Phone directory in a voice over IP telephone system

• US 20040062235A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Estech Systems IP, LLC (Estech Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Estech Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Suder, Eric G., Hansen, Harold E.A. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations

Abstract

In a Voice over IP system, a user can dial numbers stored in a series of lists, which are stored in the system and displayed to the user of an IP telephone. One implementation will allow a user to scroll through a list of remote sites. When the user finds the desired site, the user is then presented with the same options as a user local to that site. All of this can be performed without the need for an operator or a printed directory. This system provides an ability for a user to scroll through a list of names and phone numbers and then call a person once their name and phone number is displayed.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a first local area network (“

LAN”

);

a second LAN;

a wide area network (“

WAN”

) coupling the first LAN to the second LAN;

a first telecommunications device coupled to the first LAN;

a plurality of telecommunications extensions coupled to the second LAN;

the first LAN including first circuitry for enabling a user of the first telecommunications device to observe a list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions; and

the first LAN including second circuitry for automatically calling one of the plurality of telecommunications extensions in response to the user selecting one of the plurality of telecommunications extensions from the observed list.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein communication among the first LAN, second LAN, and WAN uses an IP protocol.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions is displayed to the user of the first telecommunications device.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions is played as audio to the user of the first telecommunications device.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the first telecommunications device is an IP telephone having a display for showing the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions, wherein the second circuitry includes a key for enabling the user to tacitly selecting one of the plurality of telecommunications extensions from the displayed list.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the tactile selection of one of the plurality of telecommunications extensions from the displayed list by the user results in an initiation of a call from the first telecommunications device to the selected one of the plurality of telecommunications extensions across the WAN.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions is stored in a server in the second LAN, and is accessed by the first circuitry across the WAN.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions is stored in a server in the second LAN, and is accessed by the first circuitry across the WAN.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the first telecommunications device includes circuitry for enabling the user to scroll through the displayed list of the plurality of telecommunications devices.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a third LAN coupled to the first and second LANs via the WAN; and

a plurality of telecommunications extensions coupled to the third LAN, the first LAN including circuitry for enabling the user to select between observing the list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions coupled to the second LAN or observing a list of the plurality of telecommunications extensions coupled to the third LAN.

23. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a third LAN coupled to the first and second LANs via the WAN; and

a plurality of telephone extensions coupled to the third LAN, the first LAN including circuitry for enabling the user to select between viewing the list of the telephone extensions coupled to the second LAN or viewing a list of the plurality of telephone extensions coupled to the third LAN.

11. An IP telephone adaptable for coupling to a first LAN, the IP telephone comprising:

a first state of operation entered in response to a selection of an input by a user, wherein the first state of operation of the IP telephone results in a display of a list of telecommunications extensions coupled to a second LAN coupled to the first LAN via a WAN; and

a second state of operation entered in response to a selection of the input by the user, wherein the second state of operation of the IP telephone results in an automatic calling of one of the telecommunications extensions selected by the user.

12. The IP telephone as recited in claim 11, wherein the one of the telecommunications extensions automatically called has an identifier displayed to the user on the IP telephone when the input is selected by the user.

13. An IP telephone adaptable for coupling to a first LAN, the IP telephone comprising:

a first state of operation of the IP telephone entered in response to a first selection of an input by a user, wherein the first state of operation of the IP telephone results in a display of a list of second and third LANs coupled to the first LAN via a WAN; and

a second state of operation of the IP telephone entered in response to a second selection of the input by the user, wherein the second state of operation of the IP telephone results in display of telephone destinations the user can potentially call through the second LAN.

14. The IP telephone as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a third state of operation of the IP telephone entered in response to a third selection of the input by the user, wherein the third state of operation of the IP telephone results in a calling of one of the telephone destinations displayed to the user, wherein the calling of the one of the telephone destinations is accomplished from the first LAN via the WAN, through the second LAN.

15. The IP telephone as recited in claim 14, wherein the user can scroll through the list of second and third LANs to select the third LAN, wherein the second state of operation of the IP telephone will then display telephone destinations the user can potentially call through the third LAN.

16. The IP telephone as recited in claim 15, wherein the user can scroll through the telephone destinations the user can potentially call, wherein when the third state of operation is entered, the user has selected one of the telephone destinations with the third selection of the input.

17. An information handling system comprising:

a first local area network (“

LAN”

) operating under an IP protocol;

a first IP telephone coupled to the first LAN, the first IP telephone having a display and a set of keys for enabling a user to enter inputs;

a second LAN operating under the IP protocol;

second and third telephone extensions coupled to the second LAN;

a wide area network (“

WAN”

) operating under the IP protocol coupling the first LAN to the second LAN; and

the first LAN including first circuitry for enabling a user of the first IP telephone to view a list including the second and third telephone extensions.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

the first LAN including second circuitry for automatically calling the second telephone extension in response to the user selecting the second telephone extension from the viewed list.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein selection of the second telephone extension from the viewed list by the user is accomplished by selection of one of the set of keys.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the selection of one of the set of keys results in an initiation of a call from the first IP telephone to the second telephone extension across the WAN.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the list is stored in a server in the second LAN, and is accessed by the first circuitry across the WAN.

22. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first IP telephone includes circuitry for enabling the user to scroll through the displayed list.

24. In a telecommunications system comprising a first IP telephone coupled to a first IP server within a first LAN, second and third telephone extensions coupled to a second IP server within a second LAN, and a WAN coupling the first LAN to the second LAN, the first LAN, the second LAN, and the WAN communicating using an IP protocol, a method comprising the steps of:

in response to selection of a first input on the first IP telephone, displaying on the first IP telephone a list of telephone destinations stored in the second IP server, wherein the list of telephone destinations is communicated from the second IP server over the WAN to the first IP telephone; and

in response to selection of one of the telephone destinations from the displayed list, automatically dialing the selected one of the telephone destinations for a communications link between the first IP telephone and the selected one of the telephone destinations.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the selection of one of the telephone destinations from the displayed list is performed in response to selection of a second input on the first IP telephone by a user.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the first and second inputs are the same key button on the first IP telephone.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the telephone destinations include the second and third telephone extensions coupled to the second IP server.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the telephone destinations include telephones external to the system.

29. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the system includes a third LAN coupled to the first and second LANs via the WAN, further comprising the steps of:

displaying on the first IP telephone a list of LANs coupled to the WAN, including the second and third LANs; and

performing the step of displaying the first list in response to selection of the second LAN from the displayed list of LANs.

30. A telecommunications system comprising:

a first IP telephone coupled to a first IP server within a first LAN;

second and third telephone extensions coupled to a second IP server within a second LAN;

a WAN coupling the first LAN to the second LAN, the first LAN, the second LAN, and the WAN communicating using an IP protocol;

means for displaying on the first IP telephone a list of telephone destinations stored in the second IP server in response to selection of a first input on the first IP telephone, wherein the list of telephone destinations is communicated from the second IP server over the WAN to the first IP telephone; and

means for automatically dialing the selected one of the telephone destinations for a communications link between the first IP telephone and the selected one of the telephone destinations in response to selection of one of the telephone destinations from the displayed list.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the selection of one of the telephone destinations from the displayed list is performed in response to selection of a second input on the first IP telephone by a user.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, wherein the first and second inputs are the same key button on the first IP telephone.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the telephone destinations include the second and third telephone extensions coupled to the second IP server.

34. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the telephone destinations include telephones external to the system.

35. The system as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

a third LAN coupled to the first and second LANs via the WAN;

means for displaying on the first IP telephone a list of LANs coupled to the WAN, including the second and third LANs; and

means for displaying the first list in response to selection of the second LAN from the displayed list of LANs.

36. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first touch input from a user on an IP telephone that is networked into a first LAN operating under an IP protocol;

in response to receipt of the first touch input, displaying on a display on the IP telephone a first list including second and third LANs coupled to the first LAN, wherein the second and third LANs operate under the IP protocol;

receiving a second touch input from the user on the IP telephone;

in response to receipt of the second touch input, displaying on the display on the IP telephone a second list of telephone destinations accessible from the second LAN;

receiving a third touch input from the user on the IP telephone; and

in response to receipt of the third touch input, automatically dialing one of the telephone destinations accessible from the second LAN for a communications connection between the one of the telephone destinations and the IP telephone.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, before the step of receiving the second touch input, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a fourth touch input from the user on the IP telephone; and

in response to receipt of the fourth touch input, scrolling through the first list.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, before the step of receiving the third touch input, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a fifth touch input from the user on the IP telephone; and

in response to receipt of the fifth touch input, scrolling through the second list.

39. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the step of displaying on the display on the IP telephone the second list further includes the steps of:

sending a message from the first LAN to the second LAN requesting the second list; and

receiving the second list from the second LAN to the first LAN.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the first, second, and third LANs are coupled via a WAN.