSK signals to the caller ID box only when the actual acknowledge signal is detected; and

disconnecting a downstream voice channel to the destination phone number while the FSK signals are being forwarded to the caller ID box and then reconnecting the downstream voice channel to the destination phone number.

17. Computer code stored on a computer readable medium and executable by a processor, comprising:

code to detect an indication signal indicating a call waiting call to a destination phone number already conducting a phone call;

code to detect the indication signal at an intermediate network location between a circuit switched network sending the indication signal and a packet switched network transferring the indication signal further on toward a caller ID box at the destination phone number;

code to generate a local acknowledge signal at the intermediate network location imitating an actual acknowledge signal that would be generated from a caller ID box at the destination phone number; and

code to manage call waiting caller ID signaling for the destination phone number locally at the intermediate network location to comply with circuit switched network acknowledge timing for the call waiting caller ID signaling independently from the caller ID box.

18. Computer code according to claim 17 including:

code to detect the indication signal from a circuit switched network Local Digital Switch; and

code to generate the local acknowledge signal back to the Local Digital Switch.

19. Computer code according to claim 17 including code to disconnect an upstream voice path between an IP network and a circuit switched network when the indication signal is detected.

20. Computer code according to claim 17 including:

code to monitor for FSK signals providing information about the call waiting call;

code to monitor for an actual acknowledge signal generated from the caller ID box; and

code to forward the FSK signals to the caller ID box only when the acknowledge signal is detected.

21. Computer code according to claim 20 including:

code to accumulate all of the FSK signals;

code to convert the FSK signals into digital data;

code to format the digital data into IP packets; and

code to send the IP packets to a residential gateway for converting back into FSK signals.

22. Computer code according to claim 21 wherein the code to generate the local caller ID box acknowledge is located in a trunk gateway and the code to control forwarding of the FSK signals to the caller ID box is located in a residential gateway.

23. A system for conducting a call waiting caller ID signaling protocol, comprising:

means for detecting an indication signal indicating a second phone call to a destination phone number already conducting a first phone call;

means for generating a local acknowledge signal from an intermediate network location that initiates caller ID information signaling to a caller ID box independently of the caller ID box while forwarding the caller ID information on to the caller ID box, the intermediate network location located between a circuit switched network generating the indication signal and a packet switched network forwarding the call ID information on towards the caller ID box;

means for detecting an actual acknowledge signal from the caller ID box; and

means for controlling the connection and disconnection of voice channels according to the detected indication signal, local acknowledge signal and actual acknowledge signal.

24. A system according to claim 23 including means for disconnecting a downstream voice channel to the destination phone number while Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) signals are being forwarded to the caller ID box and then reconnecting the downstream voice channel to the destination phone number.

25. A system according to claim 24 including means for disconnecting an upstream voice path between the packet switched network and the circuit switched network when the indication signal is detected.

26. A system according to claim 25 including:

means for monitoring for FSK signals providing information about the call waiting call;

means for monitoring for an actual acknowledge signal generated from the caller ID box; and

means for forwarding the FSK signals to the caller ID box only when the acknowledge signal is detected.