System for interconnecting packet-switched and circuit-switched voice communications

• US 6,931,001 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Deng, Shuang
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US10/462,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/261, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/401, 370/462, 370/463, 370/464, 370/405, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 709/249, 709/250, 709/204, 379/88.17, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

A system and method for establishing voice communication between a packet-switched network and a circuit-switched network includes a network interface unit for coupling to the packet-switched network, a phone interface unit for coupling to the circuit-switched network and a gateway processor coupled to the network interface unit and to the phone interface unit. In response to a call request, a packet-switched network connection is established between the gateway processor and a first station in the packet-switched network, and a circuit-switched network-connection is established between the gateway processor and a second station in the circuit-switched network. Incoming voice data packets received from the first station are converted to outgoing voice signals, which are transmitted over the circuit-switched network connection to the second station. Incoming voice signals received from the second station are converted to outgoing voice data packets, which are transmitted over the packet-switched network connection to the first station. A conference call may be established among three or more conference call participants.

Claims

1. A method of establishing voice communication between a phone connected to a circuit-switched network and one or more hosts connected to a packet-switched network, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway connected between the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network, a call request from the phone;

sending, from the gateway, a first audio message to the phone requesting a destination address on the packet-switched network of a host of the one or more hosts;

receiving the destination address of the host from the phone responsive to the first audio message;

establishing a call comprising two-way voice communication, via the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network, between the phone and the host based on the destination address of the host;

sending, from the gateway, a second audio message to the phone requesting a user name of a called party associated with the host; and

receiving the user name of the called party from the phone responsive to the second audio message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address of the host comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address of the host is received via numbers entered at a keypad associated with the phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address of the host is received in audio form from the phone and recognized by the gateway using speech recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user name of the called party is received via numbers entered at a keypad associated with the phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user name of the called party is received in audio form from the phone and recognized by the gateway using speech recognition.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to establishing the call, verifying that the called party corresponding to the user name is using the host.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to establishing the call, verifying that the host being called wishes to accept the call.

9. A system for establishing voice communication between a phone connected to a circuit-switched network and one or more hosts connected to a packet-switched network, comprising:

a network interface unit coupled to the packet-switched network;

a phone interface unit coupled to the circuit-switched network; and

a gateway processor coupled to the network interface unit and the phone interface unit and configured, in conjunction with the network interface unit and the phone interface unit, to;

receive a call request from a phone coupled to the circuit-switched network,

send at least one audio message to the phone requesting a destination Internet Protocol (IP) address on the packet-switched network of a host of the one or more hosts, and a user name of a called party associated with the host,

receive the destination IP address of the host and the user name from the phone, and

establish a call comprising two-way voice communication, via the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network, between the phone and the host based on the destination IP address of the host and the user name of the called party.

10. A method of establishing voice communication between a phone connected to a circuit-switched network and a plurality of hosts connected to a packet-switched network, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway connected between the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network, a call request from the phone;

sending from the gateway, a first audio message to the phone requesting destination addresses on the packet-switched network associated with each of the plurality of hosts;

receiving the destination addresses of each of the plurality of hosts from the phone responsive to the first audio message;

establishing a conference call comprising two-way voice communication, via the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network, between the phone and each of the plurality of hosts based on the destination addresses of the plurality of hosts;

sending, from the gateway, a second audio message to die phone requesting user names of called parties associated with each of the plurality of hosts; and

receiving the user names of the called parties from the phone responsive to the second audio message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the destination addresses of the plurality of hosts comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the destination addresses of the plurality of hosts is received via numbers entered at a keypad associated with the phone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the destination addresses of the plurality of hosts is received in audio form from the phone and recognized by the gateway using speech recognition.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user names of the called parties are received via numbers entered at a keypad associated with the phone.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the user names of the called parties are received in audio form from the phone and recognized by the gateway using speech recognition.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to establishing the conference call, verifying that the called parties corresponding to respective user names are using the respective hosts.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to establishing the conference calls verifying that each of the hosts being called wishes to accept the conference call.