System for interconnecting standard telephony communications equipment to internet protocol networks

• US 6,985,494 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bear Creek Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bear Creek Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, Joseph B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/770,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/465, 358/407
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• 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 for linking standard telephony communications with internet protocols. Standard telephony equipment, such as a telephone, can communicate using the internet without special adapters or the like. A network of Internet servers may be connected to the Internet and telephony communications system, enabling telephony communications equipment access to the Internet.

Claims

1. An internet facsimile server adapted for use in an internet facsimile system capable of transmitting facsimile data over an Internet Protocol (IP) network to a destination facsimile device, said facsimile data originating as a standard facsimile transmission from a source facsimile device or as an electronic mail transmission from an IP client source device, said internet facsimile server comprising:

a router that receives incoming transmissions from the IP network, each of said incoming transmissions comprising transmission data transmitted within a connectionless network layer of the IP network, said transmission data comprising overhead data and accompanying payload data, said overhead data comprising an IP destination address, an IP source address and a destination facsimile number of the destination facsimile device, said payload data comprising binary facsimile data converted from a standard facsimile protocol signal or electronic mail data of a standard electronic mail transmission signal;

a screener that screens each of said incoming transmissions received by said router, said screener comprising a link to at least one database holding information identifying other internet facsimile servers and IP client sources, and comprising a lookup mechanism that performs, for each of said incoming transmissions, a reverse DNS lookup with said database based on said IP source address to determine whether said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source device or a source facsimile device via another internet facsimile server;

a first converter that converts said electronic mail data of said incoming transmission to binary facsimile data when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source;

a locator that locates an IP destination address of a target internet facsimile server based on the destination facsimile number, when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source;

a second converter that converts said binary facsimile data to a standard facsimile protocol signal, when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from a source facsimile device via another internet facsimile server; and

a communication subsystem for further communicating each of said incoming transmissions, said communication subsystem initiating placement of a call over at least one standard telephone line to the destination facsimile number of said destination facsimile device when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from a source facsimile device via another internet facsimile server, said communication subsystem further delivering said payload data to said destination facsimile device in accordance with the standard facsimile protocol signal converted by said second converter, and said communication subsystem transmitting said binary facsimile data converted by said first converter to said target internet facsimile server over a connectionless network layer of the IP network when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source device, said binary facsimile data converted by said first converter being forwarded to the IP destination address of said target internet facsimile through the IP network.

2. An internet facsimile server as in claim 1, wherein the server further is adapted to determine whether the facsimile data is originated from a licensed source and terminate the transmission of the facsimile data if it is not originated from a licensed source, unless the facsimile data is originated from a source which has not sent a number of facsimile transmissions greater than a predetermined free trial limit.

3. A method of transmitting facsimile over an Internet Protocol (IP) network to a destination facsimile device, said facsimile data originating as a standard facsimile transmission from a source facsimile device or as an electronic mail transmission from an IP client source device, said method comprising:

receiving incoming transmissions from the IP network, each of said incoming transmissions comprising transmission data transmitted within a connectionless network layer of the IP network, said transmission data comprising overhead data and accompanying payload data, said overhead data comprising an IP destination address, an IP source address and a destination facsimile number of the destination facsimile device, said payload data comprising binary facsimile data converted from a standard facsimile protocol signal or electronic mail data of a standard electronic mail transmission signal;

screening each of said incoming transmissions received, said screening comprising performing a reverse DNS lookup for each of said incoming transmissions, with at least one database holding information identifying source internet facsimile servers and IP client sources, to determine whether said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source device or a source facsimile device via a source internet facsimile server;

converting said electronic mail data of said incoming transmission to binary facsimile data when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source;

locating an IP destination address of a target internet facsimile server based on the destination facsimile number, when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source;

converting said binary facsimile data to a standard facsimile protocol signal when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from a source facsimile device via a source internet facsimile server; and

further communicating each of said incoming transmissions, said further communicating comprising;

initiating placement of a call over at least one standard telephone line to the destination facsimile number of said destination facsimile device when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from a source facsimile device via a source internet facsimile server;

delivering said payload data to said destination facsimile device in accordance with the converted standard facsimile protocol signal; and

transmitting said converted binary facsimile data to said target internet facsimile server over a connectionless network layer of the IP network when it is determined that said incoming transmission was sent from an IP client source device, said converted binary facsimile data being forwarded to the IP destination address of said target internet facsimile server through the IP network.

4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the source of the facsimile data is a licensed user of a network system providing internet facsimile transmission service;

determining if a number of facsimile transmissions from the source exceeds a predetermined number of free trial transmissions; and

terminating the transmission if the source is not a licensed user unless the number of facsimile transmissions from the source does not exceed the predetermined number of free trial transmissions.

5. An email-to-fax delivery system, the system comprising:

an email receipt mechanism to receive a fax-destined email, the email comprising a standard email interface address field comprising fax server identifying information and destination identification information;

an email data to fax format converter to convert the email data of the fax-destined email to a fax format;

a dialing device to dial a destination fax device over a telephone line connection; and

a normal fax standard communication device to send the fax format message to the destination fax device over the dialed telephone line connection.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising an internet fax server.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the destination identification information comprises a destination proper name and a destination fax machine phone number.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the internet fax server comprises the email receipt mechanism.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the internet fax server comprises the email data to fax format converter.