Providing real-time voice communication between devices connected to an internet protocol network and devices connected to a public switched telephone network

• US 9,774,745 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Centre One
• Original Assignee: Centre One
• Inventors: Feuer, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US14/227,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370352-356, 370401, 370467, 379 8817
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing real-time voice communication between devices connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) network and devices connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN). In one implementation, the system includes a computer-controlled switch for connection to a local PSTN, for receiving calls from the IP network and the PSTN, and for routing calls to the PSTN and the IP network; and gate interface circuitry connected to the switch and adapted for connection to the IP network. The gate interface circuitry includes gateway circuitry for interfacing the IP network and PSTN voice circuits, and gatekeeper circuitry for performing address translation, admission control, bandwidth management, and zone management. The switch stores at least one PSTN destination address and at least one IP network destination address for each subscriber. The switch routes an incoming call to any one of the destination addresses stored for the subscriber.

Claims

1. A system including:

a telephone operable to provide depacketized voice information; and

a customer premise equipment gateway locally connected with the telephone, the gateway operable to

packetize the depacketized voice information to form packetized digital voice data,

couple with an Internet Protocol network without utilizing a private branch exchange (PBX),

couple with a computer controlled switch through the Internet Protocol network, and

provide the packetized digital voice data to the computer controlled switch to enable the telephone to communicate through the Internet Protocol network and a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer controlled switch is a class 5 switch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer controlled switch is coupled with gate interface circuitry to facilitate communication through the PSTN.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer controlled switch is operable for use by subscribers and the gateway is operable to provide subscriber information to the switch.