Apparatus and method of connecting computer network to telephone

A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in a system including one or more first computers having a voice communications ability, a computer center including one or more second computers connected to the first computers through a computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

• providing, in each of said first computers, first voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• first voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said first voice communications means;
• and first agent process means;
• providing, in each of said computer center, one or more second voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• second voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said second voice communications means;
• network control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
• second agent process means;
• and a telephone number storage unit functionally connected to said second agent process means;
• activating said first agent process means in at least one of the first computers, thereby establishing communications between said first agent process means and said second agent process means;
• activating, by said first agent process means, said first voice communications means in such a way that said first voice communications means can communicate with said second voice communications means;
• activating said second voice communications means by said second agent process means, and issuing a call from said network control means to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit;
• and
• establishing communications between the at least one of the first computers and the telephone terminals.

A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in a system including one or more first computers having a voice communications ability, a computer center including one or more second computers connected to the first computers through a computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

• providing, in each of said first computers, first voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• first voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said first voice communications means;
• and browser means;
• providing, in each of said computer centers, one or more second voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• second voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said second voice communications means;
• network control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
• second agent process means;
• server means;
• and a telephone number storage unit;
• accessing in at least one of the first computers from said browser means to said server means, issuing a specific instruction, transmitting a first agent process means from said server means to said browser means, and activating the first agent process means in the at least one of the first computers;
• activating said second agent process means in the computer center by said server means;
• activating, by said first agent process means, said first voice communications means in such a way that said first voice communications means can communicate with said second voice communications means;
• activating said second voice communications means by said second agent process means, and issuing a call from said network control means to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit;
• and
• establishing communications between the at least one of the first computers and the telephone terminals.

A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in a system including one or more first computers having a voice communications ability, a computer center including one or more second computers connected to the first computers through a computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

• providing, in each of said first computers, first voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• and first voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said first voice communications means;
• and
• providing, in each of said computer center, one or more second voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• second voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said second voice communications means;
• first network control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
• agent process means;
• server means;
• a telephone number storage unit;
• and first data communications interface means, wherein
• each of said telephone terminals comprises second network control means, second data communications interface means, voice communications interface means, and second browser means;
• said second browser means of the telephone terminal accesses said server means through said data communications interface means of the computer center, and issues a specific instruction;
• said computer center activates said agent process means;
• said activated agent process means activates said second voice communications means in such a way that said second voice communications means can communicate with said first voice communications means in at least one of the first computers connected to the computer network, disconnects communications with the telephone terminal, switches a connection to said first network control means from said first data communications interface means to said first voice/data conversion means, and issues a call to the telephone terminal;
• communications are disconnected between the telephone terminal and the computer center;
• a connection of said second network control means is switched from said second data communications interface means to said voice communications interface means, a call is awaited, and a call from a telephone network is answered;
• and
• communications are established between the at least one of the first computers and the telephone terminal.

A method of connecting a call from a computer to a telephone in a system including one or more first computers having a voice communications ability, a computer center including one or more second computers connected to the first computers through a computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center and a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

• providing first voice/data conversion means and browser means in each of the first computers;
• and
• providing, in each of said computer centers, one or more second voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• second voice/data conversion means functionally connected to said second voice communications means;
• network control means connected to said second voice/data conversion means;
• server means;
• and a telephone number storage unit, wherein
• said browser means in at least one of the first computers accesses said server means, a specific instruction is issued, and said server means transmits a first voice communications means to the at least one of the first computers;
• first voice communications means is activated in the at least one of the first computers in such a way that said first voice communications means can communicate with said second voice communications means;
• said second voice communications means is activated in the computer center in such a way that said second voice communications means can communicate with first voice communications means;
• said network control means issues a call to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit;
• and
• communications can be established between the at least one of the first computers and the telephone terminal.

An apparatus for connecting a computer network to a telephone and having one or more computers connected to a computer network and a telephone network, comprising:

• voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa;
• telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number;
• network control means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call through a telephone network;
• and
• agent process means for receiving a data stream transmitted from another computer connected to the computer network, activating said voice communications means, transferring the data stream to said voice communications means, and instructing said network control means to issue a call to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit.

An apparatus for connecting a computer network to a telephone and having one or more computers connected to a computer network and a telephone network, comprising:

• voice communications means for establishing communications between computer networks;
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa;
• telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number;
• network control means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call through a telephone network;
• and
• agent process means for communicating with another agent process means in another computer of the one or more computers connected to a computer network, activating said voice communications means when a voice communications connection request is received, and instructing said network control means to issue a call to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit.

An apparatus which has one or more computers connected to a computer network and a telephone network, and connects a call from a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising:

• voice communications means for establishing voice communications between computer networks;
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa;
• telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number;
• network control means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to a telephone network;
• server means for receiving a specific instruction from browser means of another computer connected through a computer network and transmitting agent process means operating in another computer which has issued the instruction;
• and
• agent process means for communicating with another agent process means in another computer, activating said voice communications means when a voice communications connection request is received, and instructing said network control means to issue a call to a telephone number stored in said telephone number storage unit.

An apparatus which has one or more computers connected to a computer network and a telephone network, and connects a call from a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising:

• network control means for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to a telephone network;
• data communications interface means for receiving data or a specific instruction transferred from a telephone terminal capable of communicating data through said network control means;
• voice communications means for establishing voice communications between computer networks;
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa;
• telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number;
• agent process means for activating said voice communications means in such a way that said voice communications means can communicate with another computer connected through a computer network, disconnecting communications with a telephone terminal which issued a specific instruction, switching a connection to said network control means from said data communications interface means to said voice/data conversion means, and instructing said network control means to issue a call to the telephone terminal;
• and
• server means for activating said agent process means at a specific instruction from said data communications interface means.

An apparatus which has one or more computers connected through a computer network to a computer center for connection to a telephone terminal and connects a call from a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising:

• voice communications means for establishing voice communications between computer networks;
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa;
• and
• agent process means for communicating with agent process means in a corresponding computer center, and activating said voice communications means.

An apparatus which has one or more computers connected through a computer network to a computer center for connection to a telephone terminal and connects a call from a computer network to a telephone terminal, comprising:

• browser means for communicating with server means of a corresponding computer center, and issuing a specific instruction;
• voice communications means for establishing voice communications through computer networks activated by agent process means transmitted from the computer center at a specific instruction;
• and
• voice/data conversion means, functionally connected to said voice communications means, for converting voice data into a voice signal and vice versa.

A telephone terminal for communicating with a computer connected to a computer network through a computer center connected to a telephone network and a computer network;

• comprising:
• data communications interface means;
• voice communications interface means;
• browser means for accessing server means of the computer center through the data communications interface means, and issuing a specific instruction;
• and
• network control means for disconnecting communications with the computer center after issuing the specific instruction, switching a connection from said data communications interface means to said voice communications interface means, entering a call wait state, and returning an answer in response to arriving call from a telephone network.