Method for establishing a VoIP communication using a peer-to-peer databank

• US 8,085,759 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Neuhaus, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CATTUNGAL, AJAY P
• Application Number:
  US11/884,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0063 where the network is a peer-to-peer network

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for operating a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, whereby a databank is stored in shared manner among the nodes is provided. A first node extracts from the databank identification data for identifying and/or addressing the first node by a correspondent for recording, initiated by the first node, of a communication with the correspondent of an external communication system. In another embodiment, when the recording of a communication with a first node is initiated by a correspondent of an external communication system, a notification concerning the recording of the communication initiated by the correspondent by means of the databank can be supplied to a second node and the correspondent is then tracked. A for implementing the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication network, the communication network having a plurality of communication terminals connected to a databank having information of the terminals needed for the terminals to place outgoing calls to a server, the communication terminals comprising a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, the method comprising:

the first communication terminal registering with the server;

the second communication terminal sending a first message to the databank to subscribe to receive notification of incoming calls to the first communication terminal, the second communication terminal not registered with the server;

in response to the first message, the databank storing data for use in informing the second communication terminal when an incoming call for the first communication terminal is received;

the first communication terminal receiving a second message from the server, the second message being sent to establish a call with the first communication terminal;

informing the databank that an incoming call is arriving for the first communication terminal;

the second communication terminal receiving a third message from the databank or the first communication terminal informing the second communication terminal that the incoming call is arriving at the first communication terminal;

the second communication terminal sending a fourth message to one of the first communication terminal and the databank requesting to answer the incoming call for the first communication terminal;

the first terminal querying the databank for address information of the second communication terminal used by the second communication terminal to receive calls external to the communication network; and

the first terminal sending a fifth message to the server indicating the address information of the second communication terminal such that the incoming call is routed by the server to the second communication terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the incoming call is a VoIP communication.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication terminals have equal access to the databank, and wherein the databank is a peer-to-peer databank, and wherein the databank is accessed using a peer-to-peer method.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the address information comprises an external address and port number for the second communication terminal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the address information comprises a call number.

6. A method for operating a communication network, the communication network having a plurality of communication terminals connected to a databank having information of the terminals needed for the terminals to place outgoing calls to a server, the communication terminals comprising a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, the method comprising:

the first communication terminal registering with the server;

the second communication terminal sending a first message to the databank to subscribe to receive notification of incoming calls to the first communication terminal, the second communication terminal not registered with the server;

in response to the first message, the databank storing data for use in informing the second communication terminal when an incoming call for the first communication terminal is received;

the first communication terminal receiving a second message from the server, the second message being sent to establish a call with the first communication terminal;

informing the databank that an incoming call is arriving for the first communication terminal;

the second communication terminal receiving a third message from one of the databank and the first communication terminal informing the second communication terminal that the incoming call is arriving at the first communication terminal;

the second communication terminal sending a fourth message to the server requesting to answer the incoming call for the first communication terminal, the fourth message having address information of the second communication terminal used by the second communication terminal to receive calls; and

the server routing the incoming call to the second communication terminal using the address information of the second communication terminal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the incoming call is a VoIP communication.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a gateway receiving the fourth message from the second communication terminal and forwarding the fourth message to the server.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first communication terminal informs the databank of the incoming call and wherein the databank sends the third message to the second communication terminal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the address information comprises a call number.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first communication terminal sends the third message to the second communication terminal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication terminals have equal access to the databank.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the databank is a peer-to-peer databank, and wherein the databank is accessed using a peer-to-peer method.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the incoming call is established using Session Initiation Protocol.

15. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals comprising a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal;

a databank connected to the communication terminals, the databank having address information of the terminals;

the second communication terminal sending a first message to the databank to subscribe to receive notification of incoming calls to the first communication terminal,

in response to the first message, the databank storing data for use in informing the second communication terminal when an incoming call for the first communication terminal is received;

the first communication terminal receiving a second message from a server, the second message being sent to establish a call with the first communication terminal;

the second communication terminal receiving a third message from the databank or the first communication terminal informing the second communication terminal that the incoming call is arriving at the first communication terminal;

one of;

the second communication terminal sending a fourth message to one of the first communication terminal and the databank requesting to answer the incoming call for the first communication terminal, and

the second communication terminal sending the fourth message to the server requesting to answer the incoming call for the first communication terminal, the fourth message having address information of the second communication terminal used by the second communication terminal to receive calls;

if the second communication terminal sends the fourth message to one of the first communication terminal and the databank, the first terminal querying the databank for address information of the second communication terminal used by the second communication terminal to receive calls external to the communication network and sending a fifth message to the server indicating the address information of the second communication terminal such that the incoming call is routed by the server to the second communication terminal; and

if the second communication terminal sends the fourth message to the server, the second communication terminal receiving the incoming call via the server based on the address information of the second communication terminal provided to the server via the fourth message.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the communication terminals are comprised of telephones.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the address information of the second communication terminal comprises at least one of a call number, an address of the second communication terminal, and a port number.