Communication method and communication system

• US 6,078,583 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahara, Keiko, Hoshi, Tohru, Koyama, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAO, KWANG BIN
• Application Number:
  US08/961,154
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/392, 370/401, 370/409, 370/410, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 709/245, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A communication system and communication method adapted so that the user of one of the communication terminals can more easily communicate with another one connected to the internet through the public network. Connection management servers for relay and manage the communication are provided at nodes between the internet and the public network. Each of the connection management servers assigns an IP address to the communication terminal connected to the internet through the public network, and registers the IP address and the telephone number. When receiving a communication request, the connection management server specifies a communication route to the communication terminal on the basis of the telephone number of the called-side communication terminal set in the communication request. The server checks if the called-side communication terminal is connected to the internet on the basis of the above registration. If it is connected to the internet, the server relays the communication request. If it is not connected thereto, the notice that it is not connected is transmitted to the calling-side communication terminal. If it is not connected yet, the server regards the called-side terminal as having its telephone connected to the telephone channel, and causes speech transmission between that telephone and the calling-side communication terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

an internet;

a plurality of communication terminals which are to be connected to said internet through a public network; and

a plurality of connection management servers installed at nodes between said public network and said internet and transit points within said internet in order to relay and manage the communication between said communication terminals, each of said connection management servers including;

means for receiving a request of connection to a internet from one of said communication terminals, and a telephone number of communication terminal, and for assigning an IP address to said communication terminal;

a mapping table in which said IP address and said telephone number of said communication terminal are registered in pair;

a routing table in which routing information is registered in association with each of a plurality of telephone numbers managed by a connection management server;

means for receiving from one of said communication terminals a request of communication with another communication terminal, and a telephone number of said another communication terminal as a called-side terminal;

means for determining a communication route to said called-side communication terminal on the basis of said routing information; and

means for transferring said communication request and said telephone number through said communication route,

wherein when said connection management server is a server to be connected through said public network to a called-side one of said communication terminals, said connection management server further including;

means for deciding if said called-side communication terminal is connected to said internet by examining said mapping table to detect the presence or absence of said telephone number of said called-side communication terminal received together with said communication request from a calling-side communication terminal;

when said called-side communication terminal is connected to said internet, said transferring means transfers said communication request to said called-side communication terminal; and

means for receiving from said calling-side communication terminal a communication end notice for said internet and deleting said IP address that is assigned to said calling-side communication terminal and registered in said mapping table.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein each of said connection management servers further includes means for informing said calling-side communication terminal of a fact that said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet when said called-side communication terminal is connected to an internet communication terminal.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

said connection management server further includes means for calling said called-side communication terminal by way of a telephone channel of a telephone number of said communication terminal when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, means for sending the IP address of said connection management server to said calling-side communication terminal, conversion means for converting an analog speech signal into speech data, and converting speech data into an analog speech signal, and means for transmitting said analog speech signal through said calling telephone channel, and transmitting/receiving said speech data to/from said calling-side communication terminal; and

said calling-side communication terminal includes means for converting an input analog speech into speech data, and reproducing a speech from said input speech data, and means for transmitting/receiving said speech data to/from said connection management server connected through said public network to said called-side communication terminal in accordance with said communication request.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

said connection management server further includes means for calling said communication terminal by way of a telephone channel of a telephone number of said communication terminal, and transferring said communication request thereto when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, and means for receiving a permission notice relative to said communication request from said called-side communication terminal, and assigning said IP address to said called-side communication terminal; and

said called-side communication terminal includes means for automatically receiving the call from said connection management server, means for transmitting said permission notice back thereto in accordance with a calling-side communication request, and means for making the communication with a calling-side communication terminal effective or valid when said permission notice is transmitted back thereto.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminals each includes means for receiving information indicative of speech and video, and converting said information into data of the format in which said data can be transmitted by way of said internet, and means for reproducing speech and video from received data.

6. A communicating system comprising:

an internet;

a plurality of communication terminals which are to be connected through a public network to said internet; and

a plurality of connection management servers installed at the nodes between said public network and said internet, and at transit points within said internet in order to relay and manage the communication between said communication terminals, each of said connection management servers including;

an incoming connection request terminating processing unit for receiving from one of said communication terminals a connection request to said internet and the telephone number of a communication terminal, and for assigning an IP address to said communication terminal;

a mapping table in which said IP address and the telephone number of said communication terminal are registered in pair;

a routing table having routing information registered in association with each of a plurality of telephone numbers which a connection management server manages;

a communication relay processing unit for receiving from said communication terminal a communication request to another communication terminal and the telephone number of said another communication terminal as a called-side communication terminal; and

a transfer portion for transferring said communication request and said telephone number to said called-side communication terminal through a communication route based on said routing information,

wherein when said connection management server is a server to be connected through said public network to a called-side one of said terminals, said server further including;

an incoming connection request terminating retriever for deciding if said called-side communication terminal is connected to said internet by examining whether the telephone number of said called-side communication terminal is registered in said mapping table or not;

when said called-side communication terminal is connected to said internet, said transfer portion transfers said communication request to said called-side communication terminal; and

a connection end processing unit for receiving a communication end notice for said internet and deleting said IP address assigned to said calling-side communication terminal and registered in said mapping table.

7. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein said connection management server further includes a disconnected-state notifying portion for informing a calling-side communication terminal of a fact that said called-side communication terminal is not connected to the internet when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet.

8. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein:

said connection management server further includes a calling portion for calling said called-side communication terminal by way of a telephone channel of a telephone number of said communication terminal when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, a relay portion for sending the IP address of said connection management server to said calling-side communication terminal, a converter for converting an analog speech signal into speech data, and converting speech data into an analog speech signal, and a communication processing unit for transmitting said analog speech signal through said called telephone channel, and transmitting/receiving said speech data to/from said calling-side terminal; and

said calling-side communication terminal includes a converter for converting an input analog speech into speech data, and reproducing speech from speech data, and a transmitter/receiver for transmitting/receiving said speech data to/from said connection management server connected through said public network to said called-side communication terminal in response to a speech request.

9. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein a calling portion of said connection management server calls said called-side communication terminal by way of the telephone channel of its telephone number when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, said communication request being transferred, said incoming connection request terminating processing unit thereof receives a permission notice relative to said communication request from said called-side communication terminal and assigns said IP address to said called-side communication terminal, said called-side terminal includes a receiving portion for automatically receiving said call from said connection management server, a sending-back portion for transmitting said permission notice back in accordance with said communication request, and a communication enabling process controller for making the communication with a calling-side communication terminal effective or valid when said permission notice is returned.

10. A communication system according to claim 6, wherein said communication terminals each has a converter for receiving information indicative of speech and video, converting said information into data of the format in which said data can be transmitted through said internet, and transmitting said data, and an output unit for reproducing speech and video from received data.

11. A communication method in a communication system including an internet, a plurality of communication terminals which are to be connected to said internet through a public network, and a plurality of connection management servers provided at nodes between said public network and said internet and at transit points within said internet in order to relay and manage the communication with said communication terminals, comprising the steps of:

receiving a connection request from a calling-side terminal of said terminals to said internet, and a telephone number of said calling-side communication terminal, and assigning an IP address to said calling-side communication terminal, by each of said connection management servers;

registering said IP address and the telephone number of said calling-side communication terminal in pair in a mapping table;

receiving a communication request to a called-side communication terminal from said calling-side communication terminal and a telephone number of said called-side communication terminal by a connection management server;

determining a communication route to said called-side communication terminal by said connection management server on the basis of routing information registered in a routing table in association with said received telephone number together with said communication request so that said communication request and said telephone number are transferred through said communication route;

when said connection management server is connected to said called-side communication terminal through said public network, examining whether the telephone number of said called-side communication terminal received together with said communication request is registered or not in said mapping table, thereby deciding if said called-side terminal is connected to said internet;

when said called-side communication terminal is connected to said internet, transfer said communication request to said called-side communication terminal;

receiving the notice that the connection to said internet has become unnecessary because of the end of the communication from said calling-side communication terminal, and deleting said IP address assigned and registered in said mapping table by said connection management server.

12. A communication method according to claim 11, wherein when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, said connection management server informs said calling-side communication terminal of a fact that said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet.

13. A communication method according to claim 11, wherein when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, said connection management server:

calls said called-side communication terminal by way of the telephone channel of its telephone number;

sends the IP address of said connection management server to said calling-side communication terminal;

convert an analog speech signal into speech data, and converting speech data into an analog speech signal; and

transmits/receives said analog speech signal through a calling telephone channel, and transmits/receives said speech data to/from said calling-side communication terminal, and said calling-side communication terminal;

converts an input analog speech signal into speech data, and reproduces speech from said speech data; and

responds to said communication request to transmit/receive said speech data to/from said connection management server connected to said called-side communication terminal through said public network.

14. A communication method according to claim 11, wherein said connection management server:

when said called-side communication terminal is not connected to said internet, calls said called-side communication terminal by way of the channel of its telephone number, and transfers said communication request thereto; and

receives a permission notice relative to said communication request from said called-side communication terminal, and assigns an IP address to said called-side communication terminal, and said called-side communication terminal;

automatically receives a call from said connection management server;

responds to said communication request to send said permission notice back thereto; and

makes the communication with said calling-side communication terminal effective or valid when said permission notice is transmitted back.