Communications terminal, a system and a method for internet/network telephony

• US 8,611,328 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Castani Company LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hein-Magnussen, Jon, Kuhlmann, Peer, Hansen, Lars Stenfeldt
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US13/360,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 370466-467, 370469-476, 455/41.2, 455/416, 4554221-4262, 455445-450
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• 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 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication terminal for Internet telephony is provided that handles and control communication of data in accordance with a standardized network protocol and exchanges data with a connecting unit connected to the Internet where the resulting data exchanged between the terminal and a connecting unit consist of packets in a standardized protocol data packet format embedded in a wireless format. This provides a communications terminal which uses a network or the Internet for the transfer of digitized speech, etc., thereby achieving great economic savings. Also, the flexibility is increased with respect to wireless communication with the network or the Internet without any need for specialized equipment and functionality.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a conversion unit configured to convert a first signal representing detected sound to digital data;

a protocol unit configured to convert the digital data to at least one first data packet that is formatted according to a first network protocol; and

a wireless unit configured to embed the at least one first data packet within first wireless data that is formatted according to a second network protocol, and transmit the first wireless data over a near field communication network in accordance with the second network protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an audio unit configured to convert the detected sound to the first signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless unit is further configured to receive second wireless data that is formatted according to the second network protocol, the second wireless data comprising at least one second data packet formatted according to the first network protocol, and to extract the at least one second data packet from the second wireless data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the protocol unit is further configured to combine the at least one second data packet with other digital data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conversion unit is further configured to convert the other digital data to a second signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the audio unit is further configured to generate sound based on the second signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless unit is further configured to include, within the first wireless data, contact information indicating a destination for the digital data.

8. A method, comprising:

converting a first signal representing detected sound to first digital data;

converting the first digital data into one or more first data packets that accord to a network protocol of a first network;

embedding the one or more first data packets into first wireless data that accords to a network protocol of a near field communication network; and

transmitting the first wireless data via the near field communication network in accordance with the network protocol of the second network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the converting the first digital data includes converting the first digital data into the one or more first data packets that accord to at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving second wireless data that accords to the network protocol of the near field communication network, the second wireless data comprising one or more second data packets that accord to the network protocol of the first network; and

extracting the one or more second data packets from the second wireless data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising combining the one or more second data packets into second digital data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising converting the second digital data to a second signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating sound based on the second signal.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the first wireless data together with identifier information identifying a target device for the first digital data.

15. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computer system to perform operations, including:

converting a first signal representing received sound to first digital data;

converting the first digital data into one or more first data packets formatted in accordance with a first network protocol;

embedding the one or more first data packets within first wireless data formatted in accordance with a near field communication network protocol; and

transmitting the first wireless data over a wireless network in accordance with the near field communication network protocol.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the converting the first digital data includes converting the first digital data into the one or more first data packets formatted in accordance with at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, the operations further including:

receiving second wireless data, in accordance with the near field communication network protocol, comprising one or more second data packets formatted in accordance with the first network protocol; and

extracting the one or more second data packets from the second wireless data.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, the operations further including combining the one or more second data packets into second digital data.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, the operations further including converting the second digital data to a second signal.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, the operations further including converting the second signal to sound.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, the operations further including transmitting address information specifying a destination for the first digital data.

22. A system comprising:

means for converting a first signal representing detected sound to first digital data;

means for converting the first digital data to a first data packet formatted to accord with a network protocol of a first network;

means for embedding the first data packet within wireless data formatted to accord with a network protocol of a near field communication network; and

means for transmitting the wireless data over the near field communication network according to the network protocol of the near field communication network.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for converting the detected sound to the first signal.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for converting the first digital data includes means for converting the first digital data to the first data packet formatted in accordance with at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving second wireless data via the network protocol of the near field communication network, the second wireless data comprising a second data packet formatted in accordance with the network protocol of the first network; and

means for extracting the second data packet from the second wireless data.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for converting the second data packet to second digital data.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for converting the second digital data to a second signal.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for generating sound based on the second signal.