Method and apparatus for localized voice over internet protocol usage

• US 8,705,519 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jackson, Donald C., Giannandrea, John, Verber, Mark A., Epstein, Michael J.B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US11/877,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370401-465, 370/236, 709206-239, 379229-230
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

An approach to abstracting the circuit switched nature of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) by using VoIP to provide voice actuated services is disclosed. By carrying a telephone call using VoIP technology for a short distance (frequently within a server room) significant benefits to call handling and capacity management can be obtained. Specifically, a PSTN-to-IP gateway is used to receive (and place) calls over the PSTN and route those calls internally to servers over an IP network in a packet switched format. A number of computer systems can receive and handle the calls in the IP format, including: translating the packets into an audio format suitable for speech recognition and creating suitable packets from computer sound files for transmission back over the PSTN.

Claims

1. A method of using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the method comprising:

terminating an inbound circuit switched call of a channel of a first primary rate interface at a device that translates the inbound circuit switched call into a VoIP format as a packet switched call;

forwarding the packet switched call in the VoIP format from the device to a computer system;

performing speech recognition on the packet switched call using audio data extracted from the VoIP format; and

when an outbound call transfer is requested for the inbound circuit switched call, sending from the computer system to the device a request to initiate an outbound call wherein the outbound call is initiated as a second circuit switched call on a channel of a second primary rate interface that is different from the first primary rate interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device and the computer system are located in physical proximity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a second computer system physically distant from the device and wherein the forwarding goes to the second computer system responsive to a failure of the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the computer system from a plurality of computer systems to receive the packet switched call by a proxy server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, the plurality of computer systems and the proxy server are components in a phone application platform.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, the criteria further includes, a telephone identifying information based on associations of some computing systems of the plurality of computing systems with calling or called parties.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, the criteria further includes, online/offline status of the plurality of computing systems.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, the criteria is selected by an operator of a phone application platform of which the plurality of computing systems are components.

4. A method of using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the method comprising:

terminating a circuit switched call at a device that translates the circuit switched call into a VoIP format as a packet switched call;

forwarding the packet switched call in the VoIP format from the device to a computer system;

wherein the forwarding occurs responsive to acknowledgement of an SIP request from the computer system;

performing speech recognition on the packet switched call using audio data extracted from the VoIP format by the computer system;

wherein, the computer system is selected from a plurality of computer systems based on a criteria;

wherein, the criteria includes, network monitoring showing faults with one or more of the plurality of computing systems;

wherein prior to the forwarding, sending a message from the device to a second computer system, the second computer system selecting the computer system from a plurality of computer systems to receive the call;

wherein the selecting according to a set of criteria to balance number of calls is being handled by each of the plurality of computer systems.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) request.

12. A system for using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the method comprising:

means for, translating a circuit switched call into a VoIP format as a packet switched call;

means for, forwarding the packet switched call in the VoIP format to a server;

wherein the forwarding occurs responsive to acknowledgement of an SIP request from the server;

means for, selecting the server from a plurality of servers;

wherein, the server is selected from the plurality of computer systems based on a criteria;

wherein, the criteria includes, network monitoring showing faults with one or more of the plurality of servers;

means for, performing speech recognition on the packet switched call using audio extracted from the VoIP format

wherein, the criteria further includes, a telephone identifying information based on associations of some computing systems of the plurality of computing systems with calling or called parties.

13. A method of using voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the method comprising:

terminating a circuit switched call at a device that translates the circuit switched call into a VoIP format as a packet switched call;

forwarding the packet switched call in the VoIP format from the device to a computer system;

wherein the forwarding occurs responsive to acknowledgement of an SIP request from the computer system;

performing speech recognition on the packet switched call using audio data extracted from the VoIP format by the computer system;

selecting, by a proxy server, the computer system from a plurality of computer systems to receive the call by a proxy server;

wherein, the plurality of computer systems and the proxy server are components in a phone application platform hosting the voice activated system;

wherein, the computer system is selected from a plurality of computer systems based on a criteria;

wherein, the criteria includes, network monitoring showing faults with one or more of the plurality of servers; and

wherein, the criteria is selected by an operator of a phone application platform of which the plurality of computing systems are components.

14. A computer-readable memory storing instructions for controlling a server to use voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the instructions comprising instructions that:

receive a packet switched call in a VoIP format from a device that terminated an inbound circuit switched call of a channel of a first primary rate interface initiated by a caller and that translated the inbound circuit switched call into a packet switched call in the VoIP format;

receive from the caller via the packet switched call a request for an outbound call transfer; and

in response to receiving the request, send to the device a request to initiate an outbound call wherein the outbound call is initiated as a second outbound circuit switched call on a channel of a second primary rate interface that is different from the first primary rate interface.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 14 wherein a proxy server selects the server that is to receive the packet switched call from a plurality of servers.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 14 wherein the instructions further include instructions that perform speech recognition on the voice of the packet switched call.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 14 wherein capacity on the first primary rate interface is not reserved to support outbound call transfers.

21. The computer-readable memory of claim 14 wherein capacity on the first primary rate interface is not reserved to support conference calls.

18. A computer-readable memory storing instructions for controlling one or more servers to use voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to handle circuit switched calls in a voice activated system, the instructions comprising instructions that:

receive a first packet switched call for a conference call from a device that terminated a first inbound circuit switched call of a channel of a first primary rate interface and that translated the first inbound circuit switched call into the first packet switched call;

receive a second packet switched call for the conference call from a device that terminated a second inbound circuit switched call of a channel of a second primary rate interface and that translated the second inbound circuit switched call into the second packet switched call; and

connect the first packet switched call and the second packet switched call in the conference call even though the first inbound circuit switched call and the second inbound circuit switched call are on channels of different primary rate interfaces.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18 wherein a proxy server selects the server that is to receive each of the packet switched calls.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 18 wherein the instructions further include instructions that perform speech recognition on the voice of the packet switched calls.