Virtual private network system and method using voice over internet protocol

• US 6,718,030 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Netgear Holdings Ltd. (NETGEAR, Inc.), NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Westell Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Higgins, Rodger D., Noll, William J., Harrington, Paul V., Turner, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Application Number:
  US09/636,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.15, 379/219, 379/289, 379/221.02, 709/205
• US Class Current: 379/221.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/35 virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• 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 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A system and method for providing a private telephone network using Voice over Internet Protocol includes an addressing scheme that supports two levels of numbers, an Internet name that identifies individual users and a Directory number, which allow the network supported by a plurality of switches to function as if the multiple customers are being served by a single switch. The system of the present invention includes a gateway in communication with both a Public Switch Telephone Network and users of the private network; a call agent in communication with the gateway for processing different requests received at the gateway; a server-based interface including a Directory Server for translating between the Internet name (Network Address) and a Customer address and a Domain Name Server for translating between the Internet name (Network Address) and an Internet Protocol Address.

Claims

1. A telephone network system for providing a private network comprising in combination:

a gateway in communication with a Public Switched Telephone Network and with a plurality of private users;

a call agent in communication with said gateway for processing a plurality of requests received for the private users at said gateway;

a Directory Server coupled to the gateway, the Directory Server translating between Network Addresses for the private users and Customer Addresses for requests within the plurality of private users, wherein the Customer Addresses are statically assigned to the private users, and wherein the Directory Server dynamically alters which Network Addresses correspond to the Customer Addresses based on locations of the private users within the private network; and

a Domain Name Server coupled to the gateway, the Domain Name Server translating the Network Addresses to Internet Protocol addresses, wherein associations between the Network Addresses and the Internet Protocol are statically assigned.

2. The telephone network system of claim 1, further comprising a router in communication with the call agent, the Directory Server and the Domain Name Server.

3. The telephone network system of claim 1, wherein the gateway and the call agent communicate using a Media Gateway Control Protocol.

4. The telephone network system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of private users communicate with the gateway using a Real Time Protocol.

5. The telephone network system of claim 1, wherein the gateway communicates with the Public Switched Telephone Network using at least one of Circuit Switched Trunks and Signaling System 7.

6. The telephone network system of claim 1, wherein the Directory Server determines if the plurality of requests are one of a Public Switched Telephone Network request and a request from one of the plurality of private users.

7. The telephone network system of claim 1, wherein the call agent generates Network Addresses from the plurality of user names.

8. A method of implementing a telephone network system for providing a private network comprising:

receiving a call request at a gateway from at least one of a Pubic Switched Telephone Network and a plurality of private users;

translating between a Network Address associated with the call request in a Directory Server and a Customer Address for calls between the plurality of private users, wherein Customer Addresses are statically assigned to the private users, and wherein the Directory Server dynamically alters which Network Addresses correspond to the Customer Addresses based on physical locations of the private users within the private network; and

translating between the Network Address and an Internet Protocol address in a Domain Name Server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a Network Address from a user name.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of translating a Network address includes the Directory Server determining if the call request is associated with one of the Public Switched Telephone Network and the plurality of private users.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising passing the call request from the gateway to a call agent.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining if the call request is associated with one of the Public Switched Telephone Network and the plurality of private users further comprises determining if the dialed digits are preceded by an escape prefix.

13. A computer readable medium having stored therein a set of instructions for causing a Processing Unit to execute the steps of the method of claim 8.

14. A telephone network system for providing a private network comprising in combination:

a Public Switched Telephone Network;

an Internet Protocol Network in communication with the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

a server-based interface for translating between at least one address on the Public Switched Telephone Network and at least one address on the Internet Protocol Network, wherein the server-based interface uses statically assigned Customer Addresses for calls between devices on the private network, wherein the server-based interface uses associations between the Customer Addresses and Network Addresses that are dynamically alterable based on locations of the devices within the private network, and wherein the server-based interface uses static associations between the Network Addresses and Internet Protocol addresses.

15. The telephone network system of claim 14, wherein the server-based interface includes a Directory Server and a Domain Name Server.

16. The telephone network system of claim 14, wherein the Public Switched Telephone Network and the Internet Protocol Network communicate using a Media Gateway Control Protocol.

17. A method of implementing a telephone network system for providing a private network comprising:

providing a Public Switched Telephone Network;

providing an Internet Protocol Network in communication with the Public Switched Telephone Network; and

translating between at least one address on the Public Switched Telephone Network and at least one address on the Internet Protocol Network using a server-based interface, wherein the step of translating includes;

translating between a Customer Address statically assigned to a device and used for communication between devices on the private network and a Network Address, wherein the association of the Network Address with the Customer Address is dynamically alterable based on the location of the device within the private network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the server-based interface includes a Directory Server and a Domain Name Server.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of translating includes translating between a Network Address and a Customer Address using a Directory Server and translating between the Network Address and an Internet Protocol address using a Domain Name Server.

20. A computer readable medium having stored therein a set of instructions for causing a processing unit to execute the steps of the method of claim 17.