IP telephone apparatus, ENUM server, IP telephone system and method for deleting terminal information

• US 7,751,386 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Akira, Kobayashi, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US11/183,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/260, 370/261
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 CPU in an IP telephone apparatus automatically controls to transmit, from a network I/F to an ENUM server, a request for deleting a NAPTR record when an absent key is pressed. The CPU regularly transmits, from the network I/F to the ENUM server, an inquiry for a NAPTR record of another IP telephone apparatus. When the CPU receives, from the ENUM server via the network I/F, a response indicating that the NAPTR record of another IP telephone apparatus has been deleted, in response to the inquiry, the CPU turns OFF a lamp indicating that the user is available.

Claims

1. An IP (Internet Protocol) telephone apparatus connected to an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server via a network, the ENUM server storing a NAPTR (Naming Authority Pointer) resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, the NAPTR resource record including a domain name corresponding to a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), the domain name and the URI being associated with the IP telephone apparatus, the IP telephone apparatus comprising:

a panel that includes a predetermined multi-function key, the predetermined multi-function key, when actuated by a user of the IP telephone apparatus, indicates that the user is unavailable, actuates a call answering function, and initiates an automatic deletion of the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server; and

a controller configured to transmit, to the ENUM server, a request for deleting the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server, in response to the actuation of the predetermined multi-function key,

whereby the ENUM server deletes the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus from the ENUM server, and

whereby, based on the deletion of the NAPTR resource record from the ENUM server, a user of another IP telephone apparatus connected to the network is notified that the user of the IP telephone apparatus is unavailable by a predetermined indicator lamp associated with the user of the IP telephone apparatus, the indicator lamp being located on a panel of the another IP telephone apparatus.

2. The IP telephone apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the another IP telephone apparatus transmits, to the ENUM server, an inquiry for a NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus,

wherein the another IP telephone apparatus receives, from the ENUM server, a reply to the inquiry, and

wherein the another IP telephone apparatus notifies the user of the another IP telephone apparatus that a user of the IP telephone apparatus is unavailable, when the reply indicates that the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus is not stored in the ENUM server.

3. An IP (Internet Protocol) telephone apparatus connected to another IP telephone apparatus and to an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server via a network, the ENUM server storing a NAPTR (Naming Authority Pointer) resource record of the another IP telephone apparatus, the NAPTR resource record including a domain name corresponding to a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), the domain name and the URI being associated with the another IP telephone apparatus, the IP telephone apparatus comprising:

a panel configured to indicate when the NAPTR resource record of the another IP telephone apparatus is present in the ENUM server, and configured to indicate when the NAPTR resource record of the another IP telephone apparatus has been deleted from the ENUM server by an actuation of a predetermined multi-function key of the another IP telephone apparatus, the actuation of the predetermined multi-function key also indicating that the user of the another IP telephone apparatus is unavailable and activating a call answering function of the another IP telephone apparatus; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to transmit, to the ENUM server, an inquiry for a NAPTR resource record of the another IP telephone apparatus,

wherein the controller is configured to receive, from the ENUM server, a reply to the inquiry, and

wherein the controller is configured to notify, via a predetermined indicator lamp located on the panel that is associated with a user of the another IP telephone apparatus, a user of the IP telephone apparatus that the user of the another IP telephone apparatus is unavailable, when the reply indicates that the NAPTR resource record of the another IP telephone apparatus is not stored in the ENUM server.

4. An ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone apparatus, the ENUM server comprising:

a memory configured to store a NAPTR (Naming Authority Pointer) resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, the NAPTR resource record including a domain name corresponding to a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), the domain name and the URI being associated with the IP telephone apparatus; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to receive, from the IP telephone apparatus, a user initiated request, indicating that the user is unavailable, for deleting the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server, the user initiated request being actuated by a predetermined multi-function key on a panel of the IP telephone apparatus, which also activates a call answering function, and

wherein the controller is configured to delete the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server in response to the user initiated request, and

wherein, based on the deletion of the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, the user of a predetermined IP telephone apparatus is notified that the user of the IP telephone apparatus is unavailable by a predetermined indicator lamp associated with the user of the IP telephone apparatus, the indicator lamp being located on a panel of the predetermined IP telephone apparatus.

5. The ENUM server according to claim 4, wherein the controller transmits, to the predetermined IP telephone apparatus, a notice indicating that the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus is deleted from the ENUM server, when the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus is deleted from the ENUM server.

6. The ENUM server according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined IP telephone apparatus notifies, via the predetermined indicator lamp, the user of the predetermined IP telephone apparatus that the user of the IP telephone apparatus is unavailable, when the notice indicating that the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus is deleted from the ENUM server has been received by the predetermined IP telephone apparatus.

7. An IP (Internet Protocol) telephone system, comprising:

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server configured to store at least one NAPTR (Naming Authority Pointer) resource record, the at least one NAPTR resource record including a domain name corresponding to a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier); and

an IP telephone apparatus configured to transmit, to the ENUM server, a request for deleting a NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server, upon actuation of a predetermined multi-function key by a user of the IP telephone apparatus indicating that the user is unavailable, and activating a call answering function,

wherein the ENUM server receives, from the IP telephone apparatus, the request for deleting the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server,

wherein the ENUM server deletes the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server in response to the request, and

wherein, based on the deletion of the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, the user of a predetermined IP telephone apparatus is notified that the user of the IP telephone apparatus is unavailable by a predetermined indicator lamp associated with the user of the IP telephone apparatus, the indicator lamp being located on a panel of the predetermined IP telephone apparatus.

8. The IP (Internet Protocol) telephone system according to claim 7,

wherein, when the ENUM server deletes the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, the ENUM server transmits, to the predetermined IP telephone apparatus, a notice indicating that the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus is deleted from the ENUM server.

9. A method for deleting a NAPTR (Naming Authority Pointer) resource record of an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone apparatus in an EMUM (Telephone Number Mapping) server, the NAPTR resource record including a domain name corresponding to a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), the domain name and the URI being associated with the IP telephone apparatus, the IP telephone apparatus including a predetermined multi-function key, the method comprising:

actuating, by a user of the IP telephone apparatus, the predetermined multi-function key to indicate that the user is not available, activate a call answering function, and initiate an automatic deletion of the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus in the ENUM server;

determining, by the IP telephone apparatus, that the predetermined multi-function key has been actuated by the user;

transmitting, from the IP telephone apparatus to the ENUM server, a request for deleting the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus stored in the ENUM server in response to actuation of the predetermined multi-function key,

deleting, by the ENUM server, the NAPTR resource record of the IP telephone apparatus, and

notifying a predetermined IP telephone apparatus that the user of the IP telephone apparatus is not available by a predetermined indicator lamp associated with the user of the IP telephone apparatus, the indicator lamp being located on a panel of the predetermined IP telephone apparatus.