Internet switch box, system and method for internet telephony

• US 6,671,272 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fonefriend Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Vaziri, Faramarz, Wimsatt, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/003,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/229, 370/465, 370/521, 370/474
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6429 Terminal adapters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6443 Network Node Interface, e.g. Routing, Path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6475 N-ISDN, Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6486 Signalling Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 : Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 : Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 : Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 : Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 : comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• 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: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

An Internet switch box connects between a telephone set and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) line, the latter of which is used both for PSTN telephone conversations and for connection to an Internet service provider (ISP). The switch box contains hardware and embedded software for establishing a connection to an ISP and for Internet telephony. When two users, each having an Internet switch box connected to the telephone set, wish to have an Internet telephony conversation, one calls the other over the PSTN. When they agree to an Internet telephony conversation, they signal their Internet switch boxes, by pressing either buttons on the switch boxes or certain keys on the telephone keypads, to switch to Internet telephony. The switch boxes disconnect the PSTN call and connect to their ISPs. Once the switch boxes are on the Internet, they contact each other through a server which supplies Internet protocol (IP) addresses of switch boxes, and the users continue their conversation by Internet telephony. The users can also prearrange to call each other solely by Internet telephony, in which case they do not need to talk to each other over the PSTN.

Claims

1. A device for dynamically adjusting a communication between a computing device and a digital packet-switched network, the device comprising:

detecting means for monitoring at least a portion of the communication and for detecting a baud rate and a percentage of dropped packets in said at least a portion of the communication;

determining means for making a determination, in accordance with the baud rate and the percentage of dropped packets, as to whether a degree of compression, a packetization and a packet redundancy in the communication are acceptable for the baud rate; and

adjusting means for adjusting at least one of the degree of compression, the packetization and the packet redundancy in accordance with the determination.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the determining means comprises:

means for storing a look-up table; and

means for making the determination by applying the baud rate and the percentage of dropped packets to the look-up table.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein:

the packet redundancy is adjustable to a first state or a second state;

in the first state, each packet in the communication is sent twice; and

in the second state, each packet in the communication is sent once.

4. A method for dynamically adjusting a communication between a computing device and a digital packet-switched network, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring at least a portion of the communication and detecting a baud rate and a percentage of dropped packets in said at least a portion of the communication;

(b) making a determination, in accordance with the baud rate and the percentage of dropped packets, as to whether a degree of compression, a packetization and a packet redundancy in the communication are acceptable for the baud rate; and

(c) adjusting at least one of the degree of compression, the packetization and the packet redundancy in accordance with the determination.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises:

(i) storing a look-up table in a memory; and

(ii) making the determination by applying the baud rate and the percentage of dropped packets to the look-up table.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein:

the packet redundancy is adjustable to a first state or a second state;

in the first state, each packet in the communication is sent twice; and

in the second state, each packet in the communication is sent once.

7. A server for allowing a first device and a second device to communicate over a packet-switched network, the server comprising:

means for receiving (i) a first communication request from the first device, the first communication request comprising first address information for locating the first device on the network, and (ii) a second communication request from the second device, the second communication request comprising second address information for locating the second device on the network; and

means for (i) maintaining a communication request queue, (ii) adding a first received one of the first and second communication requests to the queue, (iii) searching the queue in accordance with a second received one of the first and second communication requests to match the first and second received ones of the first and second communication requests (iv) if the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the first communication request, providing the second address information to the first device, and (v) if the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the second communication request, providing the first address information to the second device.

8. A server as in claim 7, wherein each of the first and second address information comprises an IP address.

9. A method for allowing a first device and a second device to communicate over a packet-switched network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a first communication request from the first device, the first communication request comprising first address information for locating the first device on the network;

(b) receiving a second communication request from the second device, the second communication request comprising second address information for locating the second device on the network;

(c) maintaining a communication request queue;

(d) adding a first received one of the first and second communication requests to the queue;

(e) searching the queue in accordance with a second received one of the first and second communication requests to match the first and second received ones of the first and second communication requests;

(f) the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the first communication request, providing the second address information to the first device; and

(g) if the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the second communication request, providing the first address information to the second device.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein each of the first and second address information comprises an IP address.

11. A system including a server, first and second devices, and a packet-switched network, said server for allowing a first device and a second device to communicate over a packet-switched network, the server comprising:

means for receiving (i) a first communication request from the first device, the first communication request comprising first address information for locating the first device on the network, and (ii) a second communication request from the second device, the second communication request comprising second address information for locating the second device on the network, and

means for (i) maintaining a communication request queue, (ii) adding a first received one of the first and second communication requests to the queue, (iii) searching the queue in accordance with a second received one of the first and second communication requests to match the first and second received ones of the first and second communication requests (iv) if the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the first communication request, providing the second address information to the first device, and (v) if the second received one of the first and second communication requests is the second communication request, providing the first address information to the second device,

said system further comprising a device for dynamically adjusting a communication between said first and second devices and said packet-switched network, said device comprising;

detecting means for monitoring at least a portion of the communication and for detecting a baud rate and a percentage of dropped packets in said at least a portion of the communication,

determining means for making a determination, in accordance with the baud rate and the percentage of dropped packets, as to whether a degree of compression, a packetization and a packet redundancy in the communication are acceptable for the baud rate, and

adjusting means for adjusting at least one of the degree of compression, the packetization and the packet redundancy in accordance with the determination.