US 6,285,745 B1Granted

Analog terminal internet access

AssigneeBell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

InventorsDale Bartholomew, Robert D. Farris

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Abstract

A system and method of affecting transfer of a message such as a voice message from one centralized messaging system in a first switched telephone network to a centralized messaging system in a remote second switched telephone network wherein each of said telephone networks includes central offices connected to subscriber terminals. The message is inputted in analog form into one of the terminals connected to the first telephone network and stored in digital form in the centralized messaging system in that network. The message is then transferred from that centralized messaging system to the centralized messaging system in the second telephone network where it is stored. The message is then delivered by retrieval or an outgoing call to an addressee terminal in the second telephone network. The transfer between telephone networks and their respective centralized messaging services occurs via an internetwork to which each of the centralized messaging systems are connected. The transfer occurs through connectionless packet signaling using TCP/IP protocol.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A communications system comprising:

a first switched telephone network having central office switching systems connected by trunks and having subscriber lines connected to central offices in the network providing connection through the first switched telephone network between telephone terminals connected to the subscriber lines:
a second switched telephone network having central office switching systems connected by trunks and having subscriber lines connected to central offices in the second switched network providing connection through the second switched telephone network between telephone terminals connected to the subscriber lines of the second switched network;
each of the first and second switched telephone networks including a centralized messaging network for addressably storing in digital form analog originated messages directed to respective subscriber lines;
and
an Internet comprising multiple remotely spaced computer networks of diverse types using varying protocols within the computer networks, the computer networks being connected together by links and using a common protocol to communicate from computer network to computer network on the links to provide connectionless packet service between the computer networks;
each of the centralized messaging networks being connected to the Internet through an addressable protocol translating interface communicating with the Internet using the common protocol for transferring at least one of said messages stored in one centralized messaging network to another centralized messaging network;
and
wherein a transferred message is addressed to a recipient interface by an address for that interface and the transferred message includes an address identifying a subscriber line in the telephone network to which said recipient interface is connected, the address of the identified subscriber line being used by the centralized messaging network connected to the recipient interface to retrievably store the transferred message.

5 more elements

In a communications network comprising a plurality of switched telephone networks each having central office switching systems interconnected by trunks, with subscriber lines connected to the central office switching systems, the subscriber lines connected to respective telephone terminals, and a centralized messaging system for storing messages directed to individual subscribers, the plurality of switched telephone networks each interfaced with an Internet that includes multiple remotely spaced computer networks of diverse types connected together by links, the Internet using transmission control protocols for linking the diverse computer networks through an Internet protocol to provide connectionless packet service throughout the Internet, a method comprising the steps of:

in response to dialing a number at a terminal in a first of the switched telephone networks, connecting the terminal to the centralized messaging system in the first switched telephone network and storing therein a message that includes (1) a first portion audibly input at the terminal and (2) an address identifying a destination telephone subscriber line in a second of the switched telephone networks;
forwarding the message from said storage in the centralized messaging system of the first switched telephone network to a centralized messaging system in the second switched telephone network via the Internet, using the transmission control protocols for linking through the Internet protocol, to provide connectionless packet delivery of the message to the centralized messaging system in the second switched telephone network;
storing the forwarded message, including the address, in the centralized messaging system in the second switched telephone network;
and
delivering the first portion of the stored forwarded message to a terminal connected to the identified subscriber line in the second telephone network.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/598,769Filed 9 Feb 1996 · continuation in part
Priority: 5 Dec 1994
Granted: 4 Sep 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

H04Q 3/0025
Arrangements providing connection between exchanges: provisions for signalling
H04M 3/53325
Voice mail systems: interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
H04Q 3/0029
Arrangements providing connection between exchanges: provisions for intelligent networking
H04Q 2213/13103
Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems: memory

Family

Application08/353,281Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Dec 1994
Application08/371,906Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Jan 1995
Application08/539,952Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Oct 1995
Application08/557,749Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Nov 1995
US 5,680,443 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,631,948 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,661,782 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,812,639 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,680,442 ARelated patent
US 6,285,745 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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