Access gateway, softswitch and telephone for push-to-talk telephony

• US 20060178138A1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tdsoft Communications Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tdsoft Communications Ltd.
• Inventors: Shaham, Arye, Ostroff, Dan
• Application Number:
  US11/052,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

An access gateway coupled to a Softswitch in a telephone communication system for establishing a Push-to-Talk channel between an originator and at least one destinator. The access gateway identifies an address of each destinator, and conveys respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator to the Softswitch for allowing the Softswitch to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of the destinators. If so, the access gateway invokes an instruction received from the Softswitch to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators upon the destinators going off-hook. Destinators may complete the call for establishing a two-way voice channel to the originator. Enhanced telephones include Push-to-Talk facility, while existing telephones may be upgraded using an adapter.

Claims

1. An access gateway for a telephone communication system adapted to receive a call signal from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator, said access gateway comprising:

an identification unit for identifying an address of each destinator,

a communication port for conveying respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator to a Softswitch coupled to the access gateway for allowing the Softswitch to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators, if so, for conveying to each of the destinators an instruction received from the Softswitch to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators, and

a half-duplex switch responsive to the or each destinator going off-hook for establishing a one-way voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators.

2. The access gateway according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is a metering pulse or a reverse polarity signal.

3. The access gateway according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is embedded within a CLI (calling line identification).

4. The access gateway according to claim 1 being adapted to generate a first dial tone for a limited time period followed by a second dial tone and for interpreting a DNR initiated by an originator party during said first dial tone as a push to talk call and for interpreting a DNR initiated by an originator party during said second dial tone as a regular call.

5. The access gateway according to claim 1 being adapted to generate a first dial tone for a limited time period followed by a second dial tone and for interpreting a DNR initiated by an originator party during said first dial tone as a regular call and for interpreting a DNR initiated by an originator party during said second dial tone as a push to talk call.

6. The access gateway according to claim 1 further including a store and forward unit for storing voice data received from the originator and forwarding to the destinator during a Push-to-Talk session.

7. The access gateway according to claim 1 further including a full-duplex switch responsive to one or more destinators completing the call for establishing a two-way voice channel between the originator and said one or more destinators.

8. A Softswitch for a telephone communication system adapted to receive a call signal from an originator coupled to the Softswitch via an access gateway, said call signal being indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator, said Softswitch comprising:

a communication port for receiving respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator from the access gateway, and

a verification unit coupled to the communication port for verifying that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators, and

an instruction unit coupled to the verification unit and responsive to the DNRs corresponding to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and to the originator being registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators for sending an instruction to the access gateway for instructing the access gateway to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators.

9. The Softswitch according to claim 8, further including a message conversion unit coupled to the communication port for converting a message between a first format associated with the access gateway and a second format associated with a telephone network of a different type coupled to the Softswitch.

10. The Softswitch according to claim 9, wherein the telephone network is a cellular telephone network.

11. A method for providing a baby-sitting service between an originator and a destinator, the method comprising:

locating an originator telephone having Push-to-Talk capability in voice proximity to an infant,

locating a destinator telephone having Push-to-Talk capability in voice proximity to a baby sitter, said originator and destinator telephones being registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each other, and

responsive to the baby expressing distress by sound, establishing a Push-to-Talk channel between the originator and the destinator so as to enable the destinator to hear the baby via a one-way voice channel.

12. The method according to claim 11, further including storing voice data emitted by the baby prior to establishing said one-way voice channel and forwarding to the baby sitter after establishing said one-way voice channel.

13. The method according to claim 11, further including establishing a one-way voice channel between the baby sitter and the baby so as to allow the baby to hear the baby sitter.

14. An adapter for enabling a destinator to receive a Push-to-Talk call from an originator, the adapter comprising:

a connector for connecting to the destinator, and

a half-duplex switch responsive to an instruction for activating a speaker coupled to the destinator and establishing a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to the destinator.

15. The adapter according to claim 14, further including a full-duplex switch for establishing a two-way voice channel between the originator and the destinator.

16. The adapter according to claim 15, wherein the full-duplex switch is a pushbutton.

17. The adapter according to claim 16, wherein the pushbutton is operable between a first state wherein the two-way voice channel is established between the originator and the destinator and a second state wherein a one-way voice channel is established from the originator to the destinator.

18. The adapter according to claim 14 being integral with the destinator.

19. The adapter according to claim 14 wherein the speaker is contained within the adapter and is coupled to the destinator via the connector.

20. A method for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said method comprising:

identifying a DNR of each destinator;

conveying respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator to a Softswitch for allowing the Softswitch to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators;

if so,

receiving an instruction from the Softswitch to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators;

conveying the instruction to each of the destinators for activating a speaker coupled to each of the destinators; and

establishing a one-way voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators in response to the or each destinator going off-hook.

21. A method for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said method comprising:

receiving respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator from an access gateway;

verifying that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators; and

conveying an instruction to the access gateway to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators in response to the DNRs corresponding to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and to the originator being registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators.

22. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said method comprising:

identifying an address of the destinator;

conveying respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator to a Softswitch for allowing the Softswitch to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators;

if so,

receiving an instruction from the Softswitch to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators;

conveying the instruction to said destinators; and

establishing a one-way voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators in response to the or each destinator going off-hook.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to identify an address of each destinator;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to convey respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator to a Softswitch for allowing the Softswitch to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to receive an instruction from the Softswitch to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a unidirectional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators if the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with said destinators;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to convey the instruction to each of the destinators; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to establish a one-way voice channel from the originator with one or more of the destinators going off-hook.

24. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said method comprising:

receiving respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator from an access gateway;

verifying that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators; and

conveying an instruction to the access gateway to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators if the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and to the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for receiving a call signal access from an originator indicative of a desire to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with at least one destinator in a telephone communication system, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to receive respective DNRs of the originator and each destinator from an access gateway;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to verify that the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and that the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators; and

computer readable program code for causing the computer to convey an instruction to the access gateway to activate a speaker coupled to each of the destinators and establish a uni-directional voice channel from the originator to each of the destinators if the DNRs correspond to Push-to-Talk enabled telephones and the originator is registered to establish a Push-to-Talk channel with each of said destinators.