Network communications having endpoint device with automatic connection to iPBX

• US 7,606,221 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Roper, Michael, Bednarz, Philip, Artru, Fredric, Petit-Hugenin, Marc, Huckridge, Andy, Robert, Jean-Hugues
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand; Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US10/996,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20050111440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/401, 370/467, 379/88.17, 379/219
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A telephony communications approach implements an autodiscover feature that enables an endpoint device to automatically locate and establish communication with a desirable server in a web of interconnected servers. In one specific example implementation, the endpoint device is an internet-type telephone communicating with a remotely-located server in an internet-based private branch exchange. Various packet-communicating endpoint devices are adapted to communicate with the internet-based private branch exchange by adapting each to automatically broadcast its identity and, in response to receiving an assignment for the appropriated iPBX, establish communication with the internet-based private branch exchange from other packet-based servers. Other aspects of the invention are directed to approaches for distinguishing the desired internet-based private branch exchange from the other packet-based servers and implementations for assigning the appropriate iPBX.

Claims

1. A telephony communications arrangement, comprising:

a unique internet-based private branch exchange providing telephone services and including a programmable processor circuit programmed to control the telephone services at the internet-based private branch exchange, the unique internet-based private branch exchange adapted to communicate to a remote location using packet-based communications on a packet-based network; and

a plurality of packet-communicating endpoint Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) devices, each of which is adapted to communicate with the unique internet-based private branch using the packet-based network, wherein the packet-based network is also communicatively coupled to a plurality of other packet-based servers, and each packet-communicating endpoint device is configured and arranged to auto-discover the unique internet-based private branch exchange using broadcast message that identifies the endpoint and, in response to the broadcast message, receive an identifier for the unique internet-based private branch, and establish communication with the unique internet-based private branch exchange, and to distinguish, using the locator, the unique internet-based private branch exchange from the plurality of other packet-based servers for establishing packet-based communications between the packet-communicating endpoint device and the unique internet-based private branch exchange.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to store a unique code that identifies the internet-based private branch exchange relative to the plurality of other packet-based servers and to distinguish the unique internet-based private branch exchange from the plurality of other packet-based servers using the unique code.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of other packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path to establish packet-based communication.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of other packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path that is defined in terms of a geographic location of the one of the plurality of other packet-based servers.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of other packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path that is defined in terms of a geographic location of the one of the plurality of other packet-based servers, the geographic location being defined as a function of an area-code based telephone regulation associated with the geographic locations of the packet-communicating endpoint device and a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device.

6. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of other packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path that is defined in terms of a geographic location of the one of the plurality of other packet-based servers, the geographic location being defined as a function of an area-code based telephone regulation associated with the geographic locations of the packet-communicating endpoint device and a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device, and independent-from area codes assigned to the respective packet-communicating endpoint device and said destination.

7. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein each of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of other packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path that is defined in terms of a geographic location of a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the unique internet-based private branch exchange is further adapted to facilitate packet-based telephony communications between one of the plurality of packet-communicating endpoint devices and a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device as a function of an area-code based telephone regulation associated with the geographic location of at least one of said packet-communicating endpoint device and said destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the unique internet-based private branch exchange is further adapted to facilitate packet-based telephony communications between one of the plurality of packet-communicating endpoint devices and a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device independent from area codes assigned to at least one of the respective packet-communicating endpoint device and said destination.

10. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the unique internet-based private branch exchange is further adapted to facilitate packet-based telephony communications between one of the plurality of packet-communicating endpoint devices and a destination of a telephony communication initiated from the packet-communicating endpoint device as a function of area codes assigned to at least one of the respective packet-communicating endpoint device and said destination.

11. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the packet-communicating endpoint devices is adapted to select one of the plurality of the other packet-based servers via which to communicate packet-based data as a function at least one of:

a pre-assigned priority list, cost, time of day, location of target telephony communication destination, a category of service providers associated with each of the plurality of the other packet-based servers, and a type of media in the packet-based data being communicated.

12. An endpoint telephony device for use in a communications system including an internet-based private branch exchange adapted to communicate packet-based telephony data with a plurality of endpoint telephony devices over communications paths, the endpoint telephony device comprising:

a packet-based communications link adapted to directly couple to a packet-based communications path for communicating with the internet-based private branch exchange, the communications path being coupled to a plurality of packet-based servers including the internet-based private branch exchange;

a telephony processor configured and arranged to auto-discover an internet-based private branch exchange using a query that returns data that includes identifiers for servers of the plurality of packet-based servers and establish communication with the internet-based private branch exchange for establishing packet-based telephony communications with one of the plurality of endpoint telephony devices via the internet-based private branch exchange.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the telephony processor is further adapted to use a unique address and to communicate the unique address to the internet-based private branch exchange for the establishment of packet-based communications therewith.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the telephony processor is further adapted to use a stored unique code that identifies the internet-based private branch exchange, relative to the plurality of other packet-based servers, for establishing communications with the internet-based private branch exchange.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the telephony processor is further adapted to execute a program that causes the packet-communicating endpoint device to search for one of the plurality of packet-based servers that manifests an acceptable routing path to establish packet-based communication with the one of the plurality of packet-communicating endpoint telephony devices.

16. A telephony communications arrangement comprising:

an internet-based private branch exchange including programmable means for controlling a server at the internet-based private branch exchange, the internet-based private branch exchange adapted to communicate to a plurality of remote internet telephones over an internet communications link using packet-based communications, the internet communications link being further coupled to a plurality of other packet-based servers; and

a plurality of packet-communicating internet telephones, each internet telephone comprising;

means for receiving an audible voice signal and for converting the audible voice signal into packet-based voice data for communicating on the internet communications link;

means for receiving packet-based voice data via the internet communications link and for converting the packet-based voice data into an audible signal; and

communications means for automatically discovering the internet-based private branch exchange and, in response to the automatic discovery, establishing communications with the internet-based private branch exchange for requesting the establishment of telephone communications between the internet telephone and a recipient telephone; and

wherein the server at the internet-based private branch exchange is configured and arranged for facilitating the communication of voice data between one of the internet telephones and a recipient telephone in response to the communications means of the one of the internet telephones requesting the establishment of telephone communications with the recipient telephone.

17. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the recipient telephone is an internet telephone and wherein the server is adapted for facilitating the communication of voice data between the one of the internet telephones and the recipient internet telephone by facilitating the establishment of a direct connection between the one of the internet telephones and the recipient internet telephone via the internet communications link.

18. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the recipient telephone is an internet telephone and wherein the server is adapted for facilitating the communication of voice data between one of the internet telephones and the recipient internet telephone by passing voice data between the one of the internet telephones and the recipient internet telephone, via the internet-based private branch exchange and the internet communications link.

19. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the recipient telephone is a non-internet telephone and wherein the server is adapted for facilitating the communication of voice data between one of the internet telephones and the recipient non-internet telephone by passing voice data to and from the one of the internet telephones to the recipient non-internet telephone, via the internet-based private branch exchange and a non-internet communications link.

20. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the server at the internet-based private branch exchange is configured and arranged for facilitating the communication of voice data between one of the internet telephones and a recipient telephone in response to the communications means of the one of the internet telephones requesting the establishment of telephone communications with the recipient telephone and as a function of the geographic location of at least one of the internet telephones and the recipient telephone.