Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-24
2001-08-07
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C370S401000, C379S088170, C379S212010, C379S220010, C379S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272126
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a system and method of utilization of communication gateways for private or public interexchange telephone communication, with at least the interexchange portion of the telephone communication transported over a public packet data network such as the Internet, wherein the system provides enhanced telecommunication features.
BACKGROUND
Attention recently has been directed to implementing a variety of communication services, including voice telephone service, over the worldwide packet data network now commonly known as the Internet.
In a simplified fashion the Internet may be viewed as a series of packet data switches or ‘routers’ connected together with computers connected to the routers. The Information Providers (IPs) constitute the end systems which collect and market the information through their own servers. Access providers are companies such as UUNET, PSI, MCI and SPRINT which transport the information. Such companies market the usage of their networks.
FIG. 3
shows a simplified diagram of the Internet and various types of systems typically connected thereto. Generally speaking the Internet consists of Autonomous Systems (AS) type packet data networks which may be owned and operated by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as PSI, UUNET, MCI, SPRINT, etc. Three such AS/ISPs appear in
FIG. 3
at
310
,
312
and
314
. The Autonomous Systems (ASs) are linked by Inter-AS Connections
311
,
313
and
315
. Information Providers (IPs)
316
and
318
, such as America Online (AOL) and CompuServe, connect to the Internet via high speed lines
320
and
322
, such as T1/T3 and the like. Information Providers generally do not have their own Internet based Autonomous Systems but have or use Dial-Up Networks such as SprintNet (X.25), DATAPAC and TYMNET.
By way of current illustration, MCI is both an ISP and an IP, SPRINT is an ISP, and the Microsoft Network (MSN) is an IP using UUNET as an ISP. Other information providers, such as universities, are indicated in exemplary fashion at
324
and are connected to the AS/ISPs via the same type connections here illustrated as T1 lines
326
. Corporate Local Area Networks (LANs), such as those illustrated in
328
and
330
, are connected through routers
332
and
334
and high speed data links such as T1 lines
336
and
338
. Laptop computers
340
and
342
are representative of computers connected to the Internet via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and are shown connected to the AS/ISPs via dial up links
344
and
346
.
Recently, software has been developed that allows personal computer (PC) users to conduct two-way voice conversations over the Internet. An audio card in the PC digitizes speech inputs received via a microphone and converts digital speech signals received from the Internet into analog audio output signals. The software provides compression and decompression of the digital signals to permit voice communication at rates as low as 2800 bits/s. The two-way conversion between digital and analog and the compression and decompression together are generally identified as a ‘vocoder’ functionality. The software also controls TCP/IP packet processing by the PC that is necessary to transmit and receive digital speech signals over the Internet. The PC typically accesses the Internet through a modem-to-modem call to the server or router of an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,197, issued Apr. 21, 1987, to Dorsey et al., titled Verbal Computer Terminal System, describes a system for providing voice telephone access to computers. The system is one wherein remote computers of a conventional type may be addressed or accessed by multiple DTMF telephones and respond or provide output to such telephones in the form of speech derived from the data bases of the respective computers. The system includes means between the standard computer and the DTMF input and analog audio output for emulating computer terminals acceptable to the host computer, for example for converting text data from the computers into speech signals transmissible over telephone line to a caller.
Several providers of Internet telephony software now offer along with the software the use of Internet Phone Servers. These servers, usually in distant cities, are available for users of the software to choose in order to connect to the Internet Phone Network of the particular software provider. In a sense, the servers fulfill the function of a phone directory to access other Internet Phone users. When users of the software connect to the Internet Phone server they are provided with a list of other connected users. From this list a choice may be made and the user can make calls to the other connected parties. In addition to this telephone directory type listing, the connected users are also listed under sublists of topics of conversation. Thus the service is similar to the so called “chat rooms” that are available from ISPs for keyboard to keyboard communication. The obvious shortcoming of the service from a telephony standpoint is an inability to make a call to a telephone subscriber who may or may not own a computer or who may not be on line at the time that the calling party desires to establish a contact.
One system for providing such an Internet telephone service which overcomes this difficulty is described in Farris and Bartholomew U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/634,543, filed Apr. 18, 1996, for Public Internet Protocol Transport Network. That application is owned by the assignee of the instant application and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
According to the Farris and Bartholomew arrangement, a public switched telephone network utilizing program controlled switching systems controlled by common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS), and preferably an advanced intelligent network (AIN) CCIS network, is arranged in an architecture to provide a methodology for facilitating impromptu telephone customer use of the Internet. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without customer access to computer equipment and without the necessity of the customer maintaining a subscription to any Internet service. Billing may be accomplished on a per call basis. The calls may be inter and intra LATA, region or state and may be nationwide. Usage is made of CCIS signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing. Calls may be made from telephone to telephone, from voice capable computer to voice capable computer, or from telephone to computer or computer to telephone.
Another system for providing Internet telephone service on a small business basis is described in Michael J. Strauss application Ser. No. 08/815,358, filed Mar. 11, 1997. That application is also assigned to the assignee of the instant application and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. According to that application a small business interexchange Internet telephone service is provided using a pair of personal computers or PCs at distal sites. Each computer is connected to a central office of a Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) by two lines at the respective sites. The computers are provided with speech cards and the software for performing the vocoder and TCP/IP communication functionalities. The computers also have software to allow DTMF digit dialing and collection on both lines.
In response to a call on one of the lines, the called computer answers the call and collects digits corresponding to a PIN number and a desired voice call destination. The computer then initiates a modem data call on the other line to any ISP. The computer executes a log-in procedure with the ISP's modem pool and then initiates an Internet data session with the other distal computer, which computer serves the region covering the destination telephone number. That computer communicates with its ISP on one of its two lines and establishes a local voice telephone call to the dialed destin
Farris Robert D.
Strauss Michael J.
Bell Atlantic Network Services Inc.
Chin Wellington
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nguyen Steven
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