System and method for providing user-configured telephone service in a data network telephony system

• US 6,650,901 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Grabiec, Jacek A., Sidhu, Ikhlaq S., Schuster, Guido M., Mahler, Jerry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/515,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/461, 455/425, 455/432, 455/433, 455/436, 455/440, 455/424, 455/575, 455/456, 455/457, 370/352, 370/338, 370/389, 370/401, 370/392, 370/474, 370/475, 340/7.29, 379/37, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• 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 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A system and method for providing location information and other information about a calling telephone to the caller during a telephone connection in a data network telephony system. Data network telephones may be provisioned and otherwise configured for operation with an extensive database and other user account information. The user'"'"'s account may include a location identifier that identifies the physical location of the telephone. The location identifier may provide address information, latitude and longitude configuration, directions, or other information. In one embodiment of the present invention, the location information is communicated in a data communications channel between the caller and the callee. In another embodiment of the present invention, the location information is communicated to the caller during call setup. The embodiments of the present invention are useful in providing emergency dispatch services, such as 911 in a data network telephony system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one data network telephone connected to a data network operable to communicate on a plurality of data communications channels, the data network telephone being operable to communicate voice signals as data packets on a voice over data channel with a voice communication device, the voice over data channel being one of the plurality of data communications channels on the data network containing packetized voice signals;

the data network telephone comprising a memory having a telephone location identifier to identify the location of the data network telephone and a location information transmitter operable to send the telephone location identifier to the voice communication device; and

a service provider server connected to the data network, the service provider server operable to establish a user interactive connection, to obtain a telephone location from the user, and to configure the data network telephone with a configuration including the telephone location to store in the memory as the telephone location identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the telephone location identifier comprises a plurality of voice signals corresponding to a voice message containing the telephone location; and

wherein;

the location information transmitter sends the telephone location identifier in the voice over data channel.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the telephone location identifier comprises a plurality of data signals corresponding to a data message containing the telephone location; and

wherein;

the data network telephone creates a data channel to communicate data to the voice communication device; and

wherein;

the location information transmitter sends the telephone location identifier in the data channel.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the voice communication device is a second data network telephone operable to communicate on the voice over data channel.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the voice communication device is a public switched telephone network telephone operable to communicate over the voice over data channel via a gateway that converts the voice signals on the voice over data channel to a PSTN telephone signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the voice communication device is an emergency dispatch system operable to receive the telephone location identifier and to send emergency units to the telephone location.

7. A voice communication device comprising:

a network interface to connect to a data network to communicate on a plurality of data communications channels, the voice communication device being operable to communicate voice signals as data packets on a voice over data channel with a second voice communication device, the voice over data channel being one of the plurality of data communications channels on the data network containing packetized voice signals;

a memory having a telephone location identifier to identify the location of the voice communication device and a location information transmitter operable to send the telephone location identifier to the second voice communication device; and

a registration function operable to communicate with a service provider server connected to the data network to configure the voice communication device to obtain a telephone location, and to configure the voice communication device with a configuration including the telephone location to store in the memory as the telephone location identifier.

8. The voice communication device of claim 7 wherein:

the telephone location identifier comprises a plurality of voice signals corresponding to a voice message containing the telephone location; and

wherein;

the location information transmitter sends the telephone location identifier in the voice over data channel.

9. The voice communication device of claim 7 wherein:

the telephone location identifier comprises a plurality of data signals corresponding to a data message containing the telephone location;

wherein;

the data network telephone creates a data channel to communicate data to the second voice communication device; and

wherein;

the location information transmitter sends the telephone location identifier in the data channel.

10. A method of configuring a data network telephone for service comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to configure the data network telephone from the user;

presenting a user feature request form prompting the user to select features and to enter a physical location of the data network telephone;

setting a user account in accordance with the selected features; and

sending a configuration message to the data network telephone, the configuration message including a telephone location identifier to store in the data network telephone.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of sending a confirming message displaying the user selected features.

12. A service provider server comprising:

a network interface for communicating over at least one data communications channel;

an accounts database for storing user records and accessing a user account in response to a registration request made by a user, the user account having a user telephone service account for using a data network telephone;

a provisioning function to provide a feature request form to a user on one of the data communications channels, the feature request form being operable to receive user input to select at least one feature enhancement and a telephone location;

a setup function to allow the user to set options for the user telephone service account, the options being;

a user identifier, a telephone identifier, a telephone location identifier, a user'"'"'s name, a plurality of user'"'"'s telephony service features, a speed dial program, a function using PDA connectivity, and a packaged configuration; and

a service configuration function to allow the user to configure the user telephone service account according to the selected feature enhancements, the telephone location, and the set options, the service configuration function sending a message to the data network telephone indicating a user identifier and the telephone location, the message further indicating to activate the service enhancements and the set options, and to store the telephone location.

13. A method for transmitting location information of a data network telephone during a telephone connection comprising the steps of:

detecting a voice over data communication channel connected to a second voice communication device;

retrieving a telephone location identifier voice message from a memory element in the data network telephone;

adding the telephone location identifier voice message to a data packet; and

communicating the data packet to the second voice communication device.