US 6,594,254 B1 · Domain name server architecture for translating telephone number domain names into network protocol addresses

Abstract

A method and apparatus for translating a domain name representing a telephone number into a network protocol address includes a domain name server architecture containing logic responsive to a telephone number domain name, the telephone number domain name representing the country code, area code, exchange, or subscriber number of a subscriber apparatus telephone number. The logic resolves the telephone number domain name into a network protocol address usable in ultimately initiating a communication with the subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched network. In one embodiment, a hierarchical tree of domain names and subdomain names representing the country codes, area codes and exchange codes of telephone numbers is constructed to assist in the process of resolving domain names to network protocol addresses.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for resolving data representing a telephone number of subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched communication network into a network protocol address on a packet-switched data network, the method comprising:

A. receiving a telephone number domain name derived at least in part from a reordered portion of the telephone number;
B. resolving the telephone number domain name into a network protocol address;
and
C. supplying the network protocol address to the source;
wherein the telephone number comprises a plurality of segments, and the reordered portion comprises the segments in a reverse order while maintaining the number sequence of each segment.

2 more elements

A domain name server apparatus for use on a computer network, the server apparatus accessible by one or more source client processes executing on the computer network, the domain name server apparatus comprising:

a processor for manipulating data;
a memory coupled to the processor for storing data;
connection logic, coupled to the processor and the memory, configured to couple the domain name server to a computer network;
at least one domain name stored in the memory, the domain name having associated therewith a network protocol address and having a portion thereof derived at least in part from a reordered portion of a telephone number;
resolution logic, responsive to at least a portion of a telephone number domain name received from a source, for generating a network protocol address associated with the portion of the telephone number domain name and for supplying the generated network protocol address to the source;
wherein the telephone number comprises a plurality of segments, and the reordered portion comprises the segments in a reverse order while maintaining the number sequence of each segment.

3 more elements

A computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer system operatively coupled over a packet-switched data network to one or more executing tasks, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having program code embodied in the medium for enabling the translation of data representing the telephone number of subscriber apparatus on a circuit-switched network into a network protocol address, the telephone number comprising area code, exchange, and subscriber segments, each segment having a sequence of at least one number, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving a telephone number domain name from a source, the telephone number domain comprising the segments of a telephone number in reverse order but with the number sequence of each segment maintained;
program code responsive to at least a portion of the telephone number domain name for generating a network protocol address;
and
program code, responsive to the generated network protocol address, for forwarding the network protocol address to the source.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Domain name server architecture for translating telephone number domain names into network protocol addresses

Life of this patent

Domain name server architecture for translating telephone number domain names into network protocol addresses

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23