Internet phone to PSTN cellular/PCS system

• US 6,185,204 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Voit, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/458,986
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/227, 709/228, 709/238, 709/245, 709/246, 370/401, 370/338, 370/389, 370/392, 370/352, 370/353, 370/356, 455/456, 379/90.01, 379/93.07, 379/114, 379/144, 379/100.113, 379/93.08
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An Internet telecommunication system in accord with the invention combines the capabilities of the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) with those of the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Functions associated with the Internet Domain Name Server system are enhanced using AIN data and processing. Voice grade telephone calls from a fixed position Internet PC to a roaming wireless personal communication system are enabled. Home Location Register data from the control point of the AIN is forwarded into the Internet Domain Name Server for conditioning the IP lookup and addressing to determine the ultimate call routing. Internet calls may also be automatically completed by the system to addresses other than the ones entered by the caller.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system for providing telephone access from the Internet to cellular telephones comprising:

a Domain Name Server system associated with the Internet, said Domain Name Server system receiving textual domain name addresses from Internet telephone equipment attempting to make a call and being capable of responding back to the calling Internet telephone equipment with an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the received textual domain name addresses;

means associated with the Domain Name Server system for delaying sending the IP address back to the calling Internet telephone equipment; and

means associated with the Domain Name Server system to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function beginning substantially upon lookup of the said IP address and ending just prior to a response to the calling Internet telephone equipment.

2. A telecommunications system for providing telephone access from a public packet switched data network, comprising:

a Domain Name Server system associated with the public packet switched data network, said Domain Name Server system receiving a textual domain name address from equipment attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network and being capable of responding back to the calling equipment with an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the received textual domain name addresses;

means associated with the Domain Name Server system to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function; and

means associated with the Domain Name Server system for delaying sending the IP address back to the calling equipment until after performance of the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein the Domain Name Server system is adapted to receive textual domain name addresses and send responses with Internet Protocol (IP) addresses via the Internet.

7. A system as in claim 2, wherein the Domain Name Server system comprises a computer coupled for two-way data communication via the public packet switched data network.

3. A telecommunications system for providing telephone access from a public packet switched data network, comprising:

a Domain Name Server system associated with the public packet switched data network, said Domain Name Server system receiving a textual domain name address from equipment attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network and being capable of responding back to the calling equipment with an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the received textual domain name addresses;

means associated with the Domain Name Server system to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function, wherein the means to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function comprises means for querying a computer corresponding to the received textual domain name address via the public packet switched data network, to determine if that computer is ready to receive an incoming telephone call; and

means associated with the Domain Name Server system for delaying sending the IP address back to the calling equipment until after performance of the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function.

4. A telecommunications system for providing telephone access from a public packet switched data network, comprising:

a Domain Name Server system associated with the public packet switched data network, said Domain Name Server system receiving a textual domain name address from equipment attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network and being capable of responding back to the calling equipment with an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the received textual domain name addresses;

means associated with the Domain Name Server system to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function, wherein the means to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function comprises means for obtaining called party location data from a home location register; and

means associated with the Domain Name Server system for delaying sending the IP address back to the calling equipment until after performance of the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein the wherein the IP address in the response sent by the Domain Name Server system comprises an IP address of a PSTN Gateway Server serving the called party location.

8. A telecommunications system for providing telephone access from a public packet switched data network, comprising:

a Domain Name Server system associated with the public packet switched data network, said Domain Name Server system receiving a textual domain name address from equipment attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network and being capable of responding back to the calling equipment with an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to the received textual domain name addresses, wherein the Domain Name Server system comprises;

(a) a computer coupled for two-way data communication via the public packet switched data network,

(b) a routing control database of an intelligent landline telephone network, and

(c) a data module providing two-way signaling data communication between the computer and the routing control database;

means associated with the Domain Name Server system to perform a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function; and

means associated with the Domain Name Server system for delaying sending the IP address back to the calling equipment until after performance of the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein the routing control database comprises a services control point coupled to an interoffice signaling network of the landline telephone network.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a domain name query at a server via a public packet switched data network, from a device attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network;

initiating a lookup for translation of a domain name contained in the received query;

delaying the translation;

performing a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function;

ending the delay and completing the translation upon completion of the routing control function, the translation generating a packet network address corresponding to a domain name contained in the received query; and

sending a response message containing the address to the calling device.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the translation involves selection of one of a plurality of packet network addresses associated with the domain name contained in the received query.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a domain name query at a server via to a public packet switched data network, from a device attempting to make a telephone call via the public packet switched data network;

initiating a lookup for translation of a domain name contained in the received query;

delaying the translation;

performing a preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function;

ending the delay and completing the translation upon completion of the routing control function, the translation generating a packet network address corresponding to a domain name contained in the received query, wherein the translation involves selection as said packet network address of one of a plurality of packet network addresses associated with the domain name contained in the received query at least in part in response to a result of the routing control function; and

sending a response message containing the selected address to the calling device.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function comprises querying a terminating device corresponding to the domain name via the public packet switched data network to determine if the terminating device is ready to receive an incoming call.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein if the server system receives a response from the terminating device indicating the terminating device is ready to receive an incoming call, the selected address contained in the response message sent to the calling device comprises an address of the terminating device.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein, if the terminating device is not ready to receive an incoming call, the preprogrammed telecommunication routing control function further comprises obtaining called party location data from a home location register.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the obtaining of the called party location data comprises launching a query from the server to a service control point of an intelligent telephone network.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the selected address contained in the response message sent to the calling device comprises an address of a PSTN Gateway Server serving the called party location.