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

• US 9,001,816 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Castani Company LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hein-Magnussen, Jon, Kuhlmann, Peer, Stenfeldt Hansen, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tri H
• Application Number:
  US14/081,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 370310-350, 370466-467, 455 411- 412
• 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 wireless component configured to receive, via a near field network, wireless data that is formatted according to a first network protocol, wherein the wireless data comprises a data packet formatted according to a second network protocol, and wherein the wireless unit is further configured to extract the data packet from the wireless data; and

an audio component configured to generate a sound based on the data packet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network protocol comprises at least one of a radio-frequency communication protocol or an infrared communication protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second network protocol comprises at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless component is further configured to receive the wireless data from a connecting device that interfaces with a second network that accords to the second network protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound is a first sound, and the audio component is further configured to detect a second sound and convert the second sound to a signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conversion component is further configured to convert the signal to digital data, and the protocol component is further configured to convert the digital data to an output data packet that is formatted according to the second network protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the wireless data is first wireless data, and wherein the wireless component is further configured to embed the output data packet in second wireless data that is formatted according to the first network protocol and send the second wireless data via the near field network in accordance with the second network protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a headset or an ear-mountable terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless component is further configured to receive, via the near field network, device identifier data that identifies a remote device, and initiate communication with the remote device based on the device identifier data.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a near field network, wireless data that accords to a first network protocol, wherein the wireless data includes a data packet that accords to a second network protocol;

extracting the data packet from the wireless data; and

generating a sound based on the data packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first network protocol comprises at least one of a radio-frequency communication protocol or an infrared communication protocol.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second network protocol comprises at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the wireless data from a connecting unit that interfaces with a second network based on the second network protocol.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting another sound; and

converting the other sound to a signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

converting the signal to digital data; and

converting the digital data to an output packet that accords to the second network protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

embedding the output data packet in second wireless data that accords to the first network protocol; and

sending the second wireless data via the near field network based on the first network protocol.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, via the near field network, device identification data associated with a device; and

initiating communication with the device based on the device identification data.

18. A system, comprising:

means for receiving wireless data via a near field network, wherein the wireless data conforms to a first network protocol;

means for extracting a data packet from the wireless data, wherein the data packet conforms to a second network protocol; and

means for converting the data packet to yield a signal that facilitates generation of sound.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating digital data based on a detected sound;

means for converting the digital data to an output packet that conforms to the second network protocol;

means for embedding the output packet in output wireless data that conforms to the first network protocol; and

means for sending the output wireless data via the near field network in accordance with the first network protocol.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first network protocol comprises at least one of a radio-frequency communication protocol or an infrared communication protocol, and the second network protocol comprises at least one of a transmission control protocol, an internet protocol, or a point-to-point protocol.