Method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer

• US 7,248,675 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mirashrafi, Mojtaba, Sponaugle, Jeffrey B., Zuber, Mark D., Elliott, John D., Keeler, Kenneth L., Taylor, George L., Simon, Al J., Buondonno, Michael F., Pirkl, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHEE, MD S
• Application Number:
  US10/428,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20040052339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/72, 379/76, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.19, 379/201.01, 37921101-21102, 379/212.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.09, 379/265.05, 379/88.01, 379/88.13, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer, and routing the voice call off of the network, is provided. In a first embodiment, the apparatus comprises a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a set of communication services for facilitating establishment of the voice call to the PSTN extension, and an execution unit, coupled to the storage medium, for executing the plurality of programming instructions. The set of communication services include services for receiving a Push-To-Talk™ request from the networked client computer, requesting the voice call, and in response, determining the PSTN extension. The Push-To-Talk™ request includes identification information of an originating web server of the Push-To-Talk™ option, and the determination of the PSTN extension is made in accordance with the originating web server'"'"'s identification information.

Claims

1. A method of completing a telephone call comprising:

sending said call to a first computer,

said first computer communicating a called telephone number to a second computer to obtain operating characteristics of at least a third computer and a fourth computer that may be capable of completion of said call,

said first computer then selecting either said third computer or said fourth computer to transfer said call from a data network to a telephone network;

wherein said third or said fourth computers are each adapted to route packetized voice data associated with said telephone call; and

determining if said first computer is directly connected to said third computer or said fourth computer;

prompting a user with an opportunity to create a direct connection between said first computer and said third computer or said fourth computer if said first computer is not directly connected to either said third computer or said fourth computer; and

establishing the direct connection between said first computer and said third computer or said fourth computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second computer communicates with said third and fourth computers to ascertain average call length of calls completed from said first computer to said third and fourth computers.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said second computer maintains information related to the cost of transferring said call from said data network to said telephone network via each of said third and fourth computers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein solicited call metrics are used to select said third or fourth computer.

6. The method of claim 1 or 5 wherein the user has rejected the opportunity to create a direct connection between the client computer and the changeover bridgeport further comprising:

monitoring a quality level of the call, wherein the quality level of the call is determined by measuring at least one of a number of audio packets dropped within a predetermined time interval, a packet error rate, a signal to noise ratio, and a rise in a measured noise floor; and

prompting the user with another opportunity to create the direct connection between the client computer and the changeover bridgeport if the quality level of the call reaches a threshold level.

5. A method of completing packet telephone call of a packet switched network and on to public switched telephone network (PSTN), the method comprising:

originating a telephone call that is transmitted as packetized data at least partially along a transmitting line;

forming a connection from a client computer to a selecting computer, the selecting computer being one of several selecting computers,

selecting by the selecting computer a bridgeport computer to complete the call of the packet switching network, and

establishing communications with said selected bridgeport computer, said communications with said selected Bridgeport computer occurring while said client computer communicates with other selecting computers;

wherein said bridgeport computer is adapted to bridge packetized voice data associated with said telephone call;

determining if said client computer is directly connected to said bridgeport computer

prompting a user with an opportunity to create a direct connection between said client computer and said bridgeport computer if said client computer is not directly connected to said bridgeport computer; and

establishing the direct connection between said client computer and said bridgeport computer if so selected by the user.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said selecting computer selects said bridgeport computer from a plurality of bridgeport computers by calculating a call metric and using the call metric to select said bridgeport computer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said call metric is at least one of an indicia of quality of service and an indicia of cost.