Net-aware telephone switch
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorFrank John Luciano III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A net-aware telephone switch enabling a user to receive or send calls from/to both the Internet and the PSTN comprises a two-line switch connecting with the communication terminal for switching the outgoing call between IP call mode and PSTN call mode; a CPU, operated for sending out an IP call and receiving an IP call to/from the outside; a storage, for storing programs and data required for sending out or receiving the IP call; a connector for connecting the net-aware telephone switch with the Internet; and a bus for connecting all the above components with each other and for transferring data among them.
Claims19
A net-aware telephone switch providing IP phone service for a user of a communication terminal, the net-aware telephone switch comprising:
- a two-line switch connecting with the communication terminal for switching outgoing calls between IP phone mode and PSTN phone mode;
- a CPU for sending and receiving IP phone mode calls to and from the net-aware telephone switch;
- storage for storing programs and data required for sending and receiving the IP phone mode calls;
- an Internet connector for connecting the net-aware telephone switch with the Internet;
- and
- a bus for connecting together the two-line switch, the CPU, the storage, and the Internet connector.
A method for providing IP phone service for a user of a communication terminal, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a connection with an Internet service provider and a connection with an Internet telephone provider;
- receiving an outgoing call signal input by the user through the communication terminal;
- determining whether the outgoing call signal includes information indicating that the outgoing call signal is an IP phone mode call;
- if the outgoing call signal includes information indicating that the outgoing call signal is an IP phone mode call, providing IP phone service for the user through the Internet telephone provider;
- and
- if the outgoing call signal does not include information indicating that the outgoing call signal is an IP phone mode call, routing the outgoing call signal to a public service telephone network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.