Call setup gateway for telecommunications system
First Claim
1. A method of setting up a bearer channel through a public telephone system between a first user and a second user that respectively have a first predetermined code and a second predetermined code associated therewith, the public telephone system having switch means for setting up bearer channels through the public telephone system, and a call setup gateway through which the switch means can be controlled from the public internet;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a)—
passing said first predetermined code from a terminal associated with the first user, via the internet, to a server that is independent of the public telephone system and holds said second predetermined code;
(b)—
automatically generating a call setup request at said server consequent upon the receipt thereat of said first predetermined code, and transmitting the call setup request, via the internet, to the call setup gateway, this call setup request including both the first and second predetermined codes; and
(c)—
upon receipt of the call setup request at the call setup gateway causing the call setup gateway to control the switch means, in dependence on the predetermined codes included in the received call setup request, to set up a bearer channel through the public telephone system towards the first user and the second user.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A third-party call setup gateway (90) is provided for setting up bearer channels (60) through a switched telecommunications system, such as a PSTN, by controlling an associated switch (41). The call setup gateway (90) has an interface onto a computer network, such as the Internet, that is accessible to users of the telecommunications system. In a preferred arrangement, a user A wishing to place a call to user B gets the details of B'"'"'s current telephone number from a “phone page” (41) on B'"'"'s website and then sends this telephone number together with A'"'"'s own telephone number, to the gateway (90). The gateway (90) then commands the switch (41) to establish a call between A'"'"'s telephone and B'"'"'s telephone.
113 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of setting up a bearer channel through a public telephone system between a first user and a second user that respectively have a first predetermined code and a second predetermined code associated therewith, the public telephone system having switch means for setting up bearer channels through the public telephone system, and a call setup gateway through which the switch means can be controlled from the public internet;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a)—
passing said first predetermined code from a terminal associated with the first user, via the internet, to a server that is independent of the public telephone system and holds said second predetermined code;
(b)—
automatically generating a call setup request at said server consequent upon the receipt thereat of said first predetermined code, and transmitting the call setup request, via the internet, to the call setup gateway, this call setup request including both the first and second predetermined codes; and
(c)—
upon receipt of the call setup request at the call setup gateway causing the call setup gateway to control the switch means, in dependence on the predetermined codes included in the received call setup request, to set up a bearer channel through the public telephone system towards the first user and the second user.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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5. A method of setting up a bearer channel through a public telephone system between a first user and a second user that respectively have a first predetermined code and a second predetermined code associated therewith, the public telephone system having switch means for setting up bearer channels through the public telephone system, and a call setup gateway through which the switch means can be controlled from the public internet;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a)—
accessing via the internet, from a terminal associated with the first user, an information resource which is held on a server and is associated with the second user;
(b)—
passing said first predetermined code from the terminal associated with the first user, via the internet, to the server;
(c)—
automatically generating an enquiry request at said server consequent upon the receipt thereat of said first predetermined code, and transmitting this enquiry request to an enquiry manager, the enquiry request including said first predetermined code;
(d)—
automatically generating a call setup request at the enquiry manager consequent upon the receipt thereat of said enquiry request, and transmitting this call setup request via the internet to the call setup gateway, this call setup request including both the first and second predetermined codes; and
(e) upon receipt of the call setup request at the call setup gateway, causing the call setup gateway to control the switch means, in dependence on the predetermined codes included in the received call setup request, to set up a channel portion through the public telephone system towards the first user and the second user. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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9. A method of setting up a bearer channel through a public telephone system between a first user and a second user that respectively have a first predetermined code and a second predetermined code associated therewith, the public telephone system having switch means for setting up bearer channels through the public telephone system, and a call setup gateway through which the switch means can be controlled from the public internet;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a)—
generating a call setup request and transmitting it, via the internet, to the call setup gateway, this call setup request including both the first and second predetermined codes;
(b)—
receiving the call setup request at the call setup gateway;
(c)—
using the second predetermined code received at the gateway in the call setup request to access from the public telephone system, via the internet, a service resource item associated with the second user, the result of this access being returned via the internet to the public telephone system; and
(d)—
causing the call setup gateway to control the switch means, in dependence on the first predetermined code included in the received call setup request and on the result returned in step(c), to set up a bearer channel through the public telephone system respectively towards the first user and the second user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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16. A method of setting up a bearer channel through a public telephone system between a first user and a second user that respectively have a first predetermined code and a second predetermined code associated therewith, at least one switch associated with the public telephone system for setting up bearer channels through the public telephone system, and a call setup gateway through which the at least one switch can be controlled via the public internet, said method comprising:
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(a) passing said first predetermined code from a terminal associated with the first user, via the internet, to a server that is independent of the public telephone system and holds said second predetermined code;
(b) automatically generating a call setup request at said server after the receipt thereat of said first predetermined code, (c) transmitting the call setup request, via the internet, to the call setup gateway, this call setup request including both the first and second predetermined codes; and
(d) upon receipt of the call setup request at the call setup gateway, causing the call setup gateway to control the at least one switch, in dependence on the predetermined codes included in the received call setup request, to set up a bearer channel through the public telephone system towards the first user and through the public telephone system towards the second user. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
(i) establishing a response order for the requests for bearer channel communications and estimating any time delay associated with issuing a call set up request in response to such requests for bearer channel communications; and
(ii) making the time delay available via the public internet as information for the first user who initiated a corresponding request for bearer channel communication.
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21. A method according to claim 16 wherein if the first user picks up a call set up through the public telephone system towards the first user by the at least one switch in response to the call setup gateway issuing a call set up request and if the second user also picks up a call set up through the public telephone system towards the second user by the at least one switch in response to the call setup gateway issuing another call set up request, then the first and second users are placed into telephonic communication with each other via the public telephone system.
Specification