System and device for integrating IP and analog telephone systems

• US 7,203,186 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Son T. Tran, William H. Fuller
• Original Assignee: Son T. Tran, William H. Fuller
• Inventors: Tran, Son T., Fuller, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US09/723,099
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/235, 370/401, 370/419, 370/431, 379/221.02, 704/270.1, 710/72
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856

Abstract

A system and a call forwarding manager device for providing Internet telephony to a subscriber'"'"'s premises via the subscriber'"'"'s Internet connection, facilitated by the subscriber'"'"'s analog telephone connection. Incoming analog telephone calls are received by the call forwarding manager connected to the subscriber'"'"'s analog telephone line, which responds by generating a request for service from a voice gateway, which may be remotely located. The voice gateway then generates an Internet telephone connection from the voice gateway to an Internet protocol telephone owned by the subscriber, and then connects the analog telephone call via the voice gateway to the Internet protocol telephone via the subscriber'"'"'s Internet connection.

Claims

1. A method of providing Internet telephony to a subscriber premises via a subscriber Internet connection to said subscriber premises, using an analog telephone connection, comprising

providing a voice gateway converting Internet telephony and analog telephony standards to facilitate the use of Internet and analog telephony by said subscriber,

providing a call forwarding manager connected to said analog telephone connection,

providing an Internet protocol telephone at said subscriber premises,

receiving an analog telephone call from said analog telephone connection at said call forwarding manager, and responding to said reception by generating a request for service from said voice gateway,

generating an Internet telephone connection from said voice gateway to said Internet protocol telephone at said subscriber premises in response to said request for service from said call forwarding manager, and

connecting said analog telephone call via said voice gateway to said Internet protocol telephone via said subscriber Internet connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said call forwarding manager is located at said subscriber premises and said analog telephone line connects to said subscriber premises.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said voice gateway is remote from said subscriber premises.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said voice gateway is utilized by multiple subscribers simultaneously to provide conversion between Internet telephony and analog telephony standards.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a call manager, said call manager receiving said request for service from said call forwarding manager, said call manager establishing the Internet telephone connection from said voice gateway to said Internet protocol telephone for use by said voice gateway.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said call manager performs a data driven call management application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said call manager provides enhanced services to said subscriber selected from the group comprising:

establishing pick groups, hunt groups, call forwarding and voice messaging for Internet protocol telephone of said subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said call forwarding manager receives dialed number information service data regarding said analog telephone call and forwards said dialed number information service data as part of said request for service.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said dialed number information service data is used in identifying said Internet protocol telephone as a recipient of said analog telephone call.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said call forwarding manager receives automatic number identification data regarding said analog telephone call and forwards said automatic number identification data as part of said request for service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said automatic number identification data is used in identifying said Internet protocol telephone as a recipient of said analog telephone call.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said analog telephone call is connected to said voice gateway by delivery of one or more of TAPI, JTAPI, SCTP, or proprietary interface commands to a telecommunications exchange switch.

13. A system for providing Internet telephony to a subscriber premises via a subscriber Internet connection to said subscriber premises, using an analog telephone connection, comprising

a voice gateway converting Internet telephony and analog telephony standards to facilitate the use of Internet and analog telephony by said subscriber,

a call forwarding manager connected to said analog telephone connection,

said call forwarding manager receiving an analog telephone call from an analog telephone line, and responding to said reception by generating a request for service from said voice gateway,

said voice gateway generating an Internet telephone connection to an Internet protocol telephone at said subscriber premises in response to said request for service from said call forwarding manager, and connecting said analog telephone call via said voice gateway to said Internet protocol telephone via said subscriber Internet connection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said call forwarding manager is located at said subscriber premises and said analog telephone line connects to said subscriber premises.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said voice gateway is remote from said subscriber premises.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said voice gateway is coupled to Internet protocol telephones located at the premises of multiple subscribers, to provide conversion between Internet telephony and analog telephony standards.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a call manager, said call manager receiving said request for service from said call forwarding manager, said call manager establishing the Internet telephone connection from said voice gateway to said Internet protocol telephone for use by said voice gateway.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said call manager performs a data driven call management application.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein said call manager provides enhanced services to said subscriber including one or more of establishing pick groups, hunt groups, call forwarding, voice driven local directory service and voice messaging for Internet protocol telephone of said subscriber.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein said call forwarding manager receives dialed number information service data regarding said analog telephone call and forwards said dialed number information service data as part of said request for service.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said dialed number information service data is used in identifying said Internet protocol telephone as a recipient of said analog telephone call.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said call forwarding manager receives automatic number identification data regarding said analog telephone call and forwards said automatic number identification data as part of said request for service.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said automatic number identification data is used in identifying said Internet protocol telephone as a recipient of said analog telephone call.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein said analog telephone call is connected to said voice gateway by delivery of one or more of TAPI, JTAPI, SCTP, or proprietary interface commands to a telecommunications exchange switch.

25. A call forwarding manger for use in interfacing Internet telephony to a subscriber premises using an analog telephone line, comprising

an analog telephone connection for connection to said analog telephone line to capture data selected from the group comprising dialed number information service data and automatic number identification data, and

a digital communications connection for delivering a request for service with data selected from the group comprising said dialed number information service data and said automatic number identification data.

26. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 wherein said digital communications connection comprises a serial connection.

27. The call forwarding manager of claim 26 wherein said serial connection comprises one or more of USB, Firewire and Ethernet.

28. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 wherein said digital communications connection comprises a parallel connection.

29. The call forwarding manager of claim 28 wherein said parallel connection comprises one or more of PCI, ISA and IEEE-488.

30. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 wherein said request for service is delivered as an IP packet.

31. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 further comprising firewall and VPN systems for managing communications via said digital communications connection.

32. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 further comprising an ADSL, cable, or wireless modem.

33. The call forwarding manager of claim 25 further comprising quality of service and RSVP service systems for managing communications via said digital communications connection.