Gateway for internet telephone

• US 7,512,116 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ohura, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Toan D
• Application Number:
  US10/911,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20050008008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A gateway for an internet telephone system manages calls to and from personal computers and enables the personal computers to use the internet telephone system with an IP address assigned by a DHCP server or a private IP address. The gateway has a LAN receiver for processing an incoming call from the Internet or a personal computer, a line transmitter for processing an outgoing call to a telephone according to a request from the LAN receiver, a line receiver for processing an incoming call from a telephone, a LAN transmitter for processing an outgoing call to the Internet or a personal computer according to a request from the line receiver, and a logger for logging information about calls according to requests from the LAN transmitter and line transmitter. If the LAN receiver receives an incoming call from a LAN and if the incoming call accompanies an IP address as a receiver address, the LAN receiver requests the LAN transmitter to make a call based on the incoming call, and the LAN transmitter requests the logger to log information about the call.

Claims

1. A gateway for an internet telephone system, comprising:

a LAN receiver for processing an incoming call from the Internet or a personal computer;

a line receiver for processing an incoming call from a telephone;

a LAN transmitter for processing an outgoing call to the Internet or a personal computer according to a request from the line receiver;

a line transmitter for processing an outgoing call to a telephone according to a request from the LAN receiver;

a retrieval unit for retrieving an address of a receiver gateway according to a request from the line receiver; and

a logger for logging information about calls according to requests from the LAN transmitter and line transmitter, wherein

if the LAN receiver receives an incoming call from a LAN and if the incoming call accompanies a receiver IP address;

the LAN receiver requests the LAN transmitter to make a call based on the incoming call, and the LAN transmitter requests the logger to log information about the call;

the LAN receiver has a first table for registering telephone numbers, private IP addresses assigned to personal computers for receiving a call with said telephone numbers, respectively, and reception enabled/disabled states of the personal computers; and

if the LAN receiver receives an incoming call from a LAN and if the incoming call accompanies a receiver telephone number that is within the domain of the gateway, the LAN receiver retrieves a private IP address registered in association with the receiver telephone number in the first table, and if a personal computer having the retrieved private IP address is in a reception enabled state, requests the LAN transmitter to make a call based on the incoming call and retrieved private IP address.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein, if the personal computer is in the reception disabled state or fails to receive the call, the LAN receiver requests the line transmitter to make a call based on the incoming call and accompanied receiver telephone number.

3. The gateway according to claim 2, wherein the private IP address of the terminal is provided by implementing a DHCP.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein every outgoing call from the personal computers is made through the gateway.

5. A gateway for an internet telephone system, comprising:

a LAN receiver for processing an incoming call from the Internet or a personal computer;

a line receiver for processing an incoming call from a telephone;

a LAN transmitter for processing an outgoing call to the Internet or a personal computer according to a request from the line receiver;

a line transmitter for processing an outgoing call to a telephone according to a request from the LAN receiver;

a retrieval unit for retrieving an address of a receiver gateway according to a request from the line receiver; and

a logger for logging information about calls according to requests from the LAN transmitter and line transmitter, wherein, if the LAN receiver receives an incoming call from a LAN and if the incoming call accompanies a receiver IP address, wherein;

the LAN receiver requests the LAN transmitter to make a call based on the incoming call;

the LAN transmitter requests the logger to log information about the call;

the LAN transmitter has a second table for registering private IP addresses assigned to personal computers that are within the domain of the gateway and telephone numbers related to the personal computers; and

if the LAN transmitter receives a call request from the LAN receiver, the LAN transmitter retrieves a telephone number corresponding to the caller private IP address from the second table and replaces the caller private IP address with a global IP address assigned to the gateway plus the retrieved telephone number, such that a receiver outside of the domain of the gateway, which receives a call made by said caller, uses said global IP address and said telephone number as a destination when said receiver makes a callback to said caller.

6. A gateway for an internet telephone system to which one or more terminals having respective telephone numbers are connected within the domain of the gateway, comprising:

a means for converting between a voice signal from a terminal and a corresponding IP packet;

a first table for translating between a telephone number and a global IP address to be assigned to the terminal;

a means, if the terminal sends a call outside of the domain, for assigning one global IP address obtained by retrieving the first table based on the telephone number of the call to the IP packet sent by the sending terminal;

a means for including the telephone number of the sending terminal in the IP packet to be sent; and

a means for specifying a destination terminal based on the telephone number included in the IP packet received,

said gateway, to which the one or more terminals having respective private IP addresses are further connected within the domain of the gateway, further comprising;

a second table for translating between a private IP address of the terminal and to a telephone number of the terminal, and

a means, if the terminal sends data outside of the domain, for the assigning the global IP address of the gateway and the one telephone number obtained by retrieving the second table based on the private IP address of the data to the IP packet sent by the sending terminal, such that a receiver outside the domain of the gateway, which receives the data sent from the sending terminal, uses said global IP address and said telephone number as a destination when said receiver makes a callback to said sending terminal.