Method and an associated device for setting up a transfer of data between two communications devices

• US 7,643,470 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Provost, Hervé, Herledan, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALIYUR, VENKATESH N
• Application Number:
  US10/945,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 370251-401, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2088 Call or conference reconnect, e.g. resulting from isdn terminal portability
• 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 7/006 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 technique of setting up a transfer of data between two communications devices. The devices are connected to an IP network via respective subscriber lines each conveying a voice and signaling channel and a data channel. The IP address of one of the devices is sent to the other device on the voice and signaling channel using a signaling mode of that channel. The transfer of data is effected after setting up a session on the data channel.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a data transfer between a first communications device and a second communications device connected to each other via a telecommunications network comprising an IP network and an analog network by re-launching an interrupted communication session between the first and second communications devices to re-establish between the first and second communications devices the communication session that was interrupted due to a change of an IP address of one of the first and second communications devices, each of the first and second communications devices being equipped with software for sending/receiving the data, a first analog network interface connected to a subscriber line of the telecommunications network conveying a voice and signaling channel, and a second network interface connected to the subscriber line of the telecommunications network conveying a data channel, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the first communications device to the IP network via a data channel of the first communications device and via a service provider;

storing in the first communications device a first dynamic address assigned by the service provider to which the first communications device is connected;

sending from the first communications device to the second communications device the IP address of the first communications device via the voice and signaling channel using a specific signaling mode;

connecting the second communications device to the IP network via a data channel of the second communications device and via the service provider in response to receiving the IP address sent from the first communications device;

storing at the second communications device a second dynamic address supplied by the service provider to which the second communications device is connected;

sending from the second communications device to the first communications device the IP address of the second communications device via the voice and signaling channel using the specific signaling mode;

waiting at the second communications device for a call from the first communications device to be sent on the data channel using the IP address of the second communications device sent to the first communications device from the second communications device; and

sending a call from the first communications device to the second communications device on the data channel when prompted by the data sending/receiving software of the first communications device using the IP address of the second communications device to re-launch the interrupted communication session between the first and second communications devices to re-establish between the first and second communications devices the communication session that was interrupted due to the change of the IP address of one of the first and second communications devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the subscriber line of the telecommunications network is connected to the first analog network interface which forms part of the analog network, the IP address is sent in DTMF mode using voice frequencies on the voice and signaling channel.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the IP address consists of a series of digits and is sent in DTMF mode as a sequence of dual tones resulting from a translation of each digit into dual frequencies.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the subscriber line of the telecommunications network is connected to the first analog network interface which forms part of the analog network having a number and name offering function, the IP address is sent using an analog number and name offering signaling mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer is set up between the first and second communications devices, the method further comprising the step of:

detecting by the data sending/receiving software a break in the data transfer which is triggered by an occurrence of a re-launch of any previous step of the method.

5. A method of setting up a data transfer between a first communications device and a second communications device connected to each other via a telecommunications network comprising an IP network and an analog network by re-launching an interrupted communication session between the first and second communications devices to re-establish between the first and second communications devices the communication session that was interrupted due to a change of an IP address of one of the first and second communications devices, each of the first and second communications devices being equipped with software for sending/receiving the data, a first analog network interface connected to a subscriber line of the telecommunications network conveying a voice and signaling channel, and a second network interface connected to the subscriber line of the telecommunications network conveying a data channel, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting each of the first and second communications devices to the IP network via the data channel and via a service provider;

storing at each of the first and second communication devices a dynamic address supplied by the service provider to which each of the first and second communications devices is connected;

sending from each of the first and second communications devices the IP address of each of the first and second communications device to the other device via the voice and signaling channel using a specific signaling mode;

waiting at the second communications device for a call from the first communications device to be sent on the data channel using the IP address of the second communications device sent to the first communications device from the second communications device; and

sending a call from the first communications device to the second communications device on the data channel when prompted by the data sending/software of the first communications device using the IP address of the second communications device to re-launch the interrupted communication session between the first and second communications devices to re-establish between the first and second communications devices the communication session that was interrupted due to the change of the IP address of one of the first and second communications devices.