Controlling communications

• US 8,804,925 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaal, Madis, Ruukel, Henn
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/941,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20110110504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.02
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing

Abstract

A first network comprising: one or more first end-user computer terminals; a gateway to a second, packet-based network comprising one or more second end-user computer terminals installed with a communication client of the second network; one or more telephone units for performing calls with one of the second end-user computer terminals over the second network; wherein each of the one or more first end-user terminals is installed with a communication client for performing calls with the second end-user computer terminals over the second network; and wherein the gateway comprises switching apparatus configured to detect a user selection between a first state in which one of said calls is to be performed using one of said first end-user computer terminals and a second state in which the call is to be performed using one of said telephone units; and on condition of detecting the first state, to route both call set-up signaling and call media to the first end-user computer terminal; and on condition of detecting the second state, to route call set-up signaling to the first end-user terminal but route the call media to the telephone unit.

Claims

1. A gateway associated with a first network having one or more first end-user computer terminals and one or more corresponding telephone units, the gateway to enable communication with a second, packet-based network comprising one or more second end-user computer terminals installed with a communication client of the second network, the one or more telephone units for performing calls with one of the second end-user computer terminals over the second network the gateway comprising:

a switching apparatus including a processing device and a gateway engine operable via the processing device and configured to;

automatically detect in association with a call whether a user operates one of said first end-user computer terminals or uses one of said telephone units to select respectively between a first state in which the call is to be performed using one of said first end-user computer terminals and a second state in which the call is to be performed using one of said telephone units; and

route the call based on the selection between the first state and the second state including;

on condition of detecting user operation of one of said first end-user computer terminals, selecting the first state and routing both call set-up signalling and call media to the first end-user computer terminal; and

on condition of detecting use of one of said telephone units, selecting the second state routing call set-up signalling to the first end-user terminal, and routing the call media to the one of said telephone units.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus is configured to perform selection of the state by detecting at least one of:

in the case of an incoming call, whether a user answers the incoming call using the first end-user computer terminal or the phone units; and

in the case of an outgoing call, whether the user initiates the outgoing call using the first end-user computer terminal or the phone unit.

3. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus is configured to perform said detection by receiving at least one of a signal and an absence of a signal from the first end-user computer terminal.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the communication client of the first end-user computer terminal is configured, if the second state is selected, to transmit a call control signal to the phone unit in order to control the call.

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus comprises a signal processing device configured, if the second state is selected, to decode call media received from the second end-user computer terminal over the second network for routing to the telephone unit.

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus comprises a signal processing device configured, if the second state is selected, to encode call media received from the telephone unit for transmission to the second end-user computer terminal over the second network.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus comprises a signal processing device configured, if the second state is selected, to transcode call media transmitted between the telephone unit and the second end-user computer terminal.

8. The gateway of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gateway and the client on the first end-user computer terminal is configured to negotiate a codec for said call media that is common to the second end-user computer terminal and at least one of the phone unit and the first end-user computer terminal.

9. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the negotiation comprises determining a common subset of codecs, then selecting a codec from said common subset.

10. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus comprises a signal processing device configured, if the second state is selected, to decrypt call media received from the second end-user computer terminal over the second network for routing to the telephone unit.

11. The gateway of claim 10, wherein the switching apparatus is arranged to receive and store a decryption key of the second end-user computer terminal for use in decrypting said call media.

12. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus comprises a signal processing device configured, if the second state is selected, to encrypt call media received from the telephone unit for transmission to the second end-user computer terminal over the second network.

13. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the telephone unit is a wired telephone unit.

14. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the first network is a private network and second network is a public network.

15. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the call set-up signalling includes at least a call request message.

16. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the call set-up signalling includes at least an authentication procedure.

17. The gateway of claim 16, wherein the communication clients are peer-to-peer clients and the authentication comprises exchange of peer-to-peer authentication certificates.

18. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the first network comprises:

a packet-based network portion comprising said one or more first end-user computer terminals and said gateway, and a branch exchange portion comprising said one or more telephone units.

19. A method for use in a first network comprising one or more first end-user computer terminals, a gateway to a second packet-based network comprising one or more second end-user computer terminals installed with a communication client of the second network, and one or more telephone units for performing calls with one of the second end-user computer terminals over the second network;

the method comprising;

detecting at the gateway a signal that indicates whether a user operates one of said first end-user computer terminals or uses one of said telephone units for a call, the signal employed by the gateway to make a selection between a first state in which one of said calls is to be performed using one of said first end-user computer terminals and a second state in which the call is to be performed using one of said telephone units; and

on condition of detecting the first state, routing by the gateway both call set-up signalling and call media to the first end-user computer terminal; and

on condition of detecting the second state, routing by the gateway call set-up signalling to the first end-user terminal and routing the call media to the one of said telephone unit.

20. A computer program product for a gateway connected to one or more first end-user computer terminals, in a first network to enable communication with a second packet-based network comprising one or more second end-user computer terminals installed with a communication client of the second network, and one or more telephone units for performing calls with one of the second end-user computer terminals over the second network, wherein each of the one or more first end-user terminals is installed with a communication client for performing calls with the second end-user computer terminals over the second network;

the program product comprising code embodied on a computer readable storage device connected to the gateway and configured so as when executed on the gateway to;

select a first state in which one of said calls is to be performed using one of said first end-user computer terminals or a second state in which the call is to be performed using one of said telephone units based upon automatic determination of whether or not a telephone unit is used for the call; and

apply pairing to pair the telephone unit with the gateway dependent upon the determination including;

on condition of selecting the first state, foregoing the pairing and routing both call set-up signalling and call media to the first end-user computer terminal; and

on condition of selecting the second state, applying the pairing, routing call set-up signalling to the first end-user terminal and routing the call media to the one of said telephone units.