Customer premises equipment that can support multiple call control languages or multiple call agents

• US 6,985,573 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fang, Zheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US09/834,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.02, 379/265.09, 379/220.01, 379/201.12, 379/115.01, 374/221.02, 374/265.09, 374/220.01, 374/201.12, 374/115.01, 370/352, 370/110.1, 370/58.1
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• 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

Abstract

Consumer premises equipment (CPE) configured to be connected with one of a selectable plurality of call agents using one of a selectable plurality of call control languages in response to user input to the telephone. In one aspect, telephone users can therefore select, e.g., a service provider. In another aspect, the CPE provides VoIP service to a telephone.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a consumer premises equipment (CPE) configured to be connected with a plurality of call agents in response to user input, each call agent using one of a plurality of call control languages, and the user input including a selection of a call agent and call control language associated with the call agent;

wherein the CPE includes at least a first telephone jack that couples the CPE to a first subscriber telephone and a second telephone jack that couple the CPE to a second subscriber telephone;

wherein the first subscriber telephone communicates with a first VoIP service provider using a first call agent and a first call control language, and the second subscriber telephone communicates with a second VoIP service provider using a second call agent and a second call control language that is different from the first call control language, the first and second subscriber telephones communicating concurrently.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a provision server that provides a menu for the user to select one from the plurality of call agents and select one from the plurality of call control languages.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signaling server that establishes or disconnects voice communication with the one from the plurality of call agents using the one from the plurality of call control languages.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPE further comprising a call control protocol engine that can interact with either a first one of the plurality of call control language or a second one of the plurality of call control language.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of call control languages are included from the list of Network Control System (NCS), Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP), MGCP, or GR303.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first VoIP service provider and a second VoIP service provider, wherein the first VoIP service provider enforces the first call control language and the second VoIP service provider enforces the second call control language.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the consumer premises equipment (CPE) manages a plurality of telephony endpoints, the CPE controllably communicates with a plurality of call agents in response to user input at each one of the plurality of telephony endpoints.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPE comprises a communications gateway.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input is provided through the subscriber telephone.

10. A method comprising:

connecting a consumer premises equipment (CPE) with a plurality of call agents in response to user input, each call agent using one of a plurality of call control languages, and the user input including a selection of a call agent and call control language associated with the call agent;

wherein the CPE includes at least a first telephone jack that couples the CPE to a first subscriber telephone and a second telephone jack that couple the CPE to a second subscriber telephone;

wherein the first subscriber telephone communicates with a first VoIP service provider using a first call agent and a first call control language, and the second subscriber telephone communicates with a second VoIP service provider using a second call agent and a second call control language that is different from the first call control language, the first and second subscriber telephones communicating concurrently.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a menu for the user to select one from the plurality of call agents and for the user to select one from the plurality of call control languages.

12. The method of claim 10, further establishing voice communication with the one from the plurality of call agents using the one from the plurality of call control languages.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the call control languages include one from the list of Network Control System (NCS), Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP), MGCP, or GR303.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enforcing the first call control language using a first VoIP service provider; and

enforcing the second call control language using a second VoIP service provider.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the CPE comprises a communications gateway.

16. A consumer premises equipment (CPE) configured to be connected with a plurality of call agents of a VoIP network in response to user input, each call agent using one of a plurality of call control languages for communication with at least one service provider, the user input originating from a plurality of subscriber terminal devices connected to the CPE, and the user input including a selection of a call agent and call control language associated with the call agent, comprising:

a plurality of modems, each modem being configurable to establish separate simultaneous communication sessions between an associated subscriber terminal device of a plurality of subscriber terminal devices and a service provider of a plurality of service providers via a call agent of the at least one call agent and a call control language of the at least one call control language, the call agent and call control language of one session being different than the call agent and the call control language of the remaining sessions.