Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Switching a message which includes an address header
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-03
2002-04-16
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Switching a message which includes an address header
C370S463000, C379S207030, C379S219000, C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373847
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer telephony integration (CTI). More particularly, this invention relates to the way on-line services and the Internet are accessed through CTI servers. The invention includes improvements to a CTI server which allow dial-up access to such a server, and which also can be used to provide connections to multiple Internet service providers or other on-line access services through the CTI server.
2. Description of the Problem Solved
With the increased use of on-line services, and especially the Internet, the need for more efficient ways to provide access to these services has become pressing. Currently, most users who access these services from small office and home office environments connect through the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
FIG. 1
shows an example of such a connection. An originating PSTN office
101
contains a switch which can connect to a service provider point-of-presence (POP)
106
through the PSTN
102
via a terminating PSTN office
103
. In some situations, a tandem office within the PSTN intervenes. Alternatively, for a more efficient connection, the originating office can off-load data calls for an access provider to a dedicated data network
104
. For illustration purposes, router
105
is shown as an entry point to the dedicated data network. This dedicated data network can be packet-switched, frame relay, or asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). In any case this data network is usually a connectionless or packet switched type of network as opposed to a circuit switched network like the PSTN. This off-loading can be used to alleviate switch congestion in the PSTN. Multiple methods and systems are known which can be used to accomplish this data off-loading. Examples include the Internet Thruway™ products marketed by the assignee of the present application, as well as the methods and apparatus described in pending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 980,534 and 982,155, filed Dec. 1, 1997, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The aforementioned patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Users of on-line services and the Internet who have access to a local area network (LAN) often connect to a service provider POP via a computer telephony integration (CTI) server.
FIG. 2
illustrates this type of connection. The CTI server
201
is connected to the users at the customer premises equipment (CPE) via LAN
205
. The CTI server
201
provides a single direct data connection
202
to one service provider POP
203
. A CTI messaging connection
204
is provided to a public switched telephone network; however, calls cannot be connected through this messaging connection. The messaging connection is made through a data link adapter in the CTI server. The function and operation of the CTI server is discussed in various well-known specifications. Some examples of these specifications include: “NetWare® TSAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface)” published by Novell; “TSPI (Telephony Server Programming Interface)” published by Microsoft; “SCSAS (Signaling Computing Services Architecture)” published by Dialogic; and the “S.100” series of standards published by the Enterprise Computer Telephony Forum (ECTF), all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The CTI server provides users with specialized multimedia, centrex and billing services. The CTI server connection, however, lacks some capabilities of the PSTN connection because it does not have access to the large multipoint, multipath switched network. It is not accessible to dial-up users. Additionally, only one on-line service provider, or Internet service provider is accessible to users. Since different service providers may provide different services at different rates and/or times, users may wish to access multiple service providers simultaneously. For example, a user may wish to use one service provider for e-mail, and another for fax or video conferencing.
What is needed is a way to more closely integrate the operation of the CTI server with that of the PSTN for providing on-line access, as well as dial-up access to the CTI server. Such integration would have advantages resulting from providing more function to both dial-up users of the PSTN and LAN users of the CTI server, including access to multiple, simultaneous connections to on-line service providers, especially Internet service providers.
SUMMARY
The present invention meets the above described need by providing a computer telephony integration (CTI) server that can make connections to one or more service provider's points-of-presence in various ways using the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a dedicated digital network associated with the PSTN. In one embodiment the CTI server is connected to a first PSTN office having a customer premises equipment (CPE) connection, and a second PSTN office which is connected to at least one point-of-presence (POP). The CTI server manages one or more CPE to service provider connections so that on-line access is provided through the PSTN. In this case, the CPE uses the CTI server directory number (DN) as the DN for establishing the service provider connection. When the CTI server receives a call from a user, the CTI server establishes a CTI connection between itself and the CPE. It receives a request for on-line access to the service provider and connects via the PSTN. Because the CTI server can access multiple service providers using the resources of the PSTN, a user can establish multiple simultaneous connections to on-line service providers.
In another embodiment, the process is similar to that described above but a connection is set up through the PSTN for a user connected to the CTI server via a local area network (LAN) connection. This allows the LAN user to make use of the enhanced service provider access possible by connecting to service providers through a PSTN. This enhanced service provider access includes simultaneous access to multiple service providers.
It is also possible to connect the CTI server to the service providers through a dedicated data network which is associated with the PSTN. In this case the CTI server is connected to CPE through either a PSTN office or a LAN. The CTI server receives a request from a user to establish a connection to a service provider. The CTI server supplies a network address for the particular service provider. Again a CTI connection is established between the CPE and the CTI server. A CPE to service provider connection is then established through the dedicated data network which is associated with the public switched telephone network. The CTI server uses the network address of the service provider POP to connect to the service provider. A user can request additional connections to an additional service providers, thus providing multiple, simultaneous sessions to a user. Two or more of the various connections shown in the various embodiments of the CTI server of the present invention can be implemented simultaneously.
In any of the cases described above, a user can also request to drop one or more specific CPE to service provider connections when the user is finished using these connections. The CPE can also request that the CTI server drop the CTI server connection all together. This severs all connections to service providers and terminates the communications with the CTI server.
In the preferred embodiments, the new functions are implemented by computer program code. The computer program code is used in combination with appropriate computer hardware. A CTI server includes adapters for connection to the PSTN, the dedicated data network and possibly also a local area network. These adapters are connected at least one bus. The CTI server includes a microprocessor and storage with appropriate computer program code. These last elements together form a processing core which is the means for controlling the operation of the CTI server, thus providing management of CPE to service provider connections through the CTI server. On-line acc
Golaszewski Mark Joseph
Scoggins Shwu-Yan Chang
Chin Wellington
Duong Frank
Nortel Networks Limited
Withrow & Terranova, P.L.L.C.
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