Voice over internet protocol proxy gateway

• US 7,099,301 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innomedia Pte Ltd
• Original Assignee: InnoMedia, Inc. (Innomedia Pte Ltd)
• Inventors: Sheu, Hueymin
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US09/352,280
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/355, 370/354, 370/356, 370/401, 370/353, 455/408
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1225 Details of core network interconnection arrangements

Abstract

A proxy gateway for voice over Internet protocol telephony. The proxy gateway includes a terminal portion and a gateway portion. The gateway portion is coexisting and in communications with the terminal portion. The proxy gateway is capable of interfacing with a gatekeeper and a gateway. The proxy gateway is further capable of interfacing with at least one terminal via a network to which the at least one terminal is attached. The proxy gateway uses its terminal portion for interfacing with the at least one terminal. The proxy gateway uses its gateway portion for interfacing with the gateway and gatekeeper. Another aspect of the invention is a telephony system in which at least one proxy gateway is deployed. The proxy gateway has dual characteristics such that it behaves as a terminal with respect to other terminals and as a gateway with respect to other gateways.

Claims

1. A proxy gateway comprising:

a terminal portion, the terminal portion being configured to interface with a terminal via a network to which the terminal is connected; and

a gateway portion coexisting and in communication with the terminal portion, the gateway portion being configured to interface with a gateway and a gatekeeper,

wherein the proxy gateway is configured to provide for call setup, call proceeding, and call termination,

wherein the proxy gateway registers with a directory service associated with the proxy gateway and the terminal,

wherein when a telephone calls a terminal, the proxy gateway is configured to prompt the directory service to look up an IP address of the called terminal, based on a telephone number of the called terminal received from the gateway, the gateway being connected to a telephone network to which the telephone is connected, the proxy gateway bridging the called terminal to the telephone network via the gateway, and

wherein the proxy gateway is configured to prompt the called terminal to log onto the network so that a new IP address can be assigned to the called terminal when the directory service cannot find any IP address associated with the called terminal, the directory service being configured to provide the new IP address to the proxy gateway.

2. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway bridges the terminal to a telephone network via the gateway.

3. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to prompt the gatekeeper to look up a user identification and an IP address of the gateway based on information from the terminal, the information comprising an IP address of the terminal, a destination telephone number, and a terminal user identification,

the proxy gateway using the IP address of the gateway to bridge the terminal to a telephone network to which the destination telephone is connected,

the proxy gateway comparing the user identification with the terminal user identification before granting call authorization.

4. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway belongs to a zone of the gatekeeper,

the proxy gateway registering with the gatekeeper in order to establish the interface with the gatekeeper.

5. The proxy gateway of claim 4, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to interface with a super gatekeeper,

the super gatekeeper bridging between the gatekeeper zone and zones of other gatekeepers.

6. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to enforce call authorization and user credit policies.

7. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to facilitate billing.

8. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to monitor duration of calls, maintain user credit information, and to provide updated caller credit information to the gatekeeper.

9. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to prompt call termination.

10. The proxy gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy gateway is configured to monitor time laps of a call and a caller'"'"'s credit information, and to prompt termination of the call when the caller'"'"'s credit information indicates credit exhausted.

11. A method of establishing voice over network protocol telephony, the method comprising:

establishing communications between a terminal portion of a proxy gateway and a gateway portion of the proxy gateway, the proxy gateway being connected to a network, wherein the proxy gateway provides for call setup, call proceeding, and call termination;

establishing an interface between a gatekeeper and the gateway portion of the proxy gateway, the gatekeeper being connected to the network;

establishing an interface between a gateway and the gateway portion of the proxy gateway, the gateway being connected to the network and a telephone network; and

establishing an interface between a terminal and the terminal portion of the proxy gateway, the terminal being connected to the network, the proxy gateway bridging the terminal to the telephone network via the gateway,

wherein the proxy gateway registers with a directory service associated with the proxy gateway and the terminal, when a telephone calls a terminal, the proxy gateway prompts the directory service to look up an IP address of the called terminal based on a telephone number of the called terminal received from the gateway, the telephone being connected to the telephone network, the proxy gateway bridging the called terminal to the telephone network via the gateway, and

wherein the proxy gateway prompts the called terminal to log onto the network so that a new IP address can be assigned to the called terminal when the directory service cannot find any IP address associated with the called terminal, the directory service provides the new IP address to the proxy gateway.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the proxy gateway prompts the gatekeeper to look up a user identification and an IP address of the gateway based on information from the terminal, the information comprising an IP address of the terminal, a destination telephone number, and a terminal user identification,

the destination telephone being connected to the telephone network,

the proxy gateway using the IP address of the gateway to bridge the terminal to the telephone network,

the proxy gateway comparing the user identification with the terminal user identification before granting call authorization.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the proxy gateway belongs to a zone of the gatekeeper,

the proxy gateway registering with the gatekeeper in order to establish the interface with the gatekeeper.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the proxy gateway enforces call authorization and user credit policies, authenticates caller identification, monitors duration of calls, maintains caller credit information, provides updated caller credit information to the gatekeeper, and prompts termination of a call when a caller'"'"'s credit information indicates credit exhausted.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the proxy gateway facilitates billing.

16. A telephony system comprising:

a network;

a terminal connected to the network;

a gatekeeper connected to the network;

a gateway connected to the network and a telephone network; and

a proxy gateway connected to the network, the proxy gateway communicating with the terminal and the gateway via the network, the proxy gateway comprising a gateway portion and a terminal portion, the proxy gateway providing for call setup, call proceeding, and call termination, wherein the proxy gateway behaves as a terminal with respect to the terminal and behaves as a gateway with respect to the gateway;

wherein the proxy gateway registers with a directory service associated with the proxy gateway and the terminal, when a telephone calls a terminal, the proxy gateway prompts the directory service to look up an IP address of the called terminal based on a telephone number of the called terminal received from the gateway, the telephone being connected to the telephone network, the proxy gateway bridging the called terminal to the telephone network via the gateway, and

wherein the proxy gateway prompts the called terminal to log onto the network so that a new IP address can be assigned to the called terminal when the directory service cannot find any IP address associated with the called terminal, the directory service provides the new IP address to the proxy gateway.

17. The telephony system of claim 16, wherein the telephony system further comprises:

additional gatekeepers connected to the network, wherein a zone is associated with each gatekeeper;

additional terminals connected to the network, each terminal being in one of the gatekeeper zones;

additional gateways connected to the network, each gateway being in one of the gatekeeper zones; and

additional proxy gateways connected to the network, each proxy gateway being in one of the gatekeeper zones, each proxy gateway comprising a gateway portion and a terminal portion, wherein each proxy gateway behaves as a terminal with respect to a terminal and behaves as a gateway with respect to a gateway.