Connection of a computer to a telephone exchange
First Claim
1. Method for using a computer as a telephone comprising the steps of:
- connecting the computer to a telephone exchange via a computer network, such that the computer is capable of receiving telephone calls over a direct telephone connection between the computer and a calling party;
registering, in the exchange, the computer as a telephone;
allocating, by the exchange, a unique telephone number that is to be associated with the computer;
setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the telephone exchange and the computer, for sending and receiving speech signals;
generating data packets containing telephony by applying, in the exchange, a signal structure, suitable for telephony, to speech signals intended for the computer; and
sending the data packets containing telephony to the computer over said traffic channel wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between a user of the computer and the calling party in real time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a telephone system, an exchange and a method for setting up telephone connections between a computer, which is an extension of the exchange, and the exchange via a computer network. The exchange comprises a switch core, a switch control means for setting up connections and a network connection device connected between the switch core and the computer network. The computer comprises a function for use as a telephone and has a computer network address. The network connection device registers the computer as a telephone to which calls can be made in the switch control means, sets up at least one traffic channel via the computer network for sending speech signals, and, receives data packets containing telephony from the computer over the traffic channel and removes a signal structure suitable for telephony from the data packets. The switch control means allocates a telephone number to the computer.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Method for using a computer as a telephone comprising the steps of:
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connecting the computer to a telephone exchange via a computer network, such that the computer is capable of receiving telephone calls over a direct telephone connection between the computer and a calling party;
registering, in the exchange, the computer as a telephone;
allocating, by the exchange, a unique telephone number that is to be associated with the computer;
setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the telephone exchange and the computer, for sending and receiving speech signals;
generating data packets containing telephony by applying, in the exchange, a signal structure, suitable for telephony, to speech signals intended for the computer; and
sending the data packets containing telephony to the computer over said traffic channel wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between a user of the computer and the calling party in real time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Method for using a computer as a telephone comprising the steps of:
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connecting the computer to a telephone exchange via a computer network, wherein the computer is an extension of the telephone exchange, such that said computer is capable of being used to originate a telephone call over a direct telephone connection between the computer and a called party;
registering, in the exchange, the computer as a telephone;
allocating, by the exchange, a telephone number to the computer;
setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the exchange and the computer, for receiving speech signals;
receiving, in the exchange, data packets containing telephony from the computer over said traffic channel; and
removing a signal structure suitable for telephony from the contents of the data packets wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between a user of the computer and the called party in real time.
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11. Telephone exchange comprising:
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a switch core;
means for setting up a direct telephone connection, via a computer network, between an originating terminal and a receiving terminal, wherein one or both terminals is a computer, and wherein the computer and the computer network are configured as an extension of the telephone exchange, and switch control means for allocating a telephone number to the computer, and for setting up a connection between a user of the exchange and a first network connection device connected between the switch core and a gate of the exchange for communication with the computer, wherein the computer comprises a telephone function and has a computer network address, and wherein the first network connection device comprises;
means for registering, in the switch control means, the computer as a telephone to which calls can be made;
means for setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the exchange and said computer, for sending speech signals;
signal processing means for generating data packets containing telephony, by applying a signal structure, suitable for telephony, to speech signals received from the switch core intended for the computer; and
means for sending the data packets containing telephony to the computer over the traffic channel wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between the originating terminal and the receiving terminal in real time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Telephone exchange comprising:
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a switch core;
means for setting up a direct telephone connection, via a computer network, between a computer and another party, wherein the computer is an extension of the exchange, and wherein the computer is capable of originating and receiving direct telephone calls as a telephone; and
switch control means for allocating a telephone number to the computer; and
means for setting up a connection between a user of the exchange and a network connection device connected between the switch core and a gate of the exchange for communicating with the computer,wherein the computer comprises a telephone function and a computer network address; and
wherein the network connection device comprises;
means for registering, in the switch control means, the computer, as a telephone to and from which calls can be made;
means for setting up via the computer network, a traffic channel between the exchange and the computer, for receiving speech signals;
means for receiving data packets containing telephony from the computer over said traffic channel; and
signal processing means for removing a signal structure, suitable for telephony over the computer network, from the contents of the data packets to produce speech signals containing telephony wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between said computer and said another party in real time.
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20. Telephone system comprising:
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a computer;
a computer network;
a telephone exchange; and
means for setting up a telephone connection between the computer and the telephone exchange via the computer network, wherein the computer is an extension of the exchange and has associated with it a computer network address, and wherein the computer is capable of directly receiving a telephone call from another party, the exchange comprising;
a switch core, switch control means for allocating a telephone number to the computer, and means for setting up a connection between a user of the exchange and a network connection device connected between the switch core and the computer network, the network connection device comprising;
means for registering, in the switch control means, the computer as a telephone to which direct telephone calls can be made;
means for setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the exchange and said computer, for sending speech signals;
signal processing means for applying a signal structure, suitable for telephony over the computer network, to speech signals received from the switch core intended for the computer in order to produce data packets containing telephony; and
means for sending the data packets containing telephony to the computer over the traffic channel wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between said computer and said another party.
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21. Telephone system comprising:
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a computer, a computer network, a telephone exchange, and means for setting up a telephone connection between the computer and the telephone exchange via the computer network, wherein the computer is an extension of the exchange and the computer network interconnects the telephone exchange and the computer, and wherein the computer has a computer network address, and wherein the computer is configured such that it can be utilized to originate a direct telephone call connection with another party, the exchange comprising;
a switch core, switch control means for allocating a telephone number to the computer, and means for setting up a connection between a user of the exchange and a network connection device connected between the switch core and the computer network, the network connection device comprising;
means for registering, in the switch control means, the computer as a telephone from which direct telephone calls can be made;
means for setting up, via the computer network, a traffic channel between the exchange and the computer, for receiving speech signals;
means for receiving data packets containing telephony from the computer over said traffic channel; and
signal processing means for removing a signal structure, suitable for telephony over the computer network, from the contents of the data packets wherein telephony comprises speech signals transmitted between said computer and said another party in real time.
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Specification