Apparatus and method for integrated computer controlled call processing in packet switched telephone networks

• US 7,126,942 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Strathmeyer, Carl R., Finnie, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US10/072,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/412, 370/429, 370/493, 709/102, 709/103
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 : Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 : Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• 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

A communication management method and apparatus is presented. Such method and apparatus operate to transmit, from an application computer in communication with a gatekeeper which is connected to a data network, messages indicative of (a) telephone calls in progress at an endpoint of the data network, or (b) such endpoint, and to transmit, from the gatekeeper to the application computer, messages indicative of a variety of information contained in the telephone calls so as to process such information for a variety of applications. The invention provides protocols for classifying incoming messages and prioritizing these messages for the presentation to, and utilization by, a system user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting over a packet data network, from an application computer to a gatekeeper computer, information indicative of monitoring and control telephony functions desired by a user of said application computer, said application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of said packet data network;

arranging for a packetized telephone communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network, said arrangement being accomplished through said gatekeeper computer;

causing said packetized telephone communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network to occur;

reporting information indicative of said packetized communications session occurring to said application computer from said gatekeeper computer over said packet data network;

establishing classification categories for a variety of communications transmissions effected via said packet data network;

establishing priority sequencing guidelines for said classification categories;

receiving at least one communication transmission via said packet data network; and

assigning a classification category to said communications transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing said communications transmissions according to said classification category assigned thereto.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting one of said stored communications transmissions for presentation to a user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting said selected communications transmission to said user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a signal to alert a user of the receipt of said communications transmission.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a separate signal for each classification category or user defined amalgamation of classification categories to alert a user of the receipt of a communication belonging to each of said category or belonging to said user defined amalgamation of various classification categories.

7. A method, comprising:

transmitting over a packet data network, from an application computer to a gatekeeper computer, information indicative of communications monitoring and control functions desired by a user of said application computer, said application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of said packet data network;

arranging for a packetized communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network, said arrangement being accomplished through said gatekeeper computer;

establishing classification categories for a variety of communications transmissions effected via said packet data network;

establishing priority sequencing guidelines for said classification categories;

causing said packetized communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network to occur;

determining into which classification category said communications transmissions go; and

reporting information indicative of said packetized communications session to said application computer from said gatekeeper computer over said packet data network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing said communications transmissions according to said classification category assigned thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting one of said stored communications transmissions for presentation to a user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting said selected communications transmission to said user.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a signal to alert a user of the receipt of said communications transmissions.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a separate signal for each classification category or user defined amalgamation of classification categories to alert a user of the receipt of a communication belonging to each of said classification category or belonging to said each user defined amalgamation of various classification categories.

13. An article comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor causes:

transmitting over a packet data network, from an application computer to a gatekeeper computer, information indicative of monitoring and control telephony functions desired by a user of said application computer, said application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of said packet data network;

arranging for a packetized telephone communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network, said arrangement being accomplished through said gatekeeper computer;

causing said packetized telephone communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network to occur; and

reporting information indicative of said packetized telephone communications session occurring to said application computer from said gatekeeper computer over said packet data network;

establishing classification categories for a variety of communications transmissions effected via said packet data network;

establishing priority sequencing guidelines for said classification categories;

receiving at least one communication transmission via said packet data network; and

assigning a classification category to said communications transmission.

14. An article according to claim 13, which when executed by a processor further causes:

storing said communications transmissions according to said classification category assigned thereto.

15. An article to claim 14, which when executed by a processor further causes:

selecting one of said stored communications transmissions for presentation to a user; and

presenting said selected communications transmission to said user.

16. An article according to claim 13, which when executed by a processor further causes:

generating a signal to alert a user of the receipt of said communications transmission.

17. An article comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor causes:

transmitting over a packet data network, from an application computer to a gatekeeper computer, information indicative of communications monitoring and control functions desired by a user of said application computer, said application computer being located separately from any of at least two nodes of said packet data network;

arranging for a packetized communications session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network, said arrangement being accomplished through said gatekeeper computer;

establishing classification categories for a variety or communications transmissions effected via said packet network;

establishing priority sequencing guidelines for the classification categories;

causing said packetized communication session between said at least two nodes of said packet data network to occur;

determining into which classification category said communications transmissions go; and

reporting information indicative of said packetized communications session to said application computer from said gatekeeper computer over said packet data network.

18. An article according to claim 17, which when executed by a processor additionally causes:

storing said communications transmissions according to said classification category assigned thereto.

19. An article according to claim 18, which when executed by a processor additionally causes:

selecting one of said stored communications transmissions for presentation to a user; and

presenting said selected communications transmission to said user.

20. An article according to claim 18, which when executed by a processor additionally causes:

generating a signal to alert a user of the receipt of said communication.

21. An article according to claim 18, which when executed by a processor additionally causes:

generating a separate signal for each classification category, or user defined amalgamation of classification categories, to alert a user of the receipt of a communication belonging to each classification category, or belonging to said each user defined amalgamation of various classification categories.