Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Combined circuit switching and packet switching
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2004-09-07
Ton, Dang (Department: 2666)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Combined circuit switching and packet switching
C370S270000, C379S265010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06788677
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gateway apparatus that converts communication protocols between two networks having differing communication protocols. Specifically, the present invention relates to a gateway apparatus that effects communication between a circuit-switched network and a packet-switched network. The present invention further relates to a terminal specification method for such a gateway apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a terminal-specifying program configured to operate such a gateway apparatus.
In the description below of present invention, the term “packet-switched network” refers generally to networks that use packet-switching in the transmission of data. Such packet-switched networks include, for instance, the Internet, Intranet and local area networks (LAN). Further, the term “information terminal” refers to a unit that can be connected to another unit on a packet-switched network and can transmit and receive packets to and from a gateway apparatus and connect and disconnect to and from the gateway apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
B. Description of the Related Art
The so-called “Internet telephone” is a voice communication service on the Internet and has recently gained popularity. In most cases at present, the Internet telephone system is operated in such a manner that each of communicating terminals has an Internet telephone protocol and is connected directly to the Internet. However, as the Internet telephone becomes more and more popular, attention is being paid increasingly to a gateway that connects a circuit-switched network to the Internet or the like. That is, the gateway provides a connection to permit communications between a client who is, e.g., a resident individual connected to a circuit-switched network such as a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and a client who is, e.g., a corporation directly connected to the Internet.
Some of the problems the present invention seeks to solve are discussed below.
To allow an incoming call from a circuit-switched network to arrive at a packet-switched network such as the Internet by using a conventional gateway, a client on the circuit-switched network must call the gateway once and then input the identifier (equivalent to the telephone number) of a client on the Internet again in accordance with a guidance or a dial tone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a gateway apparatus, a terminal specification method for the gateway apparatus and a computer-readable recording medium having recorded a terminal-specifying program, which facilitate the calling operation performed by a calling party on a circuit-switched network by specifying a client on a packet-switched network to which the calling operation is directed when the circuit-switched network and the packet-switched network are connected to each other.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a gateway apparatus connects a packet-switched network to a circuit-switched network. The packet-switched network has a plurality of information terminals connected thereto. Such gateway apparatus includes recognition means, incoming call notification means and connection means. The recognition means recognizes information terminals on the packet-switched network. The incoming call notification means notifies all the recognized information terminals of a call when receiving an incoming call from the circuit-switched network. The connection means connects the circuit-switched network to the information terminal that responds first to the incoming call notification such that voice data of the incoming call is transmitted between the circuit-switched network and the information terminal via the gateway apparatus.
That is, when the gateway apparatus receives an incoming call from the circuit-switched network, the gateway apparatus notifies all the recognized information terminals of the call, and connects to the circuit-switched network the information terminal that has responded first to the call to establish the communication between the two. The calling party on the circuit-switched network can call an information terminal on the packet-switched network by inputting an identification number (e.g., telephone number) only once.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a gateway apparatus, in which the incoming call notification means notifies all the information terminals on the packet-switched network of a call in a point-to-multipoint communication manner using a broadcast address when receiving an incoming call from the circuit-switched network.
By using a broadcast address that designates all the information terminals on the packet-switched network as a destination or called IP address, the gateway apparatus notifies all the information terminals of an incoming call in a point-to-multipoint communication manner, and connects to the circuit-switched network an information terminal that has responded to the incoming call notification first. Thereby, voice data may be transmitted between the circuit-switched network and information terminals via the gateway apparatus.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a gateway apparatus, in which the incoming call notification means notifies a plurality of information terminals on the packet-switched network of a call in a point-to-multipoint communication manner using a multi-cast address when receiving an incoming call from the circuit-switched network.
By using a multi-cast address that specifies a plurality of information terminals among the information terminals on the packet-switched network as a destination address, the gateway apparatus notifies a plurality of information terminals of a call in a point-to-multipoint communication manner. The gateway apparatus thereafter connects to the circuit-switched network an information terminal having responded to the incoming call notification first.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a gateway apparatus, in which the recognition means allocates the order to each of the information terminals, and the incoming call notification means notifies each of the information terminals of a call in accordance with the order that has been allocated thereto when receiving an incoming call from the circuit-switched network, and continues to send the incoming call notification until a response to the incoming call notification is received.
For example, an appropriate order of notification, e.g., an alphabetical order of the names of the information terminals is specified, and the gateway apparatus notifies the information terminals of an incoming call in such specified order. When an information terminal has responded to the incoming call notification, the gateway apparatus connects such information terminal to the circuit-switched network, and when the information terminal has not responded to the incoming call notification, the apparatus notifies an information terminal that is supposed to take its turn next of the call.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a gateway apparatus in which the recognition means allocates source-identifying information to each recognized information terminal. The source-identifying information provides a means for identifying a specific information terminal via, for instance, a portion of the telephone number provided from the circuit-switched network. The communication notification means selects an information terminal corresponding to identification from the source-identifying information. The communication notification means then notifies the selected information terminal of an incoming call when receiving an incoming call corresponding to the source-identifying information from the circuit-switched network.
The recognition means allots telephone numbers, or the like to the information terminals that it has recognized. When receiving an incoming call accompanying the telephone number (calling party number), the incoming call notification means
Fukuyama Noriyuki
Matsuda Masahiro
Morinaga Masanobu
Ohtsu Kazuyuki
Fujitsu Limited
Staas & Halsey , LLP
Ton Dang
Tran Phuc
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