Apparatus and method for providing communication services using multiple signaling protocols
First Claim
1. A communication terminal, comprising:
- a phone manager within a packet network endpoint, the phone manager including an interface for a communication line employed by the packet network endpoint to carry analog voice signals during a conference;
a telephony controller within the packet network endpoint, the telephony controller including an interface to each of a plurality of voice-over-Internet Protocol signaling protocols employed by the packet network endpoint during the conference;
an application controller within the packet network endpoint and coupled to the phone manager and the telephony controller, the application controller supporting multi-party conferencing for calls involving two or more of the plurality of signaling protocols; and
a digital signal processor within the packet network endpoint and coupled to the phone manager and the telephony controller, the digital signal processor configured to process audio information during a conference by;
receiving a first audio stream associated with a user of the packet network endpoint;
combining the first audio stream with only a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by a packet network to form a first combined audio stream, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol;
providing the first combined audio stream to a second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol;
combining the first audio stream with only a third audio stream from the second remote endpoint to form a second combined audio stream; and
providing the second combined audio stream to the first remote endpoint.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes a plurality of call controllers that are capable of establishing a plurality of communication sessions over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols. The apparatus also includes an application controller that is capable of supporting one or more supplementary services during each of the communication sessions. As particular examples, the application controller and at least one of the call controllers are capable of at least one of: placing at least one of the communication sessions on hold so a user may initiate another of the communication sessions, placing at least one of the communication sessions on hold so the user may accept another of the communication sessions, and establishing a conference using at least two of the communication sessions. The communication sessions may use a common signaling protocol or different signaling protocols.
96 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A communication terminal, comprising:
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a phone manager within a packet network endpoint, the phone manager including an interface for a communication line employed by the packet network endpoint to carry analog voice signals during a conference; a telephony controller within the packet network endpoint, the telephony controller including an interface to each of a plurality of voice-over-Internet Protocol signaling protocols employed by the packet network endpoint during the conference; an application controller within the packet network endpoint and coupled to the phone manager and the telephony controller, the application controller supporting multi-party conferencing for calls involving two or more of the plurality of signaling protocols; and a digital signal processor within the packet network endpoint and coupled to the phone manager and the telephony controller, the digital signal processor configured to process audio information during a conference by; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user of the packet network endpoint; combining the first audio stream with only a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by a packet network to form a first combined audio stream, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; providing the first combined audio stream to a second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol; combining the first audio stream with only a third audio stream from the second remote endpoint to form a second combined audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream to the first remote endpoint.
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2. An apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of call controllers within a packet network endpoint, the call controllers capable of establishing a plurality of communication sessions over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols; an application controller within a packet network endpoint, the application controller capable of supporting one or more supplementary services during each of the communication sessions; and a digital signal processor within a packet network endpoint, the digital signal processor configured to process audio information during a conference by; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user of a telecommunications device connected to the packet network endpoint; combining the first audio stream with only a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network to form a first combined audio stream, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; providing the first combined audio stream to a second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol; combining the first audio stream with only a third audio stream from the second remote endpoint to form a second combined audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream to a first remote endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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establishing a plurality of communication sessions to a packet network endpoint over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols; providing one or more supplementary services during each of the communication sessions; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user at the packet network endpoint; within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with only a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network to form a first combined audio stream, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; providing the first combined audio stream from the packet network endpoint to a second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol; within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with only a third audio stream from the second remote endpoint to form a second combined audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream from the packet network endpoint to a first remote endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
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establishing a plurality of communication sessions to a packet network endpoint over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols; providing one or more supplementary services during each of the communication sessions; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user at the packet network endpoint; within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with only a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network to form a first combined audio stream, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; providing the first combined audio stream from the packet network endpoint to a second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with only a third audio stream from the second remote endpoint to form a second combined audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream from the packet network endpoint to a first remote endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of call controllers within a packet network endpoint, the call controllers capable of establishing a plurality of communication sessions over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols; and a digital signal processor within the packet network endpoint, the digital signal processor configured to process audio information during a conference by; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user; combining the first audio stream with a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint to form a first combined audio stream without combining the first and second audio streams with a third audio stream from a second remote endpoint, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; providing the first combined audio stream to the second remote endpoint, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different from the first signaling protocol; combining the first audio stream with the third audio stream to form a second combined audio stream without combining the first and third audio streams with the second audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream to the first remote endpoint, wherein the call controllers are capable of being simultaneously registered with an H.323 gatekeeper, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and a media gateway controller using at least one of;
a common Internet Protocol address and a common telephone number.
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31. A method, comprising:
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registering a packet network endpoint with at least two of an H.323 gatekeeper, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server, and a media gateway controller using at least one of;
a common Internet Protocol address and a common telephone number;establishing a plurality of communication sessions to the packet network endpoint over a packet network using a plurality of signaling protocols; receiving a first audio stream associated with a user at the packet network endpoint; within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with a second audio stream from a first remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network to form a first combined audio stream without combining the first and second audio streams with a third audio stream from a second remote endpoint, the first remote endpoint using a first signaling protocol; and providing the first combined audio stream to the second remote endpoint coupled to the packet network endpoint by the packet network, wherein the second remote endpoint uses a second signaling protocol different than the first signaling protocol; within the packet network endpoint, combining the first audio stream with the third audio stream to form a second combined audio stream without combining the first and third audio streams with the second audio stream; and providing the second combined audio stream to the first remote endpoint.
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Specification