Telephonic addressing for establishing simultaneous voice and computer network connections
First Claim
1. A method of connecting at least two users for exchanging video data messages via an internetwork, each user having a respective assigned IP address for said internetwork and a respective assigned telephone identifier number for a public-switched telephone network, said method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining in a server coupled to said internetwork a database of registered users, said database including for each registered user a respective telephone identifier number and a respective IP address;
maintaining active connection sessions between said server and each registered user that is available any a particular time;
receiving an access request in said server from a requesting user to establish a data transfer to a desired user on said internetwork, said access request including a target telephone identifier number associated with said desired user;
comparing said target telephone identifier number with said telephone identifier numbers in said database;
if said target telephone identifier number is found in said database, then forwarding an initiation message to said desired user using a respective IP address stored in said database;
said desired user sending an accept message in response to said initiation message if said desired user wishes to exchange video said data messages with said requesting user; and
said server relaying said video data messages between said users, whereby said video data messages are exchanged without said users having direct access to the IP address of each other.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user system uses a called number to establish a telephone call over a public telephone network to a called party. In response to the telephone call, the user system transfers a data call request to a server system over a public data network. The server system uses the called telephone number to check a database to determine if the called party is ready to receive data calls. If the called party is ready and accepts the data call, the server system exchanges computer data between the caller and called parties over the public data network.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of connecting at least two users for exchanging video data messages via an internetwork, each user having a respective assigned IP address for said internetwork and a respective assigned telephone identifier number for a public-switched telephone network, said method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining in a server coupled to said internetwork a database of registered users, said database including for each registered user a respective telephone identifier number and a respective IP address; maintaining active connection sessions between said server and each registered user that is available any a particular time; receiving an access request in said server from a requesting user to establish a data transfer to a desired user on said internetwork, said access request including a target telephone identifier number associated with said desired user; comparing said target telephone identifier number with said telephone identifier numbers in said database; if said target telephone identifier number is found in said database, then forwarding an initiation message to said desired user using a respective IP address stored in said database; said desired user sending an accept message in response to said initiation message if said desired user wishes to exchange video said data messages with said requesting user; and said server relaying said video data messages between said users, whereby said video data messages are exchanged without said users having direct access to the IP address of each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of exchanging video data between two individuals over an internetwork simultaneously with exchange of audio data between said two individuals over a telephone network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a first individual logging-on to a central server with a first computer coupled to said internetwork so that said central server registers a first IP address and a first telephone number associated with said first individual; a second individual logging-on to said central server with a second computer coupled to said internetwork so that said central server registers a second IP address and a second telephone number associated with said second individual; maintaining active connection sessions between said central server and said first and second computers; initiating a telephone call between said first individual and said second individual, said second individual being a called party of said telephone call; sending an initiation message from said central server to said second IP address; sending an approval message from said second individual to said central server; and said central server relaying said exchanged video data between said first and second computers, whereby said first and second computers exchange said video data without direct access to the IP address of the other. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of operating a server system for transfer of caller video data over a computer network, the method comprising:
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maintaining active connection sessions between said server system and each registered user that is available any a particular time; receiving a first message indicating a called telephone number from a public data network wherein a caller is associated with a caller data address and a caller telephone number, wherein a called party is associated with a called party data address and the called telephone number, and wherein the called telephone number is contemporaneously used to establish a telephone call between the caller and the called party over a public telephone network; processing the called telephone number from the first message to determine if the called party is a registered user with an active connection session and if the called party will receive caller video data; if the called party will receive the caller video data, transferring a second message to the public data network for delivery to the called party wherein the second message indicates that the caller video data will be transferred to the called party, and transferring a third message to the public data network for delivery to the caller wherein the third message indicates that the caller video data will be delivered to the called party; receiving the caller video data from the called party at the server system via the public data network; addressing the caller video data to the called party data address; and transferring the caller video data from the server system to the public data network for delivery to the called party.
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13. A method of operating a server system for video telephony, the method comprising:
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maintaining a database of user telephone numbers and associated user data addresses; maintaining active connection sessions with users who are available to receive video data; and establishing video data exchanges between callers and called parties over a public data network in response to messages indicating called telephone numbers contemporaneously used to establish telephone calls between the callers and the called parties over a public telephone network; wherein establishing the video data exchanges comprises receiving the video data from the public data network into the server system, addressing the video data from the callers to the called parties, addressing the video data from the called parties to the callers, and transferring the video data from the server system to the public data network for delivery to the callers and called parties based on the addressing.
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Specification