IP telephone system, IP telephone apparatus and communications method

• US 7,715,367 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Akira, Nishida, Toshiko, Toyoda, Kiyoshi, Kobayashi, Kazuto, Tada, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US11/183,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/260, 370/261
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/40 Applications of speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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

An IP telephone system includes an IP telephone apparatus, a Web server and an ENUM server. The IP telephone apparatus is connected to an IP network. The Web server registers talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the IP telephone apparatus. The ENUM server registers a NAPTR resource record in which a URI specifies link data related to the talk volume information registered in the Web server. In the IP telephone system, the IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR record corresponding to a targeted recipient phone number. The IP telephone apparatus then transmits, to the Web server, a request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the returned NAPTR resource record, and adjusts the talk volume according to the returned talk volume information.

Claims

1. An IP telephone system comprising:

an IP telephone apparatus that is connected to an IP network;

a Web server that registers talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to said IP telephone apparatus, and returns the talk volume information in response to a request from said IP telephone apparatus; and

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server that registers a NAPTR (Name Authority Pointer) resource record in which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) specifies link data related to the talk volume information and returns the NAPTR resource record in response to a query from said IP telephone apparatus,

wherein said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to said ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record according to a targeted recipient phone number, and transmits, to said Web server, a request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the returned NAPTR resource record, and adjusts talk volume according to the returned talk volume information, and

wherein a predetermined protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to said Web server, the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the predetermined protocol.

2. The IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein an http protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to said Web server, the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the http protocol.

3. The IP telephone system according to claim 1, wherein said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call obtains the targeted recipient phone number based on a description of a received INVITE message.

12. The IP telephone system of claim 1, wherein the talk volume information is obtained independently of detection of an off-hook condition and the talk volume is adjusted after an off-hook condition is detected but before communication becomes enabled.

4. An IP telephone apparatus that is connected to a Web server and an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server, the Web server registering talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the ENUM server registering a NAPTR (Name Authority Pointer) resource record in which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) specifies link data related to the talk volume information, the IP telephone apparatus comprising:

a query unit that transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record according to a targeted recipient phone number, when receiving a call from another IP telephone apparatus on the IP network;

a requester that transmits, to the Web server, a request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the returned NAPTR resource record; and

an adjuster that adjusts talk volume according to the returned talk volume information,

wherein a predetermined protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to said Web server, the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the predetermined protocol.

5. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said requester transmits, to the Web server, a request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to an http protocol, the protocol being specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in the ENUM server.

6. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said query unit transmits a query for the NAPTR resource record according to the targeted recipient phone number obtained based on a description of INVITE message, the message being received from another IP telephone apparatus.

13. The IP telephone apparatus of claim 4, wherein the requester transmits the talk volume information independently of detection of an off-hook condition and the adjuster adjusts the talk volume after an off-hook condition is detected but before communication becomes enabled.

7. A communication method comprising:

using an IP telephone apparatus that is connected to a Web server and an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server, the Web server registering talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the ENUM server registering a NAPTR (Name Authority Pointer) resource record in which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) specifies link data related to the talk volume information,

wherein, when a call is received from another IP telephone apparatus on the IP network, a query is transmitted to the ENUM server, the query being for a NAPTR resource record according to a targeted recipient phone number, a request is transmitted to the Web server, the request being for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the returned NAPTR resource record, and talk volume is adjusted according to the returned talk volume information, and

wherein a predetermined protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits, to said Web server, the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the predetermined protocol.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein a request is transmitted to the Web server, the request being for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to an http protocol, the protocol being specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in the ENUM server.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the targeted recipient phone number is obtained based on a description of INVITE message, the message being received from another IP telephone apparatus.

14. The communication method of claim 7, wherein the request for talk volume information is independent of detection of an off-hook condition and the talk volume is adjusted after an off-hook condition is detected but before communication becomes enabled.

10. An IP telephone system comprising:

an IP telephone apparatus that is on an IP network and that registers a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) and talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the IP telephone apparatus; and

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server that registers a NAPTR (Name Authority Pointer) resource record specifying a URI corresponding to a telephone number assigned to said IP telephone apparatus, and returns a NAPTR resource record in response to a query from said IP telephone apparatus,

wherein a source IP telephone apparatus transmits, to said ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record by specifying a telephone number, and places a call based on a URI specified in the returned NAPTR resource record, and wherein a destination IP telephone apparatus adjusts talk volume according to the talk volume information corresponding to the URI specified by the source IP telephone apparatus, and

wherein a predetermined protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the predetermined protocol.

15. The IP telephone system of claim 10, wherein the talk volume is adjusted after an off-hook condition is detected but before communication becomes enabled.

11. A communication method for an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, the method comprising:

using an IP telephone apparatus that is connected to an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server, the ENUM (Uniform Resource Identifier) server registering a NAPTR (Name Authority Pointer) resource record that specifies a URI corresponding to a telephone number assigned to an IP telephone apparatus on an IP network, and registers a URI and talk volume information corresponding to a telephone number assigned to the IP telephone apparatus,

wherein a source IP telephone apparatus transmits, to the ENUM server, a query for a NAPTR resource record by specifying a telephone number, and places a call based on a URI specified in the returned NAPTR resource record, and wherein a destination IP telephone apparatus adjusts talk volume according to the talk volume information corresponding to the URI specified by the source IP telephone apparatus, and

wherein a predetermined protocol is specified in the NAPTR resource record registered in said ENUM server, and said IP telephone apparatus that has received a call transmits the request for the talk volume information corresponding to the targeted recipient phone number according to the predetermined protocol.

16. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the talk volume is adjusted after an off-hook condition is detected but before communication becomes enabled.